How to Migrate from LoyaltyLion to a Cheaper Loyalty App (2026)
Kashish Ahuja
•
Quick answer: Yes, you can leave LoyaltyLion without losing customer points. Export your members and points balances from LoyaltyLion. Choose a destination app that imports balances. Sway does this free on every plan, either self-serve via CSV upload or done for you by the migration team. Recreate your earning and redemption rules, import your members, and switch the storefront widget. The whole job takes about 2 to 4 hours and finishes the same day. Customers keep their balances and VIP status. The only thing that changes is your monthly bill.
Stores leave LoyaltyLion for one reason: cost. The Classic plan costs $199/mo for 500 orders, and quotes run around $399 to $729+/mo as volume grows. Many brands pay more for loyalty software than for their entire email stack, while comparable feature sets now cost $0 to $199/mo. One fear keeps them from switching: losing customer points. That fear is outdated. This guide gives D2C brands and agencies the full playbook.
What actually transfers
A proper migration moves everything your customers care about:
Data | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Member profiles | Yes | Every enrolled customer, matched by email |
Points balances | Yes | Each member's current balance, imported exactly |
VIP tier status | Yes | Members land in the equivalent tier in the new app |
Lifetime points history | Yes | Historical totals carry over, so tier math stays correct |
Earning/redemption rules | Recreated, not imported | You rebuild them in the new app, usually improved |
Issued discount codes | Stay valid | Codes already generated live in Shopify and keep working |
Step 1: Export your data from LoyaltyLion
In the LoyaltyLion admin, export your customer list with points balances as a CSV file. Use Customers, then export. If your plan hides bulk export, request the file from LoyaltyLion support. You want four columns at minimum: email, current points balance, lifetime points, and VIP tier. Do this before your renewal date, while your account is still active.
Check your contract while you are in there. LoyaltyLion commonly runs annual terms. Find your renewal date and your notice period. If you sit mid-contract, you can still run the whole migration now and time the cutover to your renewal. The export and setup cost you nothing.
Step 2: Audit your program before you copy it
Do not clone a program you have outgrown. Pull three numbers from LoyaltyLion's analytics first: redemption rate (the share of earned points that get used), enrollment rate, and revenue from members versus non-members. If redemption sits under 20%, your earning rates or reward thresholds are off. Fix them in the new program instead of importing the problem. Migration is your one free chance to relaunch the program and announce it as news, not as a downgrade.
Step 3: Choose where you are going
Your destination app needs three things: imports that preserve balances, the features you actually use on LoyaltyLion (VIP tiers, points expiry, integrations, POS), and pricing that stays sane as you grow. Run the comparison with our loyalty app decision framework, or see the head-to-head numbers in LoyaltyLion vs Smile.io vs Yotpo.
The cost math for a typical LoyaltyLion store:
Orders/month | LoyaltyLion (current) | Sway (after) | Annual savings |
|---|---|---|---|
500 | $199/mo | Free | $2,388 |
1,500 | ~$399/mo | $49/mo | $4,200 |
3,000 | ~$399 to $729/mo | $99/mo | $3,600 to $7,560 |
6,000 | ~$729+/mo | $199/mo | $6,360+ |
Feature parity checks out too. Points, referrals, VIP tiers, POS, and Klaviyo sync sit on Sway's free plan. Points expiry and advanced VIP arrive at $49/mo. In-cart redemption, which LoyaltyLion does not offer at any price, comes free. Checkout extensions and API access, enterprise territory at LoyaltyLion, sit on Sway's $199/mo tier.
Step 4: Rebuild your earning and redemption rules
Recreate your rule set in the new app: points per dollar spent, bonuses for signups, reviews, birthdays and social follows, referral rewards, and redemption options. Keep the value of a point identical. If 100 points equaled $5 before, keep 100 points equal to $5. Imported balances then mean exactly what customers expect.
This is also the moment to add what LoyaltyLion's plan gating kept from you: on-site reminders (nudges), expiry warning emails, and redemption in the cart instead of a popup widget.
Reconnect your integrations before importing. Hook up Klaviyo and your reviews or SMS tools so your email flows go live from day one. On Sway, all integrations including Klaviyo sync come with the free plan.
Step 5: Import your members
Now bring your list over. Upload the CSV through Sway's self-serve importer, or hand the file to the migration team and they run it for you. Both options are free on every plan. Members, balances, lifetime history, and tier placements land in the new app, matched by email. Before you go live, spot-check a dozen customers against your LoyaltyLion export to confirm the numbers match.
One reassurance for your customers: discount codes they already generated through LoyaltyLion live in Shopify as normal discounts. Those keep working after the switch. Nothing they earned disappears.
Step 6: Cut over in one session
The actual switch is fast. Plan one working session of about 2 to 4 hours, ideally in a low-traffic window:
Run a final export from LoyaltyLion to catch balances earned since your first export
Import that last file
Turn off the LoyaltyLion storefront widget and turn on the new app's storefront blocks
Test everything: earn points on a test order, redeem in the cart, and check POS if you use it
Uninstall LoyaltyLion only after you confirm your data is fully in
Customers see no downtime. The program stays live with the same balances throughout.
