Partner Tiers

A guide to setting up and managing VIP tiers specifically designed for business-to-business customers.

This feature is available for Advanced and Enterprise plans.

What is the B2B VIP Tier feature

The B2B VIP Tier feature provides specialized loyalty tiers designed exclusively for business customers. Unlike regular tiers that focus on individual consumers, B2B tiers offer benefits that matter to business buyers, such as payment terms, catalog access restrictions, volume-based discounts, and company-wide tier management.

This feature integrates seamlessly with Shopify's B2B functionality to provide personalized experiences based on how much a business has spent over their lifetime relationship with your store. Companies automatically inherit tier benefits that apply to all business account members.

Why you should use B2B VIP Tiers

B2B VIP Tiers create powerful incentives for businesses to increase their spending while providing appropriate rewards for your highest-value customers. Unlike individual loyalty programs, B2B tiers recognize that business purchases are typically higher value, recurring, and involve multiple decision-makers within the organization.

These specialized tiers help you retain valuable business customers by offering benefits that align with B2B purchasing patterns. Extended payment terms, access to exclusive product catalogs, and volume discounts all address the specific needs of business buyers. When companies see clear progression paths and increasingly valuable benefits, they're motivated to consolidate their purchasing with your business.

Requirements before setting up B2B VIP Tiers

Before configuring B2B VIP Tiers, ensure you have:

• A Shopify Plus store with B2B functionality enabled

• Joy Loyalty installed on Advanced or Enterprise plan

• New customer accounts enabled

Setting up B2B VIP Tiers

1. Access B2B VIP Tier settings

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps

2. Click on Joy Loyalty

3. In the Joy Loyalty dashboard, navigate to Membership → VIP Tiers

4. Select the Partner tier tab to access B2B tier settings

2. Create and configure B2B tiers

1. Click Add New Tier to create your first B2B tier

2. Configure the tier criteria:

   • Tier Name: Give your tier a descriptive name (e.g., "Silver Partner," "Gold Partner," "Platinum Partner")

   • Spend Threshold: Set the minimum lifetime spending required to reach this tier

   • Start Date: Choose when the tier system will begin tracking spending

3. Set up tier benefits

For each tier, you can configure multiple benefit types:

Catalog Access

• Restrict access to specific product catalogs based on tier level

• Create exclusive product lines for your highest-tier partners

• Control which products are visible to different tier levels

Payment Terms

• Offer extended payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, etc.) for higher tiers

• Configure different payment options based on tier level

• Set automatic approval limits for purchase orders

Automatic Discounts

• Order Discounts: Percentage or fixed amount discounts on entire orders

• Product Discounts: Targeted discounts on specific products or collections

• Shipping Discounts: Reduced or free shipping based on tier level

Free Products and Samples

• Automatically include free products with orders

• Offer samples of new products to higher-tier customers

• Provide exclusive promotional items

4. Launch your B2B tier system

1. Review all tier configurations

2. Click Launch to activate the B2B tier system

3. The system will automatically calculate tier levels for existing companies based on their historical spending

Managing B2B VIP Tiers

Viewing company tiers

To see which tier a company belongs to:

1. Navigate to Customers in Joy Loyalty

2. Search for or select a company account

3. View their current tier status and spending history

4. Track their progress toward the next tier level

Tier calculation and updates

The system automatically:

• Calculates tier levels based on company lifetime spending

• Updates tiers when companies reach new spending thresholds

• Recalculates tiers if you modify tier requirements

• Maintains tier benefits for all company members

Handling refunds and tier adjustments

When orders are refunded:

• The refunded amount is deducted from the company's lifetime spending

• If this causes the company to fall below a tier threshold, they are downgraded automatically

• All company members lose access to the previous tier's benefits immediately

Best practices for B2B VIP Tiers

Setting spending thresholds

• Research your customer spending patterns before setting tier thresholds

• Ensure gaps between tiers are meaningful but achievable

• Consider your average order values when determining tier levels

• Plan for 3-5 tiers maximum to avoid overwhelming customers

Designing tier benefits

• Bronze/Silver tiers: Focus on early engagement benefits like extended payment terms

• Gold/Platinum tiers: Offer exclusive catalog access and significant discounts

• Top tiers: Provide premium services like dedicated account management references

Communication and promotion

• Clearly explain tier benefits in your B2B welcome materials

• Send notifications when companies reach new tiers

• Display current tier status prominently in customer accounts

• Create tier-specific marketing materials and product catalogs

Frequently asked questions

How are company tiers calculated?

Tiers are calculated based on the total lifetime spending of the entire company across all company members and locations. This includes historical orders placed before the tier system was launched.

What happens when a company changes tiers?

When a company moves to a new tier:

• Benefits apply immediately to all company members

• Changes are reflected in the next order placed

• Previous tier benefits are removed automatically

• All company locations inherit the new tier level

Can I create different tier structures for different types of businesses?

Currently, B2B VIP Tiers uses a single tier structure that applies to all B2B customers. You can use Shopify's customer tags or metafields for additional segmentation if needed.

How do refunds affect tier status?

Refunds reduce the company's lifetime spending total. If a refund causes the company to fall below their current tier's threshold, they will be automatically downgraded to the appropriate tier level.

Will tier-specific discounts stack with my other discounts?

Tier discounts are automatically applied, but how they combine with other discounts depends on your Shopify discount stacking settings. Generally, the best discount available will be applied to the customer.