Using memberr Store Credit to Collect More Shopify Product Reviews

2025-01-04

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48 minute read

Customer reviews are the lifeblood of e-commerce, directly influencing trust and conversion rates. In this article, we’ll explore how memberr Store Credit and the memberr App can help Shopify stores dramatically increase their product reviews. We’ll blend strategic insights for store owners (like how to incentivize and communicate with customers) with technical tips for developers (such as using Klaviyo events and integrating with review apps). By the end, you’ll understand how to leverage Memberr’s features to boost your review volume and quality - and turn those reviews into higher sales and customer loyalty.

Overview of memberr Store Credit and App Features

What is memberr? memberr is a Shopify app that enables a flexible Store Credit and loyalty system on your store. It acts like a virtual currency for your customers - you can issue credit as rewards (for purchases, referrals, and importantly, for leaving product reviews), and customers can redeem that credit on future orders. memberr integrates seamlessly with the Shopify ecosystem, appearing in checkout, Shopify POS, and customer account pages for a frictionless experience (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store). In other words, when you reward a customer with store credit, they’ll automatically see it in their account and can apply it at checkout without any hassle (Redeeming Store Credit | memberr Docs). This seamless integration means better user experience and higher likelihood that customers will actually use their rewards.

How Store Credit Incentivizes Reviews: Offering store credit as an incentive can encourage more customers to share their feedback. Instead of just asking for a favor (a review), you’re providing tangible value in return (a few dollars of credit). This approach has proven benefits: it increases the volume of reviews you receive and often the quality as well (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs). By rewarding reviews, especially those with photos or videos, you give customers a reason to take the time to review and even put extra effort into it. More and better reviews, in turn, build trust for your products and can boost sales (potential buyers see rich, authentic feedback) (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs). memberr is designed to support this strategy by categorizing review incentives into text, image, and video reviews, allowing you to offer different credit amounts for each (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs) (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs). For example, you might grant a small credit for a basic text review and a larger credit for a review that includes photos or a video. This tiered reward system motivates customers to provide more engaging content.

memberr Feature Highlights for Reviews: The memberr app’s flexibility makes it easy to configure a review rewards program that fits your store:

  • Custom Credit Amounts: You decide how much store credit to offer for each type of review. For instance, many merchants offer around $5 for a text review, $10 for a review with a photo, and $20 for a video review (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs) (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs). You can adjust these amounts based on what you feel is a fair trade for your audience and how valuable each type of content is for your marketing. (We’ll discuss choosing incentive amounts in Best Practices below.)
  • Full Shopify Integration: As mentioned, memberr works natively with Shopify’s checkout and customer accounts, so redeeming the credit is simple. Customers who earn credit for a review will automatically have that credit available in their account. The next time they shop, they can apply it with one click at checkout, just like a gift card or coupon. There’s no need for discount codes or manual adjustments - memberr keeps it all in sync in real time (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store).
  • Works with Popular Review Apps: memberr is built to integrate with major review platforms like Reviews.io and Judge.me (as well as others like Loox) (memberr Integrationen). This means you can use those services for collecting and publishing reviews on your site, while memberr handles the reward side of things. The app’s event-driven architecture and Store Credit Flows allow it to react to external events (like “review submitted”) by awarding credit to the right customer (memberr Integrationen). In practice, this can be set up either through direct integrations or via Shopify Flow (more on that later). The bottom line: memberr can seamlessly plug into your existing review collection process to add a sweet bonus for your reviewers.

By using Memberr’s store credit as a carrot, Shopify merchants have gathered significantly more reviews and richer UGC (user-generated content) on their product pages (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs). And because store credit keeps value in your ecosystem (customers must spend it with you, not elsewhere), it’s a win-win - you’re effectively offering a discount on a future purchase in exchange for a review, which can lead to both more sales and more customer loyalty down the line.

Importance of Communication in Collecting Reviews

Incentives alone won’t get the job done; how and when you ask for reviews is equally important. Communication is key to turning recent buyers into happy reviewers. This involves reaching out at the right time, with the right message, and through the right channels. Let’s break down some best practices in communicating review requests:

Timing is Everything: You want to ask for a review when the customer has had time to experience the product, but not so long that the excitement has worn off. Research shows that when a customer’s experience is still fresh, they’re more likely to provide detailed and authentic feedback (When to Ask for Reviews: The Perfect Review Request Timeline). For many physical products, a common rule of thumb is to send the review request about 7-10 days after delivery (When to Ask for Reviews: The Perfect Review Request Timeline). This window accounts for shipping time and a few days of product use. (For example, a study noted that ~1 week after delivery is ideal for electronics purchases (When to Ask for Reviews: The Perfect Review Request Timeline).) For products that take longer to evaluate - say a skincare item that needs a few weeks of use - you might wait a bit more. The key is to not ask too early (before they even receive or use the item) but also don’t wait until they’ve forgotten about it. memberr doesn’t decide this timing for you, but you can use tools like Klaviyo or Shopify’s built-in automated emails to schedule the review request at the optimal post-purchase moment.

