Introducing Rewards Club
Rewards Club is Whatnot’s customizable loyalty program benefiting sellers and buyers alike. Participating sellers each design and manage their own Rewards Club by setting achievement requirements that any buyer can complete in order to receive rewards like discounts, exclusive shows, or free shipping. As buyers complete achievements, they advance through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers to unlock new and more valuable rewards. Each seller sets their own achievement requirements and rewards for each tier, and buyers can be Rewards Club members with as many sellers as they choose, making Rewards Club a flexible loyalty program for businesses of all sizes and buyers of all budgets.
How does Rewards Club work?
During each three-month Rewards Club season, buyers advance through a participating seller’s membership tiers — starting at Bronze and moving all the way to Diamond — to earn rewards like valuable coupons, exclusive shows, and membership badges. To unlock the next tier, buyers must complete the achievement requirements that the participating seller has selected — like watching a certain number of shows, completing a certain number of purchases, or spending a set amount of money.
Each seller’s Rewards Club is organized into five membership statuses called tiers. At the beginning of each season, buyers can advance through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers to earn increasingly valuable rewards. Since each seller designs their own program, the achievements required to unlock each tier will vary from one seller to the next, as will the rewards the buyer receives. As each tier is unlocked, buyers receive a special badge on their avatars to designate their Rewards Club status in that seller’s live shows.
Rewards Club is a seasonal program, so everyone’s progress and achievements reset at the end of each three-month season.
What are Achievements?
Achievements are requirements that each buyer must complete to unlock the next Rewards Club tier. Each seller configures their own achievement requirements for each season.
What kinds of achievements do buyers complete?
Participating sellers can select from three different achievement options:
- Number of shows watched. When a buyer watches a participating seller’s live show for at least ten consecutive minutes, they’ll receive credit for one show watched. This achievement is available only for unlocking Bronze.
- Number of purchases. Buyers receive credit for each product purchased from a participating seller. If a buyer purchases multiple products in a single show or transaction, they’ll receive credit for each product purchased.
- Amount spent. Credit is awarded when a buyer spends a set amount of money on the participating seller’s products. The total amount is tabulated from the combined subtotals of all purchases a buyer completes with that seller, so extra costs like taxes, shipping, and credit card fees won’t count toward this achievement. If discounts like coupons are used on a purchase, only the subtotal after the discount is applied will count toward the achievement.
Are all achievements the same for all sellers and all tiers?
No, not necessarily. All sellers choose from the same three kinds of achievement requirements, but the specifics of those requirements are entirely up to each seller, and may change from one season to the next. One seller may require you to make 10 purchases to unlock a tier, while another may require only a single purchase to unlock that same tier. Most sellers also choose to make their achievements more and more challenging to complete as buyers reach the higher tiers, so achievement requirements are likely to look different from one tier to the next.
There are also some special rules for Bronze. To unlock Bronze, buyers must complete only one of the three achievement types the seller has specified. For all other tiers, the buyer must complete all of the achievements the seller has chosen for that tier. Additionally, the “number of shows watched” achievement is available only for unlocking Bronze.
Are there caps on Achievements?
Yes, there are caps on achievement values you can enter in your program
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Achievement caps:
- Number of shows watched: Max 1000
- Number of purchases: Max 10,000 per tier
- Amount spent: Max $1,000,000 per tier
What are rewards?
Rewards are the benefits, promotions, and statuses that buyers unlock by completing a participating seller’s achievement requirements. The amounts, frequency, and value of some rewards, like coupons and exclusive shows, are chosen by each seller for each tier. Other rewards, like special avatar badges for buyers, are automatically granted to all buyers who have advanced to a given tier.
What kinds of rewards are available?
Seller rewards are fulfilled by each seller, who decides the quantity and value of the rewards that buyers unlock with each tier. There are two kinds: coupons and exclusive shows.
- Coupons can be offered in percentage-off or amount-off formats. Sellers can offer as many coupons as they choose for each tier. Sellers may offer a mix of percentage-off and amount-off coupons as rewards for a given tier, or they may offer only one kind. Each seller makes that choice based on their business goals and buyer relationships.
