> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.extole.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Loyalty

> Reward participants for the actions they take over time, let them accumulate points in a Reward Bank, and give them a branded place to redeem.

## Overview

[//]: # "What is an Extole loyalty program?"

A loyalty program rewards participants for the actions they take with your brand over time, rather
than for a single outcome. Participants earn points for actions you choose, accumulate those points
in a Reward Bank, and redeem them for rewards you configure.

[//]: ___

## How a Loyalty Program Works

A loyalty program has three moving parts.

**Ways to earn.** Each way to earn is a business event paired with a reward rule. When Extole
receives the event and the rule passes, the participant earns a Collectible Reward worth a set
number of points. Ways to earn are configured inside a **Reward for Action** program. See
[Ways to Earn](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/ways-to-earn).

**Accumulation.** Collectible Rewards accumulate in the participant's Reward Bank. The balance
persists across campaigns and channels, and the participant decides when to spend it.

**Redemption.** The participant converts points into a reward from the Redemption Options you
offer. Those options are not limited to cash value — a 25% off code, a gift with purchase, a gift
card, or a charitable donation are all rewards a participant can claim. Where you would rather not
ask the participant to choose, a coupon code or an account credit can be issued automatically as
soon as the action qualifies, with no redemption step at all. The Redemption Ratio sets the
conversion — by default one point is worth one dollar, and a ratio of `10` makes ten points worth
one dollar. See
[Redemption and Reward Options](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/redemption-and-rewards).

## Marketing

Promote your loyalty program with the same placements you use for any other Extole program:
on-site and in-app calls to action, email, and links from your account or member pages. Because a
loyalty balance grows over time, the most effective placements are the recurring ones — a balance
shown on an account page, a reminder when a participant is close to a redemption threshold, and a
confirmation each time points are earned.

## Participant Journey

1. The participant joins the program — through an enrollment page, by being added to an audience
   you maintain, or by activity that qualifies them, such as a purchase over \$500. Activity-based
   entry is a targeting rule on the event; see
   [How to Target a Program](/guides/flow-campaigns/how-to-target-a-program).
2. They complete an action you reward, such as a purchase, a review, or a referral.
3. Extole receives the event, applies your quality and reward rules, and issues a Collectible
   Reward.
4. Points accumulate in the participant's Reward Bank and appear in the **My Rewards** section.
5. The participant opens the Redemption Center, reviews the available options, and redeems.
6. Extole issues the chosen reward and records the redemption in the participant's Redemption
   History. Extole or your system fulfills it, depending on the reward provider.

## Rules and Rewarding

Loyalty programs use the same rules engine as every other Extole program. Quality rules decide
whether an event is legitimate before it earns anything. Reward rules decide who earns, how much,
and how often — including whether a participant earns on the first action only, on every action, or
once per unique value in the event data.

Reward limits, blocking, and manual issuance all apply. See
[Rules and Quality](/product/product-overview/rewards/rules-quality).

## Performance and Data

Track a loyalty program through the Reward Bank reports and the standard reward reports. You can
see points issued, rewards redeemed, and the full audit history of every Collectible Reward. See
[Reward Bank Reports](/guides/dashboards-and-reporting/report-types/rewards-reports/reward-bank-reports).

## Related

* [Ways to Earn](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/ways-to-earn)
* [Redemption and Reward Options](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/redemption-and-rewards)
* [Member Experience](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/member-experience)
* [Reward Bank](/technical/platform-integrations/extensions/reward-bank)
* [How to Set Up a Loyalty Program](/guides/programs-and-campaigns/how-to-set-up-a-loyalty-program)


## Related topics

- [Build a Loyalty Program](/technical/platform-integrations/extensions/reward-bank/loyalty-program-guide.md)
- [Testing Your Loyalty Program](/guides/strategy-and-best-practices/campaign-optimization/testing-your-loyalty-program.md)
- [How to Set Up a Loyalty Program](/guides/programs-and-campaigns/how-to-set-up-a-loyalty-program.md)
- [Referral Marketing Glossary](/guides/platform-overview/key-concepts/referral-marketing-glossary.md)
- [Taking Referrals from Site-to-Store](/guides/strategy-and-best-practices/tactics-and-strategy/taking-referrals-from-site-to-store.md)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.