Customer loyalty software
Customer loyalty software helps businesses increase customer satisfaction and build long-term relationships. See which software best suits your needs.
A guide to the 17 best customer loyalty software of 2024
Last updated January 18, 2024
Today’s consumer has a wealth of businesses and products to choose from, and it feels as though customer loyalty is fleeting. According to the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2024, more than half of all customers will switch to a competitor after only one unsatisfactory interaction. With stakes that high, businesses need a way to foster long-term customer relationships.
Customer loyalty software can help businesses build those crucial relationships through loyalty programs. This article details the 17 best customer loyalty software options on the market, what features you should be looking for, and how these solutions can contribute to a positive customer experience (CX).
More in this guide:
- What is customer loyalty software?
- Customer loyalty software comparison chart
- The 17 best customer loyalty software
- Features of customer loyalty management software
- Benefits of customer loyalty software
- How to choose a customer loyalty software
- Frequently asked questions
What is customer loyalty software?
Customer loyalty software is a technology that helps businesses build and maintain long-term relationships with their customers. With this tool, organizations can create and optimize loyalty programs that incentivize consumers to make repeat purchases. The overarching goal is to increase customer retention and drive revenue growth.
Customer loyalty software does its best to entice consumers to stick with your company. Through customer loyalty programs and CX-enhancing features, like omnichannel capabilities, consumers are inclined to make repeat purchases, providing the perfect opportunity to develop relationships and build customer loyalty.
Customer loyalty software comparison chart
Below is a comparison chart of the top 17 customer loyalty software options. It includes information on each software’s price, free trial length, and features.
Software | Starting price | Free trial | Features |
---|---|---|---|
Zendesk | $55 per agent/month
(billed annually) | 14 days |
|
Yotpo | $0 per month (limited features) | Unavailable |
|
Kangaroo | $59 per month | 30 days |
|
Talon.One | Contact Talon.One | Unavailable |
|
Smile.io | $0 per month (limited features) | Unavailable |
|
LoyaltyLion | $399 per month | 14 days |
|
Runa | Contact Runa | Unavailable |
|
Fivestars | Contact Fivestars | 30 days |
|
Alyce | Contact Alyce | Unavailable |
|
BHN Rewards | Contact BHN Rewards | Unavailable |
|
Open Loyalty | Contact Open Loyalty | Unavailable |
|
Xoxoday Plum | Contact Xoxoday | Available |
|
Loyalzoo | $47 per store/month | 7 days |
|
Giftbit | Contact Giftbit | Unavailable |
|
Marsello | $125 per month | 14 days |
|
Zinrelo | Contact Zinrelo | Unavailable |
|
iVision Mobile | $59 per month | Unavailable |
|
The 17 best customer loyalty software
Next, let’s jump into an extended overview of each software so you can select the best option for your organization.
1. Zendesk
According to our CX Trends Report, 75 percent of consumers will spend more with businesses that provide a good customer experience, and 60 percent have made a purchase solely based on the service they expect to receive. So, your first step to improving customer loyalty should be a well-executed CX strategy—a concept that we’re experts in at Zendesk.
Our software boasts a wealth of features that can help businesses of all sizes improve the customer experience and, in turn, build customer loyalty at scale. Zendesk customer loyalty features include:
- AI: Our chatbot and automation capabilities give customers instant answers to simple queries and empower agents to solve issues quickly and effectively.
- Customer satisfaction surveys: Collecting feedback directly from your customer base can alert your organization to what’s working well and what needs improvement to boost retention.
- Customer segmentation: When you target specific customer groups, you can build customer loyalty with personalized content, faster support, and engagement opportunities.
- Omnichannel capabilities: You need to support customers on their preferred channel, whether that’s your website, app, or social media page.
Customer loyalty starts with a positive customer experience—something we bring to the table with every consumer interaction. Join the 160,000+ companies we’ve helped to deliver outstanding CX and boost loyalty.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI chatbots and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Customer segmentation
- Self-service capabilities
- Customer chat and messaging
Pricing:
- Suite Team: $55 per agent/month
- Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month
- Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month
- Suite Enterprise: Talk to sales
- Suite Enterprise Plus: Talk to sales
*Plans are billed annually.
