Getting started with punch cards
Punch cards help you increase retention by showing customers clear progress toward rewards. When customers can see how close they are to their next incentive, they are more likely to continue their subscription and complete future orders.
Punch cards combine reward logic and customer-facing progress into a single flow. Instead of managing rewards and messaging separately, you define milestones once and display them directly in the customer portal.
This guide explains how punch cards work and how to decide whether they fit your loyalty strategy.
- Shopify Checkout Integration
- Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration
Before you start
- This feature is available through Rewards. Access to Rewards depends on your plan. Check the Loyalty tab in your merchant portal to confirm whether this feature is available in your store.
- You must use the Affinity Customer Portal (Original next order page) or the Affinity Customer Portal Affinity (Custom home page).
Key features
Milestone-based rewards
Assign rewards to specific order numbers, such as order 3 or order 6. This gives customers a clear goal and encourages repeat purchases over time.
Visual progress in the customer portal
Customers can track their progress directly in the customer portal. This makes rewards more predictable and motivates customers to continue their subscription.
Unified reward logic and experience
Punch cards combine reward configuration and customer display into a single setup. This reduces manual coordination and ensures the experience matches the underlying reward logic.
How it works
Punch cards track customer progress based on processed subscription orders and apply rewards at defined milestones. Each punch represents a qualifying order, and rewards are applied when a customer reaches a specific order number.
Each punch card includes three main parts:
- Audience rules: Define who qualifies based on order data, customer attributes, or segments.
- Reward milestones: Choose which order numbers trigger rewards and what rewards they receive, such as credit, a discount, or a free gift.
- Customer experience: Control how the punch card appears in the customer portal, including text, icons, and branding.
Punch cards use the After order is processed trigger. Order one is not eligible because it is the initial Shopify checkout, so the earliest reward you can apply is on order two.
Rewards appear on the punch card at the order number when the customer receives or can use the reward.
For example:
- A free gift on order 2 displays on order 2
- A discount on order 5 displays on order 5
- Credit earned on order 6 displays on order 6, because this is when the customer can use the credit
Use cases
Use case |
Notes |
|---|---|
| Encourage repeat purchasing behavior | Reward customers after a set number of processed orders to build consistent buying habits. |
| Increase subscriber lifetime value | Create long-term incentives that encourage customers to remain active and engaged. |
| Replace manual reward campaigns | Combine reward logic and customer-facing progress into a single experience. |
Set-up instructions
To create a punch card, see How to set up punch cards.
Considerations
Consider the following when using punch cards:
Consideration |
Note |
|---|---|
| Order eligibility | Rewards can only start from order 2. |
| Flow conflicts | Existing reward flows may conflict with punch cards. The most recently created flow takes priority if multiple active flows overlap. |
| Trigger type | Punch cards only work with the After order is processed trigger. |
| Editing limits | After activation, you can update the customer-facing design, but you cannot change the main configuration. |