- Exclusive shows are private, invitation-only live shows available only to members who have unlocked a specified tier (or higher) in that seller’s Rewards Club. Exclusive shows are highly prized, and sellers may choose to reserve prestigious or high-value products and giveaways for these shows to ensure their most loyal customers have priority access.
Universal rewards are offered to all buyers who have achieved a certain tier in any Rewards Club, and are not configured by the seller directly.
- Membership Badges are added to a buyer’s avatar in a participating seller’s live shows to display their membership status. Membership badges help identify loyal buyers from the moment they enter a show, giving sellers a new way to deepen their relationships with their buyer community. Since buyers can be members of multiple Rewards Clubs at once, they may see a Silver badge on their avatar in one seller’s shows, a Diamond badge in another seller’s shows, or no badge at all in a third seller’s shows.
Are all rewards available for all tiers?
No, not necessarily. Since Rewards Club is flexible and customizable, you may not see all reward types offered by all sellers on all tiers, though sellers are required to offer at least one reward — either a coupon or an exclusive show —for all tiers above Bronze. Sellers are not required to offer any rewards for the Bronze tier, though many choose to do so. Membership badges are available for all eligible buyers for all tiers, Bronze through Diamond.
How do coupons work?
Rewards Club coupons work like any other coupon on Whatnot, with a few extra details. Only one coupon can be used on any single purchase, and coupons cannot be stacked or combined with other coupons. Amount-off coupons cannot be split across multiple purchases, so if you use a $10-off coupon on an $8.00 purchase, you don’t get to keep the extra $2.00 or apply it to a subsequent purchase.
How do I use my coupons?
Once you’ve unlocked Bronze in a seller’s Rewards Club, you’ll be able to view all of your coupons for that seller by tapping on the crown icon at the top of your mobile screen while you’re in that seller’s show.
Coupons have to be applied manually before making a purchase. Here’s how:
- While you’re in a participating seller’s show, tap on the crown icon at the top of your screen
- Locate the coupon you’d like to use, and tap Redeem
- The selected coupon will be added to you wallet and will automatically be applied to the next winning bid or purchase you make with that seller
If you place a losing bid in an auction while your coupon is active, your coupon will not be affected.
Please note, coupons will not be applied to orders when an offer is made or while purchasing multiple quantities of an item.
Can I use my Rewards Club coupons anywhere on Whatnot?
No, any coupons earned from a seller’s Rewards Club must be redeemed with that seller.
Can my purchase still be refunded if I use a Rewards Club coupon?
All purchases made using a Rewards Club coupon are final and are not eligible for refunds.
Are there caps on coupons?
Yes below are caps set on coupon amounts
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Coupon Caps:
- Max coupon value $10,000
- Max number of coupons 1000
- Percentage numbers should only be rounded numbers. 1-100
- eg you can’t use 89.99%
Do I have to display my membership badge?
If you’ve unlocked a Rewards Club tier but prefer not to display your membership badge on your avatar during live shows, you can easily toggle it off by navigating to your Account Settings and disabling the “Display Rewards Club status” option.
How do Rewards Club seasons work?
Rewards Club is seasonal and resets at regular intervals. Sellers can start a Rewards Club program at any time, but all Rewards Club programs reset at the same time every three months, allowing sellers the chance to refine, expand, and continuously improve their offerings.
2024–2025 Rewards Club Calendar | ||
---|---|---|
Season | Start Date | End Date |
Season 1 | September 9,2024 12pm PST | December 2, 2024 12pm PST |
Season 2 | December 2, 2024 12pm PST | March 3, 2025 12pm PST |
Season 3 | March 3, 2025 12pm PST | June 2, 2025 12pm PST12pm PST |
Season 4 | June 2, 2025 12pm PST | September 1, 2025 12pm PST |
Season 5 | September 1, 2025 12pm PST | December 1, 2025 12pm PST |
What happens to Rewards Club members at the end of each season?
When a season ends, all progress returns to zero and everyone starts fresh. Rewards Club members will see their membership status and badges reset and any accumulated rewards from the previous season will begin to expire. There’s an exception for Diamond members, who get to start the next season with Gold status, and members of all tiers get a five-day grace period to use any coupons they may have left over from the previous season.
How does the 5-day grace period work for expiring coupons?
Members have a five-day grace period to use any accumulated coupons from the previous season. The grace period starts on the previous season’s end date, and any unused coupons will be forfeited once the grace period ends.
