Setting up Membership Levels

Configuring membership levels for your store can boost customer retention, increase membership numbers, and drive repeat purchases, ultimately fostering brand growth. A well-structured membership level system enables you to efficiently identify high-value customers while incentivizing others to increase their engagement and spending, thereby achieving superior customer relationship management goals. 

Follow this guide to learn how to set up membership levels in your Member System app.

Membership Level Configuration

In your Member System app, you can set spending thresholds for membership levels and offer corresponding benefits to enhance customer loyalty. The number of membership levels you can create depends on your subscription plan:

Three membership types are available: Basic, Paid, and Dual. Select the most suitable type for each membership level based on your business needs and combine different levels flexibly for optimal operations. The following table compares the three membership types:

Creating Levels with AI-powered Assistant

The membership level AI-powered assistant provides AI-driven recommendations for the best membership structure. Whether you're setting up your membership program for the first time or refining an existing strategy, follow these steps to determine the most suitable configuration:

1. In the Member System app, go to Membership and click Custom membership levels in the Membership levels card.
   
2. In the pop-up window, the system automatically populates your store's data, including average order value, repurchase rate, and your desired number of levels. Adjust these values as needed. Accurate data yields more precise recommendations. Click Generate suggestions to proceed.
   
3. The AI assistant analyzes your data against industry benchmarks and proposes level configurations, including a summary and projected gains across key metrics.

• To apply the suggestions during the initial structure creation, click One-click application.
  
• To refine an existing structure, click Adjust level. Then, manually update the level configurations based on the suggestions.
  

4. You can further refine the configurations manually after applying the initial suggestions.

Basic Global Settings

This feature is available for the Growth and Pro plans. Merchants can manage the activation time, upgrade criteria, and downgrade rules of membership levels for more refined member management:

1. In the Member System app, go to Membership and click Settings in the upper-right corner. 
   

2. A left-side panel will appear, allowing you to adjust basic settings for both membership levels and paid levels:

   Note: Membership level settings apply to Basic and Dual members upgraded through spending. Paid level settings apply to Paid and Dual members upgraded through payment.

Membership Level Settings

• Active time of membership level: The default is the store creation date, but you can manually adjust it. Orders placed before the set activation time will not be included in calculations.
• Set standards for upgrading: Choose between Amount spent each time and Total spending. If you select Total Spending, you can further specify the calculation method:

• Accumulated in history: (Default) Membership level is based on the customer's total spending. You can choose to include imported order data. Due to the need to calculate all historical spending, downgrade rules cannot be set in this mode.
• From last upgrade till now: The membership level is based on the customer's spending since their last upgrade.
• Within specific time period: The membership level is based on the customer's spending within a defined time frame.

• Downgrade validity / Spending downgrade: When you select Amount spent each time or the From last upgrade till now or Within specific time period options under Total spending, you can set downgrade rules to encourage member activity. Downgrade methods include:

• Downgrade validity: 
  • Level is permanently valid.
  • Downgrade after 1 calendar year (membership level can be maintained for 1 year from the acquisition date).
  • Custom validity period.
• Spending downgrade: If spending is insufficient due to refunds or other reasons, the member will be downgraded automatically.

• Membership level lock-in rule: If you set a downgrade validity period (Downgrade after 1 calendar year or Custom validity period), you can enable a lock-in rule to ensure members maintain their level if they meet specific conditions:

• Membership level lock-in criteria: 
  • The membership level will be locked in if the total spending for a single transaction exceeds the required amount.
  • The membership level will be locked in if the total spending during the downgrade period exceeds the required amount.
• Extended length of validity period: Once a membership level is locked, the validity period will be automatically extended for the defined period.

Once you set the lock-in rules, you also need to set the amount requirements for each level on their respective settings pages.

Paid Level Settings

You can choose the upgrade pricing method for paid members here, and then set the upgrade thresholds for each level:

• Unified pricing for all members: All customers pay the same product price to upgrade.
• Custom pricing for different membership levels: Different levels require different upgrade product prices. When setting the upgrade threshold for a specific level, select the level you’ve created and assign the corresponding product.

Other Settings 

You can enable the option to Display rules in 'Ways to earn'.

Once this option is enabled, members who log in to the system will be able to view the points-earning rule for joining the membership directly within the points module. This provides them with a clearer understanding of the reward policy.

