Push Notifications: The Most Effective Way to Reach Your Customers

A push notification lands directly on a phone's lock screen — it does not get lost in a spam folder, it does not get ignored like an email. It is the most direct communication channel you have with your customer.

Why it beats SMS and email

SMS costs money per message and has a limited length. Email has a much lower open rate. A push notification through an app like 4Rewards is free to send and appears instantly.

When to use it

A new offer, a reminder for a lapsed customer, a notification that someone is close to their reward threshold — all of these are ideal use cases.

The risk of overdoing it

The biggest mistake is sending too many. If a customer feels bothered, they turn off notifications or delete the app entirely. Keep frequency to at most 1-2 messages a week, and make sure every message has real value for the recipient.

Pair it with targeted sending — do not send the same message to everyone, target based on each customer's actual behavior.