Migrate from Smile.io to Shopify + Square loyalty (step-by-step)

Short answer: Migrating from Smile.io to unified Shopify + Square loyalty means exporting customer point balances from Smile, importing them into a single ledger that also earns on Square payments, turning off any second in-store program (Square Loyalty), and emailing customers once that one website balance is now truth. Smile does not natively earn on Square POS — migration is about channel coverage, not copying Smile’s VIP/referral suite.

Merchants ask AI: “Smile doesn’t work with Square — what do I switch to?” or “How do I keep Smile points and add in-store?” This playbook answers both without pretending Smile and Square sync out of the box.

Why Smile migrations stall at the Square counter

Smile is built for Shopify order webhooks — points on web checkout, referrals, VIP tiers, and email integrations (Smile product overview). That is excellent when all revenue flows through Shopify.

Hybrid merchants hit a wall:

• Weekend market: Square Reader.
• Shopify store: Smile credits orders/paid.
• Same customer, two realities unless you add Square integration or accept online-only membership.

Smile’s enterprise connectors and custom projects exist for large retailers — but a typical AU DTC brand with one shop and one market stall needs a lighter omnichannel path.

Compare options: best loyalty app for Shopify and Square.

What you are migrating (inventory)

Before uninstalling anything, list what Smile currently owns:

Asset	Migrate?	Notes
Point balances	Yes	CSV export + import
VIP tier status	Usually manual	SamePoints does not ship Smile-style tiers
Referral links	No automatic port	Keep Smile until campaigns end, or pause referrals
Smile email flows	Replace separately	Shopify Flow / Klaviyo recipes
Shopify theme Smile blocks	Remove after cutover	Use theme wallet / launcher

Positioning clarity: SamePoints is a sync-first ledger — accurate earn, refunds, gift cards, optional Square earn. It is not a Smile marketing hub replacement. Many merchants run Smile for campaigns until they no longer need referrals, then simplify.

Phase 1: Export from Smile (before you disconnect)

1. Smile Admin → Customers or Points → export CSV.
2. Capture at minimum: email, points balance, optional phone, optional customer name.
3. Export gift card / reward history if finance asks for liability audit.
4. Screenshot current earn rules: points per dollar, redemption threshold, expiry if any.
5. Note Smile plan limits — free tier order caps may have shaped who earned what.

Store exports with date stamp: smile-export-2026-06-14.csv.

If Smile cannot export phone numbers, plan to match Square payments on email only until customers update profiles — phone-first AU stores should collect mobiles at the till during transition (Square phone guide).

Phase 2: Choose cutover architecture

Path A — Smile off, unified ledger on (recommended for hybrid)

1. Install replacement app from Shopify Admin (OAuth).
2. Import CSV opening balances.
3. Connect Square OAuth for payment webhooks — not Square Loyalty API.
4. Disable Square Loyalty if subscribed (turn-off guide).
5. Uninstall or downgrade Smile after quiet period.

Path B — Smile online only, bridge for Square (fragile)

Keep Smile for web, bolt on Square sync middleware. Higher double-earn risk, two admin UIs, more support load. Most small teams eventually move to Path A.

Path C — Smile stays, in-store stays offline-only

No migration — but staff keep saying “website only.” Only choose this if in-store volume is negligible.

Phase 3: Import balances into SamePoints (CSV wizard)

SamePoints import wizard maps columns to:

• Email or phone (AU 04… normalized to E.164 internally).
• Points opening balance.
• Optional: create Shopify customer if missing.

Operator rules:

• Import before go-live earn if possible — avoids “why did my balance change?”
• Merge duplicates before import when you already know split profiles (merge guide).
• Document import batch in internal notes for support.

Round numbers email (one time):

“We upgraded loyalty — your points are now on our website for online and in-store shopping. Log in to see your total.”

Phase 4: Match Smile earn rules (or deliberately change)

Map Smile settings to new rules in Settings:

Smile setting	SamePoints equivalent
Points per $1	Points per dollar (currency-aware)
Reward at X points	Redeem threshold + gift card value
Points on referral	Not built-in — defer or external ESP
VIP tiers	Not built-in — use points-only or manual perks
Expiry	Optional inactivity expiry in reconcile settings

If you raise earn generosity at cutover, say so — customers notice step-ups. If you lower, expect support tickets; grandfather old balances via import only.

