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Difference between Points and Score

Score can allow players to level up, while points can be redeemed later with monetary value for discounts or free items.

Bassma Khaled avatar
Written by Bassma Khaled
Updated over a week ago

Once you choose the method you want your players to level up through, your players will be able to collect the method's variable. The variables could be the amount spent, points, number of completed orders, number of referrals, or score.

If you are confused between points and score as two variables for two different methods, below is a brief explanation of the difference between points and score.

Points

If points are not set as the method of leveling up, you can still use them for different roles.

Points are configured in a way so that they have a monetary value. You can configure the value and expiry dates for points through Point Configuration on your dashboard. This way, players can redeem points with discounts or free items.

You can also activate the cashback program that allows players to exchange the points' value in the form of balance.

Players can gain points on every purchase and perform other actions based on your configurations. For example, players could be rewarded with points every time they complete a referral challenge, review a product, or put items in the cart.

Having stated the previous roles of points, points can also be assigned to an extra function, a leveling up method. You can choose points to be the variable that keeps track of each player's progress and stats. The following demonstrates how you can choose a minimum number of points a player must reach to level up.

As you configure your player levels through the Gameball admin dashboard, you will be required to set a points range, start and end for each level.

Score

Score is also a leveling-up method that works just like points to track players' actions and reward them for every completed achievement.

Choosing Score as the leveling up method will not completely replace or eliminate points; however, it will only be measuring players' status and progress. On the other hand, Points will keep its primary role as a monetary value. Players gain points on every purchase and when they perform other actions. At the same time, the score will be intangible rewards that increase only when players complete specific actions based on your configurations.

Why choose score as a leveling up method when points can do the same job?

As mentioned, Points are assigned to many jobs like having a monetary value that a player can later on exchange with money, discounts, free products, or free shipping.

On the other hand, score could be assigned only as an intangible reward that helps players level up when they complete the achievements you have chosen during your configuration.

The following are some cases where you might find score as a helpful tool when it is the leveling up method:

  • Choosing only some actions (elements) that affect players progress

Suppose through your configurations; you included points to become a form of reward when players do any action that benefits your platform. In that case, however, you want players to level up by completing only some of these achievements.

By choosing score, you will be able to mix between some of the elements that you want to contribute to each player's progress.

For example, you can choose some challenges and referrals to be the only two elements that help a player level up.

  • Using level as an intrinsic reward only.

As mentioned, points have a monetary value that players can use to exchange with balance. They can also redeem it in the form of discount coupons, free items, free shipping, etc.

Suppose you want to exclude the levels program from actions that reward points and let leveling up to be a motivational reward only. You can configure the score to increase every time. In that case, they do specific actions or complete certain achievements. These achievements may not add up to the points and do not have a monetary reward.

Players will level up when they reach the minimum score the next level requires.

  • Creating a balanced equation that controls the speed of leveling up

Creating a balanced levels system could be problematic depending only on points. As mentioned, points are the primary variable in the cashback program; if the cashback program is active, a player will win points with every purchase they make.

It could become difficult to create the perfect equation that balances between rewarding players with every achievement and players' speed in leveling up with points. For example, a very active player on your social media platform reviews many products and refers friends could end up with just as many points as a player who only makes a lot of purchases. If this equation does not work for you, adding a score could help with this program, you will be able to assign score only to the element that pushes specific actions.

To sum up, with the score, your active players will be able to level up, and it will help you identify your most loyal and engaged customers by making a mix between all the elements you want to intangibly reward your players for excluding the monetary aspect that points impose.

On the other hand, points can only have a monetary value and can be redeemed by players during purchases.


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