- Case 1 – Basic: Session count and two tags (
loyalty_tier,lifetime_points) set via the OneSignal SDK or API. Fixed milestone rewards. No webhooks. - Case 2 – Advanced: Same linear tier progression structure as Case 1. Adds webhooks that sync to your backend, tier-locked monetization offers, deeper Liquid personalization and a winback email escalation for players inactive 14+ days.
Loyalty program goals
Prerequisites
For both cases:- Familiarity with Journeys overview concepts
- An active OneSignal app with push notifications configured
- OneSignal mobile SDK installed
- Players have completed your onboarding flow (7+ sessions recommended)
- Segment: Session count > 6 (players who have completed onboarding)
- Tags
loyalty_tierandlifetime_pointsset on the player’s profile via the mobile SDKaddTagsmethod or the Update user API endpoint
- External ID configured so player profiles are unified across devices and channels
- Data tags representing loyalty state, purchase history and engagement metrics
- Custom events firing from your game backend for purchases, level-ups, daily logins, social actions and milestone completions
- Journey webhooks enabled on your account (contact OneSignal sales for access)
Loyalty tier structure
Both journeys use a four tier system. The thresholds and perks below are examples. Define what makes sense for your game’s economy.
Your game backend calculates and stores the official point total. The journey reads that value through tags to route players and personalize messages.
Case 1: Basic loyalty journey
Target players using session count and two tags set on each player’s profile via the OneSignal SDK or API. This case requires no custom event tracking and can run alongside your existing onboarding journey.How this journey works
The journey rewards players who completed onboarding by recognizing their progress through Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum and bringing them back if they go quiet. After session 6 the player enters the journey at Bronze and sees a welcome in-app message. The journey then runs three nearly identical tier sections in order: Bronze → Silver, Silver → Gold, Gold → Platinum. Each section watches three signals in parallel and routes the player down whichever fires first:- Approaching the next tier: send a points-to-go push, then wait for the tier to be reached
- Already in the next tier (catch-up): skip the push and go straight to the celebration in-app message
- Inactive for 7+ days: send a re-engagement push, then wait for the tier to be reached
loyalty_tier and lifetime_points tags via the OneSignal SDK (addTags) or server-side API and the journey reacts to segment membership changes automatically.
At a glance
Journey settings
Configure these settings on the Settings tab of the journey before building the steps. See Journey settings for full reference.Required segments
Wait Until conditions route players based on segment membership. Create these segments before building this journey.In-app message timing: In-app message steps display on the player’s next session, not immediately when they reach the step. A new session starts when the app has been out of focus for 30+ seconds and is brought back. If a player is already active when they hit an in-app message step, they won’t see it until the next session. Each in-app message also displays only once per player.
Wait Until expirations: Each tier section’s multi-condition Wait Until uses a 21-day expiration to give slow but active players time to reach the approaching segment. The single-condition Wait Untils after each push use a 10-day expiration since the player was already nudged. All expiration branches exit the journey: players won’t re-enter (future additions only is enabled), so route stalled players to a separate winback journey if you want to recover them.
Journey steps
The journey opens with a welcome in-app message, then runs three tier sections in order: Bronze → Silver, Silver → Gold and Gold → Platinum. Each tier section is self-contained and ends at its tier celebration in-app message. Each tier section opens with a multi-condition Wait Until that forks into four branches. Build the nodes for each branch separately in the journey builder. All non-exit branches converge at the tier celebration in-app message before the next tier section begins. Each Wait Until’s expiration branch exits the journey if the player doesn’t progress: 21 days at the start of each tier section, 10 days after each push. The journey settings disable re-entry, so route stalled players to a separate winback journey.Welcome (before the first tier section)
1
In-App Message: Loyalty welcome
Include a visual showing all four tiers so the player can see the full progression path. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“You’re in. Welcome to [Game Name] Elite Rewards. Bronze status, locked in. Play. Win. Climb. Silver unlocks at 500 points and that’s just the first rung.”
