Types of Loyalty Programs Supported by Direct Ordering

Direct Ordering supports several types of loyalty programs, each configurable to match a restaurant's business model. The available program types, and the features shared across all of them, are described below.

Bankable Points Loyalty

Bankable points let customers earn points for each dollar spent. The restaurant chooses how many points are earned per dollar and what the points are called, such as "stars" or any custom term. Points are awarded on the order subtotal before taxes, tips, and fees. Points are whole integers and are never rounded up. For example, if a customer spends $2.95 and the earning rate is 2 points per dollar, the calculated value is 5.90, so the customer receives 5 points for that order.

Bankable points support the following:

• Assign point values only to selected items, so the economics work for the restaurant instead of applying a blanket percentage discount.
• Customers can save points or redeem them immediately. Engagement tends to improve when customers can redeem small rewards quickly, such as a free drink or a side, and customers can also save points toward larger items.
• Points can be applied to multiple items within a single order.
• Bonus periods and status tiers are available, detailed in the shared-features section below.

Traditional Spend-Based Loyalty

Direct Ordering also supports traditional spend-based programs, which reward customers with credit as they cross a spending threshold, for example "Spend $50, get a $5 reward." Existing customer credit balances can be transferred when a restaurant moves to Direct Ordering, so customers retain the credit they have already earned. Separate programs can run for different order types, each with its own thresholds and status tiers, such as a points program for regular orders and a spend-based program for catering. Bonus periods and status tiers are also available with spend-based programs.

Punchcard Loyalty

Punchcard loyalty rewards customers based on the number of visits or orders. For example, after five visits a customer receives a free meal valued at $15.

Features Supported Across Loyalty Programs

Status Tiers

Status tiers keep customers engaged by displaying their current progress and credit balance on their account page and throughout the ordering experience, encouraging them to reach the next tier. Tiers can be based on points or spending accumulated over a period the restaurant defines. For example, a customer reaches the first tier at 500 points over the last 365 days and the second tier at 1,000 points over the same period. Rewards for reaching a tier can be delivered in several ways:

• Automated Rewards: rewards are added to customer accounts automatically and sent by email, SMS, and push notification for visibility.
• Specialized Benefits: such as a free dinner for the customer and nine guests.
• Hidden Menu Items: menu items unlocked only for customers who reach a particular tier.

Bonus Periods

Bonus periods reward customers with extra points to drive traffic at specific times of day or for specific order types, increasing sales during slower periods and steering customers toward more profitable order types. For example, customers can earn double points from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM daily, or triple points during lunch on Mondays. The restaurant controls the terms, such as double or triple, and the duration of each bonus period. For setup steps, see Setting Up Bonus Periods.