Step 7: Announce it as an upgrade
Send one email: "Your rewards just got better." Lead with what is new for the customer. They can now redeem right in the cart, new VIP perks exist, and every point they had is intact. Migration emails routinely reactivate lapsed members, because this is the first loyalty email many of them have opened in months. Pair the announcement with a double-points week to relaunch with momentum.
Why stores pick Sway as the LoyaltyLion alternative
Sway was built around the two things LoyaltyLion charges the most for: redemption experience and scale pricing. Points redeem directly in the cart, at checkout, and at POS with no code to copy, free. VIP tiers, POS, referrals with fraud protection, and all integrations with Klaviyo sync come free up to 500 orders a month. The full stack with checkout extensions and API tops out at $199/mo for 6,000 orders, versus roughly $729+/mo on LoyaltyLion. Migration is free on every plan, self-serve or done for you, same day, with balances and tiers intact. Sway holds a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store with 24/7 support and onboarding. Agencies migrating multiple client stores get the same free migration on each one.
Install Sway free and start your migration →
FAQ
Will my customers lose their points if I leave LoyaltyLion?
No. Export your member list with balances from LoyaltyLion and import it into your new app. Customers keep their exact balances, lifetime history, and VIP tier status. Sway imports all of it free on every plan.
How long does it take to migrate from LoyaltyLion?
About 2 to 4 hours of working time, typically finished the same day. That covers export, rule setup, import, widget swap, and testing. Program setup in Step 4 takes the longest. The data import itself takes minutes.
Can I migrate mid-contract?
You can build and test the new program at any time. The constraint is billing, not data. Check your LoyaltyLion renewal date and notice period, run the migration setup in advance, and time the cutover to your renewal so you pay for two apps for days, not months.
Do LoyaltyLion discount codes still work after I uninstall?
Yes. Codes that customers already generated exist as Shopify discounts and stay redeemable after you uninstall LoyaltyLion. Your customers lose nothing they earned.
What is the cheapest LoyaltyLion alternative with the same features?
For core parity (points, referrals, VIP, expiry, POS, Klaviyo), Sway covers it at $0 to $49/mo versus LoyaltyLion's $199 to $399/mo, and adds in-cart redemption, which LoyaltyLion does not offer. See the full list in best LoyaltyLion alternatives.
Related reading: LoyaltyLion vs Smile.io vs Yotpo · How to choose a loyalty app · Best LoyaltyLion alternatives
Quick answer: Yes, you can leave LoyaltyLion without losing customer points. Export your members and points balances from LoyaltyLion. Choose a destination app that imports balances. Sway does this free on every plan, either self-serve via CSV upload or done for you by the migration team. Recreate your earning and redemption rules, import your members, and switch the storefront widget. The whole job takes about 2 to 4 hours and finishes the same day. Customers keep their balances and VIP status. The only thing that changes is your monthly bill.
Stores leave LoyaltyLion for one reason: cost. The Classic plan costs $199/mo for 500 orders, and quotes run around $399 to $729+/mo as volume grows. Many brands pay more for loyalty software than for their entire email stack, while comparable feature sets now cost $0 to $199/mo. One fear keeps them from switching: losing customer points. That fear is outdated. This guide gives D2C brands and agencies the full playbook.
What actually transfers
A proper migration moves everything your customers care about:
Data | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Member profiles | Yes | Every enrolled customer, matched by email |
Points balances | Yes | Each member's current balance, imported exactly |
VIP tier status | Yes | Members land in the equivalent tier in the new app |
Lifetime points history | Yes | Historical totals carry over, so tier math stays correct |
Earning/redemption rules | Recreated, not imported | You rebuild them in the new app, usually improved |
Issued discount codes | Stay valid | Codes already generated live in Shopify and keep working |
Step 1: Export your data from LoyaltyLion
In the LoyaltyLion admin, export your customer list with points balances as a CSV file. Use Customers, then export. If your plan hides bulk export, request the file from LoyaltyLion support. You want four columns at minimum: email, current points balance, lifetime points, and VIP tier. Do this before your renewal date, while your account is still active.
Check your contract while you are in there. LoyaltyLion commonly runs annual terms. Find your renewal date and your notice period. If you sit mid-contract, you can still run the whole migration now and time the cutover to your renewal. The export and setup cost you nothing.
Step 2: Audit your program before you copy it
Do not clone a program you have outgrown. Pull three numbers from LoyaltyLion's analytics first: redemption rate (the share of earned points that get used), enrollment rate, and revenue from members versus non-members. If redemption sits under 20%, your earning rates or reward thresholds are off. Fix them in the new program instead of importing the problem. Migration is your one free chance to relaunch the program and announce it as news, not as a downgrade.