Tier section: Bronze → Silver
The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration. Each condition creates its own branch. The Wait Until watches all three segments in parallel and routes the player down whichever branch matches the first segment they enter. If the player is already in more than one segment when they reach this step, the condition listed first wins.
Branch 1: Bronze approaching Silver
Build these nodes on the Bronze approaching Silver branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone, so messages don’t deliver overnight.
2
Push Notification
“Silver is {{ 500 | minus: lifetime_points }} points away. 2x daily bonus. Silver gear. Play tonight. Unlock tomorrow.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Silver tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Silver tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Silver in one jump and skip the approaching segment. For example, a player who earns 500 points in a single burst (a big purchase or daily reward bundle) and crosses straight from Bronze into Silver. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Silver tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: Low weekly engagement
Build these nodes on the Low weekly engagement branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“Bronze status is yours. Silver waits at 500 points. You’re at {{ lifetime_points }}. Log in today and earn 50 bonus points to start closing the gap.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Silver tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Silver tier celebration IAM
All non-exit branches reach this node. After the celebration in-app message, continue to the next tier section.1
In-App Message: Silver tier celebration
Full screen celebration with the Silver badge and a preview of new perks. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“Silver status: achieved. Daily bonus: doubled. Silver collection: yours. Next target: Gold at 2,000 points.”
Tier section: Silver → Gold
The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration.
Branch 1: Silver approaching Gold
Build these nodes on the Silver approaching Gold branch.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone.
2
Push Notification
“Gold is calling. {{ 2000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points between you and early event access, 3x bonuses and Gold only gear. Close the gap.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Gold tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Gold tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Gold in one jump and skip the approaching segment. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Gold tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: Low weekly engagement
Build these nodes on the Low weekly engagement branch.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“Your Silver perks are still active. 2x daily bonuses sitting unclaimed. Log in to grab them and start the climb to Gold.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Gold tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Gold tier celebration IAM
All non-exit branches reach this node.1
In-App Message: Gold tier celebration
Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“GOLD. Top 10% of all players. 3x daily bonus: active. Gold exclusive gear: unlocked. Early event access: yours. One tier left. Platinum waits at 5,000 points.”
Tier section: Gold → Platinum
The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration.
Branch 1: Gold approaching Platinum
Build these nodes on the Gold approaching Platinum branch.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone.
2
Push Notification
“The summit is in sight. {{ 5000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points to Platinum. VIP shop. 5x bonuses. The badge less than 1% of players will ever wear.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Platinum tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Platinum tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Platinum in one jump and skip the approaching segment. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Platinum tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: Low weekly engagement
Build these nodes on the Low weekly engagement branch.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“You’re {{ 5000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points from Platinum. Top 1% territory. Don’t lose momentum. Log in today and grab 50 bonus points.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Platinum tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Platinum tier celebration IAM and referral
All non-exit branches reach these nodes.1
In-App Message: Platinum tier celebration
Make this the most visually impressive celebration in the game. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“PLATINUM. You made it. Top 1% of all players. VIP shop: open. 5x bonuses: banking. Platinum badge: engraved. Welcome to the inner circle.”
2
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM, in front of the referral push.
3
Push Notification
“Platinum perk: every friend you invite starts with 200 bonus points. You bank a reward too. Share your link. Stack the board.”
Success metrics to track
- Tier progression rate (% of players reaching Silver within 30 days)
- Push CTR on tier approaching notifications
- Re-engagement rate after a Low weekly engagement push
- Platinum conversion rate
Best practices for Case 1
- Introduce the loyalty program with a clear visual. An in-app message with a tier map shows players the full progression path and what they earn at each tier. Players are more likely to engage when they know what they’re working toward.
- Let players progress at their own pace. Wait Until on segment entry reacts the moment a player crosses a threshold or lapses, so messages land when they’re relevant instead of on a fixed weekly check. Players who never trigger a condition exit cleanly at the Wait Until expiration.
