> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voucherify.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Loyalty campaign overview

> Understand the core concepts and workflow of building loyalty programs in Voucherify

Loyalty programs allow customers to store points on digital cards. Customers accumulate these points by meeting specific program earning rules.

Beyond managing loyalty cards and earning rules, Voucherify provides a rewards catalog and an omnichannel notifications system to provide a fully gamified experience.

In this guide, you will learn how loyalty programs work—from simple collect-and-spend schemes to advanced campaigns with tiers, expiration logic, and automatic redemption.

## Key loyalty concepts

The following concepts are key for understanding the loyalty engine.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Loyalty card">
    A digital card with a unique code that acts as a digital wallet for a customer's points.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Earning rule">
    Defines the action(s) that assign a specific number of loyalty points to a customer's card. Each earning rule has a specific timeframe determining when it is active.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Loyalty tier">
    Levels of membership within your program. A tier is defined by a minimum and maximum point range on a customer's card. You can map different rewards and earning rules to specific tiers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Reward">
    A digital or material incentive customers receive in exchange for points. Customers can also spend points to pay for orders directly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Distribution">
    The mechanism for sending messages from Voucherify to end customers or third-party applications. This is used to deliver loyalty cards and notify customers about collected points or redeemed rewards.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Reward redemption">
    The exchange of points for a reward. This process deducts points and updates the balance on the loyalty card.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Loyalty card publication">
    The assignment of a unique card to a specific customer. Cards must be published before customers can start collecting points.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Loyalty points expiration">
    Points can expire within a pre-defined timeframe. Expiration rules can be set at the campaign level or the earning rule level. If no rule is defined, points do not expire.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Auto-join campaign">
    An optional mode where customers are automatically assigned a loyalty card when they meet an earning rule, provided they don't already have one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Join-once campaign">
    The default setting for loyalty programs. It ensures a customer can hold only one card per campaign. Once set, this cannot be toggled off in the **Dashboard**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Auto-update campaign">
    An optional mode where the application automatically generates new loyalty codes when the initial batch runs out.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Loyalty workflow

Voucherify supports every step of the loyalty program lifecycle.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Configuration">
    Build your program conditions, set up rewards, and automate notifications in the **Dashboard**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Distribution and earning">
    Assign (publish) loyalty card codes to customers. As customers interact with your brand, they collect points based on your earning rules. Voucherify monitors behavior and updates loyalty scores in real-time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Validation and redemption">
    When a customer wants to use a reward (such as a discount, gift card, or pay-with-points), Voucherify validates the request and processes the redemption in your store.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Analysis">
    Track the performance of your loyalty campaigns using real-time reports to understand what drives customer engagement.
  </Step>
</Steps>