Messaging Strategies: When reaching out, your tone and clarity can make a big difference. Here are some tips for crafting an effective review request message:

  • Be Friendly and Personal: A little warmth goes a long way. Instead of a formal or generic note, write as if you’re personally thanking the customer for their purchase and asking for a small favor. For example, open with the customer’s name and something like “Hope you’re enjoying your new [Product]!” rather than a stiff “Dear Customer, please review your order.”
  • Make the Purpose Clear (Single CTA): Don’t bury the lede - mention upfront that you’d love their feedback in a product review. It should be obvious within the first sentence or two what you’re asking. Also, focus on one call-to-action (CTA) only. If you combine multiple requests (e.g. “review our product and follow us on Instagram and refer a friend”), the customer may do none. Stick to just “please leave a review” as the action you want (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing).
  • Mention the Incentive Upfront: Since you’re using store credit as a reward, highlight that in the request. This isn’t a bribe for a positive review - it’s a “thank you” for their time and honesty. For example: “We value your feedback! Leave a review and receive $5 in Store Credit as a thank you.” (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs). By clearly stating the reward, you’ll catch the customer’s attention and drastically improve response rates. Many customers might ignore a plain review request, but telling them “you’ll get $5 credit for your next purchase if you write a quick review” is very compelling.
  • Keep it Short and Easy: Respect your customer’s time by keeping the email (or SMS) concise. A friendly greeting, one or two sentences about why reviews help (for example, that you appreciate their input and it helps fellow shoppers), mention the store credit incentive, and provide a direct link to write the review. That’s it. Ideally, the review link should take them exactly where they need to go with no extra steps (most review apps provide a direct review form link in the email). If you make customers navigate a complex process, many will give up. A brief message with a clear link like “Write a Review” button is optimal. Studies have found that short, concise messages with a prominent CTA tend to get higher response (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing) (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing).
  • Choose the Right Channel(s): Email is the standard for post-purchase communications, but consider supplementing with other channels. For instance, an SMS reminder can be effective, since text messages have very high open rates (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing). You might send an email first, and if the review isn’t submitted in a few days, follow up with a polite SMS saying “Hi [Name]! Enjoying [Product]? Share your thoughts in a quick review and we’ll thank you with $5 credit: [short link].” Make sure not to overdo it - one or two touchpoints is fine; you don’t want to annoy the customer.

Best Practices for Reaching Out: Here’s a quick recap of strategies to communicate effectively when collecting reviews:

  • Hit the “Golden Window”: Send your review request at an appropriate time after purchase (e.g. about a week after delivery for many products) when the product experience is fresh but the customer has had a chance to use it (When to Ask for Reviews: The Perfect Review Request Timeline).
  • Be Clear and Honest: Let the customer know exactly what you’re asking for and why. If you’re offering store credit for a review, say so plainly. Honesty builds trust; you can even frame it as “We appreciate all feedback - good or bad - as it helps us improve. As a token of thanks for your time, we’ll add $X credit to your account after you submit a review.”
  • Emphasize the Value to Them: People are more likely to act when they understand the benefit. The store credit incentive is one value point, but you can also mention that their review will help the community of shoppers (appeal to altruism or desire to help others) (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing). For example: “Your experience could help other customers make decisions - and we want to thank you for helping by giving you a reward.”
  • Provide Support and Encourage Honesty: Reassure customers that you welcome their honest opinion and that the review won’t take more than a minute or two. Also, make it clear that if they have any issues, your support team is ready to help - sometimes a customer with a problem will write a negative review if that’s their first outlet. By inviting feedback (even negative) in a supportive way, you may actually turn it into a private support conversation rather than a 1-star public review. This isn’t directly about collecting more reviews, but it is part of communication strategy to manage sentiment.

Remember, a well-timed and well-crafted message can dramatically increase your review conversion rate. With the store credit carrot in place, it’s often the nudge of good communication that turns a happy customer’s intention into action. In the next section, we’ll see how to automate a lot of this using Klaviyo and memberr, so you can “set it and forget it” while still keeping it personal.

Klaviyo Integration and Automating Review Request Workflows

Many Shopify merchants rely on Klaviyo for email marketing automation - and for good reason. Klaviyo allows highly targeted, event-driven email flows. The great news is that memberr integrates with Klaviyo to make your review request and reward emails smarter and more effective. Both store owners and developers will appreciate how these two systems can work in tandem to streamline review collection.

memberr + Klaviyo: How it Works - Once you connect memberr to your Klaviyo account, memberr will sync customer attributes (like store credit balances) to Klaviyo automatically (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). In Klaviyo, these show up as custom merge fields attached to each customer profile. You can use them to segment audiences and personalize emails. For example, memberr provides fields such as memberr_current_balance (the customer’s current store credit balance) and memberr_upcoming_balance (if you have credit pending release) for segmentation purposes (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). It also provides formatted versions of these (e.g. memberr_current_balance_formatted) for display in email content (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). This means your emails can dynamically say things like “You have $10.50 in store credit” by inserting a merge tag - no manual updating needed.

Using Klaviyo for Review Requests: You can set up an automated post-purchase flow in Klaviyo that ties together the timing and messaging we discussed. For instance:

  1. Order Delivered Trigger: When an order is marked as delivered (you can achieve this by using Klaviyo’s integration with Shopify shipping or an app that sends a “Delivered” event), start a timer for your review request. If you can’t get a precise delivered event, you might simply delay from the order date - e.g., wait 10 days after order fulfillment as an approximation. This can be configured in Klaviyo’s flow builder.

