BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Motiv: Store Credit Offers: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right tools for a Shopify storefront often feels like a balancing act between feature richness and operational simplicity. Every app added to a store carries the weight of a monthly subscription, a learning curve for the team, and a potential impact on site performance. For merchants focused on retention, the choice often narrows down to how they want to incentivize repeat behavior—whether through a structured points-based system or a more direct store credit approach.

Short answer: BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is a robust, feature-rich loyalty platform best suited for brands wanting tiered VIP structures and referral loops. Motiv: Store Credit Offers focuses on simplicity and high-intent re-engagement through native Shopify store credits, making it ideal for stores that prefer direct monetary incentives over complex point systems. Choosing the right one depends on whether a merchant prioritizes a multi-faceted reward ecosystem or a streamlined credit-based recovery tool.

The primary objective here is to evaluate both BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Motiv: Store Credit Offers through a neutral lens. This analysis examines their core functionalities, pricing structures, and technical capabilities. By understanding the distinct philosophies behind these two apps, merchants can better align their technology stack with their specific customer retention goals.

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Motiv: Store Credit Offers: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Both apps fall under the marketing and conversion category on Shopify, specifically targeting loyalty and rewards. However, the way they approach the customer relationship is fundamentally different. One builds a "currency" for the brand, while the other leverages the "wallet" already existing within the Shopify ecosystem.

Core Workflows and Incentivization Logic

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards operates on a traditional loyalty logic. Customers earn points for specific actions—such as making a purchase, following social media accounts, or celebrating a birthday—and then redeem those points for discounts or free products. This creates a gamified experience where the value is abstract until the moment of redemption. This model is highly effective for building loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases because it encourages long-term accumulation and interaction with the brand.

Motiv: Store Credit Offers takes a more direct approach by using native Shopify store credits. Instead of asking customers to earn and redeem points, Motiv allows merchants to issue credit directly for behaviors like abandoned carts or welcome incentives. Because it uses native functionality, customers do not have to copy and paste discount codes at checkout; the credit is simply available in their account. This reduces friction significantly during the checkout process, which is a common pain point for traditional loyalty apps.

Customization and Brand Control

The visual experience of a loyalty program is critical for maintaining brand consistency. BON Loyalty offers a tailored loyalty page and a widget that can be customized to match the store’s aesthetic. For merchants on the Growth plan and above, custom CSS is available with developer support, allowing for a more integrated look and feel. This level of control ensures that the rewards program feels like a natural extension of the storefront rather than a third-party add-on.

Motiv focuses its customization efforts on the redemption page. The goal is to create a personalized experience where customers see exactly how much credit they have and how they can spend it. While it may not have the same breadth of "earning" widgets as a points-based app, the focus on the redemption journey is designed to maximize the conversion of that credit into a new order. For larger brands, Motiv offers "white glove setup" on their higher tiers, where experts handle the configuration to ensure the app aligns with the brand’s specific needs.

Pricing Structure and Value for Money

When comparing plan fit against retention goals, merchants must look at both the entry price and the cost of scaling.

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards offers a tiered approach:

• Free Forever: A generous entry point for new stores, including points, referrals, and automated emails.
• Basic ($25/month): Adds POS rewards, multi-language support, and points expiration reminders.
• Growth ($99/month): Unlocks VIP tiers, B2B tiers, and unlimited orders, making it a strong choice for established businesses.
• Professional ($349/month): Targeted at enterprise-level stores needing API access and Hydrogen support for headless commerce.

Motiv: Store Credit Offers bases its pricing on the number of customers, which may offer a clearer view of total retention-stack costs for stores with specific list sizes:

• 0 - 500 customers ($4.99/month): An extremely low barrier to entry for small stores.
• 500 - 2500 customers ($49.99/month): Includes white-glove setup and advanced analytics.
• 2500+ customers ($99.99/month): Adds dedicated account strategists for more complex campaign management.

