Smile.io Loyalty Program Setup for Shopify

Many Shopify brands launch Smile.io with the default points program and leave it there. The app is easy to install, but real loyalty growth comes from the right earning rules, VIP tiers, rewards, and Klaviyo flows. Shero configures Smile.io so the program drives repeat purchases.

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16+

Years in business

500+

Projects Delivered

65+

Team Members

98%

Client Retention

100K+

Merchants using Smile.io

Smile.io is used by 100,000+ Shopify merchants across DTC, B2B, and retail, from early-stage brands on the free plan to high-volume Plus merchants on Smile Plus. It holds the Built for Shopify badge for app quality.

2,500

Monthly orders included in Smile's Growth plan

Smile's Growth plan costs $199 per month, includes 2,500 orders a month, and is the first plan with VIP tiers and points redemption at checkout. The free plan covers 200 orders a month. The right plan depends on order volume and which program features the brand needs.

Custom app

Loyalty credits accepted as payment on Shopify

Regal's Crown Club members wanted to pay for rewards entirely with their loyalty credits. We developed a custom Shopify app that takes those credits on the cart page, applies discounts and still charges shipping correctly.

Klaviyo

Points balances in your email flows

Smile.io sends points balances and VIP tier data to Klaviyo. We use that data for points reminder emails and tier upgrade messages, set up in your Klaviyo account.

Since partnering with Shero Commerce, our eCommerce revenue has grown by 200%. Their support and solutions have been game changers for our business.

James McKenna, Senior Commerce and CX Manager, STX

What Smile.io does and what the setup requires

Smile has three mechanics: points for purchases and actions, VIP tiers that add bigger rewards as customers spend more, and referrals with double-sided rewards. Shero designs the program structure and selects the plan tier before any configuration begins.

Smile.io points program setup: earning rules, redemption options, and reward values
VIP tier configuration: tier thresholds, escalating benefits, and tier-based Klaviyo flows
Referral program setup: double-sided rewards, fraud prevention, and referral tracking
Checkout redemption configuration for Shopify Plus stores
Klaviyo integration with Smile loyalty events for milestone and retention flows
Overage monitoring and plan tier management for high-volume periods

Compared on	Smile.io setup partner	Install it yourself	Smile Plus launch plan	A freelancer
Points balances from your old program	Points balances imported and checked customer by customer	You upload a points CSV	White-glove migration	Points loaded from a CSV
Loyalty rewards in custom features	Regal: loyalty reward redemption set up in its Shopify stores	App defaults	Smile Plus covers Smile features	Custom redemption needs a developer
Launch emails and on-site banners	Launch emails and banners planned with your marketing team	You plan it	Dedicated launch plan	Launch marketing seldom in a setup quote
Reward value you can afford	Reward costs worked out from your margins	Smile starter rewards	Advice from Smile	Rewards copied from other stores
How you pay	Paid discovery, then an accurate estimate.	Free, then $15 to $199 a month	Smile Plus, $999 a month billed yearly	Hourly

Smile.io setup partner

Points balances from your old program Points balances imported and checked customer by customer

Loyalty rewards in custom features Regal: loyalty reward redemption set up in its Shopify stores

Launch emails and on-site banners Launch emails and banners planned with your marketing team

Reward value you can afford Reward costs worked out from your margins

How you pay Paid discovery, then an accurate estimate.

Compared with

Install it yourself

Points balances from your old program You upload a points CSV

Loyalty rewards in custom features App defaults

Launch emails and on-site banners You plan it

Reward value you can afford Smile starter rewards

How you pay Free, then $15 to $199 a month

Smile Plus launch plan

Points balances from your old program White-glove migration

Loyalty rewards in custom features Smile Plus covers Smile features

Launch emails and on-site banners Dedicated launch plan

Reward value you can afford Advice from Smile

How you pay Smile Plus, $999 a month billed yearly

A freelancer

Points balances from your old program Points loaded from a CSV

Loyalty rewards in custom features Custom redemption needs a developer

Launch emails and on-site banners Launch marketing seldom in a setup quote

Reward value you can afford Rewards copied from other stores

How you pay Hourly

01

Program design before platform configuration

A loyalty program that gives away too much margin attracts point-stackers. One that is too hard to earn from does not change behavior. Shero maps the earning rules, redemption values, and tier thresholds to the brand's repeat purchase rate and average order value before configuring anything in Smile. The program design determines the ROI. The platform configuration follows from it.

02

VIP tiers configured so customers actually move up

VIP tiers work when the benefits at each level are meaningfully different and the threshold to reach the next tier is achievable but not trivially easy. Tiers with no tangible benefit difference produce no behavioral change. Shero configures tier thresholds based on the brand's order frequency and AOV data so the majority of active customers are within reach of the next tier at any given time.

