Set up a Dutchie loyalty program

Things to know

• This article applies only to Dutchie's native loyalty features. For information about third-party loyalty platforms that Dutchie integrates with, see Dutchie POS + Springbig integration guide or Alpine IQ integration guide for Dutchie POS.
• Customers earn loyalty points based on how much they spend before tax and after all discounts and loyalty redemptions.
• Loyalty points can be redeemed in store or online through Dutchie E-Commerce.
• Managing a loyalty program requires these user permissions:
  • View Loyalty Accrual allows users to view your loyalty program configuration.
  • Edit Loyalty Accrual allows users to change your loyalty program configuration.
  • Edit Adjust Loyalty Reasons allows users to configure reasons for manually adjusting loyalty points. These reasons are tracked in the Loyalty Adjustments Report.
• Loyalty program settings apply to all locations in your LSP, except Initial reward for sign-ups, Apply points to cart automatically, and Redemption method, which may differ between locations. For this reason, be sure to review your loyalty program settings for all locations, including non-retail locations.
• If you're switching to Dutchie POS or Dutchie Loyalty from another platform, our team can help migrate your existing customers and their point balances during the onboarding process.

Table of contents

• General settings
• Redemptions
  • Apply points to the cart automatically
  • Redemption methods
  • Troubleshoot redemptions 
  • Expiration
  • Earning on redemption orders
• Tiers
• Customer opt-in
  • In store
  • On Dutchie E-Commerce
• Set up loyalty adjustment reasons

General settings

Configure the following settings under Marketing > Loyalty > Settings tab.

Setting	Description
Accrual rate	The number of points customers will earn for every dollar they spend before tax. Consider your accrual rate carefully. If you allow customers to directly apply loyalty points as a payment method, each point will be worth $1.00. Alternatively, you can set up your loyalty program so that customers can only redeem points for pre-set discounts (e.g., redeem 100 points for $10 off). See Redemptions below for more information. Customers will accrue points based on total spending after all discounts and loyalty redemptions, not including tax. For example: Accrual rate = 0.1 point per dollar Order subtotal = $100 (+10 points) Total discounts = $10 (-1 point) Customer applies their existing loyalty points for an additional $5 off (-0.5 points) Customer earns 8.5 points from this transaction (10-1-0.5) Plus 20% tax on $85.00 = $17.00 Customer pays $102.00 Customers can accrue and redeem fractions of points. For example, if your accrual rate is 0.1, and a customer's total is $35.50 before tax, they accrue 3.55 loyalty points. This will serve as your base accrual rate, but you can create variable accrual rates based on customer spending with loyalty tiers. You can also offer extra points or prevent point accrual under certain criteria with loyalty point multipliers. To disable loyalty point accrual, delete the Accrual rate field and click Save.
Initial reward for sign-ups	The number of points new loyalty members will start with automatically. This is optional; leave blank if you don't want to give new members points for signing up.
Enrollment Type	Automatic: All customers are automatically considered loyalty members and will start earning points as soon as you enter and save an accrual rate. Opt-in: Each customer must opt in before they can earn points. See Customer opt-in below for more information.
Allow loyalty opt-in in register	Only applicable if Enrollment Type is set to Opt-in. Select Yes to display a Register for Loyalty button in the register when the assigned customer is not yet opted into your loyalty program. Select No to hide this button. This prevents employees for registering customers for your loyalty program in the register. Customers will need to register themselves via Dutchie E-Commerce. This can help ensure that correct customer information is captured because customers must enter their own information.
Show Loyalty Widget	Control whether the loyalty widget is visible on your online ordering site.
Show Widget On	Choose where to show:  Website and mobile app Website only Mobile app only
Widget Preview	This is how the widget will appear to customers online and in the mobile app.
Use SMS opt-in flow at register	Only applicable if Enrollment Type is set to Opt-in and Allow loyalty opt-in in register is set to Yes. If set to Yes, when an employee signs a customer up for your loyalty program or updates the SMS communication preferences in an existing loyalty member's profile, the customer receives a confirmation text. If the customer replies YES, they will be opted into your loyalty program and SMS marketing messages. If they don't reply YES, the customer will be opted into your loyalty program only and will not receive SMS marketing messages.  This is recommended to capture clearer consent, conform to SMS marketing regulations and best practices, build trust with your customers, and validate that customer phone numbers can receive texts. Note that each automated opt-in message will be billed at the standard rate and will increase your monthly cost for SMS messages.
Use SMS opt-in flow on E-Comm	Only applicable if Enrollment Type is set to Opt-in. This works just like the above setting, but triggers a verification text when a customer signs up for your loyalty program or updates their SMS communication preferences in Dutchie E-Commerce. This is recommended to capture clearer consent, conform to SMS marketing regulations and best practices, build trust with your customers, and validate that customer phone numbers can receive texts. Note that each automated opt-in message will be billed at the standard rate and will increase your monthly cost for SMS messages.
Online description	A text input box where you can provide a description of your program. Customers will see this in Dutchie E-Commerce under My Account > Loyalty.

