Top 10 Loyalty Program Email Examples To Build Relationships

Having a loyalty program isn’t just about offering points or tiers—it’s about how you communicate it.

One of the best ways to do this? Email your customers.

If you’re unsure how to write emails that grab attention and keep people engaged, don’t worry. I’ll share some of my favorite loyalty program email examples to spark ideas. These aren’t just good-looking—they actually work.

You’ll see how different brands use creative emails to make their loyalty programs unforgettable. Let’s dive in!

My 10 Favorite Loyalty Program Email Examples

Warm Welcome

Imagine this: a new customer just signed up for your loyalty program. They’re excited, curious, and unsure of what to expect. This is your chance to roll out the red carpet and make a good first impression!

Take this example from WildWonder, a sparkling drink company. Here’s what they sent to welcome a new subscriber:

Email subject: A wild and wonderful welcome ✨

• Subject line: The subject line is intriguing and playful, matching the brand’s tone. They also create a wordplay with “wild” and “wonder, ” creating uniqueness and curiosity.
• Email Content:
  • Visually engaging with a vibrant color palette and playful graphics that reflect the brand’s identity.
  • The message is clear and concise, welcoming the new subscriber and highlighting the brand’s key products and values.
  • While not explicitly personalized, it addresses the recipient warmly and creates a sense of community.
  • The email includes a clear call to action to explore the brand’s products and take advantage of their 10% off welcome code, as well as interact with the brand on social media.
  • The overall tone is friendly, enthusiastic, and inviting.
• Why I Love It
  • The tone is fun and on-brand.
  • The subject line makes customers want to open the email without being too pushy.
  • The message is clear, with a strong call to action.
  • The images are bright and colorful, just like their brand.

What’s the Takeaway?

A welcome email isn’t just about saying hello. It’s about creating excitement and giving customers a reason to stay engaged. Make it clear, fun, and focused.

Surprise Reward Email

In my experience with loyalty programs, it’s not always about the big rewards or the elaborate point systems. Sometimes, it’s those little unexpected surprises that really make those “just because” moments – the ones that make your customers feel truly special and appreciated.

Additionally, surprise reward emails often catch customers’ attention; they’re more likely to click on your email, which increases your click-to-open rate (CTOR).

Let’s take a look at Indigo’s email:

Email Subject: Surprise! We’ve topped up your Plum Rewards!

• Subject Line: Clear and intriguing, immediately informs the recipient of a reward and creates excitement.
• Email Content:
  • Visually appealing with the brand’s colors and a clear visual hierarchy.
  • The message is concise, highlighting the reward amount of $20 and its redemption options.
  • It includes a clear call to action to shop online or find a store to shop in person so the customer can act quickly and redeem the added reward.
  • The overall tone is appreciative and encouraging.
• Why I love it
  • It gets straight to the point.
  • The limited-time (“5 days only”) offer makes customers want to act fast.
  • They clearly show the value of the reward ($20), which is very appealing.
  • The call to action is strong and makes it easy to take the next step.

What’s the Takeaway?

If you want to surprise and delight your customers, keep it simple. Show them you appreciate them, make the reward clear, and give them an easy way to redeem it. Those small gestures go a long way.

Exclusive VIP Deal

Exclusive VIP deal emails are a powerful way to make your most loyal customers feel special and valued. These emails go beyond standard promotions, offering unique perks or early access to rewards that are only available to top-tier members.

This exclusivity fosters a sense of privilege, makes them feel like they’re part of an exclusive club, and strengthens their connection to your brand. It’s a powerful way to show your VIPs how much you value them.

4Knines – car seat covers for dogs brand did so well with their email offering an exclusive deal for VIP tier loyalty customers.

Email subject: 🚨 Final Chance: Biggest Sale of the Year | Exclusive For VIP

• Subject Line: Short and straight to the point, creating a sense of urgency and clearly communicating the exclusivity of the offer. The emoji adds a touch of attention-grabbing flair.
• Email Content:
  • Bright and clean design with consistent brand colors and a playful theme.
  • Animated elements like the countdown timer add energy and urgency.
  • The message is simple and easy to understand, focusing on the discount and the time limit.
  • The email content is tailored to VIP customers, reinforcing their exclusivity.
  • Strong CTA: “Save 25% Off” buttons are placed prominently to encourage clicks and purchases.
  • The overall tone is friendly, energetic, and motivating, perfectly aligned with the brand’s adventurous theme.
• Why I love it
  • The discount is super clear and easy to see. It immediately catches customers’ eye.
• The design is visually appealing and uses a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency.
• The call to action is prominent and mentioned mid-email and at the end, allowing customers to take action anywhere they scroll.

What’s the Takeaway?

