# Pricing Update for New Customers 02/2026

### Who this guide is for

All Joy Loyalty merchants — whether you're a current subscriber or considering upgrading to a paid plan.

***

### What changed

Starting **February 9**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026**, Joy Loyalty updated pricing for **new subscribers** to better reflect the platform's enhanced value. The update affects Essential and Advanced plans only:

<table><thead><tr><th>Plan</th><th width="191.10546875">Previous Price</th><th width="234.62109375">New Price (Feb 9th 2026)</th><th>Change</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Essential</strong></td><td>$24.90/month</td><td>$29/month</td><td>+$4.10</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Advanced</strong></td><td>$99/month</td><td>$129/month</td><td>+$30</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ultimate</strong></td><td>$499/month</td><td>$499/month</td><td>No change</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="success" %}
**If you subscribed before February 9**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026:** Your current rate stays locked in permanently — this is called **grandfathered pricing**.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1367962225-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FpAxc1paAgix94BNLrez8%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bd6807f5d20b4b864dc1722137816caf5ff6374c%2Fimage%20(80).png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>The Joy current pricing, commencing on Feb 9<sup>th</sup> 2026</p></figcaption></figure>

***

### Why this update matters

#### The value behind the pricing

Over the past year, Joy added major capabilities including **paid membership store credits, social engagement rewards, advanced integrations** (Recharge, Klaviyo, Shopify Flow), **advanced POS integration, enhanced VIP tiers, and loyalty AI agent**. The new pricing reflects this enhanced value while keeping Joy competitive in the loyalty platform market.

{% hint style="info" %}
**How this affects you**

* **Existing subscribers:** Your rate doesn't change — you keep your current price permanently as a thank you for being an early supporter
* **New subscribers:** Access all the latest features at the updated pricing
* **All merchants:** No reduction in features or support quality
  {% endhint %}

***

### Understanding grandfathered pricing

{% hint style="success" %}
**Grandfathered pricing** means your subscription rate stays locked at the price you originally signed up for, regardless of future pricing updates.
{% endhint %}

#### How it works

If you subscribed to Joy Loyalty **before February 9**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026**, you belong to one of two cohorts with special pricing protection:

**Cohort 1: Subscribed before September 2025 (Oldest cohort)**

**Your protection:**

* ✅ Keep your rate permanently — even if you downgrade to Free plan
* ✅ Upgrade to higher plans at legacy rates
* ❌ Lose protection **only if you uninstall** the app

> **Example:** You started on Essential at $24.90/month. You can upgrade to Advanced ($99, not $129) or downgrade to Free and come back to Essential at $24.90 anytime — as long as you don't uninstall.

**Cohort 2: Subscribed between September 2025 - February 8**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026 (Middle cohort)**

**Your protection:**

* ✅ Keep your rate as long as you stay on or above your **starting plan**

{% hint style="info" %}
**What is the starting plan?**

The starting plan is the very first plan you are on, right after this new pricing takes effect.
{% endhint %}

* ✅ Upgrade to higher plans at legacy rates
* ⚠️ Lose protection if you downgrade **below your starting plan**
* ❌ Lose protection if you uninstall the app

> **Example:** You started on Advanced at $99/month. You can upgrade to Ultimate ($499) or stay on Advanced at $99. But if you downgrade to Essential, you lose protection and pay $29/month (the new rate).

#### What protects your grandfathered rate

| Your Action                       | Cohort 1 (Before Sep 2025)            | Cohort 2 (Sep 2025 - Feb 2026)                |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Stay on current plan**          | ✅ Protected                           | ✅ Protected                                   |
| **Upgrade to higher plan**        | ✅ Protected (legacy rate)             | ✅ Protected (legacy rate)                     |
| **Downgrade to Free**             | ✅ Protected                           | ⚠️ Protected (only if Free was starting plan) |
| **Downgrade below starting plan** | ✅ Protected                           | ❌ **Lost** — new pricing applies              |
| **Uninstall app**                 | ❌ **Lost** — new pricing on reinstall | ❌ **Lost** — new pricing on reinstall         |

***

### Checking your pricing cohort

To see which cohort you belong to and your current rate:

1. In Joy Loyalty, go to **Settings**
2. Click **Subscription**
3. Your current plan and monthly rate display at the top

{% hint style="success" %}
**If you see:**

* $24.90 (Essential) **OR** $99 (Advanced) → You have grandfathered pricing
  {% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1367962225-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FpAxc1paAgix94BNLrez8%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f4c4d6bac0a1b3b875b9970314b7d59c99abc9f4%2Fimage%20(85).png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>The Joy Pricing prior to Feb 9 2026</p></figcaption></figure>

***

### Upgrading your plan

Upgrading **never** causes you to lose grandfathered pricing. You'll always get the legacy rate for the higher plan.

