Refunding as store credit

Choose Replace / Re-use in next order (Store Credit) as a refund's method to pay the customer in credit instead of money. The refund record itself becomes the credit: a REF- slip worth the refund amount, which can be spent once on a later order.

Who can do this: the roles that raise refunds: the Administrator, Admin, Store Admin and Cashier. Spending the credit happens at checkout. Store credit works on every plan.

Before you start#

• The return must be approved or completed.
• The customer must be active. A deactivated customer cannot be given new store credit. Refund them as cash or an adjustment instead, or reactivate them first.

Issue a store credit#

1. Open the approved return and click Process refund. For a completed return, open Refunds, click Process refund and enter the Return ID.
2. Select the items and check the Refund amount.
3. Under Refund method, choose Replace / Re-use in next order (Store Credit).
4. Click Create refund.
5. Open the new refund and click Print credit slip if the customer wants a paper slip.

The credit starts as Pending. It moves no money on the day.

The life of a credit#

After you issue it, the credit's status is moved by the orders that spend it, not by you:

• Added to an order: the order holds it and it shows as Processing. No other order can take it.
• The order's payment completes: the credit becomes Completed, for good.
• The order is cancelled: the credit goes back to Pending and can be spent again.

You cannot mark a store credit completed by hand. The app refuses and explains that "a store credit settles when the customer spends it at checkout, not by hand". The refund page says: Store credit refunds are completed automatically when used on an order. What you can do is cancel a credit that has not been spent. That is the right way to withdraw one.

Two tills cannot spend the same slip. If they try at the same moment, one wins. The other is refused, and the message names the order that took the credit.

Exchanges#

An exchange is three records in a row:

1. Complete the return.
2. Refund it as store credit.
3. Create a new order for the replacement goods, and add the credit with the Add refund tile at checkout. See Store credit.

If the new goods cost less than the credit, see Automatic vs manual for how the difference is paid back.

Behind the scenes#

• A credit has no expiry date. It stays spendable until it is spent or cancelled.
• The refund page shows Used in order once a credit is being spent.

Watch out#

Troubleshooting#

Related pages#

Store credit · Refunds · Creating an order