The value for money depends on the merchant's growth stage. BON Loyalty is more expensive at the top end but offers a wider range of features like B2B tiers and headless support. Motiv is more affordable for very small stores and offers a flat fee for mid-sized stores that might find BON’s $99 plan a bit steep if they do not need VIP tiers.

Integrations and Ecosystem Fit

A retention tool is only as good as its ability to communicate with the rest of the tech stack. BON Loyalty has a robust integration list, working with Shopify POS, Shopify Flow, and several review apps like Fera and Judge.me. This allows merchants to reward customers for leaving reviews, effectively using social proof that supports conversion and AOV. Its connection to Klaviyo is also a highlight, enabling automated emails based on point balances or tier changes.

Motiv's integration list is more focused. It works with Klaviyo, Meta, and Shopify Flow. The Meta integration is particularly interesting for merchants who want to use store credit as an incentive in paid advertising. By offering credit in an ad, a merchant can potentially lower their customer acquisition cost by providing a tangible, non-discount-code incentive to click and convert.

VIP Tiers and B2B Capabilities

One area where BON Loyalty stands out is its focus on VIP Tiers and B2B functionality. VIP tiers are a proven method for increasing customer lifetime value by rewarding the most loyal shoppers with accelerated earning rates and exclusive perks. BON even extends this to wholesale through B2B tiers, allowing merchants to treat their business customers differently than their retail customers. This is a significant advantage for merchants who run a hybrid business model.

Motiv does not currently specify a tiered VIP structure in its provided data. Its focus remains on the "offer" and the "credit" rather than a hierarchical status system. For merchants who want to build a community-centric brand where "Gold" or "Platinum" status matters, BON is the more logical choice. For merchants who want to run high-velocity credit campaigns for birthdays or cart recovery, Motiv's streamlined approach might be more efficient.

Support and Reliability

Support is a vital consideration when choosing a plan built for long-term value. BON Loyalty provides 24/7 support across most plans, with priority support and dedicated development help on its highest tier. With a 5-star rating (though based on only one review), it signals a commitment to customer satisfaction.

Motiv offers email and phone support across all plans, which is a rarity for apps at the $4.99 price point. On its $99.99 plan, it adds dedicated account strategists, suggesting a more consultative relationship. While Motiv currently has zero reviews listed in the provided data, the inclusion of "white glove setup" indicates a focus on ensuring the app is correctly implemented from day one.

Technical Performance and Operational Overhead

Every app added to a Shopify store increases the operational overhead. BON Loyalty, with its wide range of features, requires more management. Merchants must decide on point values, tier thresholds, and referral rewards. This complexity is the trade-off for having a highly customizable program.

Motiv aims to reduce overhead by using native Shopify store credits. This means merchants don't have to manage complex discount code logic or worry about codes leaking to coupon sites. By seeing how the app is positioned for Shopify stores in terms of its native build, it is clear that Motiv is designed for the merchant who wants to set it and forget it. However, the lack of a broader feature set (like reviews or wishlists) means merchants using Motiv will likely need to install several other apps to round out their retention strategy.

Use Case: The Small Store Starting Out

A small store with under 500 customers looking for a low-cost way to recover carts might find Motiv's $4.99 plan incredibly attractive. It allows for the creation of store credit campaigns without a large upfront investment. This is a practical way to test if monetary incentives drive better results than traditional percentage-off discount codes.

Conversely, a small store that wants to build a long-term brand identity through a loyalty program might prefer the BON Loyalty Free Forever plan. While it doesn't include the native store credit functionality, it provides the foundation for points and referrals, which can be scaled as the business grows.

Use Case: The Shopify Plus Merchant

For high-volume merchants, the technical requirements are more stringent. BON Loyalty addresses this with its Professional plan, which supports Hydrogen and headless commerce. This is crucial for Plus merchants who have moved away from traditional Shopify themes. Additionally, BON’s "Points at checkout" feature is a Shopify Plus exclusive that allows for a much smoother redemption experience.

