Mobile games that integrate a well-structured loyalty program into their direct-to-consumer webshops can unlock significant benefits: reducing platform fees, encouraging incremental spending, and establishing direct marketing channels. Neon Loyalty is a configurable solution designed to help developers achieve these goals, rewarding players for their purchases and keeping them engaged through exclusive perks, tier progression, and personalized offers.

In the sections below, we’ll explain how Neon Loyalty enables game developers to offer a custom rewards program that drives higher margins, incremental revenue, and stronger player relationships.

How it works: The player experience

Enrollment: Players can enroll in the loyalty program during checkout on the webshop. They may also encounter the loyalty program through email marketing or banners on the webshop. As the final enrollment step, players receive an email to confirm their enrollment.

Loyalty program page: Players visit the official loyalty webpage to review their points balance and progression, learn about the perks unlocked at every tier, and claim rewards.

Tier progression: Players earn points for every purchase they make on the webshop. The number of points earned may vary based on the amount spent. As players accumulate points, they progress through different tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold), shown via a progress bar on the loyalty page.

Redeeming rewards: Each tier unlocks increasingly valuable rewards, such as exclusive items or bundles, early access, store-wide discounts, free items, limited-time offers, bonuses, and anything else you can dream up. Rewards like discounts are automatically applied at checkout and free items and bundles can be claimed on the loyalty page.

Staying engaged: Players receive email notifications about their tier advancements and exclusive benefits. Some programs may also incorporate elements that encourage continued engagement to maintain their tier status.

Developer-focused customization

Neon collaborates with game developers to create customized loyalty programs that align with their specific goals and game economies. This includes:

1. Defining tier criteria: Developers work with Neon to determine the specific criteria for each tier, such as the amount of webshop spend required.

2. Designing unique perks: Neon and the developer co-design custom perks for each tier. These perks are designed to motivate players to reach higher tiers and continue spending on the webshop.

3. Seamless integration: Neon handles the technical aspects of setting up and integrating the loyalty program into the existing webshop. There’s no additional work required from the game developer.

Three phases of a winning loyalty strategy

Neon’s loyalty framework is inspired by the industry’s top-performing brands and informed by a proprietary player research study conducted by Neon. Neon Loyalty follows a three-phased approach, each designed to build stronger relationships with players and increase revenue through strategic incentives.

Phase 1: Shift payers’ spend to the webshop

Goal: Encourage paying players to move their spending from the in-game store to the webshop, increasing margins.

• Research finding: Core and casual gamers favor a tiered program and would be most likely to chase higher tiers if premium game currency or energy resource packs were offered as tier rewards.

• Example: The Sephora VIB program incentivizes repeat purchases through tier-based perks, specifically rewarding purchases made in designated channels.

• Actions:

  • Offer a tier-based program that grants points for every dollar spent in the webshop.

  • Promote exclusive webshop-only bonuses (e.g., discounts or rare bundles) to motivate existing payers to switch channels.

Phase 2: Convert free players into first-time purchasers (webshop-first)

Goal: Turn free players into paying customers by offering attractive entry-level rewards exclusively through the webshop.

• Research finding: Sign-up bonuses are popular and help on-board gamers into using an out-of-app storefront.

• Example: The Nordstrom loyalty club uses first-purchase bonuses to convert casual visitors into long-term customers.

• Actions:

  • Provide “first-purchase” bonuses or starter packs that can only be claimed via webshop purchase.

  • Introduce ways to earn points through low-barrier actions (e.g., signing up, sharing on social media) so free players engage, see value, and are more likely to make their first purchase on the webshop.

Phase 3: Maximize ARPPU by incentivizing higher levels of spend

Goal: Increase ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User) across all paying players, whether they started purchasing in-game or on the webshop.

• Research finding: Exclusive offers and early-access to rare bundles are enticing perks that players will likely chase at higher tiers.

• Example: Starbucks Rewards maximizes spend by offering exclusive perks to higher-tier members, prompting larger purchases and more frequent visits.

• Actions:

  • Implement tier multipliers (e.g., double points events) that reward bigger purchases within a limited timeframe.

  • Provide high-value, unique rewards at top tiers to encourage larger cart sizes and more frequent spending.

By following these three phases, you can systematically grow your webshop’s share of total purchases, draw in new payers at lower processing fees, and further increase revenue from your top spenders.

Conclusion

Neon’s Loyalty solution provides mobile game developers with a proven, powerful way to cultivate player loyalty and drive webshop revenue. By drawing on best practices from top-tier global loyalty programs and dedicated gamer research, Neon’s three-phase approach enables you to shift spend from in-game to your webshop, convert free players into first-time payers, and maximize ARPPU among high-value cohorts. Through customizable tiers, exclusive rewards, and easy integration, you can unlock the full potential of your webshop and create a more rewarding experience for every type of player. If you want to learn more, hit us up at sales@neonpay.com.