Explore more Zendesk pricing plans.
Free trial:
14 days
Take 30 seconds to start a Zendesk free trial or request a Zendesk demo.
2. Yotpo
Yotpo is a customer loyalty platform specializing in retention and marketing for e-commerce brands. It takes an omnichannel approach so businesses can connect with their customers over text, email, referral systems, reviews, and more.
The platform also provides data insights that track consumer behavior, allowing businesses to analyze different customer segments and offer personalized communication. This data is recorded in a dashboard so organizations can monitor performance and get automated recommendations from Yotpo.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Referral program
- Dedicated rewards
- Rewards sticky bar
Pricing:
- Free: $0 per month (limited features)
- Gold: Starts at $199 per month
- Platinum: Contact Yotpo
- Enterprise: Contact Yotpo
Free trial:
Unavailable
3. Kangaroo
Kangaroo is a customer loyalty platform that helps businesses establish long-term customer relationships. The product has customization options so organizations can create and manage color schemes, logos, and other features of customer-facing notifications.
The software’s reward system helps businesses create loyalty programs and point systems. Kangaroo also has reporting and analytics that can keep track of what’s working for a business and help identify areas of improvement.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Customer segmentation
- Point rewards
- Partner integrations
Pricing:
- Loyalty Essentials: $59 per month
- Engagement Package: $99 per month
- Ultimate: $199 per month
- Ultimate Plus: $299 per month
Free trial:
30 days
4. Talon.One
Talon.One is a platform for promotion campaigns and loyalty programs. It leverages customer data to help businesses create automated incentive campaigns to send personalized discounts and offers to customers.
Talon.One focuses on every stage of the buyer’s journey and provides referral systems and segmentation to help with the customer acquisition and conversion process. To pull back customers who churned, Talon.One offers win-back programs that can help with retention and re-conversion initiatives.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Geofencing
- Digital wallets
- Customer referrals
- Win-back programs
Pricing:
Contact Talon.One
Free trial:
Unavailable
5. Smile.io
Smile can help small businesses create and manage loyalty programs. The platform allows users to customize colors, icons, text descriptions, and more to ensure that every customer-facing interaction fits branding specifications.
Smile.io leans on three areas of customer interactions: points, VIPs, and referrals. Points allow customers to earn and save rewards, VIP features help businesses create tiers that reward their best customers, and referral capabilities incentivize users with rewards to share the product with their friends or colleagues.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Analytics and dashboards
- Points programs
- VIP features
- Referral programs
- Integrations
Pricing:
- Free: $0 per month (limited features)
- Starter: $49 per month
- Growth: $199 per month
- Plus: $999 per month
Free trial:
Unavailable
6. LoyaltyLion
LoyaltyLion is a customer loyalty platform that assists businesses with growth and retention. Optimized for use with Shopify, LoyaltyLion offers customizability with color schemes, logos, and more.
The points-and-rewards feature lets customers earn points for website activities like purchases, reviews, and referrals. Premium features like in-cart rewards and customer tiers help businesses further customize their loyalty experience. LoyaltyLion also allows users to customize email templates, streamline customer replies, and integrate with products like Mailchimp.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Loyalty program customization
- Customer points
- Email marketing integrations
- SMS integrations
Pricing:
- Classic: Starts at $399 per month
- Advanced: Contact LoyaltyLion
- Plus: Contact LoyaltyLion
Free trial:
14 days
7. Runa
Runa is a customer loyalty product that helps businesses establish payout programs. Through Runa’s application programming interface (API), teams can create a digital infrastructure that supports customer rewards programs, employee incentive capabilities, and other gifting campaigns.
The product has features like customer referrals, sign-up bonuses, loyalty rewards, and new product discounts. Additionally, Runa allows companies and customers to choose which payout type they prefer, be it a gift card, cryptocurrency, or shares.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Multiple payout types
- API integration
- Customizability
Pricing:
- Core: Contact Runa
- Customized: Contact Runa
Free trial:
Unavailable
8. Fivestars
Fivestars is a payments, marketing, and rewards platform focused on customer retention for small businesses. The software helps organizations establish automated rewards and promotions that are accessible and redeemable through point-of-sale (POS) systems or tablet devices.
