Siebel Loyalty Administration Guide > Setting Up Siebel Loyalty Programs >

About Loyalty Program Points, Tiers, and Rewards

Loyalty programs give members points for purchases or for other behavior. Members benefit from earning points in two ways:

• Redeeming points for rewards
• Qualifying for tier status

Redeeming Points for Rewards

Members can redeem these points for rewards, such as products. For example, a program may give members frequent flyer miles that they can redeem for airplane flights. Another program may give members training points that they can redeem for free training.

When you define products, you specify how many points members can earn by purchasing the products. You also define how many points the members must redeem to purchase the product.

Qualifying for Tier Status

Members can also qualify for tier statuses, such as Silver Member, Gold Member, or Platinum Member, by earning a specified number of qualifying points in a specified time.

Most loyalty programs give members two types of points:

• Qualifying points. Can be redeemed for rewards and also count toward earning tier status.
• Nonqualifying points. Can be redeemed for rewards and do not count toward earning tier status.

The total points a member has available for redemption equal the sum of the qualifying and nonqualifying points the member has earned.

Expiration of Points

Points that are given to members always have an expiration date. The expiration date can be set at these levels:

• Tier. Expiration date must always be set for a tier. It applies to points members earn while they are part of this tier.
• Promotion. Expiration date is optional for promotions. If it is set, it overrides the dates set at the tier level.

A point's expiration date is always maintained. However, if the Expire Points check box is not selected for a tier, then points do not expire for any member who is part of that tier, even if the points are past their expiration date. The points keep their original expiration date, but they do not expire until the member becomes part of a tier that expires points.

If an accrual transaction is cancelled, the points that were given are returned to the original point block and can then be given to another member. If a point expires, it is not added back to the point block. An expired point can no longer be used, just as if the member had used it for a redemption award.

Do not confuse a point's expiration date with a point block's start and end dates, which control when points can be taken from a point block. Transactions with a transaction date after a point block's end date cannot debit points from that point block, even if the point block still has points left. However, points that already have been taken from the point block and given to members do not expire after the end date.