This recipe shows how to create a simple free membership that delivers basic perks like free shipping and exclusive access. Similar models include the The North Face XPLR pass or Nike.com membership — these free memberships encourage new leads to sign up to get perks, making is easier to market to these leads to drive an initial purchase!
Or, you can offer loss-leaders (like free shipping) you would have normally offered anyway, but with an air of exclusivity (or ensure you at least get marketing consent to offer them!).
Overview
- Membership type: Free
- Primary benefits:
- Free standard shipping
- Exclusive or early product access
- Best for:
- Apparel & lifestyle brands
- Home goods or electronics
- Consumables or replenishable products
What members get
- Free standard shipping on all orders
- Optional access to member-only pricing or promotions
The key to this model is simplicity: members get a key perk that drives conversions (like free shipping) that you were already wiling to give, and as a merchant you gain marketing consent or key contact details.
When this model works well
- Customers are likely to order more than once
- Margins allow for free shipping
- Products may be impulse purchases
When to avoid this model
- Very infrequent purchases
- No meaningful post-purchase experience
Step 1: Create the free membership
- Go to Zendra → Plans
- Click Create plan
- Configure:
- Name: Rewards Member
- Type: Loyalty (Decide if you want to give access for account registration or via Shopify Flow — e.g. when a customer enters the “Email Subscriber” segment)
- Perks: Never expire
- Perks: Add a member free shipping perk for this plan. You can optionally limit it to specific countries.
This tier creates a baseline relationship with customers. You could also consider protecting some products for members only, to improve exclusivity this plans offers.
Tip: Consider running member-only sales, or starting sales early for members over holidays! This doesn’t “cost” anything you weren’t willing to give, but it creates an air of exclusivity and improves brand affinity + loyalty.
Summary
This membership model works because it:
- Creates customer relationships using existing tools in your toolkit
- Improves brand affinity & loyalty for low costs
- Drives conversions by removing shipping costs
It’s ideal for brands that want a quick, low-cost, proven way to improve customer relationships.
Common issues
- New account holders aren’t getting the membership. Confirm the account-registration trigger is enabled on the plan.
- Existing customers don’t have it. Memberships are not backfilled if the member signed up before your plan went live. You can add their memberships by hand as needed.