# Exclusive tier

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This feature is available for: **Advanced, and Ultimate** plans
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### Who can use this feature

This feature is available for merchants on Joy Advanced and above who want to create special membership tiers outside of the traditional VIP tier system.

### What are exclusive tiers

Exclusive tiers are special membership levels that you manually assign to specific customers, separate from your regular VIP tier system. Unlike VIP tiers that customers earn through spending or points, exclusive tiers allow you to provide targeted benefits to select customer groups with full control over membership.

### Why you should use exclusive tiers

Exclusive tiers give you complete control over who receives premium benefits, regardless of spending history. This is perfect for rewarding brand ambassadors, wholesale clients, influencers, or any special group based on criteria other than purchase behavior.

Traditional VIP tiers work automatically, but exclusive tiers let you create personalized experiences for hand-picked customers while keeping your regular loyalty program running for everyone else.

### Setting up exclusive tiers

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#### Step 1: Create an exclusive tier

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1. In Joy admin, go to **Membership** > **New tier**
2. Enter a **tier name** and **description**
3. Check **"Exclusive tier (Manual only)"**
4. Set up **entry rewards** (points, coupons, gifts)
5. Configure **tier perks** (discounts, free shipping, bonus points)
6. Click **Save**

#### Step 2: Add customers

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1. Go to **Customers** in Joy admin
2. Find the customer and click their profile
3. Select **Assign to exclusive tier**
4. Choose the tier and confirm

#### Step 3: Customize experience

Exclusive tier members will see their status across all loyalty touchpoints: widget, loyalty page, customer account, and checkout. All notifications work normally.

### Key limitations

* Each customer belongs to **one exclusive tier** at a time
* **Manual assignment only** - no automatic progression
* Members **don't progress through VIP tiers** while in exclusive tier

### Example setups

**Brand Ambassador Tier:** 25% discount, triple points, free shipping for influencers

**Wholesale Partner Tier:** 30% discount, priority support for business customers

**VIP Guest Tier:** 20% discount, early sale access for high-value clients

### Frequently asked questions

**Can customers see other exclusive tier members?** No, membership is private to each customer.

**What happens if I delete an exclusive tier?** Customers return to their regular VIP tier based on spending history.

**Do exclusive tier discounts stack with promotions?** Depends on your discount configuration settings.

**Can I automate exclusive tier assignments?** Yes. You can use Shopify Flow to trigger assignments based on specific actions like subscription purchases.

### Additional resources

* [Subscription membership setup](https://help.joy.so/membership/subscription-membership)