Any purchases made during the grace period will apply to the new season’s progress, assuming the seller has a new program running.
I made it all the way to Diamond and I have to start from zero?
Nope! Members who unlock Diamond in a seller’s Rewards Club will retain Gold status with that seller for the duration of the new season, assuming the seller has a new season running. If the same buyer doesn’t then progress to Diamond in the new season, they’ll start from zero in the subsequent season like everyone else.
What should participating sellers expect at the end of each season?
Sellers can begin a new Rewards Club program at any time during a season, but all seasons end on the same date. At the end of each season, sellers have the chance to adjust their achievement requirements and reconfigure their reward offerings for each tier to better meet their business goals and buyer expectations. Whatnot provides a range of analytics data and metrics in the Seller Hub to help participating sellers understand their buyers’ participation rates and to learn from previous seasons.
I’m a buyer. How do I sign up for Rewards Club?
Easy! There’s no need to sign up. You’ll automatically join a seller’s Rewards Club and begin completing achievements the first time you make a purchase in one of their shows. To see a seller’s rewards and achievement requirements, tap the crown icon at the top of your mobile screen while you’re in their show.
For Sellers:
How do I get started with Rewards Club?
If you’re an active seller on Whatnot and meet our eligibility requirements, the Rewards Club feature is already available to you in the Seller Hub on our iOS, Android, and web applications. (If you’re on mobile, be sure you have the latest version of our app.)
If you don’t currently meet our eligibility requirements, you won’t have access to Rewards Club. If you’re unable to access the Rewards Club feature in your Seller Hub but believe you meet the requirements, be sure your mobile device has the latest version of the Whatnot app, or reach out to customer support for assistance.
What are the eligibility requirements for starting a Rewards Club?
To maintain the trustworthiness of our loyalty programs, Rewards Club is currently limited to trusted sellers who have an ongoing record of success on Whatnot. To be eligible to create your own Rewards Club, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- You’ve completed 50 or more orders (excluding giveaways)
- You’ve earned more than $1,000 in lifetime revenue from your sales on Whatnot
- You’ve been a seller on Whatnot for 30 days or longer
- Your Whatnot seller rating is 4.7 or higher
- You’re not currently on a second offense in any violation category as outlined in our guidelines.
Note: If you believe you currently meet all requirements and still don’t have access to Rewards Club please reach out to support.
How will Rewards Club benefit my business?
With Rewards Club, we’ve designed a customizable tool that lets you choose rewards that align with your business goals, achievements that drive repeat spend and engagement, and built-in flexibility that allows you to continuously evolve your program every three months.
We closely collaborated with a group of Beta Sellers to fine-tune, learn, and make Rewards Club launch-ready for the entire community. Through this process, we identified what works and where improvements were needed to prepare for today's launch. The results have been inspiring, showcasing the exciting potential of this loyalty tool for our sellers. Here are some standout highlights averaged across our 160 Beta Sellers:
- Buyers spent 12% more, and sellers saw a 12% increase in hourly sales after using Rewards Club.
- The number of repeat buyers with two or more purchases from individual Rewards Club sellers rose by nearly 20%.
- Weekly Chat Per Livestream hour has rise 10.5%
How do I set up my Rewards Club program?
To configure your program, visit the Rewards Club creation tool in the Seller Hub. The tool allows you to set achievement requirements and choose rewards for each of your tiers, and provides helpful analytics and guidance to inform your choices. You can make edits to your choices as many times as you like prior to publishing your program.
Please watch tutorial on how to create your program, for some tips and tricks getting set up.
What do I need to know about selecting achievement requirements for each tier?
You can set your achievement requirements for each tier in the Rewards Club creation tool found in the seller hub. When configuring your achievements, use the data and analytics we provide to understand your customer base and your buyers’ spend habits. Rewards Club is seasonal and customizable, so you can make changes from one season to the next based on what you learn. For your first season, it’s best to start small by keeping your achievements and your rewards modest.
As you configure your achievements, note that there are important differences in the requirements for the Bronze tier. To unlock Bronze, buyers must complete only one of the achievements you’ve selected; for all other tiers, buyers must complete all of the achievements you select. The “number of shows watched” achievement is available only for unlocking Bronze. Bronze also has higher minimum requirements for each achievement; above these minimums, you’re free to configure these requirements however you like. For Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, you must select achievement requirements for both achievement types.
