Anyone researching the e.l.f. Beauty Squad rewards program usually wants the same three answers: how points are earned, how tiers and redemption work, and whether the benefits are worth using. Beauty Squad is e.l.f. Cosmetics' points-based loyalty program, and members can earn points through qualifying purchases, receipt scanning, games, and other engagement activities.
By March 31, 2024, e.l.f. reported Beauty Squad had grown to more than 4.8 million members, up 30% year over year. The company also said Beauty Squad members were driving almost 80% of sales on elfcosmetics.com. Shopify brands studying how a beauty retailer built that level of loyalty engagement often look at retention platforms such as Rivo, which supports loyalty points, VIP tiers, referrals, customer accounts, and related retention experiences for Shopify brands.
The sections below walk through how the e.l.f. Beauty Squad rewards program works, including joining, earning points, tier qualification, redemption, birthday and student benefits, games, point limits, expiration rules, and the business case behind the program.
Key Takeaways
- Beauty Squad has three tiers: Fan, Pro, and Icon, with published point thresholds and progressively broader benefits.
- Members currently earn 10 points for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases, subject to the program's rules and monthly caps.
- e.l.f. currently advertises a $10 reward through designated Beauty Squad signup pages for new members who join.
- Points can be redeemed for products, discounts, retailer e-gift cards, and cash-back rewards such as Venmo or PayPal payments where available.
- Beauty Squad includes in-app games and other engagement activities that can award points without requiring a new purchase.
- Direct Website/App purchase points and qualifying retailer purchases credited through receipt uploads have separate monthly limits.
- Points expire after 12 months without qualifying account activity.
- Pro and Icon tier status does not simply disappear at the end of the year in which it is earned. Members keep qualifying status through the following calendar year, subject to the program's maintenance rules.
What Is e.l.f. Beauty Squad?
Beauty Squad is e.l.f. Cosmetics' loyalty program. Membership is free, and shoppers can enroll through the e.l.f. website or mobile app.
Members earn points from qualifying purchases and other eligible activities, then redeem those points for available rewards. The program also includes three loyalty tiers that unlock additional perks as members earn more points.
That scale is why the mechanics matter. Beauty Squad has specific rules governing purchases, receipt uploads, rewards, point expiration, tier qualification, and promotional combinations.
How Does the e.l.f. Beauty Squad Rewards Program Work?
The e.l.f. Beauty Squad rewards program follows a straightforward loop: members join, earn points through qualifying purchases or activities, progress toward Fan, Pro, or Icon status, and redeem available points for rewards.
Members need to be signed in to their Beauty Squad account for purchases made through the e.l.f. Website or App to qualify for points. Purchases made through approved retailers can also qualify when a member submits a receipt that e.l.f. verifies.
Points serve two purposes. They create a redeemable balance for rewards and help members qualify for higher Beauty Squad tiers.
Tier qualification is based on points earned during the January-through-December calendar year. Members need at least 1,000 points to reach or maintain Pro and at least 2,000 points to reach or maintain Icon. Once a member reaches Pro or Icon, e.l.f. says that status remains in place for the rest of that year and the following calendar year.
How to Join Beauty Squad and Download the e.l.f. App
Joining Beauty Squad costs nothing. Shoppers can enroll through the e.l.f. website or e.l.f. mobile app. e.l.f. also currently operates designated signup pages advertising a $10 reward for joining Beauty Squad.
The app gives members additional ways to interact with the program. e.l.f.'s own app materials describe receipt scanning, challenges, badges, games, Beauty Squad account access, personalized recommendations, a Virtual Shade Finder, and a Virtual Try-On tool.
The Virtual Shade Finder analyzes a user's complexion through their device to suggest shade matches, while Virtual Try-On lets shoppers preview participating makeup products and shades before purchasing.
Eligible earning activities can change, so members should check the current Beauty Squad dashboard for the point values and activities available to their account.
Beauty Squad Tiers and Perks: Fan, Pro, and Icon
Beauty Squad has three tiers: Fan, Pro, and Icon.
