Ulta Beauty Rewards is the free loyalty program from Ulta Beauty, open to US residents aged 13 and over. Members earn 1 point for every $1 spent on products and beauty services in Ulta Beauty stores, on ulta.com and in the Ulta app, and turn points into money off a later purchase. Points are worth more the more you redeem at once: 100 points takes $3 off, while 2,000 points takes $125 off. Spending $500 in a calendar year earns Platinum status and $1,200 earns Diamond, with faster earning and points that don't expire. Ulta says the program has over 46 million members.
Last checked on 23 October 2026 against Ulta Beauty's rewards page, the Ulta Beauty Rewards terms and conditions (revised 16 August 2026), the birthday rewards page and the student perks page.
This guide is written by Graeme, co-founder of Mage, a loyalty and customer accounts platform for Shopify.
Ulta Beauty Rewards at a glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Cost to join | Free |
| Who can join | US residents aged 13 and over (under-18s need a parent's or guardian's consent) |
| Points per $1 spent | 1 for Members, 1.25 for Platinum, 1.5 for Diamond |
| Joining offer | $5 for joining, as advertised on the rewards page (terms apply) |
| What points are worth | 100 points = $3 off, rising to 2,000 points = $125 off |
| Return on spending | 3% to 6.25% for Members, up to 9.4% for Diamond |
| Tiers | Member (free), Platinum ($500 a year), Diamond ($1,200 a year) |
| Points expiry | 12 to 15 months after they're earned; never while Platinum or Diamond |
| Birthday | 2X points all month, a choice of birthday gift, and $10 off for Platinum and Diamond |
| Extras | Bonus points offers in the app, student perks, two co-branded credit cards |
How to join Ulta Beauty Rewards
Join for free in an Ulta Beauty store, on ulta.com or in the Ulta app. You need to give your first and last name, email address and state, with a phone number optional, and each person can have one account. The rewards page advertises $5 for joining, marked with an asterisk, so check the offer's terms when you sign up.
To earn on online orders, sign in and make sure your Member ID is linked to your online account. In store, give your member details at checkout.
How you earn Ulta Beauty Rewards points
Members earn 1 point for every $1 spent on qualifying products and beauty services. Platinum members earn 1.25 points per $1 and Diamond members 1.5, which Ulta describes as a base earning rate 25% and 50% higher.
On top of the base rate:
- Bonus points offers. Ulta runs bonus points on certain products and on shopping days. Offers have to be activated in the app before you shop.
- Birthday month. Members earn 2X points on qualifying purchases in their birthday month, once activated.
- Credit cards. The Ulta Beauty Rewards Credit Card and Ulta Beauty Rewards Mastercard each add 1 extra point per $1 at Ulta Beauty, and the Mastercard also earns 1 point per $3 elsewhere. More on the cards below.
Points from store purchases appear straight away, and points from online orders within 72 hours of shipping. Gift cards don't earn points, but purchases paid for with a gift card do. Returning an item takes back the points it earned.
Orders placed through Ulta Beauty's storefronts on DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats earn base points only, and only if your Ulta Beauty Rewards account is linked in that app. Bonus points offers don't apply there.
What Ulta Beauty points are worth
Ulta Beauty uses a sliding scale, so each point is worth more when you redeem more of them at once:
| Points redeemed | Money off | Value per point | Return at 1 point per $1 | Return for Diamond (1.5 per $1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $3.00 | 3 cents | 3% | 4.5% |
| 250 | $8.00 | 3.2 cents | 3.2% | 4.8% |
| 500 | $17.50 | 3.5 cents | 3.5% | 5.3% |
| 750 | $30.00 | 4 cents | 4% | 6% |
| 1,000 | $50.00 | 5 cents | 5% | 7.5% |
| 2,000 | $125.00 | 6.25 cents | 6.25% | 9.4% |
You can combine steps: the terms give the example of 600 points, which redeems as 500 plus 100 for $20.50 off. The terms say values for balances above 2,000 points are shown in the app and your account rather than published.
The jump at the top matters. 1,000 points is worth $50, but 2,000 points is worth $125, two and a half times as much. So whether to save or spend your points makes a bigger difference here than in most programs.
Do Ulta Beauty points expire?
Yes, for Members. The terms say points expire "at the end of the calendar quarter following the twelve (12) month anniversary of the date the points were earned". Ulta's own example: points earned on 1 November 2025 expire on 31 December 2026. In practice each point lasts between 12 and about 15 months.
Platinum and Diamond members' points don't expire while they keep their status. Ulta can also cancel an account that has had no purchase activity for a period it decides, and any points go with it.
What expiry means for the best rates
Expiry decides which part of the scale you can actually reach.
A Member who spends $400 a year earns about 400 points a year. With each point lasting 12 to 15 months, the balance stays around 400 to 500 points, so the best realistic step is 500 points for $17.50, or 3.5 cents a point.