Motiv's appeal to larger merchants lies in its "white glove setup" and account strategists. For a large brand that wants to execute a very specific store credit strategy—perhaps as part of a direct mail or Meta Ads campaign—having a dedicated strategist can be more valuable than a suite of DIY features.

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

While specialized apps like BON Loyalty and Motiv provide excellent solutions for specific problems, they also contribute to a phenomenon known as app fatigue or tool sprawl. For many merchants, the process of building a retention strategy involves installing one app for loyalty, another for reviews, a third for wishlists, and a fourth for Instagram galleries. This fragmented approach often leads to data silos where customer information is trapped in different platforms, resulting in an inconsistent customer experience.

Furthermore, managing multiple subscriptions can lead to "stacked costs," where the total monthly bill for a store’s tech stack becomes a significant burden on margins. This is where the philosophy of "More Growth, Less Stack" becomes relevant. By consolidating multiple retention functions into a single integrated platform, merchants can ensure that their loyalty program, review system, and wishlist functionality all work in harmony.

Growave provides this unified experience by combining loyalty programs that keep customers coming back with tools for review automation that builds trust at purchase time. Instead of managing three or four different dashboards, a merchant can see a holistic view of customer engagement in one place. This integration allows for more sophisticated marketing; for example, a merchant could automatically increase a customer's loyalty points after they leave a high-quality review with a photo.

Consolidating your stack also reduces the technical weight on a storefront. One integrated app typically has a smaller footprint than four separate apps, leading to better site performance. When evaluating feature coverage across plans, merchants often find that an all-in-one solution provides better long-term value than a collection of specialized tools. By looking at customer stories that show how teams reduce app sprawl, it becomes clear that simplification often leads to better execution.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Motiv: Store Credit Offers, the decision comes down to the desired complexity of the reward system and the technical preference for points versus native credits. BON Loyalty is the superior choice for those who want a structured, tiered loyalty experience with broad integration capabilities and multi-language support. It is built for the merchant who views loyalty as a comprehensive ecosystem involving points, referrals, and VIP status.

Motiv: Store Credit Offers is the better fit for merchants who value simplicity and the friction-less experience of native Shopify store credits. It excels in specific re-engagement scenarios, such as abandoned cart recovery and birthday rewards, without the need for discount codes. Its lower entry-level pricing makes it accessible for very small stores, while its white-glove service appeals to larger brands wanting a hands-off implementation.

However, as a store grows, the challenge of managing multiple specialized apps can hinder performance and consistency. Integrated platforms offer a strategic path forward by reducing tool sprawl and ensuring that every part of the retention journey is connected. By planning retention spend without app sprawl surprises, merchants can build a more sustainable and scalable growth engine.

For those interested in seeing how other brands have successfully navigated these choices, reviewing real examples from brands improving retention can provide valuable context. Ultimately, whether you choose a specialized tool or an all-in-one platform, the goal is to create a seamless experience that keeps customers returning to your store. 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 international Shopify stores?

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is likely the better choice for international merchants because it explicitly lists multi-language display as a feature starting on its Basic plan. This allows the loyalty widget and communication to be translated for different markets, which is essential for global storefronts.

Can I use store credit and loyalty points together?

Yes, but doing so with separate apps like BON and Motiv may lead to a confusing customer experience if not managed carefully. Customers might be unsure whether to use their points for a discount or their store credit for a purchase. Using an integrated platform is generally a better way to manage multiple incentive types under a single brand umbrella.

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

An all-in-one platform reduces the need for multiple subscriptions and ensures that data flows seamlessly between different features like reviews, loyalty, and wishlists. While specialized apps might offer a deeper focus on one specific feature, integrated platforms provide a more consistent user experience for the customer and less administrative work for the merchant.

Is native store credit better than discount codes?

Native store credit is often considered superior for the customer experience because it applies directly to the checkout without requiring the customer to remember or paste a code. It also provides better security for the merchant, as credit is tied to a specific customer account and cannot be easily shared on coupon-aggregator websites. However, traditional discount codes (which most loyalty apps use) are more universally understood by shoppers.