> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help-loyalife.xoxoday.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Tiers overview > See how Loyalife's tier system rewards engagement with milestone-based levels, multipliers, retention periods, and automated evaluation. Tiers let you reward your most engaged members with progressively richer benefits. Members at higher tiers earn more points, get better multipliers, or unlock exclusive rewards — creating a powerful incentive to stay active and increase spending. Loyalife automates tier evaluation and assignment, so members move up (or down) without manual intervention. ## How tiers work A tier is a status level defined by a **milestone** — a threshold of points, spend, or custom metrics that a member must reach to qualify. Once a member crosses a tier's milestone, they are upgraded and begin enjoying that tier's benefits and earning multipliers for all subsequent transactions. Tier evaluation runs on a daily automated schedule. Members are promoted or demoted based on their current qualifying activity against configured thresholds. ## Why tiers work Tiers create a loyalty loop. Members who are close to the next tier threshold increase their spending to qualify — a behaviour sometimes called "tier chasing." Once at a higher tier, members are motivated to stay there. This increases both transaction frequency and average spend. ## Tier structure A typical Loyalife program has a base tier (the entry level every member starts in) plus two to four levels above it: | Tier | Milestone (lifetime points) | Multiplier | Upgrade benefit | | ------------- | --------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | Silver (base) | 0 | 1.0× | — | | Gold | 5,000 | 1.5× | 200 bonus points | | Platinum | 15,000 | 2.0× | 500 bonus points + exclusive voucher | | Diamond | 50,000 | 3.0× | Premium concierge benefit | ## Qualification methods Loyalife supports multiple approaches to determining tier eligibility: | Method | How it works | | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Points (Lifetime)** | Counts all points earned since enrollment — members never lose qualification once reached | | **Points (Rolling period)** | Counts points earned within a recent window (e.g., past 12 months) — members must maintain activity to keep their tier | | **Aggregated attributes** | Qualifies members based on custom metrics configured in the Rule Engine — for example, total spend, account balance, or number of transactions | | **Both points and attributes** | Members must satisfy both points and attribute thresholds simultaneously | ## Tier retention period The **Tier Retention Period** defines how long a member stays in a tier after they qualify. This is separate from the qualification method and lets you offer grace periods before downgrading members who dip below a threshold. | Setting | Behavior | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Retention disabled | Members are evaluated against the threshold continuously — downgrade happens as soon as qualifying activity drops below the threshold | | Retention enabled | Members who drop below the threshold keep their tier status for the configured number of days before being downgraded | **Example:** A 365-day retention period means a member who qualified for Gold last year retains Gold status for the rest of the year even if they don't transact again. All changes to the Tier Retention Period — both toggling the setting on/off and changing the number of days — are captured in the **Audit Trail** with a timestamp, actor, and the before/after value. ## Tier benefits Benefits are awarded when a member **first achieves** a tier's milestone. They are not awarded to members already in the tier when you configure or edit the benefit. | Benefit type | Description | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Bonus points | A fixed number of points credited on tier achievement | | Point multiplier | A percentage increase applied to all future point earnings (e.g., 1.5× means 50% more points per transaction) | | Custom benefits | Vouchers, service upgrades, or exclusive access configured outside the points system | ## Manual vs automated assessment | Mode | When to use | | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Automated** | Loyalife evaluates and updates tiers daily based on configured criteria — suitable for most programs | | **Manual (Tier API)** | Your external system calls the Tier API to set a member's tier — suitable when tier logic lives in your platform | | **Manual (Rule Engine)** | Campaign-driven tier changes based on custom Rule Engine flows — for programs with complex conditional tier logic | ## Real-world tier examples Qualification: number of nights stayed in a rolling 12 months. Retention: 2-month grace period before downgrade. Benefits: priority check-in, room upgrades, lounge access at higher tiers. Qualification: combined average daily balance over a rolling 3-month window (aggregated attribute). Rolling evaluation with a 3-month grace period. Benefits: fee waivers, higher cashback rates, dedicated relationship manager. Qualification: lifetime points accumulated. No rolling window — once Gold, always Gold (lifetime basis). Benefits: early sale access, free shipping, birthday bonuses. ## Next steps * [Configure tiers](/user-guides/tiers/configure-tiers) — enable tiers and set up your qualification method and base tier * [Manage tiers](/user-guides/tiers/manage-tiers) — add, edit, and delete tier levels