  2. Review Request Email: The first email in the flow should be the review request. Thanks to memberr, you can craft a highly personalized email template. Use merge fields to personalize the content - for example, greet the customer by first name, list the product(s) they purchased, and of course mention the store credit incentive. You might say: “Hi Jane, we hope you’re loving your new running shoes. As a thank-you for being a customer, we’d like to offer you $5 in store credit for sharing a quick review of your purchase!” and then provide the review link. By including product details or even images (Klaviyo can pull in items from the order), you remind them of what they bought and make it easy to review specific items.

  3. Leverage memberr Fields: Within this email, you could also use Memberr’s merge fields in clever ways. For example, if this customer already had some store credit (from a previous purchase or referral), mentioning that could entice them further: “P.S. You currently have ${{ memberr_current_balance_formatted }} in store credit waiting - reviewing your product will add an extra $5!” This highlights the reward and reminds them of the value they have. Even if their current balance is $0, the merge field would just show $0 (or you could conditionally display that section only if balance > 0 by using Klaviyo’s template logic). The idea is to personalize and reinforce the incentive using the data at hand.

  4. Follow-Up and Reminder: With Klaviyo, you can branch the flow based on whether the customer took an action. If your review platform or memberr can feed an event back to Klaviyo when a review is submitted, you could use that to filter people out of the reminder. (For example, if using Judge.me, it might be possible to trigger a webhook or use Shopify Flow to tag the customer as “Reviewed” - that tag could be synced to Klaviyo and used in the flow.) If you cannot detect review submissions in Klaviyo directly, you might choose to send a gentle reminder email/SMS to everyone who hasn’t opened or responded to the first request after a few days. The reminder can be shorter: “Just a friendly reminder - we’d love to hear your thoughts on [Product]. Remember, you’ll get $5 credit for your review. Here’s your review link again: [Link]. Thanks!” Often, a second nudge can significantly improve review uptake, as some people intend to review but forget until the reminder arrives (The Art of the Review Request: Timing, Templates, and Testing).

  5. Post-Review Thank You: This part can be automated as well. When the customer submits a review and earns store credit, you should thank them and inform them that the credit was added. You have a couple of options: memberr itself can automatically issue the store credit and even send a notification email (depending on how you configure it). But for consistency and branding, you might send this via Klaviyo too. If you can trigger a custom Klaviyo event like “Review Reward Granted” when a review is submitted, you could have a flow for that event. Developers can accomplish this by using Shopify Flow or the review platform’s API - essentially when a review is verified, call Klaviyo’s API to track an event for that customer. Even without a custom event, you could have Klaviyo check for a change in the customer’s store credit balance (since memberr syncs it). For example, if memberr_current_balance increases by the $5 at around the expected time, it likely means the review credit was applied. While a bit indirect, you could filter a segment of people whose balance increased and send them a form email. A simpler approach: let memberr send its own email (the app may have a built-in feature to email the customer upon credit issuance), or just rely on the fact that the credit shows in their account and you already said thank you in the first email. However, sending a follow-up “Thank you for your review - we’ve added $X credit to your account!” email is a great customer experience (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs). It closes the loop and makes the customer feel appreciated, reinforcing the positive behavior. You can easily do this with Klaviyo by using the data: include the credit amount and their new balance in the email via merge fields.

Key Klaviyo Merge Fields & Events: To summarize some of the technical bits for developers:

  • Merge Fields: memberr provides fields like memberr_current_balance (and a formatted version) which you can use in segmentation (e.g., create a segment of customers who have > $0 credit to target them with a “use your credit” campaign) and in emails (to display their balance or reward amounts) (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs) (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). Other fields include the currency code and upcoming balance. Always use the formatted version for display in emails for proper currency formatting.
  • Customer Properties vs Events: Memberr’s Klaviyo integration focuses on syncing customer properties (fields). It might not natively send specific events like “Credit Added” into Klaviyo’s metrics. However, you can generate events yourself using Klaviyo’s API or Shopify Flow. For example, when a review is submitted (detected via Reviews.io or Judge.me), you could use Shopify Flow to trigger the memberr action to add credit and trigger a Klaviyo event or webhook. Memberr’s integration with Shopify Flow includes a predefined action called “Reward Review” that adds store credit for a review, taking into account whether the review has photos or video (memberr Shopify Flow Integration | memberr Docs). You can use this in a flow where the trigger is an event from your review app. (Shopify Flow can listen for certain app events or you might use an HTTP webhook trigger if the review app allows.) In that same flow, after the Reward Review action, you could add a step to send an email via Klaviyo or to call a Klaviyo webhook to notify the customer.
  • Automation Example: memberr actually provides a template flow for review rewards. According to their documentation, they offer an out-of-the-box automation that automatically credits customer accounts when a review is submitted, by using triggers and actions in Shopify Flow (memberr Shopify Flow Integration | memberr Docs). This means a lot of the heavy lifting can be done with a no-code approach: you enable the integration, set up the flow with the conditions you want (for instance, “when a Judge.me review is created, if it has photos = true, then execute Memberr’s Reward Review action”). The memberr action will know how much to credit based on your configuration (e.g., $5 vs $10). This automated flow ensures no review slips by unrewarded, and no manual intervention is needed.

