1. What loyalty does
Subscribers who have something to lose cancel less. Sublyra's loyalty tools give them that something: a reward ladder that fires as they complete orders, store credit that sits on their balance waiting to be spent, and streak milestones that celebrate consecutive renewals. Each one makes the next renewal a little more valuable than the last.
2. Build the reward ladder
The reward ladder is a set of steps: when a subscriber completes that many orders, the step's reward fires automatically. The ladder graphic at the top of the page shows each step growing taller — every renewal order climbs one rung.
The default ladder
| Completed order | Reward |
|---|---|
| Order 1 | 10% welcome discount |
| Order 2 | 3% back as store credit |
| Order 3 | A free gift |
| Order 4 | 3% back as store credit |
| Order 5 | 4% back as store credit |
| Order 6 | Lifetime 10% discount |
Editing a step
1 Go to Retention → Loyalty & referrals and scroll to Reward ladder.
2 On any row, pick the reward type: Store credit, Ongoing discount, or Free product.
3 For credit or discount, set the percentage (1–50). Credit is "% back" on the order; discount is an ongoing percentage off. Free product needs no value.
4 Click Save loyalty ladder. The label on each step updates to match ("3% back as store credit", "Lifetime 10% discount").
The stats hero above the ladder shows credit outstanding (issued but not yet spent), credit issued over all time, and how many subscribers hold rewards.
3. How store credit works
Store credit is the stickiest reward because it's money the subscriber can only spend with you:
- Earned automatically. When a ladder step or streak milestone pays credit, it lands on the customer's balance — no codes, no claiming.
- Spent automatically. Credit is applied to renewal charges before the card is charged, so subscribers feel it as a smaller bill, not a coupon to remember.
- Visible everywhere it matters. The Customers page has a Credit column showing issued-but-unspent balances per subscriber, and subscribers see their balance and unlocked tiers on the rewards ladder in their customer portal.
- A reason to stay. An unspent balance is a subscriber who has to leave money on the table to churn — which is exactly the point.
4. Streak milestones
Streaks reward consistency: when a contract's completed renewals hit a milestone — say 6 consecutive paid renewals — the reward fires automatically. It's either a discount on the next renewal order or store credit added to the balance immediately, and every reward is written to the audit log.
1 Go to Retention → Streaks.
2 Under Add a milestone, set After this many renewals — consecutive paid renewals on one contract.
3 Pick the reward type and amount: a discount percent for the next order, or a dollar amount of store credit. Only the field matching the chosen type is used.
4 Optionally name it — the label shows in the milestone list and the audit log; a sensible default is generated if you leave it blank.
5 Click Add milestone. It starts applying to renewal charges as soon as it saves.
5. Designing the economics
- Put something real at order 2. The jump from first to second order is the highest-churn moment in any subscription. A credit balance earned at order 2 gives new subscribers something to protect immediately.
- Keep the whole ladder under about 8% of revenue. Above that you're buying retention you could have earned with better frequency defaults and a better cancellation flow.
- Prefer credit over discounts for mid-ladder steps. Credit pulls the subscriber back to spend it; an open-ended discount just lowers your margin on revenue you'd have earned anyway.
- Save the big gestures for real milestones. A "lifetime" discount at order 6 means something because the subscriber earned it over half a year of renewals.
- Watch the stats hero. If credit outstanding keeps climbing but churn doesn't fall, the rewards aren't the thing making people leave — check the cancel reasons instead.
6. FAQ
How does the ladder count a subscriber's orders?
By completed orders on their subscription — the same "cycles" count shown on the Subscriptions page. When that count reaches a ladder step, the step's reward fires. Long-time subscribers start from the count they've already built up, not from zero.
What's the difference between the reward ladder and streaks?
The ladder counts completed orders and pays percentage-based rewards (credit back, ongoing discounts, gifts). Streaks count consecutive renewals on one contract and pay fixed gestures — a percent off the next order or a set dollar amount of credit. Use the ladder for the long-term arc, streaks for specific milestones you want to celebrate.
Can subscribers see their rewards?
Yes. The customer portal shows the rewards ladder — which tiers the subscriber has unlocked — and their current credit balance. You can preview this from the Sublyra admin with the portal's "View as" feature.
What happens to a subscriber's credit if they cancel?
Credit sits on the customer record, so it's still there if they return — which pairs nicely with a win-back campaign: "come back, you have credit waiting" is a strong reason to restart.
Which plan do I need?
Growth ($79/mo) and above include loyalty rewards, store credit, streaks and the referral program. On lower plans, loyalty is a $14.99/mo add-on. Paid plans start with a 30-day free trial.
Related guides
- Referral program — the other half of the Loyalty & referrals page: turn subscribers into advocates.
- Cancellation flows & save offers — the offers shown when loyalty wasn't enough.
- Win-back campaigns — bring back subscribers who left with credit unspent.
- Plans & pricing — what's included on each plan.