A Diamond member who spends $1,200 a year earns 1,800 points a year, and none of them expire. Saving to 2,000 points takes about $1,333 of spending and pays $125, a 9.4% return. Redeeming 100 points at a time would give the same member 4.5%.
So the tiers do more than add 25% or 50% to the earning rate. Non-expiring points are what let Platinum and Diamond members save up for the 1,000 and 2,000-point levels, which roughly doubles what their spending returns.
How to redeem Ulta Beauty points
- In store: tell the associate you're using points before you pay. You can redeem up to 10,000 points in one purchase, and large redemptions need photo ID.
- Online and in the app: sign in with your Member ID linked, and redeem up to 4,000 points per order. Points can't be used on orders paid with AfterPay or Klarna online, but they can be in store.
- Beauty services: points can be used on qualifying services in Ulta Beauty stores.
The minimum redemption is 100 points. Points can't be used on gift cards, shipping, taxes, tips, donations, UB Marketplace products from third-party sellers, or orders through DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, TikTok Shop or Google AI surfaces. Points earned on an order can't be spent on that same order, and points from different accounts can't be combined.
Ulta Beauty Platinum and Diamond
| Member | Platinum | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per calendar year | Free | $500 | $1,200 |
| Points per $1 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.5 |
| Points expire | After 12 to 15 months | Never, while Platinum | Never, while Diamond |
| Birthday | 2X points, birthday gift | Plus $10 off | Plus $10 off |
| Extras | Bonus points offers | Exclusive deals, gifts and early access | Plus a full-size Diamond gift, $25 off a beauty service, free shipping on $25+ |
Status is based on spending between 1 January and 31 December. Purchases in Ulta Beauty stores, on ulta.com and in the app count, along with select UB Marketplace products and orders through DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats. Gift cards, taxes, tips, donations and purchases through TikTok Shop and Google AI surfaces don't.
Once earned, status lasts for the rest of that year and all of the next. Ulta's example: a member who reaches Platinum in July 2025 keeps it until 31 December 2026. That's anywhere from 12 to 24 months, so qualifying early in the year gets you the most time.
Diamond's free shipping on orders of $25 or more excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
Ulta Beauty birthday rewards
Every member gets three things in their birthday month, as long as their birthday is on their profile before the month starts and they've opted in to Ulta's emails or use the Ulta app:
- 2X points on qualifying purchases, once activated
- A choice of birthday gift, once a calendar year and while supplies last
- An extra $10 off, in store or online, for Platinum and Diamond members
The birthday gift comes free with any purchase other than a UB Marketplace item. Online, you pick it from the list and it's added to your order without a coupon, so you can still use another coupon on the same order; shipping rates apply. On 23 October 2026 there were nine online choices, all deluxe samples or travel and mini sizes from brands including Clinique, Kiehl's, Dermalogica and Benefit Cosmetics. The selection in stores may vary.
Ulta Beauty student perks
Members who are students can verify their status through SheerID, a third-party verification service, by confirming their name, email, school and date of birth. Ulta then emails student perks "when available". The page doesn't list a fixed student discount or earning rate.
The Ulta Beauty Rewards credit cards
Ulta Beauty has two co-branded cards, both issued by Comenity Capital Bank:
- The Ulta Beauty Rewards Credit Card works at Ulta Beauty. It adds 1 extra point per $1 on qualifying Ulta Beauty purchases, which the rewards page describes as 2X points per $1, plus 20% off your first purchase with the card.
- The Ulta Beauty Rewards Mastercard adds the same extra point per $1 at Ulta Beauty and also earns 1 point per $3 spent elsewhere.
The card's extra points sit on top of your tier rate, so a Diamond member paying with either card earns 2.5 points per $1 at Ulta Beauty. The extra point per $1 doesn't apply to orders through DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, TikTok Shop or Google AI surfaces; with the Mastercard, those earn 1 point per $3. The cards have their own cardholder agreements, separate from the rewards terms.
The fine print
- Points expire 12 to 15 months after they're earned, unless you're Platinum or Diamond.
- Online orders earn only when you're signed in with your Member ID linked; missing points must be claimed within 120 days.
- Up to 10,000 points can be redeemed per store purchase and 4,000 per online order, with a 100-point minimum.
- Points can't be used on UB Marketplace products, delivery-app orders, gift cards, shipping or tax.
- Delivery-app orders earn base points only, and only with a linked account.
- Ulta can change or end the program, and can cancel accounts with no purchase activity.
What stands out about Ulta Beauty Rewards
Saving pays. Many points programs pay a flat rate per point. Ulta's scale doubles the value of a point between 100 and 2,000 points, from 3 cents to 6.25 cents, which gives members a reason to keep a balance and keep shopping.
