Pricing Update for New Customers 02/2026
Who this guide is for
All Joy Loyalty merchants — whether you're a current subscriber or considering upgrading to a paid plan.
What changed
Starting February 9th 2026, Joy Loyalty updated pricing for new subscribers to better reflect the platform's enhanced value. The update affects Essential and Advanced plans only:
| Plan | Previous Price | New Price (Feb 9th 2026) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $24.90/month | $29/month | +$4.10 |
| Advanced | $99/month | $129/month | +$30 |
| Ultimate | $499/month | $499/month | No change |
If you subscribed before February 9th 2026: Your current rate stays locked in permanently — this is called grandfathered pricing.
Why this update matters
The value behind the pricing
Over the past year, Joy added major capabilities including paid membership store credits, social engagement rewards, advanced integrations (Recharge, Klaviyo, Shopify Flow), advanced POS integration, enhanced VIP tiers, and loyalty AI agent. The new pricing reflects this enhanced value while keeping Joy competitive in the loyalty platform market.
How this affects you
- Existing subscribers: Your rate doesn't change — you keep your current price permanently as a thank you for being an early supporter
- New subscribers: Access all the latest features at the updated pricing
- All merchants: No reduction in features or support quality
Understanding grandfathered pricing
Grandfathered pricing means your subscription rate stays locked at the price you originally signed up for, regardless of future pricing updates.
How it works
If you subscribed to Joy Loyalty before February 9th 2026, you belong to one of two cohorts with special pricing protection:
Cohort 1: Subscribed before September 2025 (Oldest cohort)
Your protection:
- ✅ Keep your rate permanently — even if you downgrade to Free plan
- ✅ Upgrade to higher plans at legacy rates
- ❌ Lose protection only if you uninstall the app
Example: You started on Essential at $24.90/month. You can upgrade to Advanced ($99, not $129) or downgrade to Free and come back to Essential at $24.90 anytime — as long as you don't uninstall.
Cohort 2: Subscribed between September 2025 - February 8th 2026 (Middle cohort)
Your protection:
- ✅ Keep your rate as long as you stay on or above your starting plan
What is the starting plan?
The starting plan is the very first plan you are on, right after this new pricing takes effect.
- ✅ Upgrade to higher plans at legacy rates
- ⚠️ Lose protection if you downgrade below your starting plan
- ❌ Lose protection if you uninstall the app
Example: You started on Advanced at $99/month. You can upgrade to Ultimate ($499) or stay on Advanced at $99. But if you downgrade to Essential, you lose protection and pay $29/month (the new rate).
What protects your grandfathered rate
| Your Action | Cohort 1 (Before Sep 2025) | Cohort 2 (Sep 2025 - Feb 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Stay on current plan | ✅ Protected | ✅ Protected |
| Upgrade to higher plan | ✅ Protected (legacy rate) | ✅ Protected (legacy rate) |
| Downgrade to Free | ✅ Protected | ⚠️ Protected (only if Free was starting plan) |
| Downgrade below starting plan | ✅ Protected | ❌ Lost — new pricing applies |
| Uninstall app | ❌ Lost — new pricing on reinstall | ❌ Lost — new pricing on reinstall |
Checking your pricing cohort
To see which cohort you belong to and your current rate:
- In Joy Loyalty, go to Settings
- Click Subscription
- Your current plan and monthly rate display at the top
If you see:
- $24.90 (Essential) OR $99 (Advanced) → You have grandfathered pricing
Upgrading your plan
Upgrading never causes you to lose grandfathered pricing. You'll always get the legacy rate for the higher plan.
Pricing when you upgrade
| Your Current Plan | Upgrade To | You Pay (Grandfathered) | New Subscribers Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential $24.90 | Advanced | $99/month | $129/month |
| Essential $24.90 | Ultimate | $499/month | $499/month |
| Advanced $99 | Ultimate | $499/month | $499/month |
How to upgrade
- Go to Settings → Subscription
- Review available plans and features
- Click Upgrade on the plan you want
- Review the pricing (you'll see your grandfathered rate)
- Click Confirm to complete
Your new plan activates immediately. Billing adjusts pro-rated for the current cycle.
Downgrading your plan
Downgrading has different effects depending on your cohort and starting plan.
Warning modal before downgrade
Before you confirm a downgrade that would cause you to lose grandfathered pricing, you'll see this warning:
⚠️ Do you really want to give up your special price?
Our pricing changed in February 2026 (See details). As an early supporter, you are currently enjoying a special grandfathered price of {current_price}/month on your {current_plan} plan.
Warning: If you downgrade below your starting plan or uninstall the app, you will lose this exclusive rate and be charged the new pricing:
- Essential: $29/month (was $24.90)
- Advanced: $129/month (was $99)
Good news: If you upgrade or stay on your starting plan, you keep your special pricing forever.
We strongly recommend keeping your current plan to lock in this exclusive rate.