Fan: 0-999 points
Fan is the entry tier. Current published benefits include a birthday gift, early access, loyalty-exclusive collections, bundles, capsules and sales, bonus-point events, and a tier welcome gift.
Pro: 1,000-1,999 points
Pro members receive the Fan benefits plus personalized product recommendations, a tier welcome gift, free shipping on qualifying orders of at least $10, early access to tutorials, and bonus points during their birthday month.
Icon: 2,000+ points
Icon is the highest published Beauty Squad tier. Current listed benefits include the Pro perks plus no-minimum free shipping, product-development opportunities, opportunities to try new products before launch, a personal beauty advisor and consultation, free entry to certain e.l.f. sweepstakes, and additional surprise offers and opportunities.
Benefits can change, and e.l.f.'s terms give the company discretion to change tier rewards and qualification rules. Members should therefore treat the current Beauty Squad dashboard as the source of truth for the benefits available to their account.
How to Earn Beauty Squad Points
Beauty Squad points can come from qualifying purchases and eligible engagement activities.
Core ways currently promoted by e.l.f. include:
- Purchases: 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying e.l.f. purchases
- Receipt uploads: submitting qualifying receipts from approved retailers
- Beauty Squad activities: completing selected activities and challenges
- Beauty Profile: completing eligible profile activities when offered
- Badges: earning badges through qualifying actions
- Games: completing levels or challenges in Beauty Squad games
Points From Purchases
e.l.f.'s current Beauty Squad page advertises 10 points for every $1 spent.
There is an important limit. Beauty Squad's terms state that members may not earn more than 750 points per calendar month through qualifying purchases made on the e.l.f. Website or App.
Not every charge counts as a qualifying purchase. The terms exclude items such as taxes, shipping charges, purchases of gift cards, returns, refunds, charitable donations, merchandise credits, and rewards.
Members must also be signed in to their Beauty Squad account when making a qualifying purchase through the Website or App.
Points From Retailer Receipt Uploads
Beauty Squad also lets members earn points from qualifying purchases at approved outside retailers by submitting a receipt.
To receive credit, members need to sign in, upload a receipt showing the e.l.f. product, purchase amount, purchase date and time, and retailer, and have the submission verified by e.l.f.
Receipt-based earning has its own limit. The terms cap points earned through uploaded receipts at 750 points per calendar month, separate from the 750-point limit on qualifying Website/App purchases.
Points From App Engagement, Games, and Challenges
e.l.f. also uses activities beyond shopping to encourage Beauty Squad engagement.
Its app materials describe challenges and badges that can award points, while its current Beauty Squad page promotes games and other activities as ways to earn.
Exact activities and point values can change, so members should rely on their current Beauty Squad dashboard rather than assuming every historical activity remains available indefinitely.
Beauty Squad Games: e.l.f. Blast, Escape from Power Grip Mountain, and Collect Your e.l.f.
Gaming has become a visible part of Beauty Squad.
e.l.f. currently identifies e.l.f. Blast, Escape from Power Grip Mountain, and Collect Your e.l.f. as part of its Beauty Squad gaming portfolio.
Collect Your e.l.f., launched in February 2026, combines augmented reality and real-time geolocation with an in-app treasure-hunt experience. e.l.f. says participants can currently earn 5 Beauty Squad points for playing, 5 points for each product found, and 50 points for completing a full challenge by finding all of the required products.
e.l.f. also says completed levels in its other in-app games can award Beauty Squad points.
Earlier Beauty Squad campaigns used other forms of gamification. An in-app scavenger hunt used a series of five push notifications to guide members through clues, while Beauty Squad Replay created a personalized year-in-review experience with 28 screens and 21 shareable cards.
A separate 2022 Game Up campaign placed secret codes in participating physical products that Beauty Squad members could redeem for bonus points, gift cards, and other rewards. That was a specific historical promotion rather than an ongoing Beauty Squad earning rule.
How Do You Redeem Beauty Squad Points and Rewards?