Step 3: Choose where you are going
Your destination app needs three things: imports that preserve balances, the features you actually use on LoyaltyLion (VIP tiers, points expiry, integrations, POS), and pricing that stays sane as you grow. Run the comparison with our loyalty app decision framework, or see the head-to-head numbers in LoyaltyLion vs Smile.io vs Yotpo.
The cost math for a typical LoyaltyLion store:
Orders/month | LoyaltyLion (current) | Sway (after) | Annual savings |
|---|---|---|---|
500 | $199/mo | Free | $2,388 |
1,500 | ~$399/mo | $49/mo | $4,200 |
3,000 | ~$399 to $729/mo | $99/mo | $3,600 to $7,560 |
6,000 | ~$729+/mo | $199/mo | $6,360+ |
Feature parity checks out too. Points, referrals, VIP tiers, POS, and Klaviyo sync sit on Sway's free plan. Points expiry and advanced VIP arrive at $49/mo. In-cart redemption, which LoyaltyLion does not offer at any price, comes free. Checkout extensions and API access, enterprise territory at LoyaltyLion, sit on Sway's $199/mo tier.
Step 4: Rebuild your earning and redemption rules
Recreate your rule set in the new app: points per dollar spent, bonuses for signups, reviews, birthdays and social follows, referral rewards, and redemption options. Keep the value of a point identical. If 100 points equaled $5 before, keep 100 points equal to $5. Imported balances then mean exactly what customers expect.
This is also the moment to add what LoyaltyLion's plan gating kept from you: on-site reminders (nudges), expiry warning emails, and redemption in the cart instead of a popup widget.
Reconnect your integrations before importing. Hook up Klaviyo and your reviews or SMS tools so your email flows go live from day one. On Sway, all integrations including Klaviyo sync come with the free plan.
Step 5: Import your members
Now bring your list over. Upload the CSV through Sway's self-serve importer, or hand the file to the migration team and they run it for you. Both options are free on every plan. Members, balances, lifetime history, and tier placements land in the new app, matched by email. Before you go live, spot-check a dozen customers against your LoyaltyLion export to confirm the numbers match.
One reassurance for your customers: discount codes they already generated through LoyaltyLion live in Shopify as normal discounts. Those keep working after the switch. Nothing they earned disappears.
Step 6: Cut over in one session
The actual switch is fast. Plan one working session of about 2 to 4 hours, ideally in a low-traffic window:
Run a final export from LoyaltyLion to catch balances earned since your first export
Import that last file
Turn off the LoyaltyLion storefront widget and turn on the new app's storefront blocks
Test everything: earn points on a test order, redeem in the cart, and check POS if you use it
Uninstall LoyaltyLion only after you confirm your data is fully in
Customers see no downtime. The program stays live with the same balances throughout.
Step 7: Announce it as an upgrade
Send one email: "Your rewards just got better." Lead with what is new for the customer. They can now redeem right in the cart, new VIP perks exist, and every point they had is intact. Migration emails routinely reactivate lapsed members, because this is the first loyalty email many of them have opened in months. Pair the announcement with a double-points week to relaunch with momentum.
Why stores pick Sway as the LoyaltyLion alternative
Sway was built around the two things LoyaltyLion charges the most for: redemption experience and scale pricing. Points redeem directly in the cart, at checkout, and at POS with no code to copy, free. VIP tiers, POS, referrals with fraud protection, and all integrations with Klaviyo sync come free up to 500 orders a month. The full stack with checkout extensions and API tops out at $199/mo for 6,000 orders, versus roughly $729+/mo on LoyaltyLion. Migration is free on every plan, self-serve or done for you, same day, with balances and tiers intact. Sway holds a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store with 24/7 support and onboarding. Agencies migrating multiple client stores get the same free migration on each one.
Install Sway free and start your migration →
FAQ
Will my customers lose their points if I leave LoyaltyLion?
No. Export your member list with balances from LoyaltyLion and import it into your new app. Customers keep their exact balances, lifetime history, and VIP tier status. Sway imports all of it free on every plan.
How long does it take to migrate from LoyaltyLion?
About 2 to 4 hours of working time, typically finished the same day. That covers export, rule setup, import, widget swap, and testing. Program setup in Step 4 takes the longest. The data import itself takes minutes.
Can I migrate mid-contract?
You can build and test the new program at any time. The constraint is billing, not data. Check your LoyaltyLion renewal date and notice period, run the migration setup in advance, and time the cutover to your renewal so you pay for two apps for days, not months.
Do LoyaltyLion discount codes still work after I uninstall?
Yes. Codes that customers already generated exist as Shopify discounts and stay redeemable after you uninstall LoyaltyLion. Your customers lose nothing they earned.
What is the cheapest LoyaltyLion alternative with the same features?
For core parity (points, referrals, VIP, expiry, POS, Klaviyo), Sway covers it at $0 to $49/mo versus LoyaltyLion's $199 to $399/mo, and adds in-cart redemption, which LoyaltyLion does not offer. See the full list in best LoyaltyLion alternatives.
Related reading: LoyaltyLion vs Smile.io vs Yotpo · How to choose a loyalty app · Best LoyaltyLion alternatives
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