Members Group

Hello everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to explain some recent updates to the Aurora Backcountry Pass loyalty program and clarify a few changes you may have noticed.

Over the past week, some members experienced disruptions with earning or redeeming loyalty points. These issues occurred while I was rebuilding the loyalty system behind the scenes to address long-standing reliability problems caused by ongoing changes to third-party platforms and APPLE (sooooo hard to work with)

Rather than continuing to patch a system that frequently broke or changed, I made the decision to simplify the program and rebuild it in a way that is far more stable, transparent, and fair for all pass holders.

What has changed

1. Tiers have been removed

There are no longer multiple loyalty tiers. All pass holders are treated equally and have access to the same benefits, based entirely on points earned.

2. Points are earned equally

Loyalty points are now earned at a simple, consistent rate:

$1 spent = 1 point

This change does not affect points you have already earned. If you previously benefited from higher earning rates under the old tier system, those points remain yours.

3. Rewards are now “almost free” instead of fully free

You may notice that rewards such as free upgrade days, free day passes, and free recreational passes are now listed as “almost free.”

This change is purely technical. Our payment processor (Stripe) applies merchant fees to every transaction, regardless of price. A 100% free transaction still incurs processing fees, which creates complications when the purchase total is $0. By assigning a small remaining balance, the system can process transactions cleanly and reliably, including merchant fees.

This approach allows the loyalty program to function smoothly without introducing errors or workarounds that could compromise reliability.

What everyone now has access to

Because tiers have been removed, all pass holders can now unlock the same rewards, including benefits that were previously limited to higher tiers such as:

• Almost free upgrade days

• Almost free day passes

• Almost free recreational passes (once enough points are earned)

• More Heli Drop Discounts

This change aligns directly with the core philosophy of the Aurora Backcountry Pass:

there are no “special” pass holders — everyone is a special pass holder.

Referral program (no changes)

The referral program remains unchanged, but it’s worth reiterating how it works:

• Referral points are only POSSIBLE when you refer someone who is not already a member

• They must join through your referral link AND THEN purchase a pass

• Referrals do not apply to existing members or individuals who were already planning to purchase a pass independently

The purpose of the referral program is to reward members for introducing new people to the Aurora Backcountry Pass.

That said, sharing your referral link is strongly encouraged. If someone joins today through your link and purchases a pass in the future, you will still receive those points.

In summary

1. Purchase an upgrade

2. Earn loyalty points

3. Redeem points once you reach a reward threshold

The system is now simpler, more equitable, and significantly more robust.

Thank you for your patience during this transition and for continuing to support the Aurora Backcountry Pass community. If you have any questions or notice anything out of place, please don’t hesitate to reach out.