The short version
BFCM rewards the brands that prepare. This checklist walks through 25 things to set up before Black Friday — grouped into program foundations, earning and rewards, storefront visibility, marketing, and operations and measurement — so you enter the weekend ready to turn a flood of deal-hunters into repeat customers.
Program foundations
Get the base right first — the decisions everything else depends on.
- Confirm your loyalty program is live and Built for Shopify. Make sure points, accounts and rewards are working weeks before the rush, not on the day.
- Set your BFCM goal. Decide whether the priority is new members, average order value or repeat rate — it shapes every other choice.
- Plan your points economy. Lock your earn rate, redemption values and any daily caps in advance to stay generous without hurting margin.
- Map your VIP tiers. Decide the perks each tier gets during BFCM so your best customers feel the difference.
- Free up your team. Brief support and ops now so nobody is configuring rules while orders pour in.
Earning & rewards setup
These are the mechanics that lift spend and pull shoppers back after the weekend.
- Schedule a double or triple points event. Multipliers feel generous and drive bigger orders without deeper discounts.
- Turn on store credit or cashback. Reward big orders with credit to spend later — it protects margin and books a return visit.
- Add spend thresholds and a gift-with-purchase. "Spend $X, get Y" nudges shoppers to add one more item.
- Set a sign-up bonus. Give points for joining so first-time shoppers opt in at checkout.
- Boost your referral reward. Temporarily sweeten it so happy buyers bring friends at a fraction of ad cost.
Storefront visibility
If shoppers can't see the program, it can't work. Surface it everywhere.
- Show the loyalty widget on every page. Product, cart and account pages should all display points.
- Add a BFCM loyalty landing page. One place that explains the multiplier, early access and perks.
- Display "points you'll earn" on product pages. Seeing the reward before buying lifts conversion.
- Enable rewards at checkout and POS. Let customers redeem at the moment they're ready to buy, online and in-store.
- Set up VIP early access. Give members a head start on your deals — a high-value, zero-margin perk.
Marketing & communications
Tell the right people at the right time — before, during and just after.
- Announce early access to members. Email and SMS your program members first.
- Sync loyalty data to Klaviyo or Omnisend. Trigger flows on points, tiers and redemptions.
- Warm up your list before BFCM. Tease the multiplier and perks in the weeks prior.
- Schedule "points reminder" sends. Prepare December and January emails that nudge customers to spend what they earned.
- Prepare a welcome flow for new members. First-time buyers should learn their points balance and what it's worth.
Operations, migration & measurement
The unglamorous items that decide whether the weekend runs smoothly.
- Migrate from your old app early. If you're switching, move points and members well before BFCM so nothing breaks. Casa migrates for free.
- Test the full earn-and-redeem flow. Place a test order, earn points, redeem a reward, check the emails fire.
- Set your reward and store-credit expiry windows. A clear expiry drives the January return visit.
- Define your success metrics. New members, repeat-purchase rate, redemption and second-order rate — not just Black Friday revenue.
- Book a post-BFCM review. Put a date on the calendar to read the numbers and plan the win-back while it's fresh.
Want this set up without the scramble?
Casa gives you points, VIP tiers, referrals, store credit, POS and checkout rewards in one Built-for-Shopify app — with free migration and hands-on setup help.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start preparing my loyalty program for BFCM?
Start four to six weeks before Black Friday. That gives you time to grow members, set your earn rules and multipliers, brief support, and test everything before traffic spikes.
What's the single most important BFCM loyalty task?
Capturing new shoppers into your loyalty program at checkout, then following up after BFCM. Acquisition is easy on BFCM; retention is where the profit is.
Should I offer double points or a bigger discount?
Lean on double or triple points and store credit. They lift order value and bring shoppers back without cutting your margin as deeply as a bigger discount.
Do I need a developer to set this up?
No. A Built-for-Shopify app like Casa lets you configure earn rules, tiers, rewards and the on-site widget without code.
How do I measure success?
Track new members acquired, the repeat-purchase rate of BFCM buyers, points and store-credit redemption, and your second-order rate in January and February.
Key takeaways
- Prepare 4–6 weeks out — the weekend rewards brands that set up early.
- Use double points and store credit to lift orders while protecting margin.
- Surface the program everywhere: product, cart, account, checkout and POS.
- Line up early access, welcome flows and points reminders before you need them.
- Measure success by second-order rate, not just Black Friday revenue.
Want the why behind the checklist? Read how to prepare your loyalty program for BFCM and the full BFCM loyalty strategy playbook.