If you want to make your VIPs feel valued, keep it simple but impactful. Show them they’re getting something special, create urgency, and make it easy to take action. Exclusivity builds loyalty.

Re-engagement campaign

Think of it like this: you haven’t seen a friend in a while, so you reach out to them, see how they’re doing, and maybe even invite them to coffee. A re-engagement email is similar; it’s your way of rekindling that connection with your customers and reminding them why they loved your brand in the first place.

Starbucks does a great job of re-engaging customers through its rewards program. They often send emails reminding users of their points balance, upcoming double-star days, or new seasonal drinks, highlighting perks and making you feel like you’re missing out on a great deal if you don’t act right away.

Subject title: All the yays. All September long.

• Subject line: Fun and cheerful, it piques curiosity and creates a positive vibe while emphasizing a time-limited promotion.
• Email Content:
  • Visually appealing with the brand’s signature green color and images of their products.
  • The message is clear and concise, highlighting the two offers available during September.
  • It’s personalized by mentioning the recipient’s membership in the rewards program.
  • Includes clear calls to action to “Activate now” and “Let’s fall.”
  • The overall tone is enthusiastic, playful, and encouraging.
• Why I love it:
  • The email uses a seasonal theme, which makes it feel relevant and exciting.
  • The offers are super clear and encourage you to join the fun right away.
  • The subject line is playful and catches your attention.
  • The call to action is strong and makes it easy to participate.

What’s the Takeaway?

A re-engagement email should feel like a friendly nudge. Make it positive, simple, and time-sensitive. Remind customers of their missing perks and invite them back with clear, easy-to-follow actions. It’s all about making them feel welcome again.

Birthday Celebration

Celebrating a birthday is one of those personal touches that customers really respect. It’s a great way to show you care, and the best ones pair a warm message with a tailored reward that feels like a genuine gift, not just another promotion.

This Nintendo birthday email is a delightful celebration of the recipient. The catchy design and the thoughtful inclusion of a special reward make it feel like a real treat, capturing the fun and excitement that Nintendo fans love.

Subject line: 🎉 Level Up Your Birthday! A Special Nintendo Gift Just for You 🎮

• Subject Line: Personal and celebratory, drawing attention to the birthday reward.
• Email Content:
  • Colorful, bright, joyful, and in line with the brand’s aesthetic, featuring birthday-themed visuals.
  • A simple message with the special offer
  • A subtle confetti animation or a bouncing gift box can add a sense of fun and celebration without being too overwhelming.
  • Uses the customer’s name and wishes them a happy birthday.
  • Keep the claim birthday offer button stand out and easy to find
  • Warm, friendly, and celebratory.
  • Clear CTAs: “Start Shopping” and “Check it Out” drive immediate action.
• Why I love it:
  • The email is personalized with the customer’s name and a birthday message.
  • The design is engaging and uses playful graphics to capture attention.
  • The discount offer and its details are clearly communicated.
  • The “Click to Reveal” gamification reward section adds an element of fun and surprise.

What’s the Takeaway?

A great birthday email is all about making customers feel special. Keep it personal, bright, and fun. Use thoughtful design, clear rewards, and easy-to-follow CTAs to create an experience they’ll remember and appreciate.

Loyalty Point Expiration Reminder

On average, brands lose 25% of their email list every year. If you don’t do something about this, all your hard work collecting email addresses will be wasted.

Point expiration reminder emails are some of my favorites—they’re like a gentle nudge that says, “Don’t miss out on what you’ve earned!” They combine urgency with value in such a smart way, giving brands a chance to reconnect.

I love how “The Store” sends emails to remind customers about their expiring loyalty points. But here’s the really clever part: the brand encourages customers to make another purchase to reach 1500 points. This way, they can get a 10 euro discount on the next purchase. It’s a brilliant way to keep customers engaged and spending!

Subject line: Your Points Are About to Expire- Don’t Miss Out!

• Email content:
  • Visually appealing with the brand’s colors and a clear, concise layout.
  • The message is straightforward, highlighting the number of expiring points and the potential reward.
  • It’s personalized with the customer’s name and their current points balance.
  • Includes a clear call to action to “Order Now” and earn enough points to redeem the reward.
  • The overall tone is friendly, helpful, and subtly urgent.
• Why I Love It
  • It reminds customers of the value of their loyalty points and the potential rewards.
  • It has a minimal design, focusing on what matters most: the point and the reward.

What’s the Takeaway?

Point expiration emails are a win-win. You remind customers of their rewards, and they get excited to spend more. Keep it simple, make it personal, and show them how easy it is to redeem what they’ve earned.