Fivestars’ tagging and segmentation features allow businesses to separate their customer base into predefined categories—like gender, age, and spending habits—to personalize communication. The platform also has an app so customers can find any business in their area that uses Fivestars and engages in loyalty programs.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Customer segmentation
- Customer database
- Autopilot campaigns
Pricing:
- Essentials: Contact Fivestars
- Pro: Contact Fivestars
Free trial:
30 days
9. Alyce
Alyce is a gifting platform that enables businesses to show appreciation for their customers, helping to drive loyalty, expansion, and retention.
Alyce supports third-party integrations that teams can use to connect their data. For example, businesses can sync their customer relationship management (CRM) platform with Alyce to manage campaigns and track performance from one interface. Plus, the platform offers personalized gift invites alongside a gift research tool so valued customers receive items that match their preferences.
Features:
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Personal interest research
- Gift recommendations
- Personalized invites
- Branded items
Pricing:
- Contact Alyce
Free trial:
Unavailable
10. BHN Rewards
BHN Rewards specializes in digital e-gift cards, prepaid virtual Visas, and other similar items for gifting campaigns. Marketing and sales teams can use BHN Rewards for customer acquisition and loyalty through a reward system for purchases, social media shares, reviews, referrals, and more.
BHN offers full integration with many CRM platforms so businesses can connect their customer information and gift campaign performance throughout their organization. Features like customer surveys and analytics help companies monitor those campaigns and identify areas for improvement.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Multilingual capabilities
- Employee workspaces
- Custom data access
Pricing:
- On-Demand: Pay as you go
- Annual Subscription: Contact BHN Rewards
Free trial:
Unavailable
11. Open Loyalty
Open Loyalty is a loyalty program software that can help businesses create and manage loyalty campaigns. The platform allows users to establish an automated system for customer rewards that tracks customer touchpoints, contact channels, and more.
Open Loyalty’s campaign builder uses a no-code model that lets users define campaign triggers, rules, and conditions. Through this interface, businesses can create automated loyalty and gifting campaigns. For example, a brand can set up this feature to automatically send a $20 coupon to customers who spend over $200 via a mobile device.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Gamification
- Digital wallets
Pricing:
- Contact Open Loyalty
Free trial:
Unavailable
12. Xoxoday Plum
Xoxoday Plum is a customer loyalty platform that seeks to help businesses establish a long-term fan base through customer rewards programs. With Plum’s API, users can create automated workflows that send out rewards to customers based on predefined actions.
The software features customizable landing pages and emails so businesses can send personalized coupons, gifts, and other rewards. Additionally, Plum includes reporting features so organizations can track the delivery and redemption of rewards.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Rewards scheduler
- Anonymous rewarding
- No-code API
Pricing:
- Contact Xoxoday
Free trial:
Available
13. Loyalzoo
Loyalzoo is customer loyalty software that can assist small businesses with digital and in-store loyalty programs. The product operates through a company’s POS system so it can give points to customers. Customers can keep track of their points through the app.
Push notifications and blast marketing messages let users send special offers directly to their customers via the app, phone number, or email. The product also has built-in staffing tutorials so employees can familiarize themselves with the interface.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Analytics and dashboards
- Push notifications
- Blast marketing messages
- Built-in trainings
Pricing:
- Digital Loyalty: $47 per store/month
Free trial:
7 days
14. Giftbit
Giftbit is software that helps organizations distribute and track digital gift cards. Users can utilize the Giftbit API to create automated reward processes that send gift cards to customers when they complete a designated action.
Teammate reporting and funding access features help teams manage gift card campaigns and issue additional rewards. Giftbit’s reporting and analytics capabilities can also provide insights into campaign status and monitor success.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Bulk sending
- Auto-funding
- Team accounts
Pricing:
- Contact Giftbit
Free trial:
Unavailable
15. Marsello
Marsello is software that helps with customer loyalty, email marketing, and SMS marketing. It works through a company’s sales channels so a brand can link loyalty programs to its POS systems or e-commerce apps.
