BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Lynked Loyalty: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Selecting the right retention tools for a Shopify storefront involves more than just looking at a feature list. It requires an understanding of how these tools influence customer behavior, integrate with existing workflows, and scale alongside business growth. Merchants often find themselves caught between specialized apps that offer deep functionality in one area and broader platforms that aim to simplify the overall technology stack. This comparison examines two specific options in the loyalty space: BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Lynked Loyalty.

Short answer: BON Loyalty Program & Rewards offers a traditional, feature-rich loyalty experience with deep Shopify integration and multi-tier structures. Lynked Loyalty focuses on an omnichannel, app-centric approach that bridges the gap between physical retail and online shopping via a dedicated mobile app for customers. For stores seeking a unified growth strategy, moving beyond single-purpose apps toward an integrated platform often results in lower operational overhead and a more cohesive customer journey.

The goal here is to provide an objective, data-driven comparison between these two apps. By analyzing their pricing, features, and target use cases, merchants can determine which solution aligns with their current operational needs and future aspirations.

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Lynked Loyalty: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Core Features and Workflows

The primary function of any loyalty app is to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers. BON Loyalty Program & Rewards approaches this by offering a broad set of traditional loyalty mechanics. These include points for purchases, an anti-cheat referral system, and VIP tiers. The ability to launch these programs quickly is a central part of the value proposition. For instance, the "Basic" and "Growth" plans allow for loyalty pages and points on product pages, ensuring the program is visible throughout the customer journey.

Lynked Loyalty takes a different path by centering the experience around a dedicated mobile app that customers download to their iOS or Android devices. This allows customers to collect and redeem points both online and in physical stores. The workflow here is less about on-site widgets and more about a persistent presence on the customer’s phone. This approach is particularly effective for merchants who want to drive foot traffic to physical locations while maintaining a digital connection.

VIP Tiers and B2B Loyalty

A significant differentiator for BON Loyalty is the inclusion of VIP tiers and B2B-specific loyalty programs. In the "Growth" plan and above, merchants can create tiers that reward high-intent customers with accelerated point earning or exclusive discounts. The B2B Tier Program is particularly notable, as it allows wholesale businesses to apply these same retention tactics to professional clients, who often have different purchasing patterns than retail customers.

In contrast, the data for Lynked Loyalty does not specify the existence of tiered VIP structures or specialized B2B functions. Its focus remains on the omnichannel voucher system, allowing for voucher activation and expiry dates to drive urgency. This makes Lynked a more streamlined choice for standard retail, whereas BON provides the complexity needed for sophisticated customer segmentation.

Referrals and Social Growth

BON Loyalty includes a referral program equipped with anti-cheat mechanisms. Referrals are a critical component of sustainable growth because they lower customer acquisition costs. By rewarding both the referrer and the referee, BON creates a viral loop that is automated through emails.

Lynked Loyalty focuses more on direct-to-consumer communication via push notifications. While the provided data does not detail a referral engine within Lynked, its strength lies in bringing customers back through mobile alerts. This suggests a strategy focused on retention and frequency of visits rather than the peer-to-peer acquisition focus seen in BON.

Customization and Control

Brand consistency is vital for building trust. BON Loyalty offers various levels of customization depending on the plan. At the "Basic" level, merchants get a loyalty page and multi-language display. As they move up to the "Growth" plan, they can unlock custom CSS with developer support. The "Professional" plan takes this further by offering a Software Development Toolkit (SDK) and full API access, which is essential for brands running headless commerce setups using Hydrogen.

Lynked Loyalty offers customized in-app communications. Since the customer interacts with the program via the Lynked app, the customization is focused on the messages and promotions sent to the user’s device. This ensures that the brand voice remains consistent even when the customer is away from the Shopify storefront. However, for merchants who want deep control over the visual appearance of loyalty widgets on their website, BON’s CSS and API options provide more flexibility.

Pricing Structure and Value for Money

The pricing strategies of these two apps reflect different market segments. BON Loyalty offers a "Free Forever" plan, which is an excellent entry point for new stores. This plan includes basic points and rewards, referrals, and even points at checkout for Shopify Plus merchants. As the store grows, the "Basic" plan at $25 per month introduces POS rewards and email reminders. The "Growth" plan ($99) and "Professional" plan ($349) are geared toward high-volume stores needing VIP tiers, B2B support, and API access.

Lynked Loyalty uses a flatter pricing model, with the provided data indicating a $100 per month plan. This plan includes advanced analytics, unlimited orders, and the omnichannel connection. For a merchant with a single physical store and an online shop, $100 per month is a significant but predictable investment. When evaluating feature coverage across plans, merchants must weigh the specialized mobile app of Lynked against the tiered, scalable features of BON.

Integrations and Tech Stack Compatibility

A loyalty program does not exist in a vacuum; it must work with email tools, review platforms, and page builders. BON Loyalty shows a wide range of integrations, including Klaviyo, Shopify Flow, and several review apps like Judge.me and Fera. This makes it easier to trigger emails based on point balances or reward customers for leaving reviews. The Hydrogen integration also makes it a strong candidate for modern, high-tech storefronts.

Lynked Loyalty lists integrations with Shopify POS and Klaviyo. This confirms its focus on the retail-to-online bridge. By connecting with Klaviyo, Lynked can share data with the merchant's email marketing platform, though the scope of its integration ecosystem appears narrower than BON's. For merchants who rely heavily on a diverse stack of apps for landing pages (PageFly) or advanced review management, BON’s integration list provides more immediate compatibility.

Support and Reliability

Support quality can be the difference between a successful holiday sale and a technical disaster. BON Loyalty emphasizes its 24/7 live chat support and even offers support priority to "Professional" plan users. With a 5.0 rating on its single review, the initial feedback is positive, though the low review volume suggests it is either a newer entry or has a smaller user base.