Special Loyalty Campaign or Limited Promotion

Nothing gets your loyalty members fired up like an exclusive offer or a special campaign. And when you launch a new product or bring back an old favorite, your loyalty members deserve to hear the first news.

Take Chipotle Mexican Grill’s as a model. The American restaurant is an example of what a great loyalty program should be and it does a fantastic job with its limited-time offers for loyalty members.

Subject line: Limited Time Only: Smoked Brisket

• Email type: It’s clear, concise, and highlights the exclusive offer on the occasion of a signature dish come-back. However, it could be even more effective by mentioning the deal is only for Chipotle loyalty members.
• Email content:
  • Visually appealing with the brand’s colors and mouthwatering images of the featured product.
  • Friendly and exciting tone, creating an emotional connection and sparking curiosity.
  • Prominent “Order Now” and “Order & Earn” buttons are placed strategically throughout the email, allowing customers to place orders easily if they feel the deal is interesting.
  • The opportunity to earn extra reward points and an exclusive badge to motivate immediate action.
  • Straightforward messaging about what’s being offered
  • The inclusion of real customer tweets will build social proof and excitement.
• Why I love it:
  • The email effectively communicates the exclusivity of the offer for loyalty members.
  • Each section is easy to digest, keeping the focus on the product while driving action.
  • The limited availability of the product creates a sense of urgency.
  • The email featuring real testimonials makes it relatable and reinforces the popularity of the offering.

What’s the Takeaway?

When crafting a special campaign email, keep it focused and engaging:

• Use eye-catching visuals to make the product stand out.
• Highlight exclusivity for loyalty members.
• Create urgency with limited-time availability.
• Add social proof to build excitement and trust.
• Make it easy to act with clear, bold call-to-action buttons.

Loyalty Point Updates

Customers love earning rewards, but sometimes they need a little nudge to remember their progress and stay engaged. That’s where “Loyalty Point Updates” emails act as a friendly reminder that says, “You’re on your way to some sweet rewards!”

McDonald’s, instead of just giving a boring balance update, turns the notification into a fun, easy reminder of the rewards you’ve earned and how close you are to your next treat.

Subject Line: You earned 650 points toward FREE food 🎉

• Email Content:
  • Visually appealing with the brand’s iconic colors and images of their popular food items.
  • The message is straightforward, highlighting the customer’s earned points and the rewards they can redeem.
  • The overall tone is friendly, encouraging, and subtly promotional.
• Why I Love It:
  • The email effectively shows the customer’s progress in the loyalty program, motivating them to continue earning points.
  • It visually presents the rewards that can be redeemed, creating a sense of desire and encouraging redemption.

What’s the Takeaway?

A loyalty point update email should be clear, exciting, and action-focused.

• Highlight the points earned.
• Show what rewards are within reach.
• Use visuals to spark interest.
• Keep the tone friendly and encouraging.

Loyalty Points Monthly Recap

Sending regular updates about their points and progress is key to keeping your loyalty program top-of-mind. It shows your customers how far they’ve come and encourages them to keep earning and redeeming those valuable rewards.

Taco Bell does this so well—they turn the recap into a fun reminder of everything you’ve achieved and motivate you to keep going.

Subject Line: Let’s see what your points are up to 👆🌮🔔

• Email Content:
  • The email uses an easy-to-read structure showing the customer’s points balance, loyalty level, and progress to the next rewards to make it easy to digest.
  • It provides just enough detail to inform customers without overwhelming them.
  • Use a conversational, upbeat tone to make the email feel like a personalized message, not just an automated update.
• Why I Love It:
  • The email uses playful language and visuals to make the loyalty program more engaging.
  • The points balance and available rewards are clearly displayed.
  • It subtly encourages further engagement and purchases without being overly pushy.

Referral Reward Email

A solid referral program can be a goldmine for acquiring new customers. But it’s not enough to just have a program; you need to thank those referrers- those awesome customers who spread the word about your brand – properly and keep them engaged.

That’s exactly what a referral reward email does. It shows your appreciation for those valuable referrals and encourages even more sharing.

For example, Allset, a food pre-ordering platform, does a fantastic job with its referral reward emails. They send personalized emails thanking customers and clearly outlining the rewards they’ve earned.

Subject line: 💸 Cha-ching! You’ve earned $10

• Email content:
  • The message is straightforward, expressing gratitude for the referral and highlighting a gift code of $10.
  • The overall tone is appreciative, friendly, and encouraging.
  • Their Refer More Friends CTA encourages customers to continue spreading the word to earn more rewards.
• Why I love it:
  • The email starts by thanking the customer for their referral, making them feel valued.
  • The message is easy to understand and avoids unnecessary clutter.
  • It subtly encourages further referrals by reminding the customer about the program’s benefits.

What’s the Takeaway?