Leveraging Klaviyo Segmentation: Beyond the direct review ask and thank-you, integrating memberr with Klaviyo opens up more marketing opportunities. For example, you can create segments like “Customers who left a review but haven’t made a repeat purchase yet”. Since those customers now have store credit from their review, you might send a campaign specifically to encourage them to use their credit (thus driving a repeat purchase). In that email, you’d definitely mention their credit balance (using the merge field) and perhaps highlight some products they could buy. This is a way to capitalize on the momentum: a customer who just engaged by writing a review is showing loyalty - it’s an excellent time to draw them back for another purchase using the credit incentive. Because memberr keeps Klaviyo up to date on credit balances, your segmentation for this can be accurate and real-time.

To sum up, Klaviyo integration allows you to automate the review solicitation and reward process in a highly personalized manner. Store owners can “set it and forget it” with flows that handle the entire journey from purchase to review to reward, while developers have the tools (merge fields, events via Flow or API) to fine-tune the logic. This ensures your communication is timely, relevant, and effective, all while being mostly hands-off after initial setup. Next, we’ll discuss how memberr works with the two popular review platforms - Reviews.io and Judge.me - and what to consider when choosing or implementing each.

Klaviyo Integration tl;dr (Developer Notes)

If you’re a developer setting this up, here’s a quick technical summary: After connecting memberr to Klaviyo, you get custom properties like memberr_current_balance on Klaviyo profiles (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). Use Klaviyo flows with Shopify or custom triggers: e.g., Order Delivered → wait X days → send review request email (include incentive mention). If using Shopify Flow, leverage Memberr’s Reward Review action node which can automatically add credit categorized as a review reward (memberr Shopify Flow Integration | memberr Docs). Pass it the customer’s email and whether the review had a photo/video (the action supports flags for those). memberr will then credit the appropriate amount (as configured in Memberr’s settings). To send a thank-you email via Klaviyo when credit is given, you can either: a) have Flow trigger a Klaviyo event (using Klaviyo’s API) right after the credit action, or b) let memberr update the profile’s balance and use that change (or a daily sync) to send an email about the new balance. The merge fields memberr_current_balance_formatted are perfect for inserting the updated credit amount in the email copy (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs). This setup avoids building a custom integration from scratch - you can do it with configuration and a bit of Flow logic. And of course, test the whole loop: submit a test review and ensure the credit is applied and emails send properly. Memberr’s docs and support can guide on specific Flow configurations if needed.

(The above section is a brief recap intended for technically savvy readers - now back to our regularly scheduled programming!)

Reviews.io vs Judge.me: Integration Comparison

Collecting reviews on Shopify usually involves installing a review app that emails customers and displays the reviews on your site. Reviews.io and Judge.me are two popular choices, and each has its own integration approach with memberr for rewarding store credit. Let’s compare their features and how they work with memberr:

Reviews.io Integration

About Reviews.io: Reviews.io is a feature-rich platform known for not only collecting product reviews but also leveraging them for marketing. It offers things like customizable review request emails, in-email review forms, Google Seller Ratings integration, video reviews, and strong moderation tools (10 Best Shopify Review Apps To Build Social Proof). It’s a great choice for stores that want a robust solution and don’t mind a slightly higher price point (they have plans ranging from a limited free plan up to paid plans like “Launch” at $45/month and “Launch Plus” at $89/month (10 Best Shopify Review Apps To Build Social Proof)).

memberr Integration Methods: Memberr’s documentation indicates two ways to integrate with Reviews.io for the purpose of rewarding reviews:

  1. Via Shopify Flow (no API access needed): This method is suitable if you are on a standard Reviews.io plan (not the Plus plan). It likely works by using Shopify Flow and possibly a webhook. For example, Reviews.io can send a webhook or trigger when a new review is submitted. Using Shopify Flow, you could catch that event and then use Memberr’s “Reward Review” action to add store credit to the customer who wrote the review. memberr provides the action node with parameters for whether the review had photos or videos (memberr Shopify Flow Integration | memberr Docs), so it knows how much to credit. This approach doesn’t require direct integration between memberr and Reviews.io’s API - it uses Flow as the glue. It’s a code-free integration and works well if you’re on a Shopify plan that supports Flow (Shopify Plus or Advanced plan typically, although Flow is increasingly available to lower plans as well). In summary: for most users, setting up a Flow: Trigger: “Review submitted (Reviews.io)” → Action: “Memberr: Reward Review” is the way to go.

  2. Via Reviews.io API (for Plus plan): If you have the Reviews.io Plus plan, you get API access or more advanced integration options. memberr can integrate using an API key to listen for review events directly (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs). This might involve configuring your Reviews.io account to send events to memberr or allowing memberr to fetch new reviews periodically via the API. The docs had a placeholder for this setup, suggesting that if you’re on the higher-tier plan, memberr may support a direct hookup without needing Shopify Flow. The advantage of an API integration is often more real-time and possibly more detailed data. For instance, Reviews.io could directly tell memberr “review #123 by customer [email] was just published with a photo,” and memberr could immediately apply credit. For a developer, setting up the API integration might involve obtaining an API key from Reviews.io and inputting it into Memberr’s settings, or vice versa. Memberr’s team can likely assist with the specifics. Key point: The API method is there if needed, but many merchants can accomplish the same result with the simpler Flow approach if they don’t have API access.

