Introduction

The Shopify Store Credit feature allows you to offer store credits to your customers as rewards for engaging with your loyalty program or as an alternative to refunds. Store credit functions as cash within your store, giving customers a flexible and convenient way to make future purchases while keeping revenue within your business.

Key benefits include:

Improve customer experience with flexible credit options
Drive repeat purchases through credit-based incentives
Build stronger customer loyalty and retention
Retain revenue instead of processing refunds

Understanding the Difference Between Points and Store Credit

Points

Points are designed to encourage customer engagement and interaction, such as writing reviews or completing their profile. They are great for gamifying the shopping experience and building long-term customer loyalty.

Store Credit

Store credit is a direct monetary reward, ideal for encouraging repeat purchases or managing refunds efficiently. Customers can apply store credit immediately at checkout, making it a fast and effective tool to boost retention.

Learn more: Store Credit Magic - Transform Returns into Lifetime Customers

Access Setting - Setup Process

Step 1: Access Store Credit Settings

Open Ako Marketing admin
Navigate to Loyalty Program > Store credit

Step 2: Enable Store Credit in Shopify

To give access:

Update your store's login links to new customer accounts

Ensure store credit is activated in your Customer accounts settings of your Shopify admin

For detailed instructions, visit: Shopify Store Credit Help

Step-by- Visual Guide

Step 3: Configure Store Credit Reward Rates

Under "Store credit rule," set up your Store credit reward rate by clicking Edit in reward (this will bring you to Place an order rewards setting page)

In the Place an order reward setting page, click + Add new in the Rewards section

Click the Add button for Store credit as the new reward type
Click Edit value in the Reward value section
Enter the percentage amount of Store credit customers will receive per purchase

For example: If you enter 5%, a customer who spends $100 will receive $5 in store credit automatically. This credit works like cash in your store and can be used for future purchases.

The percentage you choose determines how much customers earn back on every purchase. You can adjust this value anytime based on your business goals and customer engagement.

Examples of different reward percentages:

1% reward = $1 store credit for every $100 spent
3% reward = $3 store credit for every $100 spent
5% reward = $5 store credit for every $100 spent
10% reward = $10 store credit for every $100 spent

For stores with VIP tiers:

Enable the checkbox Different point values based on VIP tiers
Set custom percentage amounts for each VIP tier

VIP tier example:

Bronze tier: 2% store credit ($2 for every $100 spent)
Silver tier: 3% store credit ($3 for every $100 spent)
Gold tier: 5% store credit ($5 for every $100 spent)

This tiered approach encourages customers to reach higher VIP levels for better rewards.

5. Edit your Reward condition -> Order total and Store credit issue date

6. If you haven’t activated your Store credit program, please activate

7. Click activate to complete the configuration

Step 4: Customer Experience with Store Credit

Checking Store Credit Balance

Customers can easily check their available store credit in two ways:

Account Page: After logging in, customers can view their store credit balance directly from their account dashboard
Loyalty Widget: Customers can click the Store Credit button on your loyalty widget to be directed to their balance information

If customers don't see their store credit information, they can go to their account profile page by clicking on the account icon in the store and selecting "Profile".

Redeeming Store Credit at Checkout

The store credit redemption process is seamless at checkout:

During checkout, customers will see their available store credit displayed as a payment option
Customers can select Apply Store Credit to use their balance
The full available store credit amount will automatically be applied to the order

When store credit covers the entire purchase:

The order total will be reduced to $0
No additional payment method is required

When store credit covers part of the purchase:

The order total will be reduced by the store credit amount
Customers can select another payment method to cover the remaining balance

Common Questions

Can I change the currency of store credit after it's been issued?
➤ Store credits are locked to your store's default currency once issued. For multi-currency stores, you can issue new store credit in different currencies by selecting from the Currency drop-down menu during issuance. For more details, refer to Shopify's documentation.

Is it possible to enable both points and store credit simultaneously?
➤ Yes! Both features can work together to create a comprehensive loyalty strategy. This gives you flexibility to tailor your rewards program to your specific marketing strategy and business goals.

How long does it usually take to set up?

➤ You can set up within 20 minutes. Please download set up guide here:

👋 Need help? We're here for you!

📧 Email us: service@akohub.com
📅 Schedule a 20-minute free consultation

How to set up Shopify Store Credit in your loyalty program?

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