- Celebrate every tier transition in-app. Push notifications announce proximity; in-app messages celebrate achievement. The tier up moment should feel like unlocking a new level in the game itself.
- Move Platinum players into a separate VIP journey. The Loyalty Journey’s job ends at Platinum. Once a player hits that tier, move them into a separate journey focused on VIP perks, exclusive events and referral programs.
Add more channels and message types
Push is the backbone of Case 1, but adding a second channel gives you coverage when push is disabled and richer moments inside the game.- Add email as a backup channel for inactivity. Some players disable push or never grant permission. Place an Email step after the Low weekly engagement push so every inactive player receives the message in at least one channel. The email can carry a tier progress summary with a visual progress bar and a comeback incentive. Push delivers only to subscribed push subscriptions; email reaches everyone with an email subscription.
- Use in-app messages to deepen tier celebrations. When an approaching push opens the app, the next session is a high intent moment to surface a full celebration with a rich in-app message. Place the in-app message step after the corresponding push so it triggers on the session the player opens in response.
Journey messages
Full list of message channels you can add as Journey steps: push, email, SMS and in-app messages.
Journey actions
Steps that aren’t messages: Wait, Time Window, Yes/No Branch, Tag User, Webhook and more.
Case 2: Advanced loyalty journey
Same linear tier progression structure as Case 1. Adds webhooks that sync to your backend, tier-locked monetization offers, deeper Liquid personalization and a winback email escalation for players inactive 14+ days.How this journey works
Same Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum structure as Case 1, plus an enrollment phase up front and richer follow-ups after each tier. After session 6 the player enters at Bronze, sees a personalized welcome in-app message and is initialized via a Tag User node before the tier sections begin. The journey then runs three tier sections. Each section watches three signals in parallel:- Approaching the next tier: send a points-to-go push, then wait for the tier to be reached
- Already in the next tier (catch-up): skip the push and go straight to the celebration in-app message
- Inactive for 7+ days: send a re-engagement push. If the player is still inactive at 14 days, escalate to a winback email.
At a glance
Journey settings
Configure these settings on the Settings tab of the journey before building the steps. See Journey settings for full reference.Required data
Set the following user properties and events via SDK calls or the server-side API.User properties (tags)
Events to track
These events power backend logic that updates the tags above. The journey itself reacts to segment entry (which the tag updates trigger) rather than to events directly.Required segments
Wait Until and Yes/No Branch nodes route players based on segment membership. Create these segments before building this journey.Journey map
This journey runs as a single linear flow: an enrollment chain at the top, three tier sections (Bronze → Silver, Silver → Gold, Gold → Platinum) that follow the same shape as Case 1 and a Platinum finale. Each tier section adds a webhook to sync perks to your backend along with tier-locked monetization or social prompts.In-app message timing: In-app message steps display on the player’s next session, not immediately when they reach the step. A new session starts when the app has been out of focus for 30+ seconds and is brought back. If a player is already active when they hit an in-app message step, they won’t see it until the next session. Each in-app message also displays only once per player.
Wait Until expirations: Each multi-condition fork at the start of a tier section uses a 21-day expiration. The single-condition Wait Untils after each push and email use a 10-day expiration. All expiration branches exit the journey: use a separate winback journey to recover stalled players.
Phase 1: Loyalty program enrollment
1
In-App Message: Personalized loyalty welcome
Include an interactive tier map showing current progress and upcoming rewards for each tier. Personalize using Liquid syntax. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.”{{ player_level }} levels down, {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }}. That was the warmup. Elite Rewards is where the grind pays off. Earn points for daily logins, wins, purchases, guild missions. First stop: Silver at 500 points.”