When to use Reviews.io: If your store values features like in-email review collection, Google snippet integration, and possibly more sophisticated review content (like Q&A or custom forms), Reviews.io is a strong option (10 Best Shopify Review Apps To Build Social Proof). Larger brands or those heavily focused on SEO and rich snippets may lean this way. However, Reviews.io is generally more expensive than Judge.me. So, consider your budget and feature needs. The good news is that either way, you can still reward customers with store credit for their reviews using memberr. Even on the free tier of Reviews.io, you could manually use memberr/Flow to reward reviews, though a free tier might limit the volume of review requests.

Judge.me Integration

About Judge.me: Judge.me is another top-rated Shopify review app. It’s known for being budget-friendly and feature-packed. It offers a forever-free plan with unlimited review requests (via email), photo/video reviews, and basic widgets, and a very affordable Awesome plan ($15/month) that adds features like Q&A, rich snippets, social sharing, and more (10 Best Shopify Review Apps To Build Social Proof). Judge.me also supports coupons as review incentives out-of-the-box on the Awesome plan (it can automatically send a discount code to someone who leaves a review) (10 Best Shopify Review Apps To Build Social Proof). It’s a popular choice for many merchants due to its value for money and reliable performance.

memberr Integration Method: Judge.me offers a built-in integration point for loyalty/reward apps on its Awesome plan. In Judge.me’s settings, you can go to More > Settings > Integrations > Reward App Integration and enable an integration like memberr (similar to how Judge.me integrates with other credit/points apps) (Earning store credits for reviews with Flits | Judge.Me Help Center). When you enable memberr (or any loyalty app) here, Judge.me will typically ask for your memberr API credentials or keys. Once connected, Judge.me will automatically notify memberr whenever a review is submitted so that memberr can issue the appropriate store credit reward. Essentially, Judge.me uses the app’s API to say “Customer with email X just left a review (with/without photo/video)” and memberr responds by crediting that customer. This is how Judge.me’s integration with Flits (another store credit app) works: the merchant had to input Flits User ID and API token in Judge.me (Earning store credits for reviews with Flits | Judge.Me Help Center), and then Judge.me would call Flits to add credits for the “Product Review” rule. We can expect Memberr’s integration to be analogous - once you set it up, it runs in the background.

Because this integration is native on Judge.me’s side, it’s very straightforward for merchants: no need to create flows or write code. Judge.me essentially automates the trigger for you (whereas with Reviews.io you might need to create the trigger via Flow). The only requirement is that you must be on the Judge.me Awesome plan to use reward integrations (Earning store credits for reviews with Flits | Judge.Me Help Center) (the free plan won’t have those integration options). At $15/month, that’s a fairly low barrier for the functionality.

Features and Differences:

  • Cost: Judge.me is obviously more affordable at scale, given its flat $15 for full features. Reviews.io can get pricier as you need higher-tier plans for all features. If budget is a concern or you’re a small business, Judge.me is attractive.
  • Ease of Integration: Judge.me’s direct integration (once on Awesome plan) is plug-and-play with memberr - likely less setup work than configuring a custom flow for Reviews.io. If you’re not on Shopify Plus (hence no Flow), Judge.me’s approach might be simpler to implement since Flow would be unavailable to you and you’d prefer Judge.me handling it internally.
  • Feature Set: Reviews.io edges out in advanced features (in-email reviews, third-party site integrations, perhaps more polished UI for review moderation). Judge.me, however, is very robust for most needs and even has things like in-email review forms now and coupons. It also offers question & answer on product pages and has integrations with Google Shopping, etc. The differences have narrowed over time. One unique aspect: Judge.me can issue coupon codes as incentives without additional apps. But with memberr, you might not need Judge.me’s coupon incentive feature - you can use store credit (which has some advantages, like customers can accumulate credit rather than one-time coupons, and credit stays internal to your store).
  • Verification & Moderation: Both platforms ensure the review comes from a verified buyer when sending automated requests. From an incentive standpoint, you should set them to only reward verified reviews (which is usually the default if the review request emails are used). Judge.me and Reviews.io both allow you to moderate reviews (publish/hide as needed) and both can display star ratings in rich snippets for SEO. So in terms of the end result (having stars and reviews on your product pages), they’re equally capable.

When to use Judge.me vs Reviews.io:

  • If you are a developer or store owner without Shopify Flow access, and you want the simplest way to reward review credits, Judge.me might be easier because it can handle the integration internally with Memberr’s API. That reduces the need for custom automation on your part.
  • If you already use Reviews.io or prefer its feature set (perhaps you value their dashboard or Google integration more), you can absolutely stick with it - just plan to use Flow or some developer setup to connect memberr. It’s not difficult, just one extra step.
  • For a new store deciding which to install: Judge.me offers a very cost-effective solution and will do the job nicely for most. Reviews.io might be chosen by larger stores or those who want the specific marketing integrations it offers. Since memberr works with both, the decision can be based on the review app features and cost, rather than the ability to reward credits.

In either case, Memberr’s store credit incentives can be made to work. Both Reviews.io and Judge.me integrate with memberr to reward customers for their reviews - it’s just a matter of configuring it via the method appropriate to the app. Many merchants find that after adding such incentives, the volume of reviews climbs significantly, regardless of which review app they use.

