VIP member-only sales are an important sales technique for brands to deepen relationships with their most valuable customers. By creating a sense of exclusivity, you can increase customer loyalty and boost repeat purchase rates.
RuffRuff Order Limits and RuffRuff Pre Order are effective tools for implementing VIP member-only sales in your Shopify store. This article explains in detail how to set this up using these two Shopify apps.
What Is VIP Member-Only Sales?
VIP member-only sales is a sales technique in which specific products or services are offered exclusively to a special group of customers.
"VIP members" refers to a group of customers who receive preferential treatment under a membership program set up by a brand or company. This often includes customers with a history of high-value purchases or those who have been long-term, ongoing customers.
Recommended Shopify Apps for VIP Member-Only Sales
RuffRuff Order Limits
RuffRuff Order Limits is a Shopify app that lets you set quantity limits, amount limits, bundling limits, customer limits, payment limits, shipping limits, and access limits all in one app.
With these features, you can run member-only sales, VIP member-only sales, sales limited to Silver-tier members and above, and more.
RuffRuff Pre Order
RuffRuff Pre Order is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run pre-orders in your online store.
With a single app, you can implement member-only sales, VIP member-only sales, limited-time sales, limited-time discounts, deferred payment, purchase restrictions, quantity limits, and more.
Differences Between RuffRuff Order Limits and RuffRuff Pre Order
Here's a look at the differences between the two apps in terms of VIP member-only sales features.
What Both Apps Can Do
- VIP member-only sales using customer tags
- Displaying a custom message on products with VIP member-only sales enabled
- Displaying an alert message when a non-VIP member attempts to make a purchase
- Message translation
What Only RuffRuff Order Limits Can Do
- VIP member-only sales using customer metafields (additional customer attribute information)
- VIP member-only sales while still allowing guest checkout
- Restricting access to VIP members only
What Only RuffRuff Pre Order Can Do
- Displaying different messages to VIP members and non-VIP members
- Controlling cart button appearance (e.g. hiding or disabling it for non-VIP members)
- VIP member-only sales using the discount feature
- Automatically applying an order tag when a VIP member-only product is purchased
- Limiting purchase quantity (e.g. a maximum number of items per order)
How to Implement VIP Member-Only Sales with RuffRuff Order Limits
This section walks you through the steps from installing the app to implementing "VIP member-only sales." With this setup, the product will behave as follows depending on the visitor's status.
Guest and regular members
- Displays a message such as "This product is available for purchase by VIP members only" on the product page
- Displays an alert message when the add-to-cart button is used
VIP members
- Displays a message on the product page (you can set the same message or a different one)
- Can add the product to the cart
Preparation: Install the App and Enable App Embed
* If you have already completed the preparation steps for RuffRuff Order Limits, skip ahead to Step 1.
(1) Search for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store and install "RuffRuff Order Limits."
(2) Open the app and select "Plans" from the left-hand menu.
(3) Choose the appropriate plan based on your business size and required features, then click "Change plan."
(4) Review the plan details and click "Approve."
(5) In the Shopify admin, go to "Online Store > Themes."
(6) Click "Customize" on your currently active theme.
(7) Select "App embeds" on the left side of the screen.
(8) Enable the app embed named "RuffRuff Order Limits."
(9) Click "Save."
Step 1: Create a Customer Rule
Use a customer rule to define "which products which users are allowed to purchase."
(1) Select "Customer rules" in the app.
(2) Click "Create rule."
(3) Enter any rule name in the title field (this is for internal management within the app and is not shown to users).
(4) Add "VIP" to the customer tags.
(5) In the target products, set the products you want to run VIP member-only sales on.
(6) Fill in the product message (e.g. "This product is available for purchase by VIP members only") and the alert message (e.g. "This is a VIP member-only product. Only VIP members can purchase it.").
(7) Click "Save."
Step 2. Verify the Behavior
Visit the product you configured and check the following.
- The product message displays as intended
- VIP members can add the product to the cart
- An alert message is displayed for non-VIP members when they try to add the product to the cart
How to Implement VIP Member-Only Sales with RuffRuff Pre Order
This section walks you through the steps from installing the app to implementing "VIP member-only sales."
With this setup, the product will behave as follows depending on the visitor's status.
Guest and regular members
- Cart button: Disabled
- Cart button text: "This product is not available for purchase by non-VIP members"
- Product message: Displays a message such as "This product is VIP member-only. You must be a VIP member to purchase it."
VIP members
- Cart button: Shown
- Cart button text: Displays "Add to cart"
- Product message: Displays a message indicating that only VIP members can purchase the product
Below is a demo product with VIP member-only sales implemented using this app. Check out the actual behavior.
Preparation: Install the App and Enable App Embed
* If you have already completed the preparation steps for RuffRuff Pre Order, skip ahead to Step 1.
(1) Search for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store and install "RuffRuff Pre Order."
(2) Open the app and select "Plans" from the left-hand menu.
(3) Review the Terms of Service and check "I agree to the Terms of Service."
(4) Choose the appropriate plan based on your business size and required features, then click "Change plan."
(5) Review the plan details and click "Approve."
(7) In the Shopify admin, go to "Online Store > Themes."
(8) Click "Customize" on your currently active theme.
(9) Select "App embeds" on the left side of the screen.
(10) Enable "RuffRuff Pre Order."
(11) Click "Save."
Step 1: Create a Pre-Order Rule
Create a pre-order rule to define the sales conditions for VIP members only.
(1) Click "Pre-order rules" in the left-hand menu.
(2) Click "Create rule."
(3) Select "Simple pre order" from the pre-order rule types.
(4) Set any name in the rule name field.
(5) Set a start date in the past.
(6) Check "Sell only to customers have registered for an account."
(7) Add "VIP" to the customer tags.
(8) In the "Pre-order" actions tab, configure the settings for VIP members.
- Cart button text: "Add to cart"
- Product message: any text
(9) In the "If not met" actions tab, configure the settings for non-VIP users.
- Cart button appearance: "Disable cart button"
- Cart button text: "This product is not available for purchase by non-VIP members"
- Product message: "This product is VIP member-only. You must be a VIP member to purchase it. Please register for an account or log in first."
(10) Optional: Enable Checkout validation.
With this setting enabled, if a non-VIP user unintentionally adds the product to their cart, the order can be blocked at the checkout page.
(11) Click "Save."
Step 2: Apply the Pre-Order Rule to a Product
Apply the rule you created to a product to start VIP member-only sales.
(1) Click "Products" in the left-hand menu.
(2) Select the product you want to run VIP member-only sales on.
(3) Click "Apply rule" that appears.
(4) In the popup that appears, select the pre-order rule you created.
(5) Click "Apply."
Step 3: Verify the Behavior
Visit the product you configured and check the following.
- The product message displays as intended
- VIP members can add the product to the cart
- The cart button is disabled for non-VIP members
Conclusion
This article explained how to effectively implement VIP member-only sales in your Shopify store. By using the two apps RuffRuff Order Limits and RuffRuff Pre Order, you can build a unique sales strategy tailored to a specific customer segment.
The setup process is simple — just enable the app in the Shopify admin and apply a rule.
We recommend using these features to provide a better shopping experience for the VIP members of your store.
