Expiry removes balances that customers have not used within a set time. It gives customers a reason to come back and stops old balances building up. Expiry is off by default.
On a store credit program this section is called Store Credit Expiry and works the same way.
How to turn on expiry
From your Shopify admin, open the Mage Loyalty app and click Loyalty.
Scroll to the Points Expiry section.
Tick Enable points expiry.
Choose an expiry mode (see below).
Enter the number of days in Points expire after. It must be more than 0.
Choose an Expiry reminder if you want customers warned before they lose anything.
Click Save.
Expiry modes
Mode | How it works |
Time after acquired (default) | Each amount earned expires on its own, a set number of days after it was earned. Something earned on 1 January with a 90 day window expires on 1 April, something earned on 1 February expires on 2 May. |
Customer's last purchase date | Every purchase resets the clock for the customer's whole balance. As long as they keep ordering within the window, nothing expires. Drop balances are the exception and keep the drop's own expiry. |
Time after acquired suits most stores. Last purchase date suits stores that want to reward buying frequency without forcing customers to redeem by a fixed date. You can switch modes at any time. Existing expiry dates stay as they are until the customer's next purchase.
Choosing the window
Match the window to how often your customers naturally buy. Most stores use 365 days. Consumables and subscriptions can use 90 to 180 days. Windows under 90 days tend to frustrate customers.
The expiry date is fixed at the moment something is earned. If you change the number of days later, only new earnings use the new window. Existing balances keep their original dates. Contact us if you need existing balances moved to a new window.
Expiry reminders
Choose an Expiry reminder to warn customers a set number of days before their balance expires. The reminder can be sent as a Mage email, or as an event to Klaviyo, Omnisend, Postscript or Attentive so you can send it from there. The Mage email is edited under Email Templates. If no email template or integration is turned on, no reminder is sent.
Good to know
Anything earned before you turned on expiry never expires. Only earnings after that date have an expiry.
Expired amounts are removed from the balance and are not restored automatically. You can add them back manually from the Customers page.
Customers can see their expiry dates in the Account Sidebar and Rewards Widget.
Turning expiry off pauses the clock rather than clearing it. Nothing expires while it is off, but if you turn it back on, anything past its date expires on the next nightly run. Review balances before re-enabling.
Common mistakes to avoid
Setting a window under 90 days. Customers who find their balance gone before their next visit rarely re-engage.
Turning on expiry without telling members. Existing balances are safe, but future earnings will expire. Announce the change before it starts.
Troubleshooting
Customers are not getting the reminder
Check the expiry reminder is set in the Points Expiry section.
Check the expiring email template is enabled under Email Templates, or that the expiry event is turned on in your marketing integration.
A customer's balance expired and they say it should not have
Open the customer in the Customers section. Their activity log shows when each amount was earned and when it expired.
Add the amount back manually if you want to as a goodwill gesture.