Shopify Loyalty & Rewards: Bold Memberships VS Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. How Does Bold Memberships Work?
  3. How Does Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Work?
  4. How Much Does Bold Memberships Cost?
  5. How Much Does Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Cost?
  6. Cost Analysis: Bold Memberships vs. Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack
  7. User Reviews & Customer Support Insights
  8. Conclusion

Introduction

Let's take a moment to appreciate the wonders of loyalty programs. Did you know that they can increase customer retention by up to 5%? And let's not ignore the benefits of a repeat customer, who will, on average, spend 67% more than new visitors. Here's where loyalty and rewards programs take center stage, acting as primary drivers for fostering customer loyalty and repeat business. Today we'll dive into two key apps that have carved their niches in this realm – Bold Memberships, developed by BOLD and Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack, from Skai Lama.

How Does Bold Memberships Work?

Bold Memberships was launched on August 31, 2016, with a mission to enable businesses to increase customer loyalty. It allows businesses to charge a recurring membership fee and control access to web pages, products, prices, and more on a Shopify store, based on a customer's membership tier. For start-ups and SMEs, Bold Memberships is an affordable way to offer VIP experiences, e.g., exclusive discounts, advance product releases, access to special content, and more. Larger enterprises with various member tiers can leverage Bold Memberships to provide a personalized online shopping experience. Bold Memberships isn't limited to niche markets. Whether you're a skincare brand offering member-exclusive guides, a clothing store wanting to provide early access to sales, or a digital content creator desiring to charge for your content access, Bold Membership has you covered.

How Does Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Work?

Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack, launched on August 27, 2021, is no less competitive. If your brand sells at scale, odds suggest you have vouchers and refunds processes to manage. Giftkart comes in to streamline this process in a dynamic and engaging way — all with the aim of customer retention. Giftkart's offering is a boon for businesses of all sizes. For start-ups and SMEs struggling with attracting and retaining customers, Giftkart's wallet system and automated cashback campaigns come to the rescue. For large enterprises getting thousands of orders, Giftkart offers bulk gift card issues or customer winback campaigns via its Rewards API. Be it a fashion retailer dealing with frequent returns, an online grocer issuing store credits for fresh produce purchases, or a coffee chain promoting loyalty via digital gift cards – with Giftkart, rewards management is always simple and effective!

How Much Does Bold Memberships Cost?

Bold Memberships offers a tiered pricing model that reflects their commitment to providing affordable solutions to businesses of all sizes. Each pricing tier not only varies in cost but also offers different features, allowing businesses to pick what best suits their needs. Plan 1, called "1-50 members", costs $9.99/month. It covers businesses with up to 50 members and has a transaction fee of 1%. It’s ideal for beginners or startups looking to add a simple membership program to their operations. Plan 2, "51-100 members," priced at $19.99/month, extends the member limit - beneficial for expanding businesses. Plan 3, "101-1000 members," is set at $49.99/month, and Plan 4, "1001-5000 members," is priced at $199.99/month. These are apt for medium to large enterprises, respectively, with an extensive customer base.

How Much Does Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Cost?

GiftKart presents three subscription plans. The starter plan, at $39/month, provides businesses with Automated Cashback campaigns, branded digital gift cards via email, and much more. It’s ideal for emerging businesses striving to increase customer retention rates. Costlier is the Plus Plan at $89/month. This plan includes all starter features with the addition of customer winback rewards, 1:1 onboardings, and more – a value proposition for mid-sized companies with a firm establishment. Finally, we have the Enterprise Plan at $199/month. This plan is for large-scale businesses, providing all Plus Plan features with the ability to manage physical gift cards, issue gift cards in bulk, undertake headless integrations, etc.

Cost Analysis: Bold Memberships vs. Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack

Bold Memberships and Giftkart approach their pricing differently. However, their pricing structures are reflective of the value they provide. Discounts, free trials, or special offers haven't been mentioned for either app, indicating their confidence in the value their features bring to businesses.

User Reviews & Customer Support Insights

Is Bold Memberships Good?

Despite being relatively older, Bold Memberships still holds its ground firmly. With an average rating of 4.4 stars from a total of 289 reviews, we can conclude that users find value using Bold Memberships. The customer support is not explicitly specified; however, one would expect a strong backing from the developer, BOLD.

Is Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Good?

Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack, although in operation for fewer years, already boasts a stellar 5-star rating from 123 reviews. This shows a high level of user satisfaction, although the lower review count suggests it may be less widely adopted than Bold Memberships so far.

Which App is Better according to users?

While both apps garner appreciation from users, Bold Memberships's higher overall user reviews reflect broader acceptability, despite its lower rating. In contrast, Giftkart, although claiming a perfect rating, has less than half the review count of Bold Memberships, indicating that users may not have adopted it as widely yet.

Bold Memberships Integrations:

Bold integrates seamlessly with banking gateway Stripe and loyalty app Bold Loyalty Points, adding a direct transaction feature and points-earning and redemption capabilities to the member experience.

Giftkart: Gift Card & CashBack Integrations:

Integrations, like that with Klaviyo and Omnisend offered by Giftkart, highlight its focus on efficient email marketing and customer engagement.

Our Top Recommendations For Your Store

While loyalty and rewards programs are key to retaining customers, other tools can also play a significant role in enhancing customer engagement and trust. Here are three apps that can help you build a stronger connection with your customers:

SC Conjured Referrals

Encourage your customers to become brand advocates with SC Conjured Referrals. This app helps you create a referral program that rewards your customers for sharing your products. It’s user-friendly and integrates directly with your Shopify admin, offering a free plan with more robust options starting at $19/month. Merchants appreciate its straightforward setup and the positive impact on sales.
Want to harness the power of word-of-mouth? Try out SC Conjured Referrals today.

Hulk Mobile App Builder

Beyond loyalty programs, providing a seamless mobile shopping experience can significantly increase customer retention. The Hulk Mobile App Builder allows you to create a native mobile app for your Shopify store without any coding. With features like real-time push notifications and a comprehensive dashboard, starting at $79/month, it's a valuable asset for any merchant looking to boost mobile engagement.
Ready to go mobile? Build your app with Hulk Mobile App Builder.

Opinew Product Reviews App UGC

Trust is essential in ecommerce, and displaying authentic customer reviews can help establish that trust. Opinew Product Reviews App UGC enables you to collect and showcase customer reviews, including photo and video reviews. This app offers a free plan and advanced features from $19/month, making it a favorite for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support.
Looking to build trust with reviews? Start with Opinew today.

Each of these apps offers unique features that can help you improve customer engagement and trust, which are crucial for building loyalty. Which one will you integrate into your Shopify store first?