#### Pricing when you upgrade

| Your Current Plan | Upgrade To | You Pay (Grandfathered) | New Subscribers Pay |
| ----------------- | ---------- | ----------------------- | ------------------- |
| Essential $24.90  | Advanced   | $99/month               | $129/month          |
| Essential $24.90  | Ultimate   | $499/month              | $499/month          |
| Advanced $99      | Ultimate   | $499/month              | $499/month          |

#### How to upgrade

1. Go to **Settings** → **Subscription**
2. Review available plans and features
3. Click **Upgrade** on the plan you want
4. Review the pricing (you'll see your grandfathered rate)
5. Click **Confirm** to complete

Your new plan activates immediately. Billing adjusts pro-rated for the current cycle.

***

### Downgrading your plan

Downgrading has different effects depending on your cohort and starting plan.

#### Warning modal before downgrade

Before you confirm a downgrade that would cause you to lose grandfathered pricing, you'll see this warning:

> ⚠️ **Do you really want to give up your special price?**
>
> Our pricing changed in **February 2026** ([See details](https://help.joy.so/product-roadmap/changelog/pricing-update-for-new-customers-02-2026)). As an **early supporter**, you are currently enjoying a special grandfathered price of **{current\_price}/month** on your **{current\_plan}** plan.
>
> **Warning:** If you downgrade below your starting plan or uninstall the app, you will lose this exclusive rate and be charged the new pricing:
>
> * Essential: **$29/month** (was $24.90)
> * Advanced: **$129/month** (was $99)
>
> **Good news:** If you upgrade or stay on your starting plan, you keep your special pricing forever.
>
> We strongly recommend keeping your current plan to lock in this exclusive rate.

#### Downgrade scenarios

**Scenario 1: Cohort 1 (Before Sep 2025) — Always protected except uninstall**

| Starting Plan    | Downgrade To | Result                | Rate After Downgrade                |
| ---------------- | ------------ | --------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Advanced $99     | Essential    | ✅ **Keep protection** | Essential $24.90                    |
| Advanced $99     | Free         | ✅ **Keep protection** | $0 (can return to $99 Advanced)     |
| Essential $24.90 | Free         | ✅ **Keep protection** | $0 (can return to $24.90 Essential) |

**Scenario 2: Cohort 2 (Sep 2025 - Feb 8 2026) — Protected if staying at/above starting plan**

| Starting Plan    | Downgrade To | Result                      | Rate After Downgrade                |
| ---------------- | ------------ | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Advanced $99     | Essential    | ❌ **Lost** (below starting) | Essential $29 (new price)           |
| Essential $24.90 | Free         | ❌ **Lost** (below starting) | Must pay $29 to return to Essential |
| Advanced $99     | Advanced     | ✅ **Keep protection**       | Advanced $99                        |

#### How to downgrade

1. Go to **Settings** → **Subscription**
2. Find your current plan
3. Click **More actions** → **Downgrade**
4. **Read the warning carefully** — this is your last chance to keep grandfathered pricing
5. Click **Keep my current plan** to cancel, or **Downgrade** to proceed

The downgrade takes effect at your next billing cycle.

***

### Special cases

#### Opening additional stores

If you're an early supporter and open a new store:

**What happens:**

* Your new store initially shows current (new) pricing
* You can request legacy pricing to be applied manually

**How to get legacy pricing on new stores:**

1. Install Joy Loyalty on your new store
2. Contact Joy support via in-app chat or <support@avada.io>
3. Provide:
   * Your original store URL (with grandfathered pricing)
   * Your new store URL
4. Our team will manually review your business to apply the legacy rate to the new store

This courtesy is **only available** to merchants who subscribed before the February 9th 2026 pricing update.

#### Uninstalling and reinstalling

{% hint style="danger" %}
**CRITICAL:** Uninstalling Joy Loyalty **permanently ends your grandfathered pricing** — regardless of your cohort.
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**What happens when you uninstall:**

* Your grandfathered pricing status is immediately removed
* All subscription history is retained (customer data, points, etc.)
* If you reinstall later, current pricing applies
* **The legacy rate cannot be restored** after uninstall

**Before you uninstall, consider:**

* Downgrading to the Free plan instead (keeps your data and grandfathered status for Cohort 1)
* Contacting support to discuss alternatives
* Understanding that once you uninstall, your special rate is gone forever

***

### Comparing plans

Current plan features (February 2026):

See details at: [pricing](https://help.joy.so/product-roadmap/pricing "mention")

