When a Challenge has run its course, or if it was set up by mistake, you have two options: end it or delete it. They do very different things to your customers' stamp cards, so this article explains when to use which, and exactly what happens under the hood.
At a glance
| Action | Keeps customer stamp cards? | Stops new checkpoints? | Reversible? | Use when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End a challenge (change the end date) | Yes — all progress is preserved | Yes | Yes — you can extend the end date again | The Challenge has run its course, but you want customers to keep their stamps and history |
| Delete a challenge | No — all checkpoints and assignments are removed | Yes (the Challenge no longer exists) | No — deletion is permanent | The Challenge was created by mistake, was never launched, or should be fully removed |
Ending a challenge
To end a Challenge, simply change its end date to today's date (or any past date).
What happens when you end a challenge
- The Challenge is still visible in the Challenges list, and it still has its history.
- Every customer who was participating keeps their stamp card and every checkpoint they've already collected.
- No new checkpoints can be added after the end date. Even if a customer performs a qualifying action (for example, a purchase that would normally add a stamp), the system will not register a new checkpoint on a Challenge that has already ended.
- You can reopen the Challenge later by pushing the end date into the future again. Existing checkpoints remain intact, and new ones will once again be collected going forward.
When to end instead of delete
End the Challenge whenever customers have started participating and you want their progress to remain visible — for example, as part of their profile, loyalty history, or reporting.
Deleting a challenge
Deleting a Challenge removes the Challenge itself and all customer data associated with it. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
What happens when you delete a challenge
When you delete a Challenge via the UI (or the DELETE data/challenges/{id} API), the following happens in sequence:
- The Challenge is removed.
- All Challenge assignments for that Challenge (one per participating customer) are deleted in batches.
- All checkpoints (individual stamps) belonging to those assignments are automatically removed at the database level — they cannot exist without an assignment.
In short: once a Challenge is deleted, there is no record of it on any customer's stamp card, and no way to restore it.
When to delete
Delete a Challenge only when:
- It was set up by mistake and should never have existed, or
- It was never launched to customers, or
- You are absolutely certain that no customer data should be preserved.
If you are unsure, end the Challenge instead — you can always come back and delete it later.
How to end a challenge (step by step)
- Go to Challenges in the main menu.
- Open the Challenge you want to end.
- Change the end date to today (or any past date).
- Save.
The Challenge will immediately stop accepting new checkpoints. Existing stamp cards remain untouched.
How to delete a challenge (step by step)
- Go to Challenges in the main menu.
- Open the Challenge you want to delete.
- Choose Delete.
- Confirm the action.
Archiving
There is currently no archiving function beyond ending a Challenge. Ended Challenges remain in the Challenges list so that you (and your customers' profiles) can refer back to them. If the list of ended Challenges becomes long and hard to manage, please reach out to your Voyado contact — it helps us prioritize an archiving feature.
FAQ
Will customers lose their stamps if I end a Challenge?
No. Ending a Challenge only stops new checkpoints from being added. All existing stamps and history are preserved.
Will customers lose their stamps if I delete a Challenge?
Yes. Deletion removes every stamp (checkpoint) associated with the Challenge on every customer's stamp card. This cannot be undone.
Can I extend a Challenge that has already ended?
Yes. Change the end date to a future date and the Challenge becomes active again. Existing checkpoints are preserved, and new ones can once again be collected.
Will deleting a Challenge trigger integrations or automations?
Yes. ChallengeDeleted and ChallengeAssignmentDeleted events are published, so any system listening for these will be notified.
Is there a soft-delete / undo for Challenges?
No. Deletion is immediate and permanent. If you might want the data later, end the Challenge instead.