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Once you choose the method you want your customers to tier up through, your customers will be able to collect the method’s variable. The variables could be the amount spent, points, number of completed orders, number of referrals, or score. If you are confused between points and score as two variables for two different methods, below is a brief explanation of the difference between points and score.

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Points

If points are not set as the method of tiering up, you can still use them for different roles. Points are configured in a way so that they have a monetary value. You can configure the value and expiry dates for points through Point Configuration on your dashboard. This way, customers can redeem points for discounts or free items. You can also activate the points redemption program that allows customers to exchange the points value for a form of balance. Customers can gain points on every purchase and perform other actions based on your configurations. For example, customers could be rewarded with points every time they complete a referral, review a product, or put items in the cart.
Points Configuration Example
Having stated the previous roles of points, points can also be assigned to an extra function, a tiering-up method. You can choose points to be the variable that keeps track of each customer’s progress and stats. The following demonstrates how you can choose a minimum number of points a customer must reach to tier up.
Points Tiering Configuration
As you configure your customer tiers through the Gameball admin dashboard, you will be required to set a points range, start, and end for each tier.

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Score

Score is also a tiering-up method that works just like points to track customers’ actions and reward them for every completed achievement. Choosing Score as the tiering up method will not completely replace or eliminate points; however, it will only measure customers’ status and progress. On the other hand, Points will keep their primary role as a monetary value. Customers gain points on every purchase and when they perform other actions. At the same time, the score will be an intangible rewards that increase only when customers complete specific actions based on your configurations. Unlike points, scores don’t have an expiry period in the same way. Scores represent a customer’s status and help them tier up, while points have monetary value and can expire based on your configuration.
Score Configuration Example

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Why choose score as a tiering method when points can do the same job?

As mentioned, Points are assigned to many jobs, like having a monetary value that a customer can later exchange for money, discounts, free products, or free shipping. On the other hand, a score could be assigned only as an intangible reward that helps customers tier up when they complete the achievements you have chosen during your configuration. The following are some cases where you might find score as a helpful tool when it is the tiering up method:
  • Choosing only some actions (elements) that affect customers’ progress
Suppose through your configurations, you included points to become a form of reward when customers do any action that benefits your platform. In that case, however, you want customers to tier up by completing only some of these achievements. By choosing a score, you will be able to mix between some of the elements that you want to contribute to each customer’s progress. For example, you can choose some reward campaigns and referrals to be the only two elements that help a customer tier up.
  • Using tiers as an intrinsic reward only.
As mentioned, points have a monetary value that customers can use to exchange for a balance. They can also redeem it in the form of discount coupons, free items, free shipping, etc. Suppose you want to exclude the tiers program from actions that reward points, and let tiering up be a motivational reward only. You can configure the score to increase every time. In that case, they do specific actions or complete certain achievements. These achievements may not add up to the points and do not have a monetary reward. Customers will tier up when they reach the minimum score the next tier requires.
  • Creating a balanced equation that controls the speed of tiering up
Creating a balanced tier system could be problematic, depending only on points. As mentioned, points are the primary variable in the points redemption program; if it’s active, a customer will win points with every purchase they make. It could become difficult to create the perfect equation that balances between rewarding customers with every achievement and customers’ speed in tiering up with points. For example, a very active customer on your social media platform reviews many products and refers friends, and could end up with just as many points as a customer who only makes a lot of purchases. If this equation does not work for you, adding a score could help with this program; you will be able to assign a score only to the element that pushes specific actions.
You can set expiry dates for points since they have a monetary value and can be used to redeem rewards. The score does not have an expiry. Learn how to set an expiry to the points earned
To sum up, with the score, your active customers will be able to tier up, and it will help you identify your most loyal and engaged customers by making a mix between all the elements you want to intangibly reward your customers for, excluding the monetary aspect that points impose. On the other hand, points can only have a monetary value and can be redeemed by customers during purchases.

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What else?