03

Klaviyo flows connected to Smile loyalty events

Smile passes loyalty events to Klaviyo: points earned, tier achieved, reward redeemed, referral completed, and points expiring. Each event is a trigger for a distinct retention flow. A customer who just reached Gold tier gets a different message than one whose points are about to expire. Shero connects Klaviyo as part of the Smile setup so loyalty data drives retention email sequences from the first order.

04

Checkout redemption configured correctly for Shopify Plus

Smile's checkout redemption lets customers apply points directly at checkout without generating a separate discount code. It needs a Smile Growth plan or higher and a Shopify Plus store using Checkout Extensibility. Customers redeem without leaving checkout, so there is one less step before the order. Shero configures checkout redemption as part of the Plus implementation.

05

Overage fees monitored ahead of high-volume periods

Smile's Growth plan includes 2,500 orders a month and charges $20 for every 100 orders above that. Smile Plus includes 7,500 orders and charges $5 per 100 above it. A strong promotion or BFCM can push the monthly bill well past the base price. Shero monitors order volume against each plan's limit and recommends tier upgrades before overages accumulate while there is still time to act.

06

Referral program configured to acquire customers who actually convert

Smile's referral program gives both the referrer and the referred customer a reward. The conversion rate depends on the reward value, the timing of the referral ask, and whether the landing experience matches the referral offer. Shero configures the referral mechanics and the post-referral flow so new customers land on a page that matches the offer and complete their first purchase.

Musical instruments

40%lower maintenance and operating costs after the move from Magento 2

Altobucksopen loyalty balances moved to Shopify on launch day

Alto MusicShopify

Read the case study

Entertainment

Custom appcredit based checkout rebuilt in a custom Shopify app

+40%faster page loads than legacy Magento

Regal CinemasShopify

Read the case study

Tattoo supplies

3 tiersretail, pro and wholesale pricing on one Shopify store

Bulk ordersbulk order form on product pages, with store credit and wish lists carried over from Magento

Painful PleasuresShopify

Read the case study

Musical Instruments

Alto Music

Alto Music, a longtime music retailer with loyal customers, collaborated with Shero to switch from Magento 2 to Shopify. They successfully maintained their popular Altobucks loyalty program while moving to a more user-friendly and cost-efficient platform. The transition ensured all loyalty benefits remained intact, and they achieved a 40% reduction in ongoing maintenance expenses.

Alto Music

Movie Theaters

Regal Cinemas

One of the largest cinema chains in the US, Regal Cinemas, partnered with Shero to migrate from Magento to Shopify, building a 100%Credit-based checkout logic replicated in a custom Shopify app, loyalty reward redemption, Vista Cloud integration, and automated corporate gifting workflows across two distinct eCommerce platforms. As a result, they achieved over 40% faster page load time.

Regal Cinemas

Tattoo and Piercing Supplies

Painful Pleasures

Painful Pleasures is a long-standing supplier of body jewelry and tattoo supplies with a catalog of 40,000+ products. The brand partnered with Shero to complete a stalled Magento to Shopify migration and deliver the complex custom features their business depends on. They reduced ongoing maintenance costs and eliminated urgent site issues that had previously caused headaches by 40%.

Painful Pleasures

Lacrosse and Hockey Gear

STX

Looking to scale alongside growing global markets and competitor consolidation, the premium American manufacturer of lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey equipment, partnered with Shero to migrate from Adobe Commerce (Magento) to Shopify, delivering a unified D2C and B2B experience, custom ERP integration, and a refined storefront that reflects the engineering quality of their products.

STX

Set up right the first time

App problems usually come from a rushed install: missing data, theme conflicts and scripts that slow the store. We set it up, connect the data and check the speed.

Data connected
Customer, order and product data synced both ways with Shopify.
Theme ready
Widgets and blocks placed in your theme without breaking the layout.
Speed checked
Scripts reviewed so the app does not drag down Core Web Vitals.
Hand off
Your team trained on the settings that matter.

Launching a Smile.io loyalty program? Let's talk.

Book a Setup Call

01

Discovery and program design
In recorded workshops we set earning rules, reward values, VIP tiers and referral rewards from your repeat rate and order values.
02

Smile setup
We set up the points, VIP and referral program in Smile and pick the plan that fits your order volume.
03

Checkout redemption
We turn on checkout redemption for Plus stores on Smile's Growth plan and add loyalty widgets to the theme.
04

Klaviyo flows
We connect Smile to Klaviyo so points balances and VIP status can drive reward and referral emails.
05

Testing, UAT and launch
We test earning, redemption and referrals, you sign off in UAT, then we launch and watch plan limits ahead of busy seasons.

