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Using negative points

Profile-based loyalty programs can support a negative points balance. A customer's active points balance can fall below zero if the customer doesn't have enough points after a manual points deduction, or when the following events occur:

If a rollback or points deduction moves the customer profile into negative balance, two transactions are displayed:

  • The first transaction triggers the rollbackAddedLoyaltyPoints effect, which deducts all available active points and brings the balance to zero.
  • The second transaction triggers the addNegativeLoyaltyPoints effect, which deducts the points remaining in the rollback or deduction to create a negative points balance. This transaction is highlighted in red because it moves the active points balance to negative.
Example
The customer currently has 50 active points. After returning an item from a particular session, 70 points are rolled back. If you have negative balance enabled, this rollback takes place in two transactions:
  • The first transaction shows -50 points, bringing the active points balance to zero.
  • The second transaction shows -20 points in red, creating a negative points balance.

Negative points have an immediate start date, and they do not expire. If negative balance is enabled for the loyalty program, you can add an unlimited number of negative points.

To view all negative points transactions and balances for a customer, you can see their customer profile.

important

The active points balance cannot become negative from evaluating an effect. A customer's points balance can drop below zero only after a rollback or manual points deduction.

Enabling negative points​

To allow negative points in your profile-based loyalty program, enable negative points balance in your Return policy settings.

To enable negative points:

  1. Click Loyalty on the leftmost menu.
  2. Click the name of the profile-based loyalty program for which you want to enable negative points balance.
  3. On the left-side menu, click Settings.
  4. Click Return Policy.
  5. Enable Allow negative balance.

Disabling negative points​

Disabling negative balance for a loyalty program does not change customers' existing negative balances. Customers can offset their negative points balance by earning active points.

To disable negative points:

  1. Click Loyalty on the leftmost menu.
  2. Click the name of the profile-based loyalty program for which you want to disable negative points balance.
  3. On the left-side menu, click Settings.
  4. Click Return Policy.
  5. Disable Allow negative balance.

Offsetting negative points​

If a customer earns new active points from a completed session, the newly added points automatically offset any negative balance in one transaction.

Example
The customer's current points balance is -50. If the customer purchases new items that adds 100 points to their profile, these points apply towards the negative points balance. The final active points balance is 50 points.

A customer's negative points balance is automatically offset when one of the following events occur:

  • Addition of active loyalty points: The negative points balance is automatically offset if you import loyalty points or manually add loyalty points to the loyalty program.
  • Earning loyalty points after a session: If a customer with a negative balance earns loyalty points after a session, it triggers the offsetsNegativeLoyaltyPoints effect.
  • Activation of pending points: Activating pending points offsets any negative points balance and adds to the active points balance in a single transaction.