Appstle Loyalty: Points, VIP Tiers & Referrals

Appstle Loyalty provides Admin and Storefront REST APIs to build points programs, VIP tiers, and referrals on Shopify. Learn which API fits your use case.

Appstle Loyalty is a complete loyalty and rewards platform for Shopify stores. It exposes two REST APIs — the Admin API for backend integrations, mobile apps, and automated workflows, and the Storefront API for customer-facing experiences delivered through Shopify’s App Proxy. Together they let you build anything from simple points programs to multi-tier VIP schemes with referrals, reviews, and store credits.

What you can build

Point management

Credit and debit points for purchases, reviews, social actions, birthdays, and custom activities. Access full transaction history.

VIP tiers

Define spend or points thresholds for Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or any tier structure. Automatically promote and demote customers.

Referral program

Generate unique referral links, track accepted referrals, and reward both the referrer and the referred customer.

Product reviews

Let customers submit reviews and earn points. Display ratings via Shopify metafields compatible with native rich results.

Store credits

Issue monetary store credit as an alternative to discount codes. Balances are tracked separately from loyalty points.

Rewards & discounts

Convert points into Shopify discount codes. Validate and mark codes as used from your own checkout flow.

Choosing the right API

Admin API

The Admin API is authenticated with an API key and called server-side. Use it for:

• Backend integrations and automated workflows
• Mobile applications (iOS and Android)
• Admin dashboards and reporting tools
• Bulk operations and third-party system integrations
• Any request made outside your storefront

Base URL: https://loyalty-admin.appstle.com

Authentication: X-API-Key header

Never call the Admin API from client-side JavaScript or expose your API key in a browser. All Admin API requests must originate from a server you control.

Storefront API

The Storefront API is delivered through Shopify’s App Proxy and authenticates using the customer’s existing Shopify session. Use it for:

• Custom loyalty portals embedded in your theme
• Self-service point earning and redemption widgets
• Referral program pages
• Customer-facing review submission forms

Authentication: Logged-in customer session (via App Proxy)

Storefront APIs only work from your shop’s domain with a logged-in customer. They cannot be called with an API key. For any integration outside the storefront, use the Admin API instead.

Key concepts

Points lifecycle

Points move through three states: pending (earned but awaiting approval), available (redeemable), and credited (total lifetime points earned). Your program configuration determines whether points are credited immediately or held in a pending state for review.

VIP tiers

Tiers are assigned automatically when a customer crosses a configured spend or points threshold. Each tier can carry a name tag and any number of additional Shopify customer tags. Tags are swapped automatically on tier changes — there is always at most one active tier per customer.

Referrals

Every enrolled customer receives a unique referral link. When a referred customer makes a qualifying purchase, both parties receive rewards as defined in your referral configuration. Referral relationships are recorded permanently as Shopify customer tags.

Store credits

Store credits are a monetary balance separate from points. They are applied at checkout and tracked in storeCreditBalance on the customer loyalty profile. Credits can be issued via the Admin API or through Shopify Flow.

Partner integrations

Third-party apps (helpdesks, CRMs, review platforms, email tools) can connect to Appstle Loyalty through the Partner Integration Framework. Partners receive a scoped API token per merchant with no manual key exchange. Merchants connect and disconnect with one click.

Response format

All API responses use standard HTTP status codes.

Code	Meaning
200	Request completed successfully
201	Resource created
400	Invalid request parameters
401	Missing or invalid API key
403	API key lacks required permissions
404	Resource not found
429	Rate limit exceeded — use exponential backoff
500	Server error

Error responses follow this structure:

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Invalid API key provided",
  "status": 401
}

Next steps

Quickstart

Get your API key, make your first request, and add points in under 5 minutes.

Authentication

Learn how to create and manage API keys and authenticate every request.

Integration guide

Full walkthrough of every endpoint category with working curl examples.

Webhooks

Receive real-time notifications for points, tier changes, and referrals.