Beauty Squad members can redeem points through the e.l.f. Website or App for available rewards.
e.l.f.'s current program materials and FAQs describe redemption options including discounts on elfcosmetics.com purchases, free products, retailer e-gift cards, and cash-back rewards. Its FAQ specifically references Venmo and PayPal cash rewards where those options are available to the member.
Points used for a reward are deducted from the member's Beauty Squad balance.
Beauty Squad's general terms also set important restrictions. Rewards have no cash value unless a particular redemption option itself is structured as a cash-back reward, physical rewards require a valid delivery address, and redeemed rewards generally cannot be returned for another product, service, or monetary refund.
The terms also state that Beauty Squad Rewards may not generally be combined with another coupon or promotion. Individual promotions may publish their own terms, so members should check the rules for a particular offer before attempting to combine discounts or rewards.
At the time of this September 2026 update, e.l.f. was promoting a limited Beauty Squad offer that provided a $5 reward with a qualifying $10+ purchase and allowed product rewards to be redeemed for half their usual point cost. That was a dated promotion, not a permanent Beauty Squad benefit.
Rewards are also restricted to personal use. Beauty Squad's terms state that, except where applicable law permits otherwise, members may not sell or resell rewards.
Birthday Perks, Exclusive Offers, and Student Discounts
Beauty Squad includes birthday-related perks, although the exact benefit depends partly on tier.
Fan benefits include a birthday gift. Pro benefits add birthday-month bonus points, and Icon inherits the Pro benefits.
e.l.f. also periodically runs separate Beauty Squad promotions and sweepstakes. In 2024, for example, the company ran its “Invest in Your e.l.f.” sweepstakes, which offered twenty Beauty Squad members $10,000 awards deposited into brokerage accounts. That was a limited sweepstakes rather than a standing loyalty-program benefit.
The student and graduate discount is separate from the Beauty Squad points system. e.l.f.'s current promotions page instructs eligible students and graduates to verify through Student Beans and sign up for a Beauty Squad account to obtain their personal promo code. The discount should therefore be treated as a separate promotional program connected to an e.l.f. account, not as a reward purchased with Beauty Squad points.
Beauty Squad Rules: Point Caps, Expiration, and Combining Rewards
Beauty Squad's terms contain several restrictions that are easy to miss when looking only at the public-facing rewards page.
The most important are:
- Website/App purchase point cap: no more than 750 points per calendar month from qualifying purchases on the e.l.f. Website or App
- Receipt-upload point cap: no more than 750 points per calendar month from qualifying retailer purchases credited through uploaded receipts
- Points expiration: accrued points expire after 12 months with no qualifying account activity
- Account inactivity: e.l.f. reserves the right to deactivate an account after five years without activity
- Personal use: Beauty Squad membership and rewards are intended for personal, non-commercial use
- Reward resale: rewards generally cannot be sold or resold
- Reward combinations: the standard terms say Rewards cannot be combined with another coupon or promotion unless applicable offer rules provide otherwise
- Tier qualification: 1,000 points for Pro and 2,000 points for Icon
- Tier maintenance: qualification is measured using points earned during the calendar year, while earned Pro or Icon status continues through the following calendar year
For points expiration, e.l.f. defines activity broadly. Logging in to the account, making a qualifying Website/App purchase, earning points, or redeeming a reward can reset the rolling 12-month inactivity period.
The program terms also allow e.l.f. to change earning criteria, rewards, tier thresholds, and other elements of Beauty Squad over time. Members should check the current dashboard and applicable promotion terms before making a purchase specifically to obtain a reward.
Why e.l.f. Beauty Invests So Heavily in Beauty Squad
e.l.f.'s own disclosures show why Beauty Squad is an important part of its digital business.
As of March 31, 2024, e.l.f. reported more than 4.8 million Beauty Squad members, representing 30% year-over-year membership growth. The company also reported that loyalty members were driving almost 80% of sales on elfcosmetics.com.
Technology provider Braze has published additional results from its work with e.l.f. on Beauty Squad engagement. Its materials report that Beauty Squad members represented 95% of app transactions and had 166% higher lifetime value than non-members.