The tiers change the economics, not just the perks. Platinum and Diamond add a faster earning rate, but the bigger effect is that their points stop expiring. Combined with the sliding scale, that takes the return from about 3% for an occasional Member to as much as 9.4% for a Diamond member who saves to 2,000 points.
Status that outlasts the year. Spending is counted over a calendar year, but status runs to the end of the following year, so members don't lose their tier on 1 January.
A birthday that lasts a month. Double points for the whole month, a gift with any purchase and $10 off for the top tiers give members several reasons to shop, not just one.
What members should know going in:
- The best rates need a big balance. For Members whose points expire, the realistic rate is about 3 to 3.5 cents a point.
- Points and perks are activated, not automatic. Bonus offers and birthday 2X points need activating in the app or account.
- Redemption has limits online. 4,000 points per order, and no points on AfterPay or Klarna orders.
- Delivery apps and marketplace items are partial. Delivery-app orders earn base points only with a linked account, and points can't be spent there or on UB Marketplace products.
Is Ulta Beauty Rewards worth joining?
Yes, if you buy beauty products or services at Ulta Beauty. It's free, every $1 earns a point, and the birthday perks alone are worth having.
How much it's worth depends on how much you spend. Under $500 a year, expect about 3% to 3.5% back. Above $500, Platinum's non-expiring points mean you can save toward the 1,000 and 2,000-point levels, and at $1,200 Diamond adds free shipping on $25 orders and a $25 service coupon. Whatever your tier, redeeming in bigger blocks gets more for your points.
What Shopify brands can learn from Ulta Beauty Rewards
Ulta's program is built for a store customers come back to often, and four ideas carry over to Shopify brands with repeat buyers:
- Make saving worth it. Rewards that pay more per point at higher levels give customers a reason to hold a balance, and a balance is a reason to come back. Price the top level against your margin, since your most loyal customers are the ones who will reach it.
- Use expiry to separate your best customers. Ulta's points expire for occasional shoppers and not for its top tiers. On Shopify, a simpler version is to reset expiry with every purchase, so regular customers never lose points and lapsed ones do.
- Let status outlast the year it's earned in. Counting spend over a calendar year and keeping status into the next one means a customer who qualifies in spring isn't back to zero in January.
- Make birthdays a month, not a day. A points multiplier for the month, a free gift with any order and a bigger perk for higher tiers turn one email into several reasons to buy.
If you're building a Shopify loyalty program like this, Mage covers most of it. You can create several fixed-amount rewards, each with its own points cost, so larger redemptions can be worth more per point, and rewards apply at Shopify checkout with no code to copy. VIP tiers can run on amount spent over a calendar year, protect status for twelve months after it's earned, and give higher tiers 1.5x, 2x or 3x points. Points expiry is off by default, or can expire a set number of days after points are earned or reset with each purchase. Birthday rewards can scale by tier, Bonus Points Campaigns run multipliers like 2x points, and Mage runs inside Shopify POS, so in-store purchases earn and redeem against the same balance. For a step-by-step setup, see how to set up a loyalty program like Ulta Beauty Rewards.
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Frequently asked questions
How much are Ulta Beauty points worth? Between 3 and 6.25 cents each, depending on how many you redeem at once. 100 points takes $3 off, 500 points $17.50, 1,000 points $50 and 2,000 points $125.
What is Ulta Beauty Rewards worth in savings? At 1 point per $1, Members get 3% to 6.25% back depending on how many points they redeem at once. Diamond members, who earn 1.5 points per $1 and whose points don't expire, can get up to 9.4% back by saving to 2,000 points.
Do Ulta Beauty points expire? Yes, for Members: at the end of the calendar quarter after the points' first anniversary, so 12 to 15 months after they're earned. Platinum and Diamond members' points don't expire while they keep their status.
How do you get Platinum or Diamond at Ulta Beauty? Spend $500 between 1 January and 31 December for Platinum, or $1,200 for Diamond. Status lasts for the rest of that year and all of the next.
How many points do you need for $50 off at Ulta Beauty? 1,000 points, which takes $1,000 of spending for a Member, $800 for Platinum and about $667 for Diamond.
What do you get for your birthday from Ulta Beauty? 2X points on qualifying purchases during your birthday month, a choice of birthday gift with any purchase, and an extra $10 off for Platinum and Diamond members. Your birthday must be on your profile before the month starts.
Can you use Ulta Beauty points online? Yes, up to 4,000 points per order on ulta.com or in the app, but not on orders paid with AfterPay or Klarna, UB Marketplace products, shipping or tax.
Is Ulta Beauty Rewards free? Yes. Membership is free, and the rewards page advertises $5 for joining.
Graeme is the co-founder at Mage Loyalty. He heads product development, from complex loyalty migrations and large-scale data handling to building the features shaping the future of loyalty on Shopify.
