This article is for Shopify merchants only.
Scope and quick definition
This article is for Shopify merchants only.
Store credit is a balance that sits on a customer’s Shopify account. When an advocate/affiliate earns a reward, ReferralCandy issues store credit to their customer profile in Shopify.
Important: Store credit is not a discount code. If your goal is “apply a code at checkout (even for guest checkout),” use Advocate reward: Coupon instead.
Store credits vs. coupons
Store credit (Shopify)
Store credit is a balance stored in a customer’s Shopify account. When an advocate/affiliate earns a store credit reward, Shopify adds that balance to their customer profile, and they can use it to pay for a future order.
What merchants often miss: Store credit usually only appears at checkout when Shopify can identify the customer (most commonly: the customer is signed in to their customer account). If the customer checks out as a guest, store credit may not show at all.
Coupons (discount codes)
Coupons are discount codes applied at checkout as a one-time discount. Coupons are often easier for guest checkout use cases, because customers can usually apply them without needing to sign in.
Quick check (common support issue): If someone says they can’t see store credit at checkout, first confirm Shopify store credit is enabled (Shopify admin → Settings → Customer accounts → Store credit), then confirm the customer is signed in during checkout.
Learn more: [Shopify] Advocate Reward: Coupon
Before you start (Shopify requirements)
Store credit can only be redeemed when Shopify can identify the customer at checkout.
In Shopify admin, confirm these are set up:
Go to Settings > Customer accounts.
Make sure your sign-in experience is set to Customer accounts (not legacy/classic accounts).
Make sure Store credit is enabled (the toggle is ON).
What this means for customers: they must be signed in to their customer account to see and apply store credit during checkout.
Key Shopify limitations (when store credit won’t work)
Even if ReferralCandy successfully issues the store credit, Shopify might not allow it to be used in these situations:
Customer isn’t signed in
Store credit generally won’t show for guest checkout.Legacy/classic customer accounts
Store credit redemption requires the Customer accounts experience.Draft orders or edited orders
Store credit can’t be applied on these order types.Subscription renewals
Store credit can be used for the initial subscription purchase, but not for recurring subscription bills.B2B checkouts (Shopify Plus feature area)
Store credit issued to a regular customer profile is typically only usable in D2C checkout, not B2B company-location checkout. (B2B store credit works differently in Shopify.)Multi-currency edge cases
If store credit exists in multiple currencies, Shopify only shows the balance that matches the checkout currency.“Partial use” isn’t supported
Customers can’t choose to apply only part of their store credit. Shopify applies the full available balance (and if the order total is higher, the remainder can be paid with another payment method).
Note about Shop Pay / accelerated checkout buttons: Some merchants see store credit fail to appear when customers use accelerated flows (for example, going straight into Shop Pay). If your customers can’t see store credit, have them (a) sign in to customer accounts first, then (b) use the standard checkout flow (not an accelerated button).
For more information, read the Store credit article in the Shopify help center.
How to set store credits as your advocate/affiliate reward (ReferralCandy)
To use store credits as your advocate or affiliate reward:
From your Shopify admin, go to Campaigns and select your campaign.
In Set rewards, click Advocate reward.
Select a reward tier to Edit.
Select Store credits as the reward type.
Under Store credit value, choose Fixed Amount or Percentage, then set the value.
Add a Reward description (this appears in your ReferralCandy emails/pages/widgets).
Optional: To set an expiration, check Set no. of days store credit will expire after being issued and enter the number of days.
Click Save.
Tip: If your product costs more than $100, a fixed amount tends to feel more compelling. If it’s less than $100, a percentage reward often performs better.
How customers use store credit at checkout (what to tell them)
Sign in to your customer account on the store (customer accounts / one-time code login).
Proceed to checkout using the standard checkout flow.
At checkout, apply/select Store credit as a payment method.
Switching to a discount code reward instead (common fallback)
If store credit isn’t a fit for your store (or your customers can’t reliably redeem it), switch the advocate reward to Coupon:
Go to Campaigns and select your campaign.
In Set rewards, click Advocate reward.
Edit the reward tier.
Change the reward type to Coupon.
Configure the coupon value and save.
What changes: advocates receive a discount code reward instead of store credit.
What doesn’t change: your referral tracking and referral links.
FAQ / Troubleshooting
My customer is using the “new login,” but store credit still doesn’t show at checkout
My customer is using the “new login,” but store credit still doesn’t show at checkout
Work through this checklist in order:
Confirm Shopify store credit is enabled (Settings > Customer accounts > Store credit toggle ON).
Confirm they’re actually signed in to customer accounts (not checking out as a guest).
Avoid accelerated checkout buttons (try standard checkout instead of Shop Pay / express buttons).
Confirm it’s a normal checkout (not a draft order, not an edited order).
Check currency (the store credit currency must match the checkout currency).
Refresh session: log out and back in, then try again (some stores see store credit appear only after a fresh login).
If it’s a subscription: confirm it’s the initial purchase, not a renewal charge.
If it still doesn’t appear after the above, switching to Coupon is usually the simplest alternative.
Can customers combine store credit with another payment method?
Can customers combine store credit with another payment method?
Yes, when the order total is higher than the store credit balance. Shopify applies the full store credit first, then the customer pays the remaining balance with another payment method.
Why can’t I enable store credits as a reward option?
Why can’t I enable store credits as a reward option?
To configure store credit, you typically need to be the store owner or have staff permissions that allow viewing/editing store credit in Shopify. If you don’t see the option, ask a store admin to enable access (or make the changes for you).
Can I offer store credit as the friend offer (for referred friends)?
Can I offer store credit as the friend offer (for referred friends)?
No. Friend offers are public incentives (like coupons/freebies). Store credit is issued to a specific customer account, so it’s only supported as an advocate/affiliate reward.