3. Click Save to apply your settings.

Adding a New Membership Level

Follow these steps to add a new membership level:

1. In your Member System app, go to Membership and scroll to the bottom of the page. Click + Add level.
   
2. Configure the settings for the new level:
   

• Membership type: Choose the appropriate membership type, which determines how customers upgrade to this level:
  • Basic member: Customers are automatically upgraded upon reaching a spending threshold, encouraging frequent purchases.
  • Paid member: Customers can upgrade by purchasing or subscribing to a designated product to access exclusive membership perks.
  • Dual member: Customers can upgrade through spending or by purchasing or subscribing to a designated product, offering flexible upgrade options.

• Level Information: Set the level name and icon. This information will be displayed to customers.

• Spending upgrade threshold: Depending on the membership type, set the appropriate upgrade criteria:

  Notes: If a customer requests a refund, the system will recalculate the membership level based on their adjusted spending. For paid memberships obtained through product purchases or subscriptions, refunds only affect the membership periods associated with the refunded products. For details, refer to the "Multiple Purchases and Refund Rules for Paid Memberships" section below. After modifying the upgrade thresholds, the system will recalculate membership levels for all members. Those who do not meet the new requirements may be downgraded.

  • For Basic and Dual Members (Spending Upgrade):
    • Set the spending threshold for this level. You can adjust the upgrade method and calculation time frame in Settings.
    • If the level lock-in rule is enabled in Settings, set the retention spending amount to prevent eligible members from being downgraded.

  • For Paid and Dual Members (Paid Upgrade): Set the product purchase required for the upgrade and its validity period. You can adjust the pricing method in Settings (unified pricing or tier-based pricing).

    Notes for Paid Member Level Settings: You can click the switcher icon to change the associated product at any time as business needs evolve. However, products previously assigned to other levels cannot be associated again. When you select Custom pricing for different membership levels as the Pricing setting in Settings, you can associate different items with different levels. However, all these items must belong to the same SPU. If you switch the Pricing setting from Custom pricing for different membership levels to Unified pricing for all members, the system will retain only the first level and its corresponding product. Although the first level remains, you must reassign the unified product to reactivate the membership levels. Otherwise: The membership level becomes invalid—customers who purchase the product will not obtain membership status. Products previously assigned to other levels will not be disassociated, preventing them from being reassigned. If Automatic renewal payment method is enabled, changing the associated product to a different SPU will automatically disable the subscription. If you want to keep the subscription purchase condition, after updating the product, you need to: Configure a new subscription plan for the new product in the Subscriptions app. (Note: Even if the newly assigned product already exists in a subscription plan, you must still configure a new plan, as the Member System app cannot detect existing settings.) Re-enable Automatic renewal payment method in the Member System app.

3. Click Add benefit to select the benefits for members at this level. The membership system currently supports six types of benefits:
   • Get more points on upgrade
   • Exclusive discount
   • Exclusive cash voucher
   • Exclusive free shipping coupon
   • Birth month discounts
   • Custom exclusive member perks. (e.g., priority shipping within 24 hours)

4. On each benefit's settings page, customize restriction rules, icons, names, and descriptions, which will be displayed to customers. Some restriction rules are explained below:

   Notes: Custom benefits are for display purposes only; additional services must be provided separately. Get more points on upgrade is a one-time benefit and will only be granted once upon upgrading. If stacked discounts are enabled, ensure existing discounts allow combinations with discount codes to avoid issues.

   

• Discount requirements: Define conditions for using the benefit.
  • None: No restrictions.
  • Minimum purchase amount: Applied when the total order value reaches a set amount.
  • Minimum item quantity: Applied when a minimum number of items are purchased.
• Benefits issuance: Choose when the benefit is granted.
  • Issue after purchase: Granted immediately after membership upgrade.
  • Issue at special date every year: Scheduled for a specific date each year.
  • Issue periodically: Granted on a specific day every X months.
• Stacked discount: Define stacking rules for discounts.
  • Allow to stack with automatic discount: If enabled, the benefit can be combined with automatic discounts.
  • Allow to be stacked with discount code:  If enabled, the benefit can be combined with discount codes.