Braze and other materials describing the same engagement initiative also report substantial historical changes in digital engagement. Between roughly March and October 2023, the program recorded a 125% increase in monthly active app users, a 76% increase in average monthly loyalty engagement, and a 77% average uplift in conversion rates across automated communications compared with the relevant prior period.
Braze separately reports a 58% year-over-year increase in loyalty-offer redemptions in calendar 2024 compared with 2023 following broader improvements to e.l.f.'s cross-channel loyalty communications.
Those figures should be understood as results from specific historical periods and engagement initiatives, not as guaranteed outcomes from loyalty programs generally.
Beauty Squad also helps e.l.f. connect purchases beyond its own ecommerce store. Members who buy qualifying e.l.f. products from approved retailers can submit receipts for verification and receive points, allowing the loyalty program to recognize eligible purchase activity across more than one sales channel.
How Rivo Helps Beauty Brands Build Loyalty Programs Like Beauty Squad
Beauty Squad shows how points, tiers, rewards, digital engagement, and customer-account experiences can work together at scale. Most Shopify beauty brands, however, do not need to build every loyalty component internally.
Rivo provides a retention platform built for Shopify and Shopify Plus brands. Its Shopify loyalty program supports points programs, VIP tiers, customizable earning rules, rewards, Shopify checkout touchpoints, and related loyalty experiences. Rivo also offers referrals, memberships, cashback, and customer-account products.
That makes the comparison useful at the level of program mechanics. A Shopify brand can use Rivo to create purchase-based or engagement-based earning rules, build VIP tiers, surface loyalty information through customer experiences, and connect referrals and other retention programs without recreating a large retailer's internal loyalty infrastructure from scratch.
Rivo's Analytics Home dashboard combines data from loyalty, referrals, and customer accounts. Rivo says the dashboard tracks metrics including attributed revenue, customer lifetime value, repeat purchase rate, purchase frequency, referral performance, and ROI.
That type of measurement matters because e.l.f.'s own Beauty Squad investment demonstrates the value of understanding how loyalty members behave differently from other customers rather than looking only at points issued or rewards redeemed.
Brands considering a comparable Shopify loyalty program can request a demo to review how Rivo's loyalty, referral, customer account, cashback, and membership products fit their retention strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you get e.l.f. products for free through Beauty Squad?
Beauty Squad points can be redeemed for participating free-product rewards when those rewards are available in a member's account. Members can also receive benefits such as a birthday gift and may qualify for limited promotional rewards. e.l.f. currently advertises a $10 joining reward through designated Beauty Squad signup pages, but promotional offers can change, so members should check their current dashboard and offer terms before relying on a particular reward.
Do e.l.f. Beauty Squad points expire, and what happens if your account is inactive?
Yes. Beauty Squad's terms state that accrued points expire after 12 months with no activity. The 12-month period is rolling and resets when a member logs in, makes a qualifying Website/App purchase, earns points, or redeems a reward. e.l.f. also reserves the right to deactivate a Beauty Squad account after five years without activity.
How do you upload receipts to earn Beauty Squad points?
Members can submit a picture of a qualifying receipt from an approved retailer through their Beauty Squad account. The receipt needs to show the e.l.f. product purchased, amount, purchase date and time, and retailer, and e.l.f. must verify the submission. Points earned through receipt uploads are capped at 750 per calendar month, separate from the 750-point monthly limit on qualifying Website/App purchases.
Are e.l.f. Beauty Squad perks and point rules the same in every country?
Not necessarily. Beauty Squad availability, retailer participation, app availability, redemption options, and promotions can vary by jurisdiction. e.l.f.'s terms specifically note that some members may not be able to make qualifying retailer purchases in every jurisdiction, so shoppers should check the Beauty Squad page and terms for the storefront available in their market.
Can you earn Beauty Squad points without making a purchase?
Yes. e.l.f. currently promotes games and other Beauty Squad activities that can award points in addition to purchases. Its app materials also describe challenges and badges as engagement features that can generate points or unlock rewards. Available activities and point values can change, so the member dashboard is the best place to check current opportunities.