Redemptions

These settings determine how points can be applied to a customer's cart. 

Setting	Description
Apply points to the cart automatically	If Yes, all of a customer's available points will be automatically applied to their cart. While this option helps to limit the number of points customers can accrue, it's possible that a customer could have enough points to cover their entire order and budtenders do not have the option to remove points or apply only some of a customer's points, so this setting may not be appropriate if your local regulations prohibit selling cannabis for $0.00 or below cost. If No, budtenders can apply some or all of the customer's points based on the customer's preference, local regulations, or store policy.
Allow customers to redeem online	Allow customers to use accumulated points as a payment type when ordering online.
Show redemption on	Choose where to show:  Website and mobile app Website only Mobile app only
How rewards work online	Show how rewards work online: View rewards only (redeem in-store) Apply rewards at checkout
Redemption methods	Apply loyalty as discounts  Customers can only redeem points toward pre-configured loyalty discounts with a set point value.  For example, you could set up a $10 discount that can be redeemed for 100 points and apply that discount to one or multiple line items. Tax is based on the discounted price. Create loyalty discounts in the Discount Wizard by selecting the Application method: Loyalty and entering the number of Loyalty points to redeem. In the Dutchie E-Commerce checkout, customers can choose whether they want to redeem their points and select an eligible discount: When a customer applies their own loyalty discount online, it appears automatically in their cart and the budtender clicks Redeem to apply it. Budtenders can also apply loyalty discounts in-store by selecting the cart-level ellipsis button and then Redeem loyalty. Apply loyalty as a payment method (pre-tax) Each loyalty point is worth $1.00 off, with points applied proportionally to the pre-tax price of each item before checkout. Points are applied pre-tax, and tax is calculated on the discounted price. In the Dutchie E-Commerce checkout, customers can choose whether they want to redeem their points and enter an amount: As with loyalty discounts, the customer's selection appears automatically in the cart and the budtender clicks Redeem to apply it. Budtenders can also apply loyalty points in-store by selecting the cart-level ellipsis button and then Apply loyalty. Apply loyalty as a payment method (post-tax)  Each loyalty point is worth $1.00 off, with points applied to the transaction total at checkout. Points are applied post-tax, and tax is calculated on the pre-discount subtotal. With this redemption method, customers cannot apply their own points online. Instead, customers will see their current points balance (or dollar equivalent) and a call to action to redeem loyalty points in-store. Budtenders can apply the points manually in the cart as shown above.
Expiration	Set when points expire after last purchase. If points never expire, then leave blank.
Earning on redemption orders	Yes, earn points No, zero points earned

Troubleshooting redemptions

Problem: Online customers prompted to redeem rewards in-store.

Customers attempting to redeem loyalty discounts on e-commerce are prompted to go in-store for redemption, which doesn't work for delivery orders. The "Apply My Rewards" toggle is not visible at checkout, and available discounts appear greyed out with message "Redeem your rewards in store when completing your order."

Cause: Loyalty redemption settings are not properly configured to allow online redemption.

Solution: 

•  Verify "Redeem rewards at POS" is disabled in Dutchie Admin
• Ensure redemption method is set to "Apply loyalty as discounts" in settings
• Confirm applicable loyalty offers exist for the customer
• Contact Dutchie support to ensure internal settings for Loyalty are enabled

Expiration

Optionally, enter a number of days since a customer's last transaction when their points will expire. If you leave this blank, points will never expire.

Note: The expiration date setting applies from the date that it's configured going forward. It doesn't retroactively expire existing points. If you need to change expiration dates retroactively, please discuss with Dutchie Customer Support.