Downgrade scenarios
Scenario 1: Cohort 1 (Before Sep 2025) — Always protected except uninstall
| Starting Plan | Downgrade To | Result | Rate After Downgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced $99 | Essential | ✅ Keep protection | Essential $24.90 |
| Advanced $99 | Free | ✅ Keep protection | $0 (can return to $99 Advanced) |
| Essential $24.90 | Free | ✅ Keep protection | $0 (can return to $24.90 Essential) |
Scenario 2: Cohort 2 (Sep 2025 - Feb 8 2026) — Protected if staying at/above starting plan
| Starting Plan | Downgrade To | Result | Rate After Downgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced $99 | Essential | ❌ Lost (below starting) | Essential $29 (new price) |
| Essential $24.90 | Free | ❌ Lost (below starting) | Must pay $29 to return to Essential |
| Advanced $99 | Advanced | ✅ Keep protection | Advanced $99 |
How to downgrade
- Go to Settings → Subscription
- Find your current plan
- Click More actions → Downgrade
- Read the warning carefully — this is your last chance to keep grandfathered pricing
- Click Keep my current plan to cancel, or Downgrade to proceed
The downgrade takes effect at your next billing cycle.
Special cases
Opening additional stores
If you're an early supporter and open a new store:
What happens:
- Your new store initially shows current (new) pricing
- You can request legacy pricing to be applied manually
How to get legacy pricing on new stores:
- Install Joy Loyalty on your new store
- Contact Joy support via in-app chat or support@avada.io
- Provide:
- Your original store URL (with grandfathered pricing)
- Your new store URL
- Our team will manually review your business to apply the legacy rate to the new store
This courtesy is only available to merchants who subscribed before the February 9th 2026 pricing update.
Uninstalling and reinstalling
CRITICAL: Uninstalling Joy Loyalty permanently ends your grandfathered pricing — regardless of your cohort.
What happens when you uninstall:
- Your grandfathered pricing status is immediately removed
- All subscription history is retained (customer data, points, etc.)
- If you reinstall later, current pricing applies
- The legacy rate cannot be restored after uninstall
Before you uninstall, consider:
- Downgrading to the Free plan instead (keeps your data and grandfathered status for Cohort 1)
- Contacting support to discuss alternatives
- Understanding that once you uninstall, your special rate is gone forever
Comparing plans
Current plan features (February 2026):
See details at: Pricing
Free
- Basic points program
- Referral program
- Loyalty widget & basic branding
- Live chat support
- 150 monthly free orders
Frequently asked questions
General Questions
Will my price increase automatically?
No. If you're already subscribed before February 9th 2026, your rate stays the same unless you downgrade below your starting plan (Cohort 2 only) or uninstall the app.
How do I know if I have grandfathered pricing?
Go to Settings → Subscription. If you see $24.90 for Essential or $99 for Advanced, you have grandfathered pricing.
Can new subscribers get the old pricing?
No. Grandfathered pricing is only available to merchants who subscribed before the pricing update in February 9th 2026.
Upgrade Questions
I just upgraded but see a higher price than expected. Why?
If you're an early supporter with grandfathered pricing, you should see the legacy rate. This may be a display error. Contact support immediately — they'll verify your cohort and correct the billing if needed.
If I upgrade, can I downgrade back to my original plan?
Yes. And whether you keep grandfathered pricing depends on your cohort:
- Cohort 1: Always keep protection when downgrading
- Cohort 2: Keep protection only if downgrading to/above your starting plan
Downgrade Questions
What is my "starting plan"?
Your starting plan is the first paid plan you subscribe to with Joy Loyalty right when this new pricing takes effect. If you started on Essential and later upgraded to Advanced, your starting plan is still Essential.
Can I switch back to my old plan after downgrading?
Yes, you can upgrade again anytime. However:
- If you already lost grandfathered pricing by downgrading below your starting plan, you'll pay the new rates for all plans
- If you kept grandfathered pricing (Cohort 1), you'll get the legacy rate when upgrading again
Special Situations
I temporarily paused my subscription. Do I keep my special rate?
Joy doesn't have a pause feature, but if you downgraded to Free:
- Cohort 1: You keep your protection and can return to your legacy rate
- Cohort 2: Depends on whether Free was your starting plan
What if I can't afford the new rates after losing grandfathered pricing?
Before making changes that would lose your special rate, contact support to discuss your situation. There may be alternative solutions or special circumstances we can accommodate.
Will there be future price increases?
Joy may adjust pricing in the future to reflect ongoing product improvements. If that happens, existing subscribers at the time of the increase would be grandfathered at their current rates, following the same protection policy.
Multi-Store Questions
I have multiple stores. Do they all get grandfathered pricing?
Only stores that installed Joy Loyalty before February 2026 automatically receive grandfathered pricing. For new stores opened after the pricing change, you'll need to contact support to request legacy pricing (see "Opening additional stores" section above).
If one of my stores loses grandfathered pricing, does it affect my other stores?
No. Each store's pricing status is independent. Losing grandfathered pricing on one store doesn't affect your other stores.
How to get help
If you have questions about how the pricing update affects your account:
- In-app chat: Click the support icon in the bottom-right corner of Joy Loyalty
- Email: support@avada.io
When contacting support, mention:
- "Pricing update" or "grandfathered pricing" for faster routing
- Your store URL
- Your current plan and subscription date (if known)
Support will verify your cohort status and explain exactly how the pricing update affects you.