Frequently asked questions.

Can't find what you're looking for? Reach out to our team.

01

What are Smile.io's plans and pricing?

Smile has a free plan for up to 200 monthly orders. Essential is $15 per month for 500 orders, Standard is $79 per month for 1,000 orders, Growth is $199 per month for 2,500 orders and adds VIP tiers and checkout redemption, and Smile Plus is $999 per month on annual billing for 7,500 orders. Enterprise is custom-priced. Growth charges $20 per 100 orders above its limit, and Plus charges $5 per 100.

02

What is the difference between Smile.io and LoyaltyLion?

Smile is a good starting point for many Shopify merchants: fast to set up, no-code, Built for Shopify, and priced from free up to $999 per month before Enterprise. LoyaltyLion is aimed at larger Shopify Plus brands that need custom earning rules via API, deeper segmentation analytics, and loyalty across multiple storefronts. Brands often start on Smile and look at LoyaltyLion once they outgrow Smile's tier and customization options.

03

Does Smile.io require Shopify Plus for checkout redemption?

Checkout redemption lets customers apply points directly at checkout without generating a discount code, and it requires Shopify Plus, Checkout Extensibility, and a Smile Growth plan or higher. On other Shopify plans, customers redeem points through the loyalty widget and get a discount code to apply at checkout. Points can be earned on all Shopify plans.

04

How does Smile.io integrate with Klaviyo?

Smile passes loyalty events to Klaviyo as flow triggers: points earned, tier achieved, reward redeemed, referral completed, and points expiring. Each event enriches the customer's Klaviyo profile and can trigger a distinct retention sequence. Shero connects these flows as part of the Smile implementation so loyalty data is actively driving email sequences from the first order instead of going unused in the loyalty widget.

05

What are Smile.io's overage fees?

On the Growth plan, overage fees are $20 per 100 orders above the 2,500 included each month. On Smile Plus, the fee is $5 per 100 orders above the 7,500 included. Free, Essential, and Standard have fixed order limits with no overage rate listed. Shero monitors order volume against each plan's limit ahead of promotional periods and BFCM to prevent billing surprises.

06

How long does Smile.io take to set up?

The basic Smile install and points program configuration takes under an hour. A complete setup covering VIP tier design, referral program, Klaviyo integration, Checkout Extensibility configuration on Plus, and initial program testing takes longer and depends on the complexity of the brand's earning rules and existing Klaviyo flow structure. We give you a timeline in discovery.

What our clients say.

We design experiences that make a difference. See what our clients have to say about working with us.

Painful Pleasures

"Our journey from Magento to Shopify was riddled with complexities and challenges. With a vast catalog and intricate B2B logic, we needed expertise that could navigate through these intricacies. Shero Commerce was our beacon. They not only provided innovative solutions but also utilized their vast Magento knowledge to bridge gaps in Shopify’s native features. Now, our platform is seamless, our costs are reduced, and the headaches are a thing of the past. A heartfelt thank you to the Shero team!"

Patrick Rice

CEO / Painful Pleasures

Swag Golf

"We partnered with Shero for the SWAG site development. The dev was highly nuanced, specialized and complex. The Shero team went above and beyond. They were collaborative, organized and professional, consistently setting expectations clearly and usually exceeding them."

Matt Kaminsky

Co-founder & Managing Director / Swag Golf

Invisible Bead Extensions®

"Working with Shero Commerce on our migration from WordPress to Shopify was honestly such a pleasant experience. We’d been on WordPress for five years with tons of content and very specific styling, and moving all of it into one cohesive Shopify site was no small feat, this was a genuinely complex, highly technical migration. But they pulled it off on deadline with zero errors and zero issues. Their team showed up with everything we needed: a project manager, multiple developers, marketing leads, email specialists, and CRO experts, all coordinated through dedicated meetings and a real task management system. They also designed several high impact conversion pages so our digital presence didn’t just function better, it looked beautiful too. Since migrating, we’ve seen an increase in revenue thanks to having one simplified, cohesive platform. I’m so grateful for how seamlessly they executed this, and I’d recommend Shero Commerce to anyone facing a migration like ours."

Jasmine Hadjis

CEO, IBE / Invisible Bead Extensions®

Camera Source

"The Shero team delivered exactly what they committed to for our Magento to Shopify migration project. They met the 3 month timeline, communicated clearly at every step, and the site has been stable since day one."

Chris Triplett

Owner / CEO - Camera Source / Camera Source

And you?

Let's build something great together.

Ready to scale your eCommerce business? Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.

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Smile.io Loyalty Program Setup for Shopify

What Smile.io does and what the setup requires