Points
Reward ambassadors without spending cash
Points turn referrals, campaign work, and small actions into a currency your members accumulate and spend on milestone rewards — product, perks, discounts, or anything you choose.
Set per program. Works alongside commissions, or instead of them.
Not every program should pay cash
For customer advocates and loyal fans, commission is the wrong incentive.
Cash attracts the wrong people
A commission-first program recruits affiliates optimizing for rate. That is a fine program to run, but it is not an advocate community.
One-off rewards do not compound
Paying per post buys a post. It does not build a reason for someone to still be here in eight months.
Product costs less than cash
A reward that costs you margin rather than revenue is often worth more to the member than the equivalent payout.
How points work
Earned in three ways, spent in one.
Set the earning rates
Referral points are configured per program as a percentage of sale or a fixed amount per order, exactly like commissions. Actions carry a fixed point value. Campaigns can award points for joining, completing, or both.
Members accumulate
Points build up over time rather than cashing out. Balances, and progress toward the next tier, are visible in the ambassador portal.
Milestones do the spending
A milestone series defines the tiers and what each unlocks. Without a live milestone series, points have nowhere to go — so build the ladder before you start awarding.
What you can configure
Design
Plan the ladder before you set the rates
The common failure is generous earning rates against tiers nobody reaches, or trivial tiers everyone clears in a week. Roster publishes a Milestone Series Worksheet that models how many points members will realistically earn from campaigns, actions, and referrals, and how long each tier will take.
Run the numbers first. Retrofitting a points economy after members have balances is unpleasant.
Combining
Points and commissions are not either-or
Plenty of brands run both: a commission that pays the bills and points that unlock product and status. Each is enabled independently per program, so an affiliate program can be cash-only while an ambassador program is points-only.
Recurring order tracking can also be switched on for points alone, rewarding loyalty without increasing your cash payout.
Ways to earn
Every one of these is configurable per program.
Referrals
A percentage of each referred sale, or a flat amount per order.
Actions
Fixed points for reviews, follows, and social posts.
Campaigns
On join, on completion, or both.
Manual
Awarded directly by your team for anything else.
Points only work if a milestone series is live to redeem them against.
Points depend on
Questions brands ask
Do we have to choose points or commissions?
No. Both can run in the same program, or you can use one in an ambassador program and the other in an affiliate program.
What can points be redeemed for?
Whatever you attach to a milestone — product, swag, discount codes, store credit, or a custom reward like an event invitation.
Can points expire?
Points accumulate rather than cashing out. Talk to your CSM if you need expiry behavior for your program.
Can we award points manually?
Yes, for things that happen off-platform. They appear on the member’s record like any other award.
Do points need approval?
They can auto-approve on a schedule or require manual review, the same as commissions. Approved points are final and cannot be reverted to pending.