Tier Privileges

Set up ongoing rewards for VIP tier members — discounts, free shipping, exclusive products, bonus points, and more

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This feature is available for: Advanced, Ultimate.

Overview

Tier Privileges (also known as Perks) are ongoing rewards that apply automatically to every qualifying order a customer places while in a tier. Unlike Tier Entry Rewards — which fire once when a customer first reaches a tier — Privileges are continuous: the benefit is applied for as long as the customer holds that tier status.

Available privilege types: Discount Amount, Discount Percentage, Free Shipping, Free Product, Bonus Points, Exclusive Products/Collections, and Custom Reward.

You can add multiple privileges to a single tier and stack different types. For example, a Gold tier can have both a 10% discount on accessories and free shipping on all orders — each configured independently.

Tier Privileges vs. Tier Entry Rewards at a glance:

Tier Privileges
Tier Entry Rewards

Frequency

Every qualifying order while in the tier

One-time only when first reaching the tier

Purpose

Ongoing retention — reward customers for staying

Immediate gratification for tier achievement

Application

Automatic at checkout

Customer redeems a specific reward

Duration

Until tier status changes

Expires after single use

How to set up

1

Open the tier you want to configure

Go to Membership → VIP Tiers → Tiers, select the tier, then click Add Reward.

2

Select a privilege type

Under Privileges reward, choose one of the following:

Type
What it does

Discount Amount

Fixed discount auto-applied to qualifying orders

Discount Percentage

Percentage discount auto-applied to qualifying orders

Free Shipping

Free shipping discount on qualifying orders

Free Product

A free product added to each purchase

Bonus Points

Extra points awarded each time a successful order is placed

Exclusive Products/Collections

Restrict specific products or collections to this tier only — see Exclusive products for VIPs

Custom Reward

A custom benefit you define and describe manually

3

Configure the reward details

Fill in the fields specific to your chosen type:

  • Discount Amount → enter the discount value and currency

  • Discount Percentage → set the percentage and minimum order requirement (if any)

  • Free Shipping → set minimum order amount and shipping restrictions

  • Free Product → select products eligible as the free gift

  • Bonus Points → specify how many bonus points are awarded per order

  • Exclusive Products/Collections → select the collections or products to restrict, then set the unlock message shown to non-eligible customers

  • Custom Reward → enter a description of the custom benefit

For discount types, set additional conditions where relevant:

  • Apply to: all products, specific collections, or specific products

  • Minimum order amount: require a minimum spend to activate the discount

  • Maximum discount amount: cap the discount value per order

4

Add more privileges (optional)

Click Add Another Privilege to stack additional perks on the same tier. Each privilege is configured and saved independently.

When you're done, click Save.

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Configuration options

Multiple privileges per tier

You can add multiple privileges of the same type within one tier — for example, two separate Discount Percentage rewards each targeting a different collection. Each discount privilege creates its own automatic discount in Shopify.

  • Up to 25 automatic discounts across all tiers (Shopify platform limit)

  • Up to 5 privilege rewards combined across all tiers in the current version

Plan your reward structure across tiers to stay within these limits.

Discount combination behavior

When a customer in a tier qualifies for multiple discount privileges on the same order, Shopify applies only the highest-value discount. Other discounts are not stacked.

Example: A Gold tier member has a 10% discount privilege and a $10 off privilege, plus free shipping.

  • On a $200 order → 10% applies ($20 > $10), plus free shipping

  • On a $50 order → $10 off applies ($10 > 10% = $5), plus free shipping

Exclusive Products/Collections

This privilege type restricts specific products or entire collections so only customers in the configured tier can purchase them. Non-eligible customers see a customizable unlock message instead of the buy button.

See Exclusive products for VIPs for full setup details and storefront behavior.

Tips & best practices

  • Use category-specific discounts to reward customers with benefits relevant to what they actually buy — a 20% off footwear hits harder for footwear buyers than a generic 5% off everything.

  • Combine exclusive access with discounts at your highest tier. Gated products (Exclusive Products/Collections) create aspirational value that pure discounts can't replicate.

  • Keep privileges readable — when customers can easily understand what they get per tier, they're more motivated to reach the next level.

  • Pair with Entry Rewards — privileges keep customers loyal long-term, entry rewards give them a win the moment they hit a new tier.

Below are two example tier privilege structures to help you visualize how a real program might look.

Example 1 — Fashion retailer (3 tiers)

Privilege
Silver
Gold
Platinum

Order discount

5% off all orders

10% off all orders

15% off all orders

Category discount

+10% off Footwear

+15% off Footwear & Accessories

Free shipping

Orders over $50

All orders

Bonus points

50 pts per order

100 pts per order

Free product

Free sample with every order

Exclusive collection

✅ Members-Only Collection

Example 2 — Beauty store (2 tiers)

Privilege
VIP
Elite

Order discount

$10 off orders over $60

$20 off orders over $80

Brand discount

15% off Brand A

20% off Brand A + 15% off Brand B

Free product

Free sample with every order

Free full-size gift with every order

Free shipping

All orders

Exclusive collection

✅ Elite Early-Access Collection

Custom reward

Complimentary gift wrapping

FAQ

What's the difference between Tier Privileges and Tier Entry Rewards?

Tier Privileges apply to every qualifying order for as long as the customer holds the tier. Tier Entry Rewards are one-time — they're given once when a customer first reaches a new tier. Both can be used together.

Is there a limit to how many privileges I can add?

Up to 25 automatic discounts across all tiers combined (Shopify limit). In the current version, the combined total of privilege rewards across all tiers is capped at 5. Plan your structure accordingly.

What happens when a customer changes tiers?

Moving up: the customer immediately gains the new tier's privileges and loses the previous tier's. Moving down: same process in reverse.

Will customers see multiple discounts at checkout?

No. Only the highest-value discount appears at checkout. Other qualifying discounts are suppressed, so the checkout stays clean.

How do Exclusive Products/Collections work?

Eligible tier members can add and purchase restricted products normally. Non-eligible customers see your unlock message instead. See Exclusive products for VIPs for full details.

Will existing privileges break after the multi-discount migration?

No. When you update an existing tier privilege, Joy automatically migrates it to the new format — each privilege is separated into its own automatic discount, and your existing settings are preserved.

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