How Do I Create Rewards Customers Can Redeem?

What are Rewards? #

Rewards are what customers spend their points on. Each reward combines a point cost, a reward value, and a redemption method. The redemption method turns points into something practical, such as a checkout discount, a coupon, or a free product.

Rewards are the opposite side of earning rules. Earning rules give customers points, while rewards remove points when customers redeem them.

Why Do You Need It? #

• Points with nowhere to go are worthless: The reward catalogue is what makes the loyalty program feel valuable.
• It controls the cost of the program: The relationship between point cost and currency value is defined here.
• It encourages return visits: A reward that a customer is saving toward gives them a reason to come back.

Prerequisites #

• An Administrator account to manage rewards.
• The Rewards feature must be enabled.
• WooCommerce, because every built-in redemption method works at WooCommerce checkout.
• Pointics Pro to use the three Pro-only redemption methods.

Customers only need to be logged in to redeem rewards. Anyone, including logged-out visitors, can browse the reward catalogue.

Where to Find It #

Go to Pointics → Rewards.

/wp-admin/admin.php?page=pointics#/rewards

Step-by-Step Instructions #

Step 1: Open the Rewards Screen #

Go to Pointics → Rewards and click Create Reward. The Add Rewards Rule picker will open.

Step 2: Pick a Redemption Method #

Method	What It Does	Suggested Cost	Suggested Value	Pro?	Popular?
Points Conversion	Converts points into a checkout discount at a configured rate.	1500	30	No	Yes
Fixed Discounts	Applies a fixed amount discount to the order total.	1500	30	No	No
Percentage Discount	Applies a percentage discount to the order total.	1500	10	Yes	Yes
Bundle Reward	Provides a curated bundle of products.	1500	30	No	No
Free Product	Adds a free product during checkout.	1500	30	Yes	Yes
Free Shipping	Removes the shipping charge from the order.	1500	10	Yes	No
Manual / Generic	Provides no automatic fulfilment. You complete the reward manually.	0	0	No	No
WooCommerce Coupon	Creates a real WooCommerce coupon.	Not set	Not set	No	No

The WooCommerce coupon method is available only when WooCommerce is active. Pro-only methods display a Pro badge, while popular methods are marked separately.

Step 3: Fill In the Reward Details #

The reward editor opens with two sections in the left rail: Rule Details and Conditions.

Field	Notes
Reward Name	Required.
Description	Optional supporting text.
Allow Sharing	Controls whether the reward can be shared.
Points Expiry	The number of days the issued reward remains valid.
Point Cost	Required. Defines how many points the customer must spend.
Reward Value	The currency value provided by the reward.

Step 4: Configure the Coupon Options #

These settings are available when you select the WooCommerce coupon redemption method.

Option	Description	Default
Discount Type	Choose a fixed cart discount or a percentage discount.	Fixed cart amount
Expiry Days	The number of days until the coupon expires and the held points are returned. Zero means the coupon never expires.	Plugin default
Code Prefix	The prefix used for generated coupon codes.	pts
Minimum Spend	An optional minimum cart subtotal.	Not set
Individual Use	Prevents the coupon from being combined with other coupons.	On

Step 5: Save the Reward #

• Save Draft: Saves the reward as inactive.
• Publish: Saves and activates the reward.

Step 6: Manage Your Rewards #

• Edit: Click Configure on a reward card.
• Delete: Open the card menu and choose the delete option. Deleting deactivates the reward instead of permanently removing it.

Delete this reward? {name} will stop being redeemable. Points customers already spent on it are kept.

Step 7: Watch a Redemption Happen #

A customer can redeem a reward from the customer panel or floating widget. The redemption process works as follows:

1. The customer clicks Redeem.
2. The required points are held instead of being spent immediately.
3. The selected redemption method creates the reward value, such as a WooCommerce coupon or checkout discount.
4. When the related order is paid, the hold is settled and the points are permanently spent.
5. If the customer cancels the redemption, the hold is released and the points return to the balance.
6. If the coupon expires unused, the hold is automatically released and the points return.

Key Functionality #

How a Reward’s Cost Is Calculated #

Model	Options
Fixed Value	A set number of points for a set reward value.
Points-to-Currency Ratio	A value for each point, with optional minimum and maximum points per redemption.

