Store Credit

Store credit gives a customer a balance they can spend on future purchases at your store. Instead of receiving a cash or card refund, the customer keeps the value in their account and uses it next time they shop.

Who can manage store credit?

Any staff member can view a customer's balance at the POS. Managers and Admins can view the transaction history in the customer profile. Only Admins can manually adjust balances.

How a customer earns store credit

A customer receives store credit in two ways:

From a return: When you process a customer return and choose Store Credit as the refund method, the refund amount is credited to their account immediately. A customer must be attached to the original sale to use this method.

From exchange credit leftover: When a customer redeems an exchange receipt at checkout and the credit is worth more than the cart total, the remainder can be converted to store credit instead of being forfeited. This depends on your store's policy (see Returns Policy).

Attach the customer before completing the sale

The remainder is credited when the sale completes, not when the exchange receipt is scanned. If no customer is attached at that point, the cashier sees an amber warning: "Attach a customer to save the remaining {amount} as store credit, or it will be forfeited." The sale can still go through, but the remainder is lost.

Using store credit at checkout

1. Attach the customer to the cart. Their store credit balance is shown below their name in the cart.
2. Open the payment dialog. Store Credit appears as a payment method when the customer's balance is above zero.
3. The amount is auto-filled to the maximum usable amount (either the full balance or the remaining total, whichever is lower). You can reduce it if the customer wants to pay part with cash or card.
4. Complete the sale as normal. The balance is deducted when the sale is confirmed.

Split payments

Store credit can be combined with cash or card in a single transaction. For example: $50 purchase, customer has $20 store credit. Apply $20 store credit and collect $30 in cash.

Setting the expiry period (Admin only)

By default, store credit never expires. To set an expiry:

1. Go to Settings and select Returns & Refunds.
2. Set Store credit expires after X day(s). Enter 0 to keep the credit valid indefinitely.
3. Save.

When expiry is configured, a customer's expiry date is extended from the current date each time they receive or are manually credited with store credit. Balances that pass their expiry date are zeroed automatically overnight.

Manually adjusting a balance (Admin only)

1. Go to Customers and open the customer's profile.
2. Click the Store Credit tab.
3. Click Adjust.
4. Choose Add Credit or Deduct Credit, then enter the amount.
5. Add a note explaining the reason. This appears in the transaction history.
6. Confirm.

Viewing a customer's store credit history

Open any customer profile and click the Store Credit tab. You will see:

• The current balance
• The expiry date (if configured)
• A paginated list of transactions: Earned (from a return refund or exchange remainder), Redeemed (spent at checkout), Adjusted (manual admin change), Refunded (credit returned when a sale using store credit was voided), Expired (balance zeroed overnight)

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FAQ

Q: Does a customer need to be attached to a sale before I can issue a store credit refund?

A: Yes. Store credit is tied to a specific customer record. If no customer is attached to the original sale, the Store Credit refund method will not be available. Attach the customer first, then process the return.

Q: The Store Credit option is not showing in the payment dialog. Why?

A: Two conditions must be met: a customer must be attached to the cart, and their store credit balance must be above zero. Check both.

Q: Can store credit be used together with cash or card?

A: Yes. You can split the payment across store credit and cash or card. Apply the store credit amount first, then collect the remainder with another method.

Q: Can store credit be used together with loyalty points?

A: Yes. Both can apply to the same sale. The combined total of all credits and discounts cannot exceed the cart total.

Q: Can store credit be used offline?

A: No. The system must verify the customer's balance before accepting store credit as payment. Store credit is unavailable when the POS is offline.

Q: Can store credit be used at a different branch?

A: No. Store credit is tied to the store where it was issued and can only be spent there. It cannot be redeemed at another branch.

Q: What happens if a sale with store credit payment is voided?

A: The store credit amount is returned to the customer's balance automatically. A "Refunded" entry appears in their transaction history.

Q: What happens when store credit expires?

A: The system zeroes the balance overnight and records an Expired entry in the transaction history. Unused credit is lost. You can check a customer's expiry date on their Store Credit tab before it lapses.

Q: Does earning new store credit extend the expiry date?

A: Yes. Each time a customer receives new store credit (from a return or a manual adjustment), the expiry date resets to today plus the configured number of days. Spending store credit does not extend the expiry date.

Q: A customer says they have store credit but the balance shows zero. What happened?

A: The credit may have expired. Open the customer profile and check the Store Credit transaction history for an Expired entry. If the expiry policy is set too short for your customers' shopping habits, you can adjust it under Returns & Refunds in Settings.

Q: Can a cashier give store credit without processing a return?

A: No. Only an Admin can manually add credit using the Adjust button in the customer profile. Cashiers and Managers cannot create or modify balances; they can only view and spend them.

Q: Can a customer check their own balance?

A: Not directly. There is no customer-facing portal. The cashier can look it up by searching for the customer on the Customers page. The balance also shows when the customer is attached to a cart at POS.

Q: What is the difference between store credit and an exchange receipt?

A: An exchange receipt is a one-time voucher with its own expiry date that must be used in a single transaction. Store credit is a running balance on the customer's account that can be spent across multiple purchases and has its own separate expiry setting.

Q: How does store credit appear on the receipt?

A: Store credit is shown as a deduction in the totals section of the receipt, labelled "Store Credit - {amount}" above the TOTAL line. The customer can see exactly how much credit was applied and what the remaining cash or card amount was.

Q: How is store credit earned from an exchange remainder different from a store credit refund?

A: Both add to the same balance, but the transaction history distinguishes them. Exchange remainder is recorded with a note referencing the exchange receipt (e.g. "Remainder from exchange credit RET-00042"), while a return refund shows as a standalone EARNED entry from that return.

Q: What if two cashiers try to use the same customer's store credit at the same time?

A: The system prevents double-spending. The first transaction to confirm goes through. The second gets an error if there is not enough balance left. This is handled automatically and does not require any action from staff.

Q: Can a customer get cash back from their store credit?

A: No. Store credit can only be spent on purchases in your store. If you need to pay out cash, an Admin can deduct the credit manually using the Adjust button and handle the cash separately outside the system.