When evaluating rewards program apps for Shopify Plus merchants, it's essential to consider both BON Loyalty and ReferralCandy. BON Loyalty offers a comprehensive loyalty rewards and referral program app, while ReferralCandy provides an e-commerce referral marketing platform compatible with Shopify and other platforms.

BON Loyalty

Features

BON Loyalty provides a suite of features designed to enhance customer engagement and retention:

• Loyalty Program: Offers 18 point-earning rules, including options for leave-a-review points, birthday points, and newsletter subscription points.

• Referral Program: Enables merchants to set up referral programs with various reward types.

• Rewards Program: Supports six redemption types, including free product rewards and Shopify POS rewards.

• Automated Emails: Provides nine types of automated emails to engage customers.

• Customization: Allows for advanced customization options, including custom CSS and the ability to change the email sender.

• Multilingual Support: Supports over 250 languages simultaneously, catering to a global customer base.

• VIP Tiers: Offers VIP tiers to reward top customers.

• API Access: Provides API access for deeper integration and customization.

• SDK: Includes a JavaScript SDK to handle storefront widget events and actions.

Pricing Model

BON Loyalty offers several pricing tiers:

• Free Plan: Suitable for startups and small businesses, offering basic features with a limit of 250 orders per month.

• Basic Plan: Priced at $25 per month (or $275 annually), suitable for startups and small businesses, with a limit of 500 orders per month.

• Growth Plan: Priced at $99 per month (or $950 annually), suitable for medium-sized businesses, with unlimited orders.

• Professional Plan: Priced at $349 per month (or $3,350 annually), suitable for enterprises, with unlimited orders.

All plans include a 7-day free trial. (bonloyalty.com)

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive feature set suitable for businesses of various sizes.

• Advanced customization options for branding and functionality.

• Multilingual support facilitates global expansion.

Cons:

• Higher-tier plans may be costly for smaller businesses.

• Some advanced features require technical expertise to implement effectively.

Best-Fit Customer Profile

BON Loyalty is ideal for merchants seeking a comprehensive and customizable loyalty and referral program with advanced features and global reach.

ReferralCandy

Features

ReferralCandy focuses on referral and affiliate marketing, offering:

• Referral Programs: Enables merchants to set up referral programs with various reward types, including percentage discounts, dollar discounts, cash rewards, and store credits.

• Affiliate Programs: Allows for the creation of affiliate programs to expand marketing reach.

• Tiered Rewards: Offers FlexiTiers to motivate advocates with evolving rewards as they achieve new milestones.

• Integrations: Supports integration with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and ReCharge.

• API Access: Provides API access for deeper integration and customization.

• Add-ons: Offers additional features like the Boost™ add-on for enhanced analytics and brand protection.

Pricing Model

ReferralCandy offers several pricing tiers:

• Basic Plan: Priced at $39 per month with a 10.5% success fee, suitable for brands starting with referral and affiliate marketing.

• Grow Plan: Priced at $79 per month with a 3.5% success fee, suitable for brands scaling their referral revenue.

• Scale Plan: Priced at $249 per month with a 1.5% success fee, suitable for high-volume brands where margins matter.

• Enterprise Plan: Priced at $799 per month with a 0.25% success fee, offering dedicated onboarding and account management.

All plans include a 7-day free trial. (referralcandy.com)

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Simple pricing structure with all features included in every plan.

• Easy and quick setup for referral and affiliate programs.

• Supports a wide range of integrations with e-commerce platforms.

Cons:

• Success fees can add up, especially for high-volume merchants.

• Limited to referral and affiliate marketing; lacks broader loyalty program features.

Best-Fit Customer Profile

ReferralCandy is ideal for merchants focused on referral and affiliate marketing who prefer a straightforward setup and pricing model.

Side-by-Side Comparison