# Tier evaluation and earning windows

> Configure when and how often members need to re-qualify for their tier status.

Breadcrumb: Loyalty › Tier evaluation · Updated: 2026-10-17
Docs index: https://docs.cevoid.com/llms.txt

Tier evaluation determines when and how often members need to re-qualify for their tier status. By default, tiers never expire, which keeps your program simple and lets you add evaluation cycles later if needed. You can also set up earning windows where members need to maintain their progress to keep their tier.

Navigate to [Settings → Loyalty → Tiers](https://app.cevoid.com/settings/loyalty/tiers) to configure tier evaluation.

## Key concepts

**Earning window:** The period during which a member's progress counts toward their tier status. When the window ends, progress resets.

**Evaluation date:** The date when Cevoid checks if members still qualify for their current tier. The evaluation is a downgrade check, not an upgrade check. Evaluations run at 00:00 on the 1st of the month, for earning windows that ended the day before. Members on invite-only tiers aren't evaluated. While an evaluation runs, the Tiers page shows _Evaluation in progress_, and your program settings can't be saved.

**Upgrades:** Members can reach a higher tier at any time during their earning window. Upgrades happen immediately when they qualify.

**Grace period:** Members who don't re-qualify on their evaluation date keep their current tier for the entire next earning window. This gives them a full period to re-qualify before any downgrade, and prevents members who earn a tier close to the evaluation date from losing it immediately.

**Downgrades:** When a member doesn't re-qualify for their tier after the grace period ends, they move down to the highest tier they qualify for. That's at least the entry tier, so members never lose tier status entirely.

**Entry rewards:** Members receive a tier's entry rewards when they reach it. If a member is downgraded at an evaluation and later reaches the same tier again in a future earning window, they receive the entry rewards again.

**Anniversary month:** The month a member joined the program. Used in the Individual evaluation cycle to determine each member's personal evaluation date.

**New member fairness:** New members get an extended first earning window, so they have enough time to reach their first tier rather than joining mid-cycle with only a few months to qualify.

**Migration (member fairness):** When you change evaluation methods, all members keep their current tier and progress. Evaluation dates are recalculated using the new method's rules, so members aren't penalized by the change.

> [!NOTE]
> All evaluation times are based on your workspace timezone setting.

## Available evaluation methods

| Evaluation method | How it works |
| --- | --- |
| **Never expires** | Members keep their tier status permanently. Progress is tracked from the start of their membership. |
| **Collective evaluation cycle** | All members are evaluated on the same date. New members get an extended first window to sync with the collective schedule and ensure their first window is not too short. |
| **Individual evaluation cycle** | Each member is evaluated at the end of their anniversary month. New members get an extended first window based on when they joined. |

### Method: Never expires

With the **Never expires** method, tiers never expire. Members accumulate progress from the moment they join and keep any tier they reach for life.

This is the simplest setup. It suits programs that want to reward loyalty without the complexity of re-qualification.

There are no earning windows or evaluation dates.

### Method: Collective evaluation cycle

With the **Collective evaluation cycle** method, all members share the same evaluation schedule. Everyone is evaluated on the same date.

It suits programs that want a single, predictable evaluation date for all members, and makes communication easier since everyone is on the same schedule.

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| _Evaluation period_ | **12 months**, **24 months** (default), or **36 months** |
| _Last day of earning period_ | The last day of the month when earning windows end, from **January 31st** to **December 31st** (default) |

**How earning windows work with this method:**

| Member type | Start | End |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Existing | 1st of month after selected month | X months later, last day of selected month |
| New | When they join | Last day of selected month, after next full cycle |

> [!NOTE]
> After their first window ends, new members align with the collective schedule and share the same evaluation dates as all other members.

### Method: Individual evaluation cycle

With the **Individual evaluation cycle** method, each member has their own evaluation schedule based on their anniversary month.

It suits programs that want each member's experience tied to when they joined, and spreads evaluations throughout the year instead of one big event.

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| _Evaluation period_ | **12 months**, **24 months** (default), or **36 months** |

**How earning windows work with this method:**

| Member type | Start | End |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Existing | 1st of month after they joined | X months later, last day of anniversary month |
| New | When they join | X months later, last day of anniversary month |

> [!TIP]
> Cevoid uses the anniversary month rather than the exact join date. This groups members who joined in the same month together, making evaluations more manageable for your team and more memorable for members.

## Set or change your evaluation method

1. Navigate to [Settings → Loyalty → Tiers](https://app.cevoid.com/settings/loyalty/tiers)
2. Select an evaluation method in _Tier evaluation method_
3. Configure the _Evaluation period_ and, if applicable, the _Last day of earning period_
4. Set the reminder email timing in _Send members a reminder about upcoming tier evaluation_ (1 to 120 days before the evaluation date)
5. Click **Save changes**. _Change tier evaluation method_ opens.
6. Review the migration summary to see how existing members are affected
7. Enter `CONFIRM` and click **Confirm migration**

When no members have a tier, the dialog asks for no `CONFIRM`, and you click **Save changes** in it. Changing only the reminder days saves directly, without the dialog.

### What happens when you change methods

When you change evaluation methods, Cevoid ensures member fairness:

- **All members keep their current tier:** No one is downgraded during the migration.
- **Current progress is preserved:** Members don't lose the progress they've accumulated in their current earning window.
- **Evaluation dates are recalculated:** Each member gets a new evaluation date based on the new method's rules.

Switching to or from **Never expires** works differently:

- **To Never expires:** Each member's tier is recalculated on their lifetime totals. It can be upgraded, but not downgraded, and the earning window becomes the whole membership. Members aren't given entry rewards or emails for these upgrades.
- **From Never expires:** Each member's progress in the new earning window starts from their lifetime totals, and the window starts on the date they joined the program

The migration summary shows how existing and future members are affected before you confirm the change.

## Evaluation reminder emails

With the **Collective evaluation cycle** and **Individual evaluation cycle** methods, you can send reminder emails before a member's evaluation date.

**Default:** 30 days before the evaluation date

Reminders are sent at 09:00 on the day that many days before the evaluation date. Members on the entry tier don't get one. Each reminder starts your flows on _Tier evaluation approaching_, which can email the member a _Tier evaluation reminder_: see [Send program emails with flows](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/setup/program-emails-and-triggers.md#send-program-emails-with-flows). It also goes to your CRM as the [Cevoid: Tier Evaluation](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/setup/program-emails-and-triggers.md#tier-evaluation) trigger, once you've enabled it in your integration. A flow on _Tier evaluation approaching_ can send the reminder to Klaviyo, Voyado, or a webhook as well: see [Actions](https://docs.cevoid.com/flows.md#actions).

For more information about program emails and triggers, see [Program emails and triggers](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/setup/program-emails-and-triggers.md).

**Related emails**

- [Tier Evaluation](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/setup/program-emails-and-triggers.md#tier-evaluation)

## Related articles

- [Tiers](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/tiers.md)
- [Points](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/setup/points.md)
- [Purchase incentives](https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/rewards/purchase-incentives.md)

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Canonical: https://docs.cevoid.com/loyalty/tiers/tier-evaluation