How to add or deduct a customer's loyalty points from a Zendesk ticket

By Jake Marsh · Updated

To add loyalty points from a Zendesk ticket, install Loyalwell, open the customer's ticket and choose Add points in the sidebar. Enter the points, pick a Reason the customer sees, check the balance now and after, and confirm. LoyaltyLion, Yotpo or Smile.io adds the points with that reason, and Loyalwell writes an internal note and the loyalwell_points_added tag. Deduct points works the same way.

Before you start

  • The API key needs write access: write_customers on LoyaltyLion, points_transaction:write on Smile.io. Yotpo keys have no scopes, so the GUID and API key are enough. With a read-only key, agents see everything and an action answers with a clear message from the platform.
  • Allow adding points and Allow deducting points must be on, and the agent must be in Who may take actions.

Steps

  1. Open the ticket. Loyalwell matches the requester by every email address on their Zendesk profile. For another address, use Find a loyalty customer.
  2. Check the points history. Orders, referrals, adjustments, redemptions and expiries, newest first. Pending points (LoyaltyLion) show separately, so you can tell "not approved yet" from "missing".
  3. Choose Add points or Deduct points.
  4. Enter the amount. It can't exceed the limit for your role (below). A deduction can't exceed the balance, and pending points can't be deducted until approved.
  5. Pick a reason. Choose from Reasons the customer sees, or type your own. The customer sees it in their points history.
  6. Yotpo only: decide on Also change lifetime points earned (counts toward VIP tiers).
  7. Optionally add a Note for the ticket.
  8. Confirm. Loyalwell re-reads the customer right before sending, so it acts on the current balance.

Point limits by role

SettingWhat it does
Most points per action500 by default, for agents with no role limit. Admins have no limit. 0 means no limit
Point limits by roleOne per line, such as agent 200, group:360001234567 2000 or 360009876543 0
How lines combineThe most generous matching line applies. A line for admin limits admins too

A common setup: agent 200 for frontline agents and a larger limit for a support leads group.

What happens after you confirm

WhereWhat changes
Loyalty platformA points adjustment with your reason. On Smile, it also carries a merchant-only note with the Zendesk ticket number
Customer's points historyThe adjustment and the reason
Zendesk ticketAn internal note and loyalwell_points_added or loyalwell_points_deducted

Each change is sent once. If the connection drops, Loyalwell re-reads the history to see whether it went through instead of sending it again, so the same adjustment isn't sent twice.

What it costs

Loyalwell is $9 per agent per month on the Standard plan, with every feature, billed monthly by Zendesk after a 14-day trial (Zendesk asks for a card at install). Your loyalty platform's plan is separate. All settings are in the Loyalwell documentation.

Loyalwell

Loyalty points from LoyaltyLion, Yotpo or Smile on the ticket. Add, deduct or give rewards, logged. $9 a month per agent.

Install LoyalwellAbout LoyalwellDocumentation

Questions

Why can't I deduct points the customer earned from a recent order?

They're probably still pending. Pending points can't be deducted until the platform approves them.

Will adding points move the customer up a tier?

On Yotpo, if you tick Also change lifetime points earned (counts toward VIP tiers). On LoyaltyLion and Smile, tiers follow your program rules, and Loyalwell can't set a tier directly.

Can I stop frontline agents from giving away large amounts?

Yes. Set Most points per action, or a line such as agent 200 in Point limits by role. Anyone above their limit can't send the action.

Where do I see every adjustment support made?

Each one adds an internal note and a tag to its ticket, so a Zendesk view or report on loyalwell_points_added and loyalwell_points_deducted lists them.

More Loyalwell guides

More Zendesk guides