Store credit lets you reward loyalty members with real monetary value instead of a discount code. Members build a balance in their Shopify account and apply it at checkout like a payment method.
You might prefer store credit to coupons because:
Store credit is not subject to the same discount combination rules as coupons.
Nothing is forfeited. If a member applies a $20 coupon to a $15 order, they lose $5. With $20 of store credit, only $15 is applied and $5 stays on their balance.
Discounting may not suit your brand. If you sell luxury goods, store credit is often a more acceptable way to reward loyalty than a discount.
Once store credit is enabled, you can award it in three ways: as cash back on every qualifying order, as a reward for loyalty actions, and as a reward members redeem points for.
❗ Store credit is only available if your store uses Shopify new customer accounts. If you are on legacy customer accounts, you will need to migrate to new customer accounts first.
In this article, you will learn about:
Deciding whether store credit is right for your store
Enabling store credit in Shopify
Granting Okendo access to store credit
How store credit behaves for members
Limitations to know about
FAQs
Deciding whether store credit is right for your store
Okendo Loyalty uses Shopify's native store credit functionality, so Shopify's rules apply. Before you build store credit into your program, read Shopify's store credit considerations, particularly around accounting treatment and liability, since store credit carries real monetary value in a way that a discount code does not.
Enabling store credit in Shopify
Go to Shopify Admin > Settings > Customer accounts.
Confirm that Customer accounts is selected, not Legacy. Store credit is only available on new customer accounts.
Further down the page, find Store credit and enable it.
Granting Okendo access to store credit
The first time you configure a store credit reward or cash back rule, Okendo asks you to grant an additional Shopify permission so it can issue and manage store credit on your behalf. Follow the on-screen prompt to approve it.
Until this permission is granted, Okendo cannot award store credit to members.
How store credit behaves for members
Store credit works the same way no matter how a member earned it.
Applying store credit at checkout
A member's store credit balance is shown at checkout. To use it, they select the Apply store credit checkbox.
If their balance covers the full order value, they pay nothing.
If their balance only covers part of the order, they pay the difference using another payment method.
Any balance left over after the order stays on their account for next time.
Shopify always attempts to apply the member's full available balance to an order. Members cannot choose to apply only part of their balance.
Where members see their balance
Members can check their store credit balance in:
The loyalty page
The floating widget
The banner widget
Their profile in customer accounts
Checkout
How expiring store credit is used
If you set store credit to expire, Shopify uses the allocations with the closest expiry date first, which minimizes the amount that expires unused.
Because of this, a member's balance can decrease over time as older allocations expire.
Adding or deducting store credit manually
You can add or deduct store credit for any member directly in Shopify Admin. This is useful for goodwill gestures or corrections. Manual adjustments are reflected in the balance Okendo displays.
Limitations to know about
Store credit cannot be restricted to specific products, collections, or customer cohorts beyond VIP tiers. Shopify treats it as cash, so it can be used on any order by any member.
Store credit cannot be used against recurring subscription orders.
Store credit held in one currency can only be used on orders placed in that same currency.
Members cannot partly apply their balance. Shopify always applies as much of the balance as the order allows.
FAQs
Please read our Cash Back and Store Credit FAQ for more information.
Can members use store credit alongside a discount code?
Yes, generally. Shopify applies store credit as a payment method rather than a discount, so it is not subject to discount combination rules. Whether both apply on a given order depends on your Shopify checkout configuration.
Does store credit expire?
Only if you set it to. Expiry is configured per reward when you set up a store credit reward, or on the earn rule when you use cash back. If you do not set an expiry, the credit stays on the member's account indefinitely.
What happens to a member's store credit if they are refunded?
If the order was refunded and the store credit was awarded as cash back, Okendo attempts to claw the credit back. See Set up cash back in your loyalty program for how clawbacks work.
How do I see how much store credit my program has outstanding?
Use Shopify's native store credit reports, which show store credit issued, used, and expired.
If you have any questions or need a hand, reach out to our support team.