Why Shopify subscriptions and loyalty programs suck and what to do instead
Shopify subscriptions are too rigid and loyalty points feel like a crass game. Discover the 'Replenishable Reward,' a simpler retention model for your store.
You want repeat customers.
The two most common tools for this are subscriptions and loyalty programs. Both are flawed.
Subscriptions are rigid. Loyalty points are a game. Customers are tired of both.
The Problem with Subscriptions
Subscriptions lock customers in. They are a cage.
Customers want flexibility. They do not want to be trapped in an auto-delivery they cannot easily manage. This friction leads to churn as customers.
The problem is not just for customers. Merchants also struggle with this rigidity. One of the most common reasons for customers cancelling their subscription is that the delivery cadence is too frequent, causing the customer to feel stressed, frustrated, and then eventually leading to them cancelling their subscription altogether. An interesting fact is that once a customer cancels their subscription, they are more likely to form a negative association with your brand and are subsequently less likely to re-order.
The Problem with Loyalty Points
Loyalty programs are not much better. They are often complex, clunky, and expensive.
But the real problem is psychological.
Points-based loyalty is a game. It tries to hijack the human reward circuit. Customers must “earn” points for actions. It can feel transactional and a little crass, not like a genuine reward, especiall in a world where customers are increasingly concerned about being “gamed”.
Merchants feel this, too. They are “overwhelmed” by the options. They are not looking for a “game.” They are looking for simple, automated ways to reward customers, often without points.
What Merchants Actually Want
Merchants do not want to manage games or lock customers in cages.
They want to give their best customers a simple, automatic reward that drives repeat sales.
You can see this in Shopify forums. Store owners are asking for “ongoing automatic discounts” for their VIPs. They are trying to build “frequent shopper” programs that act like a membership.
They are trying to solve this by “tagging” VIP customers and then using a separate wholesale app to apply a discount. It is a clunky, multi-app hack.
A New Model: The Replenishable Reward
There is a simpler model.
It is not a subscription. It is not a points program. It is a replenishable reward, so we decided to call it… The “Replenishable Reward” and you can build it with Discount Spark.
Here are the mechanics: With Discount Spark you can create a discount code that looks like the following:
A customer can use this discount code twice every month for 15% off their order
Why This Model Is Better
This system is simple, genuine, and effective.
1. It Builds a Habit, Not a Hoard. The customer knows their discount is waiting for them. It creates a “use-it-or-lose-it” urgency. This builds a monthly purchase ritual, in comparison to points, which just encourage hoarding.
2. It Is a Genuine Gift, Not a Crass Game. There are no points to earn. There is no game to play. It is a simple, automatic “thank you” for being a customer. It feels like a real perk, not a marketing trick.
3. It Solves the Subscription Problem. This model gives you a “subscription-like experience” without the commitment. It is perfect for consumable goods. Customers are encouraged to re-order every month, but on their own terms.
How The Models Compare
| The Rigid Model (Subscriptions) | The Game Model (Loyalty Points) | The Privilege Model (Replenishable Reward) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanic | Lock-in auto-delivery. | Earn and hoard abstract points. | A simple perk that auto-resets. |
| Customer Feel | Trapped, locked-in. | Manipulated, forced to play a game. | Valued, like a true VIP. |
| Merchant Cost | High churn, high friction. | Clunky, expensive apps. | A fixed, predictable marketing cost. |
You Cannot Build This in Shopify
You cannot build a Replenishable Reward with Shopify’s native tools.
Shopify’s discounts are binary. You can limit a code to “one use per customer” (total) or “unlimited”.
You cannot set a limit of “one use per customer, every 30 days.”
This is exactly why we built Discount Spark.
Discount Spark is the only app that lets you create Automatic Reset Windows for your discounts.
You can create one code, like VIPCLUB, and set it to replenish for your best customers every month.
Stop paying for complex apps. Stop locking in customers.
Start building a genuine reward ritual.
Simply Smarter Shopify Discounts.
Install Discount Spark and start controlling discount usage fairly and automatically.