Earning on redemption orders

By default, customers earn points on every purchase, but you have the option to set up your loyalty program so that customers only earn points on purchases where they did not redeem any existing points:

• Yes, earn points (default setting): customers will earn points on all purchases.
• No, zero points earned: customers will not earn points on purchases where points are redeemed. Customers will only earn points on purchases where no points are redeemed.

Tiers

Loyalty tiers allow you to set variable accrual rates based on customer spending or point earnings. 

1. Select Add tiers - Yes.
2. Define tier basis as either Total spend or Points earned.
3. In Tier assessment, select either:
   • Tiers last through the next calendar year: Customers retain the highest tier they reached during the previous calendar year. Spending thresholds reset every January 1 and total spend/points earned does not carry over year-to-year. For example:
     • If a customer's 2025 total spend reached the $500 threshold for your "Elite" tier on December 15, 2025, they would immediately be promoted to the "Elite" tier on December 15 and will retain their "Elite" status through the duration of 2026, regardless of their 2026 spending. 
     • If that customer spends less than $500 during 2026, they'll move back down to a lower tier for 2027.
   • All tiers reset annually on January 1st: All customers start over at your lowest tier at the beginning of the year. Tier status is based only on total spend or points earned during the current calendar year.
4. Click Add new tier and configure a tier Name, Accrual rate, Spending threshold, and Badge color, which will appear in the Register.
   
5. Click Create. You can create up to 4 tiers.
   
6. When you're finished, click Save.

A customer's current loyalty tier will be shown in the Register in the cart and customer profile, and in Dutchie E-Commerce under My Account > Loyalty.

Customer opt-in

If your Enrollment Type is set to Opt-in, this will temporarily hide existing customers' loyalty points (if you previously used automatic enrollment) and prevent further point accrual and redemption for each customer until they opt in.

There are two ways for customers to opt in:

In store

Dispensary employees can opt a customer in by selecting Register for Loyalty in the cart:

This opens a Loyalty Registration window with a disclaimer that employees should show or read to the customer:

By clicking sign up, you are agreeing to share your information, including information from your state issued ID to receive marketing and loyalty messages from this facility. You may opt out at anytime of marketing messages via unsubscribe links in email and by replying STOP to text messages.

Once opted in, the customer will begin or resume accruing points, and the Register for Loyalty button will no longer appear in their cart. 

To help budtenders quickly identify customers who are loyalty program members, update your customer cards to include a loyalty indicator icon:

1. Go to Settings > Registers.
2. Select Configure.
3. Select the Cards tab.
4. Check the box for Loyal vs. Non-loyal.
   
5. Click Save.
6. A star icon will now appear on loyalty members' guest list cards and carts.

On Dutchie E-Commerce

New and existing customers will be prompted to opt in to your loyalty program when they log in or navigate to the My Account page. The text that customers see here can be customized by your Dutchie Implementation Specialist or Support.

After clicking Connect, customers are prompted to agree to the terms of use:

Customers can then view their points and history under My Account > Loyalty > Activity.

Customers will also see different loyalty widgets on Dutchie E-Commerce depending on how your loyalty program is configured:

• Tiered program with points redeemed as a payment method:
  
• Tiered program with points redeemed for discounts:
  
• Non-tiered program with points redeemed as a payment method:
  
• Non-tiered program with points redeemed for discounts:
  

Set up loyalty adjustment reasons

When you adjust a customer's loyalty points, you may need to enter a reason for the adjustment. Set up your loyalty adjustment reasons before adjusting loyalty points.

1. Go to Marketing > Loyalty > Loyalty adjustments.
2. Click Add reason.
3. Enter a possible reason for a loyalty adjustment, such as "Error Correction" or "Customer Satisfaction".
4. Optionally, enter a number in the Expiration days field. 
   • Any points added to a customer's account using this adjustment reason will automatically expire after this number of days.
   • This adjustment reason will appear in the Register with the expiration days next to the name. For example, "Customer Satisfaction (expires after 7 days)".
   • Expiration only applies to positive adjustments.
5. Click Add.

To edit a loyalty adjustment reason, select it from the list, edit the text field, and click Update.

To delete a loyalty adjustment reason, click the X next to it.

What’s next?

• Redeem loyalty points on a customer’s cart
• Adjust loyalty points at the POS
• Further incentivize loyalty members with point multipliers
• Prevent employees from accruing or redeeming Dutchie loyalty points