An active member is a customer whose Glow point balance is greater than zero.
Customers with zero points do not count as active members, even if they have a customer account or appear in your member list. Active members matter because Glow subscription plans include a maximum number of active members.
Short answer
A customer counts as an active member when they have at least 1 point.
They stop counting as an active member when their point balance returns to 0.
Where to see your active member count
In Glow, go to Home.
The dashboard shows your active member count beside your current plan limit. For example, 54 / 50,000 Active Members means 54 customers currently have a point balance above zero, and the current plan limit is 50,000 active members.
You can also go to Members to review individual customers. The Points column shows each customer's current point balance.
Your total number of members can be different from your active member count. The member list can include customers with 0 points, but only customers with a point balance above 0 count toward the active member limit.
How customers become active members
A customer becomes an active member when Glow gives them points or imports a point balance for them.
Common examples include:
Signup points, if signup points are enabled.
Points for orders.
Birthday or anniversary points.
Referral points.
Social or integration-based points.
Manual point adjustments.
Imported points from a previous loyalty program.
Creating a customer account by itself does not automatically make the customer active. If the customer is created with 0 points, they do not count as active until they earn or receive points.
How customers stop counting as active members
A customer stops counting as an active member when their current point balance reaches 0.
That can happen when:
The customer redeems all of their points.
Points expire.
You manually adjust the customer's balance to 0.
A refund, return, or correction removes the remaining balance.
Lifetime points are different from current point balance. A customer can have lifetime points in their history, but they only count as active when their current point balance is above 0.
What happens if you exceed your active member limit?
If your active member count goes above your plan limit, Glow shows a warning on the dashboard.
When the account is over the active member limit, reward redemption can be blocked until the account is back within the plan limit or the subscription is upgraded.
To resolve it, you can:
Upgrade to a plan with a higher active member limit.
Encourage customers to redeem points.
Enable point expiration if that matches your loyalty policy.
Review customers with old point balances and adjust balances when appropriate.
Do not remove points only to lower the member count unless that matches the rules you have promised customers.
Tips for managing active members
Encourage customers to use their points
Campaigns, email reminders, and loyalty messaging can help customers come back and redeem points. The active member count only decreases when a customer's current point balance reaches 0.
Use point expiration carefully
Point expiration can help keep old unused balances from staying active forever. Before enabling expiration, make sure your customers can understand the rule and that it fits your store policy.
Use customer filters and exports
Use the Members page to search and filter customers. Use exports when you need to review point balances outside Glow.
Keep your plan aligned with your program
If your loyalty program is growing and customers are actively earning points, upgrading may be the best option. Active members usually represent customers who have engaged with your store, so the goal is not always to reduce the count.
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