Lynked Loyalty does not currently have reviews or a rating in the provided data. This makes it harder for a merchant to gauge the typical user experience or the responsiveness of their support team. When checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals, the absence of reviews is a factor that often prompts more cautious testing before a full-scale rollout.

Performance and Operational Overhead

Running multiple apps can lead to "app sprawl," where the store's performance suffers and the administrative burden increases. BON Loyalty is designed to be an "all-in-one" loyalty solution, but it still requires other apps for reviews and wishlists. Lynked Loyalty introduces an even more unique operational consideration: the customer must download an external app. While this can increase loyalty among power users, it adds a hurdle for casual shoppers who may not want another app on their phone.

From a merchant's perspective, BON’s presence is mostly on the Shopify side, whereas Lynked requires managing an app-based ecosystem. Before committing, it is useful to spend time comparing plan fit against retention goals to ensure the chosen tool doesn't create more work than it saves.

The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All-in-One Platform

While BON and Lynked offer valuable features, they represent a common challenge in the Shopify ecosystem: the reliance on single-function apps. As a store grows, the merchant often ends up with one app for loyalty, another for reviews, a third for wishlists, and a fourth for referrals. This "tool sprawl" leads to fragmented data, inconsistent user interfaces, and higher monthly costs. It also complicates the customer experience, as rewards might not feel connected to other interactions like leaving a review or adding an item to a wishlist.

The philosophy of "More Growth, Less Stack" addresses these issues by consolidating essential retention tools into a single, integrated platform. Instead of managing five different dashboards and paying five different bills, merchants can use a unified system where loyalty, reviews, and referrals work together. For example, when a customer leaves a review, they can automatically earn loyalty points without the merchant needing to set up complex third-party integrations. This level of cohesion is often what separates a standard store from a high-growth brand.

By using loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases, merchants can create a seamless loop. A customer buys a product, earns points, and is later prompted to leave a review. Through review automation that builds trust at purchase time, that review then helps convert the next customer. This entire cycle happens within one platform, ensuring that data is synced in real-time and the customer sees a consistent brand design.

If consolidating tools is a priority, start by selecting plans that reduce stacked tooling costs. This approach helps avoid the hidden costs of app sprawl, such as the time spent fixing integration errors or the loss of conversion due to slow site speeds caused by too many scripts. Many brands have found success by looking at real examples from brands improving retention to see how an integrated approach simplifies their daily operations.

An integrated platform also allows for more sophisticated VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers. When the loyalty system knows about a customer's review history and wishlist activity, it can offer more personalized rewards. Furthermore, collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews becomes more effective when those reviewers are part of a recognized loyalty tier, as it adds an extra layer of social proof to their feedback.

For those curious about how this looks in practice, customer stories that show how teams reduce app sprawl provide a roadmap for scaling without adding unnecessary complexity. This strategic shift away from "app stacking" toward a unified retention stack is often the key to maintaining high performance as order volumes increase. Before making a final decision, verifying compatibility details in the official app listing ensures that all necessary features are present in one place.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Lynked Loyalty, the decision comes down to the specific nature of the business and its growth stage. BON Loyalty is a powerful, flexible choice for stores that want deep customization, B2B capabilities, and a variety of reward types ranging from free shipping to product-specific discounts. Its tiered pricing makes it accessible for beginners while providing a path to enterprise-level functionality.

Lynked Loyalty, on the other hand, is a specialized tool for the omnichannel retailer. If the primary goal is to use a mobile app to connect in-store shoppers with their online accounts, Lynked provides a unique mobile-first experience. However, merchants must be comfortable with a $100 entry price and the requirement for customers to download an external app.

Ultimately, both apps focus heavily on the loyalty aspect of retention. As a store matures, the limitations of using separate apps for loyalty, reviews, and wishlists often become apparent. Moving to an integrated platform allows for better data synchronization, a more consistent user experience, and a lower total cost of ownership. This consolidated approach enables the marketing team to focus on strategy rather than technical troubleshooting.

When scanning reviews to understand real-world adoption, it becomes clear that many merchants eventually prefer a "single pane of glass" for their retention efforts. This reduces the friction of managing multiple subscriptions and ensures that every customer touchpoint—from a referral link to a post-purchase review request—is aligned with the overall brand experience.

To reduce app fatigue and run retention from one place, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

Which app is better for a brand-new Shopify store?

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is likely the better fit for a new store due to its "Free Forever" plan. This allows a merchant to test the impact of a loyalty program without any initial financial risk. Lynked Loyalty starts at $100 per month, which may be a significant barrier for stores that have not yet established a steady stream of revenue or a physical retail presence.

Can I use these apps with Shopify POS?

Yes, both apps support Shopify POS. BON Loyalty offers POS rewards starting in its "Basic" plan ($25/month), allowing in-store customers to earn and redeem points. Lynked Loyalty is built specifically for omnichannel commerce, allowing customers to collect points in-person via their mobile app and use them for online purchases, or vice versa.

How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps?

A specialized app often provides deep features in one specific area, such as a mobile app for loyalty. However, an all-in-one platform combines loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlists. This integration prevents "data silos" where different apps don't talk to each other. It also ensures that the customer has one single account and one consistent interface for all their interactions with the brand, while often being more cost-effective than paying for four separate premium subscriptions.

Does BON Loyalty support headless commerce?

Yes, BON Loyalty Program & Rewards supports headless commerce, specifically through Shopify’s Hydrogen framework. This is available in their "Professional" plan, which also provides full API access and a Software Development Toolkit. This makes it a suitable option for brands that have moved beyond a standard Shopify theme and are building a custom, decoupled frontend.