---
title: "Promotions vs Automations"
description: "Understand when to use Loyally promotions versus automated customer workflows"
url: https://help.loyally.ai/en/articles/147-promotions-vs-automations
collection: "Ideas and Inspiration"
updated: 2026-05-12
language: en
---

# Promotions vs Automations

Understand when to use Loyally promotions versus automated customer workflows

Understanding the difference between **Automations** and **Promotions** is key to running a successful loyalty program in Loyally. While both features help you engage customers, they serve very different purposes.

-   **Automations** are automated workflows triggered by specific customer actions or data changes (e.g., a customer hits a point milestone or has a birthday). They are designed for personalization, consistency, and saving time on repetitive tasks.
    
-   **Promotions** are limited-time marketing events that change the visual appearance of the digital card to highlight a specific offer (e.g., a Black Friday sale or a Summer Brunch special). They are designed for urgency and visual impact.
    

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### When to Use Automations

Automations are the "engine" of your loyalty program. Use them when you want to create a hands-off system that responds to individual customer milestones.

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/tbjVsDU6ez0D8d30m0oUmLsmWPde9OnTCJNEB2Q8a6db3571XPBU7Npuj87wPOpU9qkQnGMxBkn.png)

**Ideal Use Cases:**

-   **Welcoming New Members:** Automatically send a push notification and a 5-point bonus the moment someone joins.
    
-   **Milestone Rewards:** Trigger an email the second a customer hits 100 points.
    
-   **Win-Back Campaigns:** Automatically message customers who haven't visited in over 30 days.
    
-   **Personal Celebrations:** Sending a coupon exactly on a customer's birthday.
    

> **Success:** Start simple, use one trigger and one action to begin before building complex sequences.

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### When to Use Promotions

Promotions are your "billboard." Use them when you have a specific event that applies to a broad group of people (or everyone) at the same time.

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/GAmRc9B928bXa41tILQyXblRg5FwJDXhUcVZq836I3QNjsd1ZgiMtXLHCj20u96kZDksLmwCu10.png)

**Ideal Use Cases:**

> -   **Seasonal Sales:** A "Holiday Double Points" weekend.
>     
> -   **Flash Events:** A 24-hour flash sale where the card background changes to reflect the theme.
>     
> -   **New Product Launches:** Highlighting a new menu item for the month of June.
>     
> 
> * * *

### How They Work Together

You don't have to choose just one. In fact, the most successful programs use both simultaneously.

**Example Scenario:**

You are running a **Promotion** for "Octoberfest" where the card background shows a festive theme. While that is running, your **Automations** are still working in the background, sending "Happy Birthday" messages to October babies and rewarding people who hit point milestones during their Octoberfest visits.

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### Best Practices & Tips

### For Automations:

-   **Use Test Profiles:** Always create a test customer profile to simulate triggers. This ensures your logic is sound before your entire database receives a message.
    
-   **Monitor the "Number of Triggers":** Check your dashboard regularly to see how many people are hitting your automation steps. If the number is zero, your filters might be too restrictive.
    

> **Info:** Always confirm that your selected action is supported by your card type. Approval actions only work for unlimited cards, while redemption actions only work for limited cards.

#### For Promotions:

-   **Quality Visuals:** Since the promotion replaces the card background, use high-quality PNGs (minimum 1125×432). Keep text to a minimum so it remains readable in a digital wallet.
    
-   **Set Clear End Dates:** Use the optional custom fields to show customers exactly when the offer expires. This creates a sense of urgency.
    

> **Info:** Ensure your SMS or email providers are connected in settings before including those actions in a promotion.

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## Related Articles

[

How to Create an Automation in Loyally

Set up automations in Loyally to trigger personalized messages, rewards, and workflows based on customer behavior — keeping your loyalty program running smoothly and efficiently.

](https://help.loyally.ai/en/articles/111-how-to-create-an-automation-in-loyally.md)