2
Tag User: Initialize loyalty state
Add a Tag User node that sets
loyalty_tier = bronze and lifetime_points = 0. The Tag User node is a journey action that applies tags to the player as they pass through this step. No SDK call from your app is needed here.Outside the journey, your app or backend keeps these same tags up to date as players earn points by calling the mobile SDK addTags method or the Update user API endpoint.3
Wait: 15 minutes
Add a Wait node set to 15 minutes. This gives the tags time to update before the Webhook fires, so your backend receives the correct values.
4
Webhook: Register enrollment in backend
Add a Webhook step that sends the player’s
external_id and enrollment time to your game backend. The backend can use this to start tracking point earning activities and apply any enrollment bonus.5
In-App Message: Push opt-in prompt
Include the Push Permission Prompt click action on the message. The prompt automatically displays only to players whose push subscription isn’t subscribed. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“Miss a tier up. Miss an event. Miss a bonus. Turn on notifications so you never miss a win.”
Phase 2: Bronze → Silver progression
This phase mirrors Case 1’s tier section pattern, enriched with a webhook to activate Silver perks on your backend and a guild prompt for unaffiliated players. The phase opens with a multi-condition Wait Until that forks into four branches. Build the nodes for each branch separately in the journey builder. All non-exit branches converge at the Silver tier celebration in-app message.The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration. Each condition creates its own branch. The Wait Until watches all three segments in parallel and routes the player down whichever branch matches the first segment they enter. If the player is already in more than one segment when they reach this step, the condition listed first wins.
Branch 1: Bronze approaching Silver
Build these nodes on the Bronze approaching Silver branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone.
2
Push Notification
“Silver is {{ 500 | minus: lifetime_points }} points away. 2x daily bonus. Silver gear. Play tonight. Unlock tomorrow.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Silver tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Silver tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Silver in one jump and skip the approaching segment. For example, a player who earns 500 points in a single burst (a big purchase or daily reward bundle) and crosses straight from Bronze into Silver. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Silver tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: 7-day inactive
Build these nodes on the 7-day inactive branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“Bronze status is yours, {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }}. Silver waits at 500 points. You’re at {{ lifetime_points }}. Log in today and earn 50 bonus points to start closing the gap.”
3
Wait Until
Two conditions plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Silver tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- User enters 14-day inactive segment → continue to the 14-day sub-branch below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
1
Subject: “Your {{ loyalty_tier | capitalize }} rewards are waiting, {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }}”. Include a visual progress bar showing current points vs. the next tier threshold, a summary of unclaimed rewards and a limited time comeback bonus code.
2
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Silver tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Silver tier celebration IAM and follow-ups
All non-exit branches reach these nodes.1
In-App Message: Silver tier celebration
Full screen celebration with the Silver badge animation. List all newly unlocked perks. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“SILVER UNLOCKED. 2x daily bonus: active. Silver cosmetics: yours. You just joined the top 40% of players. Gold is calling at 2,000 points.”
2
Webhook
Send the player’s
external_id, tier and point total to your backend. Activate Silver perks: 2x daily bonus, cosmetic unlocks, priority matchmaking.3
Yes/No Branch
Condition: user is in the No guild segment.
- Yes: In-App Message: “Silver members earn 2x points on guild missions. Join a guild. Climb faster. Gold’s waiting.”
- No: Skip to Phase 3.
Phase 3: Silver → Gold progression
Same shape as Phase 2 with Silver to Gold segments, plus a tier-locked monetization offer after the Gold celebration in-app message.The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration.
Branch 1: Silver approaching Gold
Build these nodes on the Silver approaching Gold branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone.
2
Push Notification
“Gold is calling. {{ 2000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points between you and early event access, 3x bonuses and Gold only gear. Close the gap.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Gold tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Gold tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Gold in one jump and skip the approaching segment. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Gold tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: 7-day inactive
Build these nodes on the 7-day inactive branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“Your Silver perks are still active, {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }}. 2x daily bonuses sitting unclaimed. Log in to grab them and start the climb to Gold.”