Tip: Ensuring Compliance and Authenticity

One important note when incentivizing reviews: make sure your practice abides by any guidelines or laws applicable. On your own Shopify site, it’s generally acceptable to reward reviews, but you should avoid any perception that you’re paying for positive reviews. The way memberr is set up, you give the credit for any review (5-star or 1-star alike), which is good. Always encourage honest feedback. Both Judge.me and Reviews.io will tag reviews as “Verified” if they came from a purchase invite, which adds credibility. You don’t need to publicize that the reviewer got an incentive on the front-end, and in fact, some platforms might let you note if a review was incentivized (for transparency). Check the settings: Judge.me, for instance, has an option to display a note if a coupon was given for a review. Decide if you want that visible or not. In any case, focus on genuine customer experiences - the incentive is just a thank-you, not a bribe for false praise. This will ensure your reviews remain trustworthy to readers.

Best Practices for Maximizing Review Collection

Now that we’ve covered the tools and tactics, let’s summarize the best practices that will help you get the most reviews (and make the process smooth for both you and your customers). These best practices blend strategy with some technical implementation notes:

1. Offer Meaningful (but Sustainable) Incentives: The amount of store credit you offer should be attractive enough that customers feel it’s “worth it” to write a review, but it also needs to make sense for your margins. Many stores find that $2-$10 of credit for a review is sufficient. Memberr’s default examples ($5/$10/$20) might be on the high end for some businesses, and indeed some real stores use smaller credits. For instance, T1TAN (a sports gear brand) offers €2 for a text review and €4 for a review with a photo or video as part of their program (T1TAN: Wie eine spezialisierte Sportmarke Store Credit in einer globalen Community von 446.000 Sportlern einführte). This is a modest amount, but given that they sell premium goalkeeper gloves and apparel, it’s enough to motivate feedback without giving away too much value. On the flip side, a store in a highly competitive niche might decide that $10 store credit (essentially a coupon) is acceptable to gain more UGC content. The key is to evaluate what an honest review is worth to you. If one good review can convince even one or two new customers to buy, then a $5 credit in exchange is a bargain. 💡 Tip: Offer tiered rewards based on effort. For example: $5 for any review, extra $5 (total $10) if they also include a photo, and extra $10 (total $20) if they include a video, as suggested in Memberr’s guid (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs) (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs)]. This tiered approach yields richer content. But ensure you communicate these clearly (e.g., on your “Write a Review” page or in the request email: “Include a photo for an additional reward!”).

2. Communicate the Program Clearly: We’ve covered communication in depth, but it bears repeating as a best practice. Your customers should know about the review rewards program at multiple touchpoints. This includes:

  • In post-purchase emails/SMS (as we detailed, tell them about the credit reward when asking for the review).
  • On your website, wherever it makes sense. Consider adding a note on product pages like “Review this product and earn $5 credit!” or a banner in the customer account section saying “Earn store credit for every review you write.” memberr suggests highlighting the incentive on product pages and during checkou (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs)]. A small call-out in the “Reviews” tab section could also work (“We value your feedback - reviewers get store credit as thanks”). This ensures even customers who might not read the entire email are aware. It can also influence purchase decisions: a customer might think, “Oh neat, if I buy and review, I’ll get some credit back.” It’s almost like a little cashback on their purchase.
  • On social media or newsletters: if you run campaigns or have a community group, occasionally remind followers that being a customer and sharing reviews can earn them rewards.

Clarity is key: explicitly state how much credit they’ll get and for what. Also, make sure to deliver on that promise immediately when they do their part.

3. Automate Wherever Possible: Busy store owners can’t manually chase every review. Automation is your friend. Use Klaviyo flows or Shopify Flow (or Judge.me’s built-in emails) to handle the routine of sending requests and delivering rewards. Automation ensures consistency - every customer gets the review invite at the right time, every reviewer gets their credit quickly without you having to intervene. This not only saves time but also creates a reliable experience for customers (they don’t fall through the cracks). Memberr’s integration with Flow and Klaviyo is there to help you achieve thi (memberr Shopify Flow Integration | memberr Docs) (memberr Klaviyo Integration: Overview | memberr Docs)]. Once set up, you can essentially run a hands-free review incentive program. Just keep an eye on it occasionally to ensure everything fires correctly (and test whenever you update something).

4. Reward Immediately and Acknowledge: When a customer does submit a review, issue their store credit as soon as possible (instantly, if feasible) and send a thank-you confirmation. This closes the feedback loop and makes the customer feel good about participating. memberr is capable of crediting the customer’s account in real time as soon as the trigger is received (be it via API or Flow action). Ideally, the customer should receive an email within minutes of writing the review that says, *“Thank you for your review! We’ve added $X in store credit to your account.” (How to get more reviews using memberr Store Credit | memberr Docs)]. Imagine the positive reinforcement this gives - it’s almost like a virtual high-five. It increases the likelihood they’ll review again in the future (some stores reward each and every product review, not just one per order, which can turn engaged customers into repeat reviewers). It also increases the chance the customer will come back sooner to use that credit (boosting repeat purchase, which is a side benefit of this whole initiative).

From a technical standpoint, if you use Judge.me’s direct integration or a well-constructed Flow, this instant reward and email can be fully automated. Just be cautious: you should issue credit only after the review is actually submitted (and perhaps published or verified). Don’t promise credit for just clicking the review link; ensure the system waits for the actual review event to avoid abuse.

