Points for signing up: the welcome gift that only costs money later
A discount code for a newsletter sign-up costs real money on the very first order. Points only cost something once the customer actually comes back and redeems them - and by then they have brought them back.
Why points fit better here than a code
The incentive works now, the cost comes later
A "10 % off your first order" code is usually redeemed exactly when the purchase would have happened anyway. The discount lands immediately, and afterwards the relationship is open again. Points work the other way round: they are there at once but only usable once enough has accumulated.
50
points for an account
30
points for the newsletter
0.80 €
value of both together
later
when it costs money
The values 50 and 30 are the plugin defaults. Both can be changed freely, and both can be set to zero if you only want to reward one of the two.
A starting balance makes the empty beginning bearable
The weakest moment of a points programme is the first look into the customer account: zero points, nothing within reach, everything far away. 80 points from registration and newsletter are little money and a big difference - the balance is no longer empty, and the first goal is visibly closer.
If you want a stronger start, add a goal called "Welcome to the programme" that credits a bonus when a first threshold is crossed.
What you get in return
A customer account is the precondition for collecting at all - without an account points belong to nobody. A newsletter sign-up is the only channel through which you can reach a customer again without an advertising budget.
Both are exactly what a loyalty programme needs in order to work. That is why they sit at the beginning and not as an afterthought at the end.
How it works technically
Two shipped flows you can see and change
The credit does not happen hidden in code but through the Shopware Flow Builder. On installation the plugin creates seven flows; two of them cover this use case.
Flow
Trigger
Effect
Loyalty points on registration
customer registers
credit points
Loyalty points on newsletter sign-up
newsletter confirmed
credit points
Because they are flows you can switch them off, extend them with conditions or restrict them to individual sales channels - without a line of code.
Confirmation first, points second
The newsletter flow hangs on the confirmation event, not on the sign-up. Points are therefore only credited once the sign-up has passed the double opt-in. An email address that belongs to nobody collects nothing.
Anyone who unsubscribes later keeps their points. Taking them back would be technically possible but is not intended - it would turn a welcome gift into a trap.
These points are valid immediately
Unlike points from an order, registration and newsletter points are not pending. They hang on no order that could still be cancelled and are therefore redeemable without a waiting period.
It shows in the customer account under "Recent movements": the booking sits there with the reason it came from.
What you set for this
The settings for this use case
The point values live in the configuration, the flows in the administration under Settings → Flow Builder.
All three values are points, not euros. What a point is worth is decided by the conversion on redemption. The three free bonuses belong to the Business plan; on Free and Starter the flows stay inert.
The defaults are 50 points for the customer account and 30 for the newsletter - 80 points or 80 cents of value together. Enough so the balance is not at zero, little enough not to make sign-ups an end in themselves.
Are points credited on sign-up already?
No. The flow hangs on the confirmation event of the double opt-in. Only once the sign-up is confirmed is anything credited.
Are these points redeemable immediately?
Yes. They are not pending, because they hang on no order that could be cancelled. The waiting period only applies to points from orders.
Can I switch one of the two bonuses off?
Yes, in two ways: set the point value to zero, or deactivate the corresponding flow. The second way is cleaner because then no booking is created at all.
Does someone lose the points when they unsubscribe?
No. Points already credited remain. Taking them back afterwards is not intended.
Are these bonuses part of the free scope?
No. Registration, newsletter and birthday bonuses are action bonuses and active from the Business plan. On Free and Starter the flows exist but book nothing.
The plugin installs free of charge from the Shopware Store. Earning points, the dashboard and the customer account run straight away, no purchase needed.