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><sub><mark style="color:$primary;">500 monthly free orders, then +$15 per 100 additional orders</mark></sub></td><td><ul><li>Points for social engagement</li><li>Dedicated loyalty page</li><li>Analytics &#x26; reports</li><li>Point expiration</li><li>Shopify Flow and 30+ integrations</li></ul></td><td><a href="https://1367962225-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FpAxc1paAgix94BNLrez8%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-70da897e33518d9de2339c16eb1b720174d7b5e1%2FJoy%20Loyalty%20user%20guide%20(1).png?alt=media">Joy Loyalty user guide (1).png</a></td></tr><tr><td><sub><mark style="color:$primary;">2,000 monthly free orders, then +$10 per 100 additional order</mark></sub></td><td><ul><li>VIP tier, B2B tier</li><li>Paid membership</li><li>Loyalty rule engine: bonus point &#x26; more</li><li>Redeem in cart drawer</li><li>Loyalty account (Shopify UI)</li><li>Automated translation</li><li>POS loyalty extension</li></ul></td><td><a href="https://1367962225-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FpAxc1paAgix94BNLrez8%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-902acb92fcdbb680a609ff6b928d70712c2e5d1d%2FJoy%20Loyalty%20user%20guide-1%20(1).png?alt=media">Joy Loyalty user guide-1 (1).png</a></td></tr><tr><td><sub><mark style="color:$primary;">7,000 monthly free orders, then +$5 per 100 additional order</mark></sub></td><td><ul><li>Dynamic point expiration</li><li>Checkout loyalty extensions</li><li>Developer toolkit</li><li>Headless commerce (Hydrogen)</li><li>White-glove onboarding</li><li>Priority support</li><li>On-demand development</li><li>Scalable loyalty solutions</li></ul></td><td><a href="https://1367962225-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FpAxc1paAgix94BNLrez8%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-62b976c7184b788a621878e02496ef289924c133%2FJoy%20Loyalty%20user%20guide-2%20(1).png?alt=media">Joy Loyalty user guide-2 (1).png</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
**Free**

* Basic points program
* Referral program
* Loyalty widget & basic branding
* Live chat support
* 150 monthly free orders
  {% endhint %}

***

### Frequently asked questions

#### General Questions

**Will my price increase automatically?**\
No. If you're already subscribed before **February 9**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026**, your rate stays the same unless you downgrade below your starting plan (Cohort 2 only) or uninstall the app.

**How do I know if I have grandfathered pricing?**\
Go to Settings → Subscription. If you see $24.90 for Essential or $99 for Advanced, you have grandfathered pricing.

**Can new subscribers get the old pricing?**\
No. Grandfathered pricing is only available to merchants who subscribed before the pricing update in **February 9**<sup>**th**</sup>**&#x20;2026**.

#### Upgrade Questions

**I just upgraded but see a higher price than expected. Why?**\
If you're an early supporter with grandfathered pricing, you should see the legacy rate. This may be a display error. Contact support immediately — they'll verify your cohort and correct the billing if needed.

**If I upgrade, can I downgrade back to my original plan?**\
Yes. And whether you keep grandfathered pricing depends on your cohort:

* **Cohort 1:** Always keep protection when downgrading
* **Cohort 2:** Keep protection only if downgrading to/above your starting plan

#### Downgrade Questions

**What is my "starting plan"?**\
Your starting plan is the first paid plan you subscribe to with Joy Loyalty right when this new pricing takes effect. If you started on Essential and later upgraded to Advanced, your starting plan is still Essential.

**Can I switch back to my old plan after downgrading?**\
Yes, you can upgrade again anytime. However:

* If you already lost grandfathered pricing by downgrading below your starting plan, you'll pay the new rates for all plans
* If you kept grandfathered pricing (Cohort 1), you'll get the legacy rate when upgrading again

#### Special Situations

**I temporarily paused my subscription. Do I keep my special rate?**\
Joy doesn't have a pause feature, but if you downgraded to Free:

* **Cohort 1:** You keep your protection and can return to your legacy rate
* **Cohort 2:** Depends on whether Free was your starting plan

**What if I can't afford the new rates after losing grandfathered pricing?**\
Before making changes that would lose your special rate, contact support to discuss your situation. There may be alternative solutions or special circumstances we can accommodate.

**Will there be future price increases?**\
Joy may adjust pricing in the future to reflect ongoing product improvements. If that happens, existing subscribers at the time of the increase would be grandfathered at their current rates, following the same protection policy.

#### Multi-Store Questions

**I have multiple stores. Do they all get grandfathered pricing?**\
Only stores that installed Joy Loyalty before February 2026 automatically receive grandfathered pricing. For new stores opened after the pricing change, you'll need to contact support to request legacy pricing (see "Opening additional stores" section above).

**If one of my stores loses grandfathered pricing, does it affect my other stores?**\
No. Each store's pricing status is independent. Losing grandfathered pricing on one store doesn't affect your other stores.

***

### How to get help

If you have questions about how the pricing update affects your account:

* **In-app chat:** Click the support icon in the bottom-right corner of Joy Loyalty
* **Email:** <support@avada.io>

**When contacting support, mention:**

* "Pricing update" or "grandfathered pricing" for faster routing
* Your store URL
* Your current plan and subscription date (if known)

Support will verify your cohort status and explain exactly how the pricing update affects you.

***