> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.oddle.me/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.oddle.me/docs/new-guests/check-in/setting-up-your-programme.md). # Setting Up Your Programme Your check-in programme captures guest details on check-in and rewards them for returning. Setting one up takes a few minutes — you'll walk through a guided wizard that covers your rewards, programme details, and notification settings. Go to **Engage > Loyalty** in your Merchant Admin to get started. *** ## Before You Start You'll need two things in place: 1. **A Virtual Lounge** — Your check-in page is hosted through your Virtual Lounge. If you haven't set one up yet, the setup page will prompt you to create one first. See **Virtual Lounge**. 2. **Redeemable campaigns** — Each reward in your programme is powered by a Redeemable campaign. You can create these in advance from **Redeemables**, or create them inline during setup. *** ## Creating Your Programme Select **Set up your Programme** from the Loyalty page. You'll walk through five steps: ### Step 1: Welcome Reward The first reward a guest receives when they check in. This is your chance to make a strong first impression and give them a reason to come back. * Turn on **Offer welcome reward** to enable it * Select one or more Redeemable campaigns to attach as the reward * If you have multiple rewards, drag to reorder them > **Tip:** The default welcome reward structure gives guests something to use immediately (incentive to sign up) plus vouchers for their next visit (reason to return). This two-part approach works — the instant reward removes friction from signing up, while the next-visit vouchers drive the second visit. ### Step 2: Milestone Rewards Milestones reward guests for checking in repeatedly within a time window. This is the core of your programme — the "stamp card" mechanic that keeps guests coming back. Each milestone has three settings: | Setting | What it does | Default | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | **Target check-ins** | How many check-ins the guest needs to reach this milestone | 3 | | **Duration (days)** | The time window within which those check-ins must happen | 180 | | **Repeatable** | Whether the milestone resets after completion so guests can earn it again | On (last milestone only) | You can add multiple milestones with increasing targets. For example: 3 check-ins for a small reward, then 6 check-ins for a bigger one. Select the Redeemable campaigns to attach as rewards for each milestone. > **Tip:** Dollar-off rewards (e.g., "$2 off") tend to outperform free item rewards (e.g., "free dessert"). They feel more flexible to the guest and are simpler to redeem. ### Step 3: Welcome Back Reward A reward for lapsed guests — those who haven't checked in for a while. When they return and check in after the lapsed period, they receive this reward automatically. * Turn on **Offer welcome back reward** to enable it * Set the **lapsed period** — the number of days since last visit that qualifies a guest as lapsed (default: 270 days) * Select Redeemable campaigns to attach ### Step 4: Birthday Reward A reward issued around the guest's birthday. This only works if you've enabled asking for the guest's birthdate on check-in (configured in Step 5). * Turn on **Offer birthday reward** to enable it * Choose when to issue: **at the start of their birth month** or a **specific number of days before their birthday** (default: 10 days) * Select Redeemable campaigns to attach ### Step 5: Summary & Settings The final step brings everything together. Review your rewards, then configure your programme details and settings. **Programme Overview** * **Headline** — The title guests see on your check-in page (default: "Join our Check-in Rewards Programme") * **Benefits** — A short list of what guests get by joining (up to 160 characters each). Make these specific and appealing. **Notification Settings** * **SMS notifications** — Optionally send SMS reminders when a guest's milestone is about to expire. SMS charges apply. * **Reminder timing** — Choose how many days before expiry to send reminders (default: 3, 7, and 14 days before) **Other Settings** | Setting | What it does | | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Ask for customer's birthdate** | Collects birthday on check-in — required if you're offering a birthday reward | | **Ask about visit context** | Asks guests whether they live or work nearby. Powers proximity-based targeting in your campaigns | | **Ask how they discovered you / why they return** | First-timers are asked how they found you; returning guests are asked why they come back. Powers acquisition and retention insights | | **Make marketing subscription compulsory** | Automatically subscribes guests to your marketing list on check-in. Turn this off to give guests an opt-out choice | **Programme Preview** Use the preview panel on the right to see what your check-in page looks like. Select a store and scan the QR code to preview on your phone. You can allow check-ins from any location and multiple check-ins per day in preview mode for testing. Select **Publish and Set Live** when you're ready. *** ## Managing Your Programme Once your programme is live, you can manage it from the Loyalty page: **Pause** — Temporarily stops guests from earning new check-in and milestone rewards. Existing rewards they've already earned remain redeemable until they expire. Select **Resume** to reactivate. **Edit** — Make changes to your live programme directly, or create a new version. New versions let you redesign your reward structure without disrupting the current programme until you're ready to switch. **Programme versions** — Your programme supports versioning (V1, V2, etc.). You can draft a new version while the current one is live, then publish when ready. Publishing a new version replaces the current one. > **Important:** You cannot change milestone targets or add new milestones on a live programme. To change the milestone structure, create a new programme version. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://www.oddle.me/docs/new-guests/check-in/setting-up-your-programme.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.