5. Ensure Authenticity and Prevent Abuse: Anytime you introduce incentives, there’s a risk someone might try to game the system. Quality control is important. Both to maintain trust in your reviews and to not give away credit for bogus reviews. Here’s what you can do:

  • Verified Buyers Only: Only send review request links to real customers who bought the product (this is standard practice via your review app). That way you mostly get verified reviews. If you allow reviews from non-buyers (some stores have that open), you should not reward those with credit as it could be exploited.
  • Review Moderation/Verification: Use your review app’s tools to verify reviews and filter out any that look suspicious before rewarding. For example, if a review is flagged as spam or inappropriate and you decide not to publish it, you might not want to reward it either. Memberr’s automated approach will reward as soon as the trigger fires, so consider linking it to “review published” rather than “review submitted” if that’s an option, or set up a manual checkpoint. In Judge.me, you could possibly configure the integration to only reward when a review is approved (if you have auto-publish off). In any case, keep an eye on the content of reviews coming in. The vast majority of customers will be honest - fake reviews just to get credit are not common if you’re only soliciting actual buyers and the credit amount is modest.
  • One Reward Per Purchase: You might want to limit the rewards in some way, like one review per product or per order gets credit. If someone bought 5 items and reviews all 5 (which is awesome), you might actually be fine giving 5x the credit - after all, that’s 5 pieces of content. But consider if your budget allows that. Some stores cap it, or only actively push for a review on one highlight item. Think about what makes sense for your business. If credit is essentially a percentage of the product price (like 5% back for a review), then it scales fine. If it’s a flat $5 each, a single order of multiple cheap items could earn a customer a lot of credit relative to what they spent. You can set rules like “review any product, get max $10 credit per order.” Memberr’s flexibility might allow such a rule via campaigns.
  • Terms and Honesty: It’s a good idea to state (maybe in a FAQ or in the review section) something like: “We may offer store credit as a thank-you for your review. This incentive is offered to all reviewers, whether positive or negative. We value honest reviews that help other customers.” This transparently tells savvy customers that yes, there’s an incentive, but it’s fair and not buying positive feedback. It also subtly warns anyone thinking they can cheat that the program is monitored for honesty.

6. Track Results and Iterate: After implementing the review incentive program, monitor how it’s performing. Look at metrics like:

  • Review volume: Did the number of reviews per X orders increase? Perhaps compare the month before and after starting the program.
  • Review quality: Are you getting more detailed reviews, more photos/videos? You might see an uptick in UGC content which is great for marketing.
  • Redemption of credit: Check if customers are actually using the store credit they earn (Memberr’s analytics or Shopify reports can show you how much credit gets redeemed). If many customers use their review credits on new purchases, that’s generating additional revenue for you (and essentially “paying” for itself).
  • Sales impact: More subjective, but see if conversion rate on product pages improved as those pages accumulated more reviews. Having as few as 5 reviews vs 0 can make a difference in conversion, and having dozens of reviews with pictures can really boost trust. There’s evidence that robust reviews can significantly lift sale (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs)], so your incentive program can have a direct ROI.
  • Customer engagement: Notice if customers mention the program in reviews (“Thanks for the credit!”) or in support interactions. You might even get some to post about it on social media (free publicity for your reward program).

Based on what you observe, adjust your strategy if neede (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs)]. For example, if you’re getting a ton of text reviews but very few photo reviews, maybe your extra $5 for photos isn’t high enough - perhaps try increasing the photo review reward to see if it encourages more image uploads. Or vice versa, if everyone is doing it even for a small reward, you might not need to give $10 for a photo and could trim it to $5 to conserve margin. Use analytics to find the sweet spot where the volume and quality of reviews is maximized at a cost you’re comfortable wit (Reviews.io Integration | memberr Docs)].

Also, if you find that the majority of customers aren’t redeeming the credit (maybe they forget or it expires), you might need to remind them (which could also drive more sales - e.g., a Klaviyo segment “Has unspent credit” campaign). The goal is a holistic one: get more reviews, and use those reviews plus credit to fuel repeat purchases and loyalty.

7. Integrate into a Broader Loyalty Program (Optional): memberr Store Credit can be one component of a larger loyalty strategy. Some stores incorporate review rewards as one way to earn points or credit among others like making purchases, referring friends, birthdays, etc. If you have a VIP or membership program, make sure reviews-for-credit is included in your member communications. For example, “As a Gold Member, you earn $10 credit every time you leave a product review!” This can deepen engagement. Just ensure you’re not cannibalizing other incentives unnecessarily. memberr can manage multiple campaign types (referrals, cashback, etc.), so take advantage of that synergy. A cohesive loyalty program can yield impressive results - one memberr user saw +68% repurchases and +48% repeat customer revenue after a few months of implementing store credit loyalty across 11 store (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store)]. That wasn’t from reviews alone, but reviews were a part of their strategy. The takeaway is that rewarding customers (whether for purchases or actions like reviews) keeps them coming bac (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store)].

By following these best practices, you’ll create a virtuous cycle: customers are happy to get a little reward for writing reviews, those reviews enhance your store’s credibility and drive more sales, and customers then return to use their credits, generating more sales and potentially more reviews. memberr and the memberr App act as the engine to power this cycle, handling the tracking and issuing of credits seamlessly in the background.