5. Click Save to apply your settings.

Additional Notes

• Once membership benefits are added, eligible members will receive them immediately (except for Get more points on upgrade).
• Members must manually apply discounts, cash vouchers, free shipping coupons, and birthday month discounts in the Member Center or Member Panel to use them during checkout. They can also copy and paste the discount code into the cart or checkout page.
• Members can view their membership benefits in the rewards module of the Member Center or Member Panel, as well as in the membership level module.

Multiple Purchases and Refund Rules for Paid Memberships

Customers can purchase paid membership products multiple times, such as renewing their membership before it expires or purchasing multiple membership products in a single order. The system automatically schedules when each membership period takes effect based on the customer's current membership status.

If an order is refunded or canceled, only the membership periods associated with the affected products are invalidated. The system then adjusts the remaining membership periods accordingly.

When Multiple Paid Membership Periods Take Effect

When a customer purchases paid membership products, the system determines when each membership period takes effect based on the customer's current membership status and the number of membership products in the order.

The following rules apply to scheduled membership periods:

• Activation order: When the current membership period expires, the next scheduled period automatically takes effect. Periods are scheduled by purchase time. For multiple periods purchased in the same order, the sequence follows the order of the products.
• Membership tiers: A scheduled membership period can have the same tier as the current membership or a different tier.
• Benefit distribution: Benefits associated with a scheduled membership period are granted only when that period takes effect. This includes benefits granted immediately upon activation and those distributed periodically.
• Tier settings: Each membership period retains the tier name, icon, duration, and benefits configured at the time of purchase. Subsequent changes to tier settings do not affect previously purchased membership periods.
• Membership expiration: Once all purchased membership periods have expired, the customer is downgraded according to the existing membership expiration rules.

Example: A customer purchases a one-year paid membership valid through December 31, 2026. In March 2026, the customer purchases the same membership product again. Because the current membership is still active, the newly purchased period is scheduled to take effect automatically on January 1, 2027, extending the customer's membership through the end of 2027.

How Refunds and Order Cancellations Affect Paid Memberships

When a paid membership product is refunded or an order is canceled, the system handles the associated membership periods based on the affected products and their membership status.

After processing the refund or cancellation, the system recalculates the start and end dates of the remaining membership periods to ensure they run consecutively without gaps.

You can view a customer's active and scheduled membership tiers in the membership tier panel on the customer details page. For details, refer to "Managing Your Customers and Members."

Editing Membership Levels

After creating a membership level, you can edit its information at any time, including the level order, basic information, and more.

Changing Level Order

To adjust the order of membership levels, click and drag the desired level to your preferred position. Once the order is modified, the membership levels will be displayed in the new sequence, which will also impact the logic for customer upgrades and downgrades.

Editing Level Information

To modify the details of a membership level (such as level type, name, thresholds, icons, etc.), locate the level you want to edit and click the pencil icon (Edit level) on the right. After making the necessary changes, click Save.

Deleting a Level

To delete a membership level, locate the level you want to remove and click the pencil icon (Edit level) on the right. On the settings page, click Delete at the bottom left.

Editing Membership Benefits

In addition to editing membership level information, you can also modify the benefits associated with each level at any time. All changes will be automatically updated and take effect immediately.

Adding Benefits to a Level

To add benefits to a current level, click the Add item icon (Add a benefit) on the right of the target level. Follow the steps for adding benefits (same as when creating a level). Click Save to apply the changes.

Editing Membership Benefits

To modify existing membership benefits, locate the benefit you want to adjust in the level and click it to enter the editing page. Make the necessary changes and click Save.

Deleting Membership Benefits

To remove a benefit that has been set, locate the target benefit in the specific level and click it to enter the editing page. In the left-side panel, click Delete at the bottom left.

After deletion, the benefit will no longer appear on the member dashboard. Points already earned through upgrades will remain usable. Benefits that have been used will not be affected. 
 

Enabling or Disabling Membership Levels

You can enable or disable membership levels at any time. To ensure the membership levels function correctly, verify that membership level rule is enabled after creating the levels:

1. In the Member System app, go to the Membership page and toggle the Enable rule switch on or off in the upper right corner as needed.
   
2. You can also quickly check the activation status of the Membership in the left menu:

• Green indicator light on: Membership rules are enabled.
• Green indicator light off: Membership rules are disabled.