> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.bitbybit.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Manual vs AI loyalty redemption: what's the difference?
> Compare the manual voucher redemption a CS agent runs from the customer profile with the AI flow customers self-serve by chatting with the AI.
bitLoyalty turns a customer's points into a **reward voucher** in one of two ways: a team member can redeem points **manually** from the customer profile, or the customer can redeem them **themselves by chatting with the AI**. Both produce the same kind of fixed-amount discount voucher that the customer applies at Shopify checkout — the difference is **who runs the redemption** and **how the code is generated and delivered**.
This page explains the manual flow step by step, then compares it with the AI flow so you know which one you're looking at.
## Manual redemption (handled by a team member)
Use this when an Admin or Customer Support agent redeems points **on behalf of** a customer — for example, during a live chat conversation.
1. Open **Customers** and click into the customer's detail page.
2. In the **Loyalty balance** card, click **Redeem points**.
3. In the **Redeem point** modal (*"Convert customer points into a reward voucher"*), pick a reward from **Select reward options**. Rewards the customer can't afford yet are disabled and show the points still needed.
4. Click **Create voucher**. The system deducts the points and generates the voucher code.
5. On the **Voucher created** confirmation, copy the code with the copy button or **Close and copy code** — you'll see the toast `Voucher #{code} created & copied`.
6. **Paste the code into the chat** and send it to the customer.
7. The customer **enters the voucher code manually at Shopify checkout** to apply the discount.
The voucher only applies if the order meets the reward's **minimum purchase amount**, and only while the voucher is within its validity window. Until the customer uses it, the voucher sits in their wallet with the status **Unused**; once applied at checkout it becomes **Used**.
In the reward's redemption history, a manually redeemed voucher is attributed to the **CS agent's name** (or `Manual CS` if no specific user is attributed) in the **Source** column.
## AI redemption (self-service in chat)
In the AI flow, the customer redeems their **own** points by chatting with the AI — no team member is involved. The AI handles the balance check, the redemption, and delivering the voucher code, all inside the conversation.
1. The customer asks the AI about their loyalty points — for example, *"How many loyalty points do I have?"*
2. The AI replies with their current balance and offers the rewards they can afford, including each voucher's validity date, with quick-reply buttons to redeem now or save the points for later.
3. When the customer taps **Redeem \$10 Off**, the AI redeems the reward, deducts the points, generates the voucher code, and sends it straight into the chat.
4. The customer **enters the voucher code at Shopify checkout** to apply the discount.
The customer never has to wait for an agent — the AI runs the whole redemption in the conversation. In the reward's redemption history, these vouchers appear with **Source** = `AI generated`.
## Side-by-side comparison
| | Manual redemption | AI redemption |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Who runs the redemption** | An Admin or CS agent, on the customer's behalf | The customer themselves, in chat with the AI |
| **Where it happens** | **Customers > customer detail > Loyalty balance > Redeem points** | A chat conversation with the AI |
| **Who generates & sends the code** | The agent creates the voucher, copies the code, and pastes it into chat | The AI generates the code and sends it in chat automatically |
| **Customer action at checkout** | Enters the voucher code | Enters the voucher code |
| **Attribution (Source)** | CS agent's name / `Manual CS` | `AI generated` |
| **Best for** | Agent-assisted redemptions during a live conversation | Self-service redemptions, any time, with no agent needed |
## How to tell them apart later
Every generated voucher is logged on the reward's detail page. The **Source** column records how each voucher was created — a CS agent's name or `Manual CS` for the team-member flow, and `AI generated` for the automated flow — while the **Status** column (`Unused`, `Used`, `Expired`) tracks whether it was applied at checkout. See [Reward options](/loyalty/reward-options) for the full field reference.
## Related
* [bitLoyalty overview](/loyalty/overview) — what bitLoyalty is and what shipped in v1.
* [Reward options](/loyalty/reward-options) — reward fields, the redemption history table, and the `Source` and `Status` columns.
* [Quickstart: Turn on bitLoyalty in 10 minutes](/loyalty/quickstart) — enable Loyalty and create your first reward.