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VIP Program common questions.

FAQs on creating VIP tiers & managing a VIP program to reward top customers with perks, track loyalty & boost repeat purchases.

Updated today


Assigning Customers to Tiers

Q. For existing merchants setting up annual VIP tier expiry for the first time, is the initial entry based on total historical spend or spend in 2023?

A. It depends on your settings. If you choose annual expiry, the system uses year-to-date spend. Otherwise, it defaults to lifetime spend.


Q. What determines when a customer moves to a higher VIP tier?

A. VIP tier progression is currently based on customers’ total or lifetime points collected.


Q. If a customer drops to a lower tier, can they move back up by earning more points?

A. If tier changes were made manually, the customer will remain in that tier (‘sticky’). If they moved due to expiry and then earn enough points, they’ll automatically move up.


Q. I want to add more VIP tiers. Will this affect existing VIP customers?

A. Yes. Adding tiers triggers a 7-day cooling-off period where the VIP program is paused. After that, the system reviews and reassigns customers to the correct tiers.


Q. If I import a customer list with tier data, must the VIP program be enabled first?

A. Yes, your VIP program must be enabled before importing customers with preset tiers to sync tier levels correctly.


Q. Will customers be notified if I manually change their tier?

A. No, customers won’t be notified unless the VIP tier entry automation is enabled and they qualify for the tier based on lifetime points.


Q. Will the VIP program apply past purchases to determine tiers when it goes live?

A. No, it only tracks purchases from the moment the program is enabled. It does not retroactively apply past purchases.


Q. Can I auto-assign customers to a VIP tier when they purchase from a specific segment?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will auto-assign customers to a VIP tier once they purchase from a specific segment. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.


Q. Is it possible to assign customers to a VIP tier based on the customer's loyalty points at the moment instead of when they hit a specific points threshold?

A. Currently, it is not possible to assign customers to a VIP tier based on the customer's loyalty points in the moment instead of when they hit a specific points threshold. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.


Q. Can I auto-assign customers to a VIP tier when they purchase from a specific segment?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will auto-assign customers to a VIP tier once they purchase from a specific segment. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.


Q. Can I assign VIP tiers based on current loyalty points instead of when a threshold is hit?

A. No, customers can only be assigned a tier once they reach the defined points threshold, not based on their current points.


Tier Expiry

Q. I don’t have tier expiry enabled and have manually reset all customer point balances to 0. Will this reset their VIP tier status too?

A. As long as the tier expiry feature is disabled when you manually reset your customer points, customers may drop see a change in tier status. The manual change in customer lifetime points could mean their lifetime points balance does not match their current tier entry conditions.


Q. Do customers need to requalify each year to retain their VIP tier? How does this affect customers who join later in the year?


A. Yes, customers must meet the tier’s entry criteria annually. Regardless of when they join (e.g., January or October), they retain their status for the remainder of that year and the entire following year. For instance, if a customer joins Silver in October 2024, they’ll remain in that tier through 2025. Their tier will be reassessed on January 1, 2026.


Q. If I disable my VIP program to restructure and delete a tier, what happens to customers in that tier when I re-enable the program?


A. Customer tier status will refresh based on your updated structure during the next tier sync after reactivation. If it doesn't refresh within 24 hours, contact our support team.


Q. A customer who spent $1,000 in 2024 (meeting the VIP requirement) was manually added to a tier in early 2025 but hasn’t purchased yet this year. Will they be downgraded on January 1, 2026?


A. That depends on your settings. If you select the option to lock customers into a tier when manually adding them, they’ll remain in that tier. If not, they’ll move between tiers based on their spend and your VIP rules.


Q. Is there a feature that will expire customers from their VIP tier if their current loyalty balance drops below the points threshold due to a return?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will expire customers from their current VIP tier if their loyalty points balance drops below the tier threshold due to a return. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know of your interest.


Tier Customization

Q. Can Marsello VIP Tiers be created as Tags in Shopify Plus?

A. Currently, Marsello VIP Tiers cannot be created as Tags in Shopify Plus. However, if this is a feature you're interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest 😊


Q. Can I edit the names of my VIP tiers?


A. Yes, you can edit the name of each tier using the dropdown menu next to the Edit Rewards button. This opens additional customization options, including renaming the tier. Note: Any changes will trigger a 7-day cooling-off period during which no further edits can be made.


Q. How many VIP tiers can be created?

A. There is no limit as to how many VIP tiers can be created.


Q. How can I go about adding a new VIP tier to my program?

A. To add a new VIP tier to your loyalty program, go to Loyalty > VIP Tiers and select the Add a new tier button. This will open a popup form where you will be able to name your tier, add a points entrance requirement and customize the earning points rule for this tier.


Q. Can I edit the name of the base tier?

A. Yes, it is possible to edit the name of the base tier via the “Edit Member Rewards” button. Here you will see a down arrow, which has additional options & where you can get the name of your tier.


Q. Is it possible to have a paid membership for VIP tiers?

A. Currently, Marsello does not have a feature that supports a paid membership program for VIP tiers. However, if this is a feature of interest, please contact our support team and let them know of your interest.