3
Wait Until
Two conditions plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Gold tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- User enters 14-day inactive segment → continue to the 14-day sub-branch below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
1
Use the same template as Phase 2’s winback email.
2
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Gold tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Gold tier celebration IAM and follow-ups
All non-exit branches reach these nodes.1
In-App Message: Gold tier celebration
Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“GOLD. Top 10% of all players. Gold exclusive gear: unlocked. 3x daily bonus: active. Early event access: yours. One tier left. Platinum waits at 5,000 points.”
2
Webhook
Send the player’s
external_id, tier and point total to your backend. Activate Gold perks.3
Yes/No Branch
Condition: user is in the No purchases segment.
- Yes: In-App Message: “Gold only drop. The {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }} Starter Pack. 70% off. Locked to Gold tier and above. Your loyalty earned you this price.”
- No: In-App Message: “Gold buyers only: Premium Season Pass at 30% off. Every Gold exclusive drop this season, locked in for less.”
Phase 4: Gold → Platinum progression and Platinum finale
Same shape as Phase 3 with Gold to Platinum segments. Ends with a Platinum referral push and Ambassador recognition for high referral players.The fork: multi-condition Wait Until
1
Wait Until: multi-condition fork
Three segment conditions plus a 21-day expiration.
Branch 1: Gold approaching Platinum
Build these nodes on the Gold approaching Platinum branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM in the user’s timezone.
2
Push Notification
“The summit is in sight. {{ 5000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points to Platinum. VIP shop. 5x bonuses. The badge less than 1% of players will ever wear.”
3
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Platinum tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Branch 2: Platinum tier (catch-up)
For players who reach Platinum in one jump and skip the approaching segment. Don’t add any nodes on this branch. Connect it directly to the Platinum tier celebration in-app message in the convergence section below.Branch 3: 7-day inactive
Build these nodes on the 7-day inactive branch coming out of the fork.1
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM.
2
Push Notification
“You’re {{ 5000 | minus: lifetime_points }} points from Platinum, {{ player_class | default: ‘hero’ }}. Top 1% territory. Don’t lose momentum. Log in today and grab 50 bonus points.”
3
Wait Until
Two conditions plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Platinum tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- User enters 14-day inactive segment → continue to the 14-day sub-branch below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
1
Use the same template as Phase 2’s winback email.
2
Wait Until
One condition plus a 10-day expiration:
- User enters Platinum tier segment → continue to the convergence section below
- Expiration → Exit the journey
Convergence: Platinum celebration IAM, VIP handoff and referral
All non-exit branches reach these nodes. The journey ends after the Ambassador check.1
In-App Message: Platinum tier celebration
Make this the most visually spectacular celebration in the game: a unique animation, exclusive sound effect, or a personalized message from the development team. Set the trigger to On app open and the delivery schedule to 1 week.“PLATINUM. You made it. Top 1% of all players in [Game Name]. Platinum badge: engraved. VIP shop: open. 5x bonuses: banking. Direct developer channel: yours. Welcome to the inner circle.”
2
Webhook
Send the player’s
external_id and full loyalty profile to your backend. Activate all Platinum perks and flag this player for VIP handling in customer support, community management and future beta invitations.3
Tag User
Set a tag like
loyalty_program = platinum_graduate. Use this tag as the entry segment for a separate VIP journey, so Platinum players continue receiving VIP tier messaging after this journey ends.4
Time Window
Every day, 9 AM to 9 PM, in front of the referral push.
5
Push Notification
“Bring your crew to Platinum. Every friend you invite starts with 200 bonus points. You bank 500 per invite. Share the link. Stack the board.”
6
Yes/No Branch
Condition: user is in the 3+ referrals made segment.
- Yes: In-App Message: “You’ve pulled {{ referral_count }} friends into [Game Name]. That’s Ambassador level. Badge earned. 1,000 bonus points deposited.”
- No: Skip. The journey ends here.