With custom alerts, businesses can send personalized notifications to customers. Businesses can also award customers points for predefined actions like leaving a product review or referring a new customer. Additionally, Marsello can provide AI-powered suggestions to help users optimize marketing campaigns.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Points programs
- Tiered customer rewards
- Email and SMS campaigns
Pricing:
- Essential: $125 per month
- Professional: $135 per month
- Plus: Contact Marsello
Free trial:
14 days
16. Zinrelo
Zinrelo is a customer loyalty platform that helps businesses launch and manage rewards programs. It focuses on five different types of loyalty: transactional, social, behavioral, advocacy, and engagement. It also has designated features to appeal to each type of loyalty, like rewarding consumers for completing a transaction or leaving a review on social media.
Zinrelo’s 360-degree customer view allows businesses to segment and target customers based on the most effective loyalty approach. Fully customizable dashboards, color palettes, and text enable organizations to create loyalty campaigns and customer-facing messaging that match their brand.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- AI and automation
- Open and flexible platform
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- Customer tiers
- Customizable messaging
- Role-based access
Pricing:
- Contact Zinrelo
Free trial:
Unavailable
17. iVision Mobile
iVision Mobile is a text marketing and loyalty platform specializing in SMS, MMS, automated business voice, and digital loyalty. With iVision, businesses can send customers mobile coupons and special offers, establish digital kiosks at POS systems, and more.
The product’s messaging features support high-volume campaigns, which can be customized to include QR codes, links, and web forms. Additionally, iVision Mobile supports third-party integrations to help users streamline data collection, engage in email marketing, and sync CRM databases.
Features:
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Analytics and dashboards
- Customer segmentation
- SMS and MMS capabilities
- Business voice
- POS connectability
- Two-way messaging
Pricing:
- Limited: $59 per month (1,000 SMS per month)
- Basic: $99 per month (1,500 SMS per month)
- Standard: $139 per month (2,500 SMS per month)
- Additional plans available
Free trial:
Unavailable
Features of customer loyalty management software
No matter which platform you choose, it needs to have several key capabilities. Let’s dive into the most impactful features of customer loyalty software.
Omnichannel capabilities
Customer loyalty software needs to connect with the channels your customers use most—whether it’s your website, app, or social media channels. Omnichannel capabilities foster this interconnectivity and provide the customer context needed to deliver personalized, convenient experiences, helping to drive customer loyalty.
In our CX Trends Report, 62 percent of consumers said experiences should flow naturally across channels. This means omnichannel capabilities aren’t simply a “nice to have” for most of your customers—they’re a must. Your customers may see them as critical to building long-term relationships.
AI and automation
According to our CX Trends Report, 70 percent of consumers purchase more from companies that offer quick and seamless experiences, and AI and automation enable those speedy responses that build repeat customers. AI-powered chatbots and other forms of automated support can handle repetitive tasks so agents can work more efficiently and customers can get assistance faster.
Zendesk chatbots, for example, deliver customer support around the clock. They can handle simple requests like password resets, or they can step in to provide timely product information when a customer is ready to buy. And if a request is too complex, the bot can transfer the customer—and the full context of the situation—to the right support agent. These capabilities allow businesses to offer the type of experiences customers expect, helping to drive loyalty.
Integrations
Customer loyalty software should be able to integrate seamlessly with your current tools and systems, like marketing tools, e-commerce platforms, customer service software, and anything else you use consistently. Compatible integration with other tools in your tech stack ensures a smooth data flow between employees and teams, providing staff with the information they need to track performance and deliver positive customer experiences.
Analytics and dashboards
Concrete data and analytics should drive business goals, and dashboards are crucial in making informed decisions. With this feature, businesses can monitor customer pain points and loyalty campaign performance, uncover patterns, and use that data to shape future initiatives.
Our out-of-the-box reporting and analytics dashboards at Zendesk, for example, make it easy for businesses to access every important data point in one place. From here, you can assess performance and identify areas of improvement.
Customer satisfaction surveys
Customer loyalty is all about keeping consumers satisfied and engaged long term—and you can’t do that successfully without getting their opinion. Customer satisfaction software needs easy access to surveys and data like customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter ScoresⓇ (NPS) to get a better view of your customer base.
Satisfaction surveys allow businesses to identify the current success of their loyalty programs, collect feedback to understand consumer preferences, and fine-tune their operations to ensure customers remain happy. Additionally, businesses can consider utilizing customer feedback software to amplify their efforts in collecting crucial feedback.
