> ## 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. # Ways to Earn > The actions a loyalty program can reward, from purchases and referrals to sign-ups, app downloads, and milestones — and how each one is configured. ## Overview [//]: # "What actions can customers earn loyalty points for?" A way to earn is a business event paired with a reward rule. Ways to earn are configured inside a **Reward for Action** program, which is the program type a loyalty program is built on. There is no set limit on the number of ways to earn you can run, or on the types of offers behind them. Any action you can send to Extole as an event can earn points, and the list below covers the ones clients most often start with. Each way to earn needs three things: an event that tells Extole the action happened, a Collectible Reward that defines how many points the action is worth, and reward rules that decide who qualifies and how often. For the configuration steps, see [How to Set Up a Loyalty Program](/guides/programs-and-campaigns/how-to-set-up-a-loyalty-program). A brand's loyalty page under the heading Actions that earn loyalty points, listing six ways to earn with the points each one is worth: joining the membership, renewing the membership, getting a facial, buying product in-studio, a birthday bonus, and bonus points on treatments. [//]: ___ ## Transactional and Spend-Shaping Actions tied directly to revenue. These are the most common place to start, because the event is already flowing into Extole if you run any other program. **Purchases**: Earn a set number of points per purchase, or a dynamic amount based on order value. A dynamic Collectible Reward calculates points as a percentage of the transaction, with a minimum and maximum you set. **Points per dollar spent**: The dynamic reward configuration expressed as a rate. Ten points per dollar is a dynamic reward with the rate set accordingly. **Spend thresholds**: For a single-order threshold, add a reward rule condition to the transaction event data. For cumulative spend, have your system send a milestone event or a running value when the participant crosses the threshold. **Category-specific purchases**: Reward more for a product category or line by adding a condition on the event data to the reward rule, so only qualifying purchases earn. **Upsell and cross-sell offers**: Reward the specific action you want to encourage, using the same event-data conditions. ## Acquisition and Advocacy Actions that bring new people in or deepen a participant's relationship with the brand. **Joining the loyalty program**: Reward enrollment itself. This is often the first points a participant ever sees, and it gives them a reason to complete the sign-up. **Referrals**: A loyalty program can reward referrals alongside a Refer A Friend program. The referral is a separate journey linking two people, and the points land in the same Reward Bank. **Referral milestones**: Reward a participant on their second, third, or fifth successful referral rather than every one. See [How to Set Up Bonus Rewards on a Specific Referral Count](/guides/flow-campaigns/how-to-set-up-bonus-rewards-on-a-specific-referral-count-2nd-3rd-5th-etc). **Account creation**: Reward a participant for opening an account, using the registration event you already send. **Profile completion**: Reward a participant for supplying data you want, such as preferences or a birth date. Send the completion as an event and set the reward to issue on the first action only. **Email or SMS signup**: Reward an opt-in. Confirm the opt-in is recorded in your own system of record as well, since Extole rewards the event rather than managing the subscription. **App download**: Reward a first app open or a first in-app session. The mobile SDKs can send this event. ## Engagement and Feedback Actions that show attention rather than spend. These usually carry smaller point values, which is what the Reward Bank's micro-reward model is built for. **Surveys and reviews**: Reward a participant for completing a survey or submitting a review. Extole does not integrate with survey or review providers. The action happens in the platform you already use, and that platform — or your own systems — sends Extole the event once it is complete, by API, file upload, or the **Create Event** page. **Product registration**: Reward a participant for registering a product they own. Where the registration carries a purchase identifier, it can also connect an offline or retail purchase back to the participant. **Events and appointments**: Reward attendance or a completed booking. Appointment systems can send this event; see [Boulevard (BLVD)](/technical/partners/appointment-management/boulevard-blvd) for a worked example. ## Milestones and Occasions Actions defined by time or count rather than by an action the participant has just completed. **Birthday and anniversary rewards**: Send an event from your system when the date occurs, then reward that event. A date stored on the participant's profile does not schedule the reward by itself. **Nth purchase milestones**: Send a milestone event when the participant reaches the target count, or use a dedicated counter event with a **Has Taken Action** rule set to the exact count. **Tenure milestones**: Reward length of membership or subscription. The milestone is reached by time rather than by an action, so your system sends the event when the participant qualifies. ## Custom Events Anything else you can describe as an event can earn points. Define the business event, send it to Extole by API, file upload, or an integration, and attach a Collectible Reward to it. See [Where Events Come From](/technical/platform-integrations/extensions/reward-bank/loyalty-program-guide#where-events-come-from) for how events arrive from each kind of system. Start with two or three ways to earn that use events already flowing into Extole, then expand. Every additional way to earn adds unredeemed value, and a program with too many low-value ways to earn is harder for a participant to understand. ## How Often a Participant Earns Each reward is configured with a reward behavior that controls repetition: | Behavior | Effect | | :- | :- | | First Action | Points are issued only the first time the event occurs. Use for one-time actions such as enrollment, app download, or profile completion. | | Every Action | Points are issued every time the event occurs. Use for purchases and repeatable engagement. | | Every Unique Action | Points are issued once per unique value of a data parameter you specify. Use where an action repeats but should only earn once per item, such as one review per product. | ## Related * [Loyalty](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty) * [Redemption and Reward Options](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/redemption-and-rewards) * [Events Overview](/product/product-overview/events/events-overview) * [Rules and Quality](/product/product-overview/rewards/rules-quality) ## Related topics - [Member Experience](/product/product-overview/programs/loyalty/member-experience.md) - [Terms You Should Know](/product/extole-overview/terms-you-should-know.md) - [Testing Your Loyalty Program](/guides/strategy-and-best-practices/campaign-optimization/testing-your-loyalty-program.md) - [Build a Loyalty Program](/technical/platform-integrations/extensions/reward-bank/loyalty-program-guide.md) - [How to Set Up a Loyalty Program](/guides/programs-and-campaigns/how-to-set-up-a-loyalty-program.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.