Rivo is one of the best free loyalty program apps for 2025, offering a completely free forever plan with essential features including points programs, ways to earn and redeem, branding options, and automated email campaigns. Trusted by over 7,000 Shopify merchants, it provides a comprehensive solution for building customer retention without upfront costs.
Popular alternatives to Rivo include Smile.io (offers basic loyalty programs with free tier), Loyalty Lion (provides customer loyalty solutions with freemium model), and Yotpo (comprehensive loyalty platform with free trial). However, Rivo stands out with its completely free forever plan, modern Shopify integration, and focus on both loyalty and referrals in a single platform.
To set up automated email campaigns in Rivo, navigate to the Rivo dashboard and select your loyalty program. Under the 'Automated Emails' section, you can create transactional emails for points earned, rewards redeemed, and VIP tier changes. Customize the email templates with your branding, set triggers based on customer actions, and preview before activating. The emails are automatically sent through your own domain to maintain brand consistency.
Yes, Rivo offers checkout extensions that allow customers to redeem points directly during the checkout process. To enable this, go to your Rivo dashboard and activate the 'Redeem Points at Checkout' extension. Customers will see their available points balance and can choose to apply them toward their purchase, reducing the total amount due. This frictionless redemption experience encourages immediate use of loyalty points.
To create VIP tiers in Rivo, go to your loyalty program settings and select 'VIP Tiers'. You can set up tiers based on customer spend, order count, or points earned. Define the requirements for each tier (e.g., Gold: $500 spent, Platinum: $1000 spent) and assign specific rewards like exclusive discounts, early access to new products, or free shipping. Configure the tier progression rules and enable automatic notifications when customers reach new levels.