Customer segmentation
While it’s recommended you use a customer profile as your guiding point for outreach, not all customers are the same. Every individual has their own ideas, needs, and requirements. Customer loyalty programs need to be able to segment customers to examine data more effectively and provide more personalized interactions.
Customer segmentation enables businesses to categorize customers based on factors like purchase history, demographics, behavior, and more. This valuable insight can help businesses optimize their loyalty programs to ensure every individual receives the exact care they need.
Benefits of customer loyalty software
Customer loyalty software brings many benefits to businesses. Here are a few of the most impactful ones.
Enhanced customer experience
One of the primary benefits of customer loyalty software is its enhancement to the overall customer experience. When businesses embrace features like omnichannel capabilities, automation, and even customer messaging services that promote conversational interactions, they can create a more tailored, responsive, and comprehensive experience.
Improved long-term customer retention
Customer retention is pivotal for a successful business. Businesses can boost customer retention rates by providing rewards, incentives, and other features that increase the CX. Customers who are engaged with businesses and feel their needs are being taken care of will likely make repeat purchases and stick around long-term.
Increased customer engagement
Customer engagement builds a connection between businesses and consumers, and customer loyalty software fosters this connection by providing a platform for ongoing communication and support. Organizations can keep customers engaged and interested in their brand through personalized offers and exclusive content.
Additionally, empowering support agents with the right tools can make them more effective. For example, the Zendesk Agent Workspace provides agents with key customer context, such as a customer’s order history, web activity, and loyalty status. Agents can use these details to personalize customer interactions, which can increase engagement.
Stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace
Businesses are constantly looking for ways to stand out in the marketplace, and customer loyalty software can be the thing that helps your brand really shine. These products provide a competitive advantage by enhancing a company’s CX, driving individuals to make repeat purchases, and promoting customer retention—all of which can help build a loyal customer base.
How to choose a customer loyalty software
Finally, we will cover how to choose a customer loyalty software that fits your business needs. Here are a few things to consider before making your decision.
Opt for an easy-to-use solution
Customer loyalty software won’t be effective if your employees or customers have trouble using it. Look for a solution with an intuitive interface that helps users get up and running quickly. When you prioritize ease of use, customers are more likely to adopt your solution and engage with your brand, and employees can provide expert customer support more efficiently.
Consider your ROI
While investing in customer loyalty software is crucial for building long-term relationships, businesses should also consider the product's return on investment (ROI). Select a solution offering clear and measurable ROI to ensure you truly benefit rather than fighting a losing customer acquisition battle.
Prioritize customizability and TTV
Businesses should ensure that their chosen customer loyalty software can adapt to their brand’s needs and messaging. Look for solutions that offer customizability in color schemes, logos, and fonts to match your branding, as well as custom reports so you can keep track of the metrics that matter.
Additionally, the time to value (TTV)—or, how quickly you can implement and experience benefits from the software—should be a top concern. The faster you can get up and running, the faster you can realize the value of your investment.
Think about scalability
When businesses grow, their tools and software should grow alongside them. Choose software that can scale with you to ensure your loyalty program and CX efforts remain effective and relevant, even with an increase in your customer base.
Constantly switching platforms and processes to accommodate growth results in perennial change, which can hurt your customers and employees. Whether it’s customer loyalty software or customer experience software, prioritize consistency in your operations.
Frequently asked questions
Wavy + Zendesk: Unifying the customer journey across Sales and Support
"Zendesk Support, Talk, and Chat have allowed us to better structure ourselves with support. In fact, this omnichannel tool has made us, in my opinion, much more mature in our management and handling of support."
Romain Rodriguez
Head of Customer Support
Read customer storyImprove your CX with Zendesk customer loyalty software
Customer loyalty software is crucial for developing long-term relationships with customers. That said, if you don’t pair customer loyalty initiatives with a strong CX base, they’ll fall flat. At Zendesk, we offer several features that help businesses with customer retention and, in turn, loyalty. These include automation features, customer satisfaction surveys, and over 1,500 integrations. Try us for free today.
Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score, and NPS are trademarks of NICE Satmetrix, Inc., Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
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