Reward Fields #

Field	Required	Default
Name	Yes	Not set
Redemption Method	No	None selected
Point Cost	No	Not set
Value	No	0
Currency	No	Site default
Conditions	No	None
User Roles	No	All roles
Description	No	Empty
Active	No	On
Sort Order	No	0

How a Redemption Settles #

A reward moves through the following process from creation to final settlement:

1. Open the Rewards screen.
2. Click Create Reward.
3. Select a redemption method.
4. Configure the reward in the editor.
5. Choose Save Draft to keep the reward inactive, or choose Publish to activate it.
6. The active reward appears in the customer reward catalogue.
7. The customer clicks Redeem.
8. Pointics checks whether the customer has enough points.
9. If the customer does not have enough points, the redemption is refused.
10. If the customer has enough points, the required points are placed on hold.
11. Pointics creates the coupon, discount, free product, or other reward value.
12. If the related order is paid, the hold is settled and the points are permanently spent.
13. If the customer cancels, the hold is released and the points are returned.
14. If the coupon expires unused, the hold is automatically released and the points are returned.

Validation Rules #

Creating a Reward #

• Name and a Redemption Method are required.
• The selected redemption method must be supported by your site. Pro-only methods cannot be used on the free version.
• The reward’s integration is assigned automatically based on the selected redemption method.
• The reward slug is generated automatically from the reward name. If another reward already uses the same slug, Pointics appends a unique number. Deleted rewards keep their original slugs, so reusing the same name results in a new unique slug.

Editing a Reward #

• Only the fields you modify are updated.
• You cannot change the redemption method while customers still have active redemption holds.
• Each reward slug must remain unique.

This reward has open redemptions; finalize or cancel them before changing its redeem method.

That slug is already in use by another reward.

When a Customer Redeems a Reward #

• Only one redemption can be processed at a time for each customer.
• The customer must have enough available points to redeem the reward.

Another redemption is already in progress.

Not enough points for this reward.

Editor Validation #

• Save Draft requires only a reward name.
• Publish requires a reward name and a complete redemption configuration.
• A reward is considered configured only when both the point cost and reward value are greater than zero.
• Empty condition rows are ignored. If no conditions are configured, the reward is available without restrictions.

Limitations #

• The Reward editor currently supports only fixed-value rewards. A points-to-currency ratio cannot be configured from the interface.
• Minimum Order currently displays None and is not yet supported.
• Restricting rewards to a specific loyalty level is not currently available.
• The Uses count shown on reward cards always displays 0. Use the Analytics or Transactions screen for actual redemption data.
• Percentage Discount, Free Product, and Free Shipping require Pointics Pro.
• Inactive rewards serve as drafts. There is no separate draft status.
• Coupons generated by Pointics are hidden from the WooCommerce coupon list, and their labels are masked in the shopping cart.

Troubleshooting #

Problem	Solution
“Reward not found.”	The reward has been deleted or the link is outdated.
“Field ‘name’ is required.”	Enter a reward name before saving.
“Unknown redeem_type…”	The selected redemption type is unavailable on your installation, usually because it requires Pointics Pro or a third-party integration.
“Unknown redeem_method…”	The required integration is inactive. Activate WooCommerce or the appropriate integration.
“This reward has open redemptions; finalize or cancel them before changing its redeem method.”	Wait until all pending redemption holds have been completed or cancelled before changing the redemption method.
“That slug is already in use by another reward.”	Choose a different slug. Deleted rewards retain their original slugs.
“The reward could not be saved.”	Check for database or hosting issues and contact your hosting provider or support team if necessary.
“Not enough points for this reward.”	The customer’s available balance is lower than the required point cost.
“Another redemption is already in progress.”	Wait until the current redemption finishes, then try again.
“This redemption has already been finalized.”	The redemption has already been completed or cancelled and cannot be processed again.
“This reward is not available for your account.”	The customer’s role or configured conditions prevent redemption.
“The reward could not be applied to the cart.”	WooCommerce coupon restrictions such as minimum spend or individual-use rules prevented the reward from being applied.
Points did not return after a coupon expired.	Automatic point releases rely on WordPress scheduled tasks. Verify that WP-Cron is running correctly.
Reward card shows “Not configured”.	The reward’s point cost or reward value is still zero.
Rewards menu is missing.	The Rewards feature has been disabled.

Notes #

• A redemption hold is settled as soon as the related order is paid, regardless of the payment method, including Cash on Delivery and Bank Transfer.
• Points placed on hold cannot be used for another redemption, preventing customers from spending the same points more than once.

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Related Articles #

• How Do I Create Point Earning Rules?
• How Do Customers See Their Points?
• How Do I Read the Points Ledger?
• How Do I Activate Pointics Pro?