Cashback program types at a glance
_This article's section starts at 0:00 in the video._
DollarBack has six cashback program types. This page compares them so you can pick the right one before you build. Each type has its own setup article with full steps.
The six types
Open DollarBack admin → Cashback and you'll see the program types in the editor's sidebar. Every type can pay out either Store credit (the default) or a Discount code; see Reward discount codes instead of store credit.
Purchase reward
An order is placed (or paid / fulfilled, per your global trigger setting)
Your core earn program: a percentage or fixed amount back on orders, optionally with order-goal tiers and product targeting
Signup bonus
A customer creates a store account for the first time
Turn guests into account holders so they can see and spend their balance
Newsletter signup
A customer subscribes to email marketing
Grow your email list with a one-time credit
Birthday gift
The customer's birthday arrives (birthday collected via the widget or API)
A once-a-year surprise that brings lapsed customers back
Social follow
A signed-in customer clicks your trackable short link to an off-store page (Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
Reward follows and off-store engagement with click attribution
Custom (API)
Your own server calls POST /api/v1/merchant/custom
Reward anything DollarBack can't see: reviews, UGC, in-store visits, quiz completions
How to choose
Start with a Purchase reward. It is the engine of the program; every other type layers on top of it. A simple store-wide percentage is enough to launch.
Signup and Newsletter bonuses are one-shot: each customer can earn each of them once, ever. They're acquisition tools, not recurring rewards.
Birthday gifts are scheduled, not instant. The credit is queued for the customer's date and lands automatically. You can watch the queue in DollarBack admin → Analytics → Scheduled Rewards.
Social follow rewards attribute by click, not by follow. DollarBack credits the customer when they click your short link while signed in; it cannot verify the follow itself on the platform.
Custom (API) needs a developer. Nothing fires automatically; rewards are granted only when your code calls the endpoint with the config's ID.
Rules that apply to every type
Each program has its own value, start/end dates, and optional frequency limits.
Global settings (calculation base, trigger event, holding period, caps, exclusions) apply across all programs. See the Settings.
When several purchase programs could apply to the same order line, they compete and one wins per line; they never stack. The details are in How cashback is calculated.
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