Shopify Store Credit: How to Use It to Drive Repeat Orders
Shopify store credit explained: what it is, five use cases that drive repeat orders, how to set it up in Joy, and the operational rules that keep it clean.
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Why this matters
Put store credit to work on repeat orders. Store credit in Joy is a cash-value balance tied to the customer's account and applied at checkout, so what you give out funds their next order.
Reward orders, milestones and referrals in credit
Attach a store-credit reward to Place Order for cashback, to Milestones for spending goals, or to Referrals. Every program feeds the same balance, which customers see on your storefront and apply at checkout.
Set an expiry that brings customers back
Set one global expiry and override it per program, so referral credit and cashback run on different clocks. Customers see the expiry date in their activity history, a reason to order before it passes.
Keep balances accurate through refunds and migrations
When an order paid with store credit is refunded, Joy returns the credit used to the customer's balance and logs the change. A CSV import brings balances over from another loyalty or gift-card app.
Turn on cashback on Place Order as store credit and set a six to twelve-month expiry. Then watch your redemption and repeat rate before adding another program.
How to access and use
Step 1: Open the Place Order program
In Joy, go to Reward programs and open the Place Order program.
Step 2: Choose Store Credit
Choose Store Credit as the reward type. Click Grant Access in the banner, then Confirm.
Step 3: Set the earning rate
Enter the percentage of each order that returns as credit.
Step 4: Set an expiry
Go to Reward programs → Point Expiration, turn on Store credit expiration and set the duration.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning on expiration affect existing balances?
No. Expiration applies only to store credit granted after you turn it on, so balances customers already hold are never affected.
Is store credit the same as a discount code?
No. Store credit sits in the customer's Shopify account balance and applies at checkout as a payment method, with no code required.
Can I adjust a customer's balance by hand?
Yes. Adjust one customer at a time on the Customer detail page, or in bulk with the Import action, which updates only customers who already exist in your store.
