Prerequisites
Before getting started, ensure you have:
Required Permissions:
The personas page is available to staff members with the following permissions:
Staff
Manager
Analyst
Marketing
Marketing Analyst
Operator
Owner
How Automatic Merging Works
AIQ merges personas when matching PII is detected. The system uses a strict priority order to determine when Personas represent the same shopper.
Merge Priority (Highest → Lowest)
Phone number
Email address
First + Last Name + Date of Birth (if enabled in Loyalty Settings)
Government ID number
Medical ID number
When identical values are detected for these fields across multiple Personas, the system triggers an automated merge process. This ensures that shopper data, such as loyalty points and purchase histories, is consolidated into a single Persona. The automated process typically runs overnight and can take up to 2–3 days to fully complete after data upload or import. Additionally, sales history remains intact when previously merged Personas are separated. This ensures that all transaction records remain associated with their original shopper Personas, even if a merge is undone.
How Merges Affect Loyalty Points
When two Personas are merged, their sales history and loyalty points are combined and recalculated based on the merged transaction history. The updated balance is typically reflected after the overnight correction process. In some cases, this can cause discrepancies.
Negative or Zero Point Balances
A negative balance can occur if a shopper redeemed more points than they earned during a merged period. When Personas are unmerged, the system redistributes points and a deficit may result. As a safeguard, AIQ may reset the balance to zero when negative redemptions are detected during a merge — this prevents a negative total but may require manual review to restore the correct balance.
Points Not Accruing After a Merge
Points may fail to accumulate if sales are attributed to a merged Persona rather than the intended account. If this occurs, check for misattributed transactions and resolve the merge before manually adjusting the points balance.
Examples
Example 1: Shared Phone Number
A shopper signs up for loyalty with their friend’s phone number. Phone number has the highest priority → AIQ merges both profiles under that phone number.
Fix: Update the incorrect PII in the persona (see Manual Merging doc). The system will unmerge and correct itself within 24 hours.
Why Merges Happen
Duplicate Signups: Same phone number used with different names or emails
Shared PII (Contact Information): Family members or friends sharing phone/email will be automatically merged
Partial Updates: POS, Ecommerce, or signup form data updating only one field
Multiple systems syncing into AIQ: We unify all shared PII into the master persona
Important Notes
⚠️ Merges run overnight and can take up to 24 hours to process
Old emails remain visible in the Merges tab, but only the most recent email or phone receives your marketing message
POS updates may require the shopper to make another purchase before syncing
Why Merges Do Not Happen
AIQ does not merge personas based on:
Same first and last name only
Similar names
Typos or formatting differences
Incomplete PII
Recent transactions (merge may not have processed yet)
If Name + DOB merging is enabled in Loyalty Settings, profiles will merge only when both match.
How to View Merge History
Navigate to Customers > Personas
Open a persona
Go to the History tab
Click the Merges tab
If the persona has zero merges, the merges tab will not appear
What You’ll See in the Merges tab
AIQ Universal ID
List of merged personas, including:
Platform source (POS/Ecom/Loyalty/etc.)
AIQ ID
Date Imported
Source ID
PII used for merging
Steps to Resolve Incorrect Merges
1. Search for the Merged Personas
Use the merge search operator:
merge:[phone] merge:[email]
Examples:
merge:3087726563
merge:[email protected]
Remove all dashes, spaces, and special characters.
Tip: This is the fastest way to find “missing” personas that were merged into another shopper.
2. Correct the Shared Identifier
Update the phone number or email address in the History > Merges tab to ensure each profile has unique identifiers.
3. Submit Changes and Wait for System Refresh
Changes will typically take effect after the overnight data sync. Profiles will unmerge or merge correctly by the next day.
4. Review Recent Transaction History
Examine recent transactions to estimate and address any discrepancies in points balances. This is particularly important when prior balances are unclear after a merge or unmerge.
Limitations and Exceptions
It is important to note:
The system does not support the ability to manually check for duplicate shopper Personas in bulk. Therefore, proactive measures to ensure accurate data entry across Personas are crucial.
Personas without matching identifiers cannot be automatically detected as duplicates, meaning such accounts will not be merged.
Best Practices for Preventing Incorrect Merges
To minimize errors during the merging process, follow these recommendations:
Keep Shopper Information Up to Date: Ensure that contact details such as phone numbers and email addresses are accurate and consistent across shopper Personas.
Use Unique Identifiers Where Possible: When possible, utilize unique fields such as Medical ID to further differentiate Personas and prevent unwanted merges.
Review Uploads Thoroughly: Before importing shopper data into the system, verify the information to match it with existing records accurately.
For correcting merges, see: Manual Persona Merging.
FAQs
Why do loyalty points reset to zero after a merge?
Points may reset to zero if AIQ detects negative redemptions during the merge process. This safeguard prevents a negative balance from appearing, but may require a manual adjustment to restore the correct total.
What happens to loyalty points when Personas are merged?
Points from both Personas are combined into a single total and recalculated based on the merged transaction history. If discrepancies occur, they can be corrected with a manual adjustment in the Points tab.
How can I resolve missing transactions after a merge?
Check for shared contact details (phone or email) that may have triggered an unintended merge. If confirmed, correct the shared identifier in the History > Merges tab. Personas will unmerge after the overnight sync, restoring transactions to the correct account.
Need Help?
If you need assistance, reach out to AIQ Support anytime via chat widget within your AIQ Dashboard.