Snapchat Launches Place Loyalty Feature on Snap Map to Showcase Frequent Visits

On April 22, 2026, Snapchat introduced a new feature called Place Loyalty on its Snap Map, designed to highlight how frequently users visit specific locations over the past year. The feature identifies users who are among the most frequent visitors to a place and ranks them based on visit frequency, assigning them to one of three tiers: Gold for the top 1%, Silver for the top 10%, and Bronze for the top 25% of visitors to a location.

Users may see a “Top Visitor” badge directly on a location within Snap Map. By tapping the badge, they can view their ranking, category details, and access a shareable sticker that reflects their status. For businesses with multiple locations, such as chains or franchises, Snapchat aggregates visits across all outlets so that a user’s total visits to the brand are counted collectively.

According to Snapchat, Place Loyalty rankings are visible only to the individual user and are not shared with others or with advertisers. The feature only appears if users have chosen to share their location on Snap Map, which remains off by default and is shared only with friends the user selects. Snapchat emphasized that precise location data is never shared with advertisers.

As of the announcement, Snap Map has more than 435 million monthly active users globally who use the feature to connect with friends and explore nearby activity. The introduction of Place Loyalty builds on Snap Map’s evolution since its launch in 2017, transforming it from a tool for viewing friends’ locations into a platform for discovering local hotspots and personalizing the map experience based on real-world habits.

How Place Loyalty Works

Place Loyalty evaluates a user’s visit history to a specific location over the preceding 12 months. If a user falls within the top 25% of all Snapchatters who have visited that place, they become eligible to see their loyalty status. The tiers are structured as follows:

• Gold: Awarded to users in the top 1% of visitors to a location.
• Silver: Awarded to users in the top 10% of visitors.
• Bronze: Awarded to users in the top 25% of visitors.

When a user qualifies for any tier, a corresponding badge appears on the location in Snap Map. Tapping the badge reveals a card with the user’s rank, the category of the place (such as café, restaurant, or airport), and a sticker they can save or share outside the app.

Privacy and User Control

Snapchat reiterated that location sharing on Snap Map is optional and off by default. Users must actively choose to share their location with friends for any location-based features, including Place Loyalty, to function. Even when location sharing is enabled, Place Loyalty rankings remain private and are visible only to the user. The company confirmed that no precise location data is shared with advertisers or third parties.

This approach aligns with Snapchat’s broader privacy principles, which prioritize user control and data minimization. By keeping loyalty rankings personal, the feature encourages self-reflection and personal achievement without enabling social comparison or external tracking.

Benefits for Users and Businesses

For users, Place Loyalty offers a fun and engaging way to recognize their routines and favorite spots. Whether it’s a neighborhood coffee shop that knows their order or an airport they pass through weekly, the feature validates habitual behaviors in a lighthearted, shareable format.

For businesses, particularly those with multiple locations, the aggregation of visits means that loyal customers are recognized across all branches of a chain. This can help brands understand customer loyalty patterns and potentially inform local marketing efforts — though Snapchat emphasized that no individual data is shared with advertisers.

The Evolution of Snap Map

Since its debut in 2017, Snap Map has grown into one of the most widely used maps on mobile. Initially conceived as a way to see where friends are and view public Snaps from around the world, it has evolved to include features like local event discovery, heat maps of popular areas, and now, personalized visit tracking through Place Loyalty.

With over 435 million monthly active users, Snap Map continues to serve as a central part of the Snapchat experience, blending social interaction with real-world exploration. Features like Place Loyalty reinforce its role not just as a social tool, but as a reflection of how users move through and engage with their physical environments.

Conclusion

Snapchat’s Place Loyalty feature adds a personal layer to Snap Map by turning frequency of visits into a recognizable achievement. By limiting visibility to the user alone and maintaining strict privacy controls, the company balances engagement with responsibility. As users continue to integrate Snapchat into their daily routines, tools like Place Loyalty offer a meaningful way to celebrate the places that shape their habits — all although keeping their data in their own hands.