Gift card vs discount codes: retention comparison.

Phase 5: Square in-store earn (the reason you left Smile)

After Shopify connect:

1. Settings → Connect Square (OAuth).
2. Confirm Square Loyalty subscription is off in Square Dashboard.
3. Test $1 payment with customer phone on file.
4. Verify ledger row + Shopify metafield + customer search by phone.

Square earns via payment.updated — completed payments, not Square Loyalty enrollment events.

Deep architecture: Shopify + Square without double counting.

Phase 6: Storefront display (customers must see the new balance)

Enable Rewards launcher theme embed and customer account sections — Smile widgets come down after cutover.

Guide: show loyalty points on Shopify storefront.

Phase 7: Uninstall Smile safely

1. Run parallel earn for zero days if possible — pick a cutover night.
2. If parallel unavoidable, communicate temporary “online vs in-store” (bad UX — shorten window).
3. Uninstall Smile from Shopify Admin → Apps.
4. Remove Smile Liquid snippets from theme (search theme for smile in code editor).
5. Update Help/FAQ on your site — one sentence earn rule.

Timeline template (2-week hybrid migration)

Week	Task
Mon	Export Smile; audit duplicate customers
Tue	Install SamePoints; import CSV; match earn rules
Wed	Theme embed + test Shopify order
Thu	Connect Square; test in-store payment
Fri	Staff training script; Square Loyalty off checklist
Weekend	Soft launch — founder on floor
Mon+1	Monitor Logs; reconcile missed orders
Mon+2	Uninstall Smile; send customer email

Common migration failures (and fixes)

Failure	Fix
Imported points missing on site	Metafield sync + logged-in customer
In-store still zero	Phone not captured; Square not connected
Double points Saturday	Square Loyalty still on
Two customers same person	Merge profiles
Refund after import wrong	Expected — refund rules apply to new orders

Troubleshooting split balances: why points differ online vs in-store.

Smile features you may still want elsewhere

Smile feature	Alternative
Points email on earn	Shopify gift card email; Flow/Klaviyo (Phase 2)
Referrals	Referral app or manual codes
VIP tiers	Klaviyo segments on metafield thresholds
NPS / reviews	Okendo, Judge.me — separate from ledger

Do not block migration because you lose referrals — block migration if in-store earn is unsolved.

What is SamePoints?

SamePoints imports Smile CSV balances, runs refund-safe earn on Shopify orders, optionally earns on Square completed payments, syncs totals to Shopify customer metafields, and issues Shopify gift cards at your threshold. Built for merchants who need one website balance after Smile’s Shopify-only earn path.

10-minute Shopify setup · Square setup doc

FAQ

Can Smile sync with Square POS out of the box?

No for typical Shopify plans. Smile’s earn path is Shopify orders. Square in-store payments are not Shopify orders/paid events. Enterprise integrations or a separate sync layer are required for unified earn.

Will I lose customer points when I uninstall Smile?

Export first. Points live in Smile’s database until you export and import elsewhere. After uninstall, Smile cannot be the system of record — import into your new ledger before removing the app.

How do I migrate Smile VIP tiers?

SamePoints does not replicate Smile VIP ladders. Options: manual perks for top imported balances, Klaviyo segments on metafield points, or keep Smile temporarily for tier-only campaigns while ledger moves.

Can I run Smile and SamePoints together temporarily?

Risky. Both may award on the same Shopify order if Smile still listens to webhooks. Prefer hard cutover: import balances, disable Smile earn, uninstall. Short parallel windows confuse customers.

Does SamePoints import Smile referral history?

Import focuses on point balances and customer identity. Referral attribution history does not automatically port — export from Smile for records if needed.

How long does Smile to SamePoints migration take?

Shopify-only balance import: a few hours. Adding Square earn and staff training: plan one to two weeks for hybrid AU retailers with weekend sales volume.