Handling tier decay
If your loyalty program includes tier decay, handle it with care:- Warning push (7 days before deadline): “Your {{ loyalty_tier | capitalize }} status expires in 7 days. Bank {{ points_needed }} more points this month to keep your perks.”
- Grace period (3 days): Give a 3-day grace period before downgrading. Send a final push: “Last chance. Your {{ loyalty_tier | capitalize }} perks expire tomorrow. Log in to save your tier.”
- Downgrade with dignity: “Your tier has been adjusted to {{ new_tier | capitalize }}. Progress isn’t lost. Earn {{ points_to_restore }} points to restore your {{ old_tier | capitalize }} status.”
Consider using a “highest tier achieved” badge that persists even if the active tier drops. Tier decay creates urgency but can frustrate loyal players who take a break. A permanent badge honors their history.
Success metrics to track
- Average days to reach each tier
- Re-engagement rate after 7-day inactivity push
- First purchase rate at Gold tier
- Winback email conversion rate at 14-day inactivity
- Referral conversion rate from Platinum players
Best practices for Case 2
- Add a Webhook after every tier celebration in-app message. OneSignal doesn’t unlock perks. Your game does. A Webhook step notifies your game server the moment a player reaches a new tier, so their rewards activate right away instead of waiting for the next sync.
- Lock offers to specific tiers. A Gold only deal converts better than a random promotion because players perceive it as earned. Non-buyers at Gold need a reason to make their first purchase; existing buyers need a value upgrade.
- Handle tier decay with empathy. Warn early, offer a grace period and frame any downgrade as temporary. A “highest tier achieved” badge preserves the player’s sense of accomplishment even during inactive periods.
- Celebrate every tier transition in-app. The tier up moment should feel like unlocking a new level in the game itself. Push announces proximity; the in-app message delivers the reward.
- Hand off Platinum graduates to a VIP journey. This journey ends at Platinum. Tag Platinum players on the way out and use that tag as the entry segment for a separate VIP journey focused on exclusive events, beta invitations and referral programs.
Add more channels and message types
The rich data in Case 2 makes it possible to expand beyond push and in-app messages and add channel moments tied to specific player behavior.- Add SMS for high value moments. Once a player crosses a value threshold like first purchase or Platinum tier, SMS becomes a high attention channel for time sensitive offers: a limited time event invite, a flash sale on a class matched pack, or an exclusive Platinum drop. Reserve SMS for VIP tier audiences to keep send volume low and engagement high.
- Extend email beyond winback. Email isn’t only a re-engagement fallback. Use Email steps after tier celebration in-app messages and on a recurring schedule (Days 30, 60, 90 of loyalty program membership). Deliver class specific tips, loyalty program recaps and exclusive member content for players who prefer less frequent in-app messaging.
- Layer on a separate event-driven journey for limited time events. Use the
event_participationevent as the entry trigger for a dedicated event-driven journey that recognizes participation, rewards points and gates exclusive challenges to Gold and Platinum players. Keeping it separate avoids tangling event responses into the linear tier flow.
Custom events
The behavioral foundation of Case 2. Track purchases, tier changes, daily sessions and more.
Journey webhooks
Sync tier state, perks and loyalty data to your game backend in real time.
Case 1 vs. Case 2 at a glance
Getting started
Start with Case 1 if you’re setting up a loyalty program for the first time. It goes live with minimal setup and covers the core tier progression window without requiring event instrumentation or backend webhooks. As your data infrastructure matures, layer in Case 2 elements progressively. You don’t need all 10 tags and 7 events on day one. Even adding webhooks to sync Silver, Gold and Platinum perks to your backend meaningfully strengthens the loyalty experience. The Loyalty Journey picks up where the Welcome Journey ends. By Day 7+ players have established a habit. From there the journey rewards that habit, moves players through tiers and turns the most engaged into advocates.Track performance
Goals
Set a target metric on your journey and track progress in real time on the Journey report.