A great loyalty points recap email should:

• Be easy to skim. Show points, progress, and rewards clearly.
• Feel personal. Use a friendly, conversational tone.
• Encourage action. Motivate customers to keep going without overdoing the sales pitch.

Key Components of a Great Loyalty Program Email

From my experience, and all the email the you’ve seen above, creating a great loyalty program email not just about throwing some points and discounts at your customers, you need to deliver a message that makes them feel valued, appreciated, and eager to engage with your brand.

Here are the key ingredients every loyalty email should have:

1. Compelling Subject Line: It’s the first thing your customer sees, so make it count.

• Use curiosity and excitement to grab attention.
• Keep it concise, clear, and engaging.
• Highlight the value or urgency (e.g., “Your Reward Awaits!” or “Limited-Time Bonus Points!”).

2. Concise and Clear Message: Customers often skim emails, so keep the content short and to the point.

• Focus on the reward, the action you want them to take, and why it matters. Customers should know exactly what to do within seconds.
• Keep images and text easy to read on smaller screens.

3. Strong Call to Action: What do you want the customer to do during and after reading the email?

• Use strong verb to encourage customers like “Redeem Your Reward” or “Shop Now”
• Make sure it’s bold, easy to spot

Loyalty Program Emails: Expert Tips

Here are a few tips I’ve learned to make loyalty program emails truly effective:

• Personalization: Don’t just address your customers as “Dear valued customer.” Use their names! And go beyond that – mention their past purchases, recommend products they might like, or even wish them a happy birthday.
• Segment Your Audience:Don’t send the same email to everyone. Segment your audience by behavior, loyalty tier, or activity level. For instance, new members might need a “Welcome” email, while inactive ones could benefit from a “We Miss You” campaign. It’s all about giving the right message to the right group.
• Consistency: Don’t just send out a welcome email and then disappear. Connect with them regularly, whether it’s monthly points summaries, exclusive offers, or sneak peeks at new products. Consistency builds relationships and keeps your loyalty program on top of their minds.
• Analyze Performance: Always look at the numbers. Track your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. See what’s working and what’s not. If a certain type of email drives more redemptions, double down on it. Adjust and improve over time— running a loyalty program is a process, not a one-time effort.

How Joy Loyalty Helps You With Your Loyalty Program Email Marketing

Joy Loyalty takes the hassle out of email marketing for your loyalty program, allowing you to effortlessly engage with customers at every stage of their journey.

You can easily segment your customers into three key groups:

• Members: These are the customers who have signed up for your loyalty program. They’re engaged, earning points and redeeming rewards.
• Guests: These are customers who have shopped with you but haven’t joined the program yet.
• Left Program: Sometimes, customers leave your program.

The Notifications feature in Joy Loyalty allows you to edit the email templates and send automated, targeted emails to each customer segment to:

• Engage with your existing loyalty program members. Let them know about their points, rewards, and upcoming promotions.
• Convert guests into your customers
• Win back customers who leave and encourage them to join again.

Joy also has multiple sender options, so you can choose to send emails through the default Joy app sender, a custom sender address, or configure your own SMTP for full control over email delivery.

FAQs

When is the best time to send loyalty program emails?

Timing is key. Welcome emails should be sent immediately after sign-up, birthday rewards on the customer’s birthday, and points reminders a few days before expiration. For special offers, aim for times when your customers are most likely to make a purchase (e.g., weekends, holidays, or during seasonal sales).

How can I personalize my loyalty program emails?

Personalization can include using the customer’s name, referencing their purchase history, or tailoring offers based on their loyalty tier or points balance. Segmentation allows you to send relevant offers that resonate with each customer, increasing engagement and conversions.

What is the best way to design loyalty program emails?

In terms of design, make sure to:

• Focus on clear visuals, simple layouts, and your brand’s colors to ensure consistency.
• Highlight key information like rewards balance, exclusive offers, and call-to-action buttons to guide the customer toward desired actions.
• Use compelling images to reinforce the message and make the email more engaging.

What are some common mistakes to avoid in loyalty program email campaigns?

Some mistakes include:

• Sending too many emails, which can overwhelm customers and lead to unsubscribes.
• Not personalizing emails, making them feel generic.
• Failing to optimize for mobile, as most users open emails on their phones.
• Lack of clear CTA, making it difficult for customers to take action.

Begin Promoting Your Loyalty Program Through Email

As you can see, email marketing is a fantastic way to connect with your loyal customers. You can use it to encourage new customers to join your loyalty program or to remind existing members about their rewards. Either way, email marketing is a must-have for any loyalty program.

Kickstart your loyalty program and automate your loyalty email campaigns with our Joy | Rewards & Loyalty Program.