To unlock Bronze, buyers must:
- Purchase at least one product from you, or
- Spend at least $10 on your products, or
- Watch at least 3 of your shows for ten consecutive minutes
To unlock Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, buyers must:
- Purchase a set number of products from you, AND
- Spend a set amount of money on your products
Are achievements incremental or cumulative for buyers?
Each tier in your Rewards Club has specific achievements for buyers to complete. While setting up your program, be sure to explore the 'Preview' section. This will let you see two views: the 'Tier-by-Tier' view, which shows the progress needed for each tier individually, and the 'Total' view, which displays the cumulative progress a buyer needs to complete the entire program. This way, you'll have a better understanding of how much buyers will need to spend at each stage and overall.
What do I need to know about adding coupons to my Rewards Club?
Participating sellers are responsible for configuring and fulfilling all Rewards Club coupons. We’ll automatically add any earned coupons to the participating buyer’s account as they unlock each tier.
Coupons have real value and business impact, and participating sellers should fully understand how they work before configuring a Rewards Club program. To help you plan your season and meet your business goals, we’ve designed coupons to be customizable, predictable, and carefully controlled. Here are a few key details to know:
- Each buyer who unlocks a membership tier in your Rewards Club will gain access to all of the coupons you’ve selected for that tier
- Each earned coupon can be used only once, cannot be stacked or combined with other coupons, and cannot be redeemed with any other seller
- You can award as many coupons as you choose, and for any amount that you choose, for each tier
- For percent-off coupons, you can designate a maximum discount value, such as a 20%-off coupon with a maximum discount value of $20
- For amount-off coupons, you can select a minimum purchase amount, as with a $10-off coupon that can be redeemed only on purchases of $100 or more
- Earned coupons do not roll over from one season to the next, but buyers have until five days after a season’s end date to redeem any coupons earned during that season
Can I cancel my Rewards Club program?
Once your Rewards Club program is live, you won’t be able to make changes or cancel it until the season ends. That’s why it’s so important to review everything carefully, consider your business goals, and how you want to maximize this tool before publishing.
Exceptions for edits or cancellations may be requested through Customer Support, but only in serious cases will adjustments be considered.
Canceled Programs
If a program is canceled during the season:
- All coupons issued to Rewards Club members will still be valid and usable until the season ends.
- Club members will no longer earn status or achievements.
- No new members will be able to join the program.
- Your Rewards Club will still be visible to users, notifying them that the program has been canceled early.
Edited Programs
We strongly discourage making changes to tiers mid-season as it creates a poor experience for buyers and disrupts their progress. However, if an approved change is necessary:
- Any new rewards added will automatically be issued to current members in the affected tier.
- Coupons that are removed will remain available for members who have already unlocked them.
- If a coupon is modified, it will be reissued to all members of that tier, depending on whether they’ve used the original coupon or not.
Deleted Programs
We will not allow sellers to fully delete their Rewards Club program, so please don’t request this. In rare and exceptional cases where we must take this step, all member status and coupons associated with the program will be permanently erased.
What are Tier-only Shows?
Tier-only shows are private, members-only events available only to buyers who have reached the Gold, Platinum, or Diamond tiers in your Rewards Club. These shows are a powerful way to incentivize and reward your most loyal buyers. You can offer as many tier-only shows as you want and schedule them at any point during a Rewards Club season. Many sellers build excitement for their Rewards Club by promoting a high-demand product or lucrative giveaway that will be offered in a tier-only show later in the season. To schedule a tier-only show, you'll need an active Rewards Season program for that season:
- Once you’ve created a Rewards Club Program
- Tap the + button in the primary navigation menu.
- Tap 'Schedule a Show.'
- In the 'Show Discoverability' section, tap the 'Rewards Club Members' radio button.
- Select Gold, Platinum, or Diamond from the minimum tier dropdown menu.
Once your show is scheduled, it will be visible only to members of your Rewards Club who have achieved the selected tier or higher.
Additional Questions:
Rewards Club is just starting so if there is anything we are missing, or you need some further assistance don’t hesitate to reach out.