Q. Can I set up my base tier to reward like this: $50 = 1.5 points?


A. You can configure decimal values for the dollar side of the earning rule, but not for points. For example:

  • Base Tier: 1 point per $1.10 spent

  • Middle Tier: 1 point per $1.00 spent

  • Top Tier: 1 point per $0.90 spentQ. Is it possible to update the way the VIP tier displays on the loyalty widget to be all caps?


Q. Can I display the VIP tier name in all caps on the loyalty widget?


A. Yes. The widget pulls the tier name directly from your VIP tier settings. To display names in all caps, edit the tier name accordingly in your program settings.


Q. How do I change the number of points needed to enter a VIP tier?


A. To update entry requirements:

  1. Go to Loyalty > VIP Program and click Manage Settings.

  2. Pause the program to make edits.

  3. Scroll to the VIP Tier Settings section and adjust the required points.

Note:

  • A 7-day cooldown applies after changes.

  • If you need to bypass this, contact support and we can override the cooldown.


Tier Rewards

Q. When a customer enters a VIP tier, do they need to click into the tier to access their rewards?


A. Yes, customers must click into their VIP tier to view and claim the available rewards. These rewards do not automatically appear in the general reward ladder.


Q. If a customer enters a VIP tier, do they need to click tiers to access those VIP rewards? Or should those VIP rewards show up on the reward ladder for the customer to claim?

A. Customers currently need to click into the VIP tier itself to view the rewards.


Q. Is it possible to set tier rewards live for my POS site and hide them on my eCommerce site?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature allowing you to select the site locations where tier-exclusive rewards are available. Our VIP Program is designed to work across all channels, providing a consistent experience for customers whether they shop online or in-store. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know of your interest.


Q. Is there a way I can create an automatic discount for customers in each specific VIP tier.

A. Currently, there isn't a a feature that will auto-apply a discount to customer orders for being in a specific VIP tier. If this is a feature you are interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest.


Q. Can I create a birthday reward per VIP tier?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will allow you to create a different birthday reward for customers based on their VIP tier. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.


Q. Can customers automatically receive a free gift when they enter a new VIP tier?


A. While there's no automatic reward for VIP tier entry, you can enable VIP Tier Entry Automation and include a discount block in the email. This allows you to offer a 0-point cost reward (e.g., a free gift) when customers level up.


Q. Is it possible to create tier rewards that are available online and not in-store?

A. Currently it is not possible to create a tier reward exclusive to a store site (eCommerce vs. in-store). If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.


Tier Notifications

Q. Are VIP tier entry emails considered transactional or marketing?

A. If the VIP tier entry is sent via an email automation it is considered transactional, if it is sent via a custom automation, it is marketing.


Q. Is it possible to edit or update the discount settings of the Referral discount?

A. Currently, it is only possible to change the discount type and title. There isn't currently a feature to exclude certain collections or products from the referral discount. However, if this is a feature you're interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest 😊


Q. I manually assigned customers to their VIP tiers, but the tier entry email didn’t trigger. Is this expected?


A. Yes, this is expected behavior. When a customer is manually added to a VIP tier, the standard automation does not trigger. To send an email, you can create a custom segment for that tier and use it to send a manual or custom-triggered email.


Q. If I manually adjust a customer’s points to meet VIP entry requirements, will the VIP tier entry email be sent?


A. The VIP tier entry automation will only trigger if you check the Send Email box during the manual points adjustment.


Q. Is there a tier notification available where a customer will be able to view the benefits they will receive once they reach the next tier?

A. Currently there isn't a VIP notification available where a customer will be able to view the benefits of reaching the next tier. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.

In the meantime, you could look at creating a loyalty explainer page where you will be able to provide customers with more details about your VIP program.


Q. Outside of the standard VIP automation, is there a way to customize messages based on which tier a member is in? For example, if the member was a few points away from leveling up in tiers, could you notify them to encourage a purchase?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature for custom VIP notifications. However, if this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know of your interest.


VIP Customers Export Questions

Q. Is it possible to include the customer's VIP tier in the customer download?

A. Currently, the customer's VIP tier is not included on the customer export. If this is a feature you'd like to see, please reach out to our support team and let them know.


Q. Can I export a list of customers by VIP tier?

A. Yes. Create a custom segment using the condition "VIP Tier is [tier name]," then export each segment as a .csv file.


Integration-Specific Tier Questions

Bopple

Q. If I were to create an exclusive VIP-only reward, can these be redeemed via Bopple?

A. Yes, tiered rewards will appear in Bopple.


Lightspeed Retail (X-Series)

Q. Is it possible to automatically have my customers' tier status sync across to my customer groups in Lightspeed Retail (X-Series)?

A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will automatically update your customer groups in Lightspeed X-Series to match the customer's VIP tier in Marsello. If this is a feature you are interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest.


Shopify

Q. Is it possible for a Shopify store using both POS and eCommerce to grant customers access to VIP tiers based on spend rather than points earned?

A. No, this is not currently possible. Even if the "earning points for purchases" option is disabled, VIP tier entry is still determined by total spend (either per year or all-time). This means customers will continue to move up and down tiers based on their spending, not points.


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