The 2026 LoyaltyLion Awards are live! Explore the awards
waterdrop uses loyalty to strengthen retention, reward sustainable behavior, and create meaningful relationships with customers across multiple channels and regions.
6.8x
higher customer lifetime value from members that redeem rewards vs non-members
90%
uplift in CLV from members of the program compared to non-members
1M+
program members across all regions
They came out top for Best Subscription Loyalty Program strategy.
waterdrop are a global hydration brand on a mission to inspire consumers to live healthier, more sustainable lives by drinking more water. Their innovative, sugar-free hydration cubes are designed to make daily hydration simple, flavorful, and accessible, whether at home or on the go.
Founded and headquartered in Vienna, waterdrop operate internationally in 40+ countries, across ecommerce and in 22,000 retail and branded stores.
That omnichannel presence brings opportunity, but also complexity, especially when it comes to building consistent customer relationships across markets.
As waterdrop scaled internationally, retention became a key company goal. They wanted to strengthen long-term customer relationships while standing out in a competitive market. Their challenges were layered, and included:
They needed a powerful loyalty program that was meaningful and flexible – and could operate on a huge international scale.
waterdrop used LoyaltyLion to launch the waterdrop Club in 2019, and the program has quickly become one of the best-performing loyalty programs in the food and drink sector.
From the very beginning, they envisioned their loyalty program as a club:
One of the earliest pillars of the program was offering completely free products in exchange for points, a benefit that immediately felt tangible and special.
To make that possible, they worked closely with the LoyaltyLion team to build a custom solution that supported free products for points; it’s now available to all LoyaltyLion customers. That highly collaborative approach set the tone for how the program would continue to evolve.
Retention is not just about data. It’s also about emotion. We focus on creating moments where consumers feel recognized, valued, and connected to the brand, not just rewarded.
As the program matured, waterdrop’s strongly data-driven approach saw them introduce a two-tier structure, based on purchase and engagement insights.
The goal was to balance inclusivity with impact, and compel customers to spend more to unlock exclusive benefits in the second tier, including:
This tiered approach not only recognizes loyalty, but motivates ongoing engagement and helps us create a cycle of value that keeps customers returning.
One of waterdrop’s most successful new loyalty initiatives came at the end of Q4 2025.
The team looked for a way to re-engage customers in December with something more meaningful than another promotion. The answer was a loyalty-led gifting campaign.
The result was one cohesive loyalty moment: earn more points, then redeem them for something truly special.
The first batch of gift boxes sold out in just one day, proving the value of loyalty gifting to drive urgent repeat purchases in a short time window.
waterdrop’s loyalty strategy extends beyond ecommerce.
Customers earn points not only for online purchases, but also for transactions in-store. LoyaltyLion is fully integrated into the Shopify POS platform, giving customers consistent rewards journeys across channels.
Sustainability is also baked directly into the program. Customers earn points when they return empty packaging in-store, reinforcing waterdrop’s environmental values and rewarding behavior that aligns with the brand’s mission.
This approach turns loyalty into a tool for both retention and responsibility.
Using LoyaltyLion’s integration with Recharge, subscribers automatically jump straight to the second VIP tier, a reward for their long-term commitment to regular purchasing. Loyalty perks include:
Subscriptions and loyalty are managed in one place, making it easy for customers to adjust orders, add products, or redeem rewards while staying engaged with the program.
This combination of flexibility and recognition helps reduce churn and strengthens emotional loyalty alongside transactional value.
By offering subscribers more recognition and tier benefits, we show that their consistency is appreciated and build a deeper sense of belonging.
waterdrop’s program is continually evolving as LoyaltyLion releases new features.
Recently, they introduced a new reward redemption option, Redeem at Checkout: members can spend their points directly as money off, without needing to redeem them for a gift voucher.
The impact was immediate, with redemption rates increasing and post-purchase satisfaction scores rising as soon as it was launched.
The feature also worked seamlessly alongside existing site-wide offers, giving loyalty members even more reason to redeem and return.
The impact of waterdrop’s loyalty program is clear:
What I enjoy most is seeing how the program builds real, measurable connections between waterdrop and our customers. The rewards genuinely add value to customers, and grow our brand – both sides benefit.
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Rated #1 for loyalty on G2 and trusted by brands worldwide for over 10 years, let’s scale your business together. Get in touch today!