Case Studies and Examples

Let’s look at a couple of real-world examples to see how using store credit for reviews plays out for Shopify merchants.

T1TAN - Building Community with Review Rewards

T1TAN is a specialty sports brand (goalkeeper gloves and gear) that implemented memberr Store Credit as part of their loyalty program, dubbed the “Goalkeepers Club.” They wanted to encourage their passionate customer base to share feedback and engage with the brand community. In T1TAN’s program, they set the review incentives at *€2 for each text review, and €4 for a review that includes photo or video content (T1TAN: Wie eine spezialisierte Sportmarke Store Credit in einer globalen Community von 446.000 Sportlern einführte)]. This is a bit lower than the generic examples we discussed, but T1TAN combined it with other rewards (like 5% cashback on purchases, birthday credits, referral bonuses, etc.) as a holistic approach.

The results were very positive. The lower-value incentive still drove a high volume of reviews because T1TAN’s customers are enthusiastic and love discussing the products. The company noted that these peer reviews (often with photos of gloves in action on the field) created a sense of community among goalkeepers. It wasn’t just about the €2 - it was about recognition and helping fellow athletes choose the right gear. The small credit was an extra “thank you” that made customers feel appreciated. And of course, once a customer earned a few euros in credit, they were quite likely to come back and apply it towards their next purchase of goalie gloves, thereby staying within T1TAN’s ecosystem for future needs.

This case shows that even a modest store credit incentive can be effective when integrated into a broader loyalty narrative. The key was clear communication (they branded it as part of the club perks) and immediate gratification (credit was added to accounts right after review approval). T1TAN effectively turned reviews into a two-way interaction - customers speak up, and the brand says thanks tangibly.

Babossa BBQ - Loyalty Program Boosting Reviews and Revenue

(Name changed for privacy) Babossa is an online BBQ supplies store that started using memberr to launch a store credit loyalty program. A core element of their program was rewarding customer engagement, including product reviews. After 3 months, they reported some impressive figures: *+68% in repeat purchases, +48% in repeat customer revenue, and +37% in new customer repeat purchase rate (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store)]. While these numbers encompass the full loyalty program (not just reviews), the owner attributed a portion of the success to the review incentive tactic.

Before memberr, Babossa struggled to get reviews on their product pages - customers just weren’t bothering. Once they rolled out “Review this item for $5 credit” as part of their post-purchase emails, the response skyrocketed. They went from only a handful of reviews per month to dozens. New customers visiting the site saw many more testimonials and photos from fellow BBQ enthusiasts, which built trust quickly. This increase in social proof translated into more first-time buyers converting (especially seeing pictures of the grilling tools and sauces in action). Then, crucially, those reviewers would often use their earned credit to buy again - coming back for more rubs, charcoal, and equipment, often leaving a review again on the next purchase. It became a virtuous cycle.

Babossa’s case underlines the synergy between review collection and customer retention. By using store credit, they effectively gave customers a reason to return (the credit) at the same time as they improved their site content. While giving away $5 credit per review felt like an expense at first, Babossa found that each $5 in credit led to not only a review (which has marketing value) but also often to a follow-on purchase worth much more. Their data over those 3 months clearly demonstrated a revenue lift from repeat customers that far outweighed the cost of the credits give (memberr | Store Credit Suite - memberr Store Credits & Loyalty | Shopify App Store)].

These examples illustrate that when done thoughtfully, incentivizing reviews with store credit can be a powerful strategy. Whether the credit is small (like T1TAN’s €2) or larger (like Babossa’s $5), the key is execution: integrate it smoothly, communicate it clearly, and make it part of a broader commitment to customer engagement. Different brands might choose different incentive levels or methods, but the common outcome is more customer voice on their sites and stronger customer relationships.

TLDR

Collecting more and better product reviews is a goal within reach for every Shopify store owner - and memberr Store Credit provides a fresh, effective way to achieve it. By rewarding customers for the simple act of leaving a review, you tap into human nature: we all love feeling appreciated and getting something in return for our time. Store credit is an ideal incentive because it creates a win-win loop, encouraging repeat business while helping generate the UGC that boosts conversions.

To recap the journey:

For both Shopify store owners and developers, using memberr for review incentives is a relatively low-effort, high-impact enhancement. Store owners can expect more customer engagement and more persuasive product pages; developers can appreciate that the tools (APIs, flows, events) are there to integrate everything smoothly without hacking together a custom solution.

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, social proof can make or break a sale. If a potential buyer lands on your product and sees dozens of happy reviews - some with photos and videos - they’re far more likely to trust your brand. Memberr’s approach essentially helps you generate that social proof on autopilot, by mobilizing your existing satisfied customers. And as those customers get rewarded, they come back to buy again, possibly leaving even more reviews. It’s a virtuous cycle that fuels itself.

So, whether you’re a merchant looking to boost your Shopify store’s credibility or a developer tasked with improving a client’s customer engagement, consider leveraging memberr Store Credit for review collection. It’s a strategy that blends marketing savvy with technical integration - exactly the blend we’ve explored throughout this article. With the right setup, you’ll soon find your store brimming with authentic reviews and your customer relationships stronger than ever, all thanks to a little well-placed store credit.

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