RFM scores and segments

Overview

RFM stands for Recency, Frequency, and Monetary — three key indicators of customer purchasing behavior. Each component is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 represents the most favorable value (for example, most recent purchase, most frequent purchases, highest spend).

• Recency (R): How recently a customer made a purchase
• Frequency (F): How often the customer makes purchases
• Monetary (M): How much the customer has spent

You can view a customer’s RFM scores and segment directly on their profile under the RFM scores section.

Blueshift uses these individual scores to assign a combined RFM score and automatically categorize customers into one of 11 predefined segments, such as Champions, Loyal, or At Risk. These segments help marketers quickly identify engagement levels and customer value to drive more effective campaigns.

How RFM segmentation can be used

RFM segmentation helps marketers understand customer value and tailor outreach strategies based on behavior. Grouping users into segments like Champions, Potential Loyalists, or Hibernating can help optimize messaging, timing, and offers.

Typical use cases include:

• Loyalty campaigns for high-value customers
• Re-engagement efforts for customers who are slipping away
• Win-back campaigns targeting inactive customers
• Upsell and cross-sell strategies based on spending patterns

RFM score definitions

Each RFM score is calculated on a scale of 1 to 5, with higher values indicating stronger performance in that dimension.

• Recency (R): Measures how recently a customer made a purchase. A score of 5 indicates a very recent purchase, while 1 means it has been a long time.
• Frequency (F): Measures how often the customer has made purchases. A score of 5 indicates frequent purchases; 1 means very few.
• Monetary (M): Measures how much the customer has spent. A score of 5 indicates high spenders; 1 indicates low spenders.

These three scores are combined into a three-digit number to form the overall RFM score. For example, if a customer has R = 4, F = 3, and M = 2, their RFM score would be 432.

These individual scores are used to determine a customer’s overall RFM segment.

RFM segments

Based on the combined RFM score, customers are grouped into one of 11 predefined segments. These segments help marketers tailor messaging and campaigns based on customer value and engagement.

Segment	RFM scores	Engagement pattern	Suggested strategy
Champions	555, 554, 544, 545, 454, 455, 445	Highly engaged and valuable customers	Reward with early access, premium offers, or loyalty perks
Loyal	543, 444, 435, 355, 354, 345, 344, 335	Repeat buyers who trust your brand	Keep engaged with new arrivals or exclusive content
Potential loyalists	553, 551, 552, 541, 542, 533, 532, 531, 452, 451, 442, 441, 431, 453, 433, 432, 423, 353, 352, 351, 342, 341, 333, 323	Recently active with potential to become loyal or champion customers	Nurture with personalized offers or incentives
New customers	512, 511, 422, 421, 412, 411, 311	New buyers with low frequency	Engage with a welcome series and personalized recommendations
Promising	525, 524, 523, 522, 521, 515, 514, 513, 425, 424, 413, 414, 415, 315, 314, 313	High recency, likely to become more engaged	Encourage repeat actions with targeted nudges
Need attention	535, 534, 443, 434, 343, 334, 325, 324	Engagement is dropping	Re-engage with targeted messaging or discounts
About to sleep	331, 321, 312, 221, 213, 231, 241, 251	Below-average recency and frequency	Send reminders or time-sensitive offers
At risk	255, 254, 245, 244, 253, 252, 243, 242, 235, 234, 225, 224, 153, 152, 145, 143, 142, 135, 134, 133, 125, 124	Past high-frequency or high-value users, now inactive	Use win-back or reactivation campaigns
Cannot lose them	155, 154, 144, 214, 215, 115, 114, 113	Once highly active, now at risk	Prioritize with exclusive re-engagement offers
Hibernating customers	332, 322, 233, 232, 223, 222, 132, 123, 122, 212, 211	Low engagement across the board	Try reactivation with tailored messaging or offers
Lost customers	111, 112, 121, 131, 141, 151	No recent activity or spend	Consider excluding from campaigns or minimal outreach

Note: Customers who do not have an RFM score will be classified under a system-defined segment called Not rated. This typically includes users without relevant purchase activity within the configured lookback period.

Data requirements and availability

RFM scores are available only for accounts that track purchase events and have an associated revenue attribute. This ensures meaningful segmentation based on actual purchase behavior.

• The account must have at least one year’s worth of purchase data to generate accurate RFM scores.
• RFM is currently enabled by default for e-commerce and retail accounts that meet these conditions.

RFM attributes

The following customer-level attributes are available for RFM segmentation. These attributes are automatically computed and updated based on a customer’s purchase activity. They can be used across audience insights reports, journey trigger filters, personalization in templates, and the segment builder. For details on where RFM attributes appear in Blueshift, refer to the Visibility in Blueshift section.

Attribute	Description
rfm_segment	The current RFM segment assigned to the customer (e.g., Champions, At Risk).
rfm_recency_bin	Score from 1 to 5 indicating how recently the customer made a purchase.
rfm_frequency_bin	Score from 1 to 5 indicating how frequently the customer purchases.
rfm_monetary_bin	Score from 1 to 5 indicating how much the customer spends.
prev_rfm_segment	The customer’s previously assigned RFM segment (e.g., Champions, At Risk - useful for comparison or tracking movement across segments).

Visibility in Blueshift

RFM scores and segments are available across various areas in Blueshift to help you analyze and engage customers more effectively.

You can:

• View RFM scores and segments on the customer profile

• Use RFM attributes in the segment builder to create targeted audiences

• Reference RFM segments in journeys to personalize message flows

• Insert dynamic content using user.derived_attributes.rfm_segment in the template studio.
  For example:
  {% if user.derived_attributes.rfm_segment == "Champions" %}
  Thanks for being a top customer! Enjoy early access to our newest collection.
{% elsif user.derived_attributes.rfm_segment == "At risk" %}
  We miss you! Here’s 20% off to bring you back.
{% else %}
  Check out what’s new in store — curated just for you.
{% endif %}

• Analyze customer distribution by RFM segment in audience insights

• Access two out-of-the-box reports in the Reports section:
  • Customers by RFM segment – Overview of customer distribution across RFM segments
  • Revenue by RFM segment – Weekly order trends for each segment

FAQs and edge cases