Set Up Store Credit Incentives for Shopify Returns
Plans: Pro, Premium, Enterprise Platforms: Shopify
AfterShip Returns allows Shopify merchants to offer store credit incentives to customers when they are processing returns. This encourages customers to opt for store credit instead of requesting a refund, helping merchants retain more revenue and reduce refund rates.
In this article, we will show you:
Default setting vs. conditional incentives
Setting up store credit incentives
Customer experience
Additional considerations
FAQs
Default setting: You can apply a store credit incentive to all customers by setting it globally. For example, you can offer a fixed $5 or 10% bonus to any customer who selects store credit when they return an item.
Conditional (scenario-based) incentives: This lets you offer store credit bonuses only for specific situations. For instance, you could offer a higher incentive, like $10, for customers returning items for a specific reason (e.g., the product is damaged or the return is for an exchange).
The Default setting allows you to set up a standard incentive that applies to all customers when they choose store credit for a return.
For example, you might offer 10% extra store credit to everyone who returns an item.
If a customer returns a $50 item and selects store credit, the system might automatically add a $5 bonus in store credit (10% of $50).
Go to Refunds and exchanges under Return policy in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Move to Refunds > Replace to store credit section.
Shift the toggle to the right to activate the Refund to store credit method.
Click Edit to customize the display text and store credit processing settings.
Edit the customer-facing text and title that will be displayed on the branded returns page when the customer submits a return request as per your requirement.
Select how the store credit will be issued to the customer. Currently, for WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce, the store credit will be issued as gift cards.
Suppose you wish to further enhance the store credit management process for your Shopify store. In that case, you can integrate your AfterShip Returns account with third-party apps like Rise.ai to set up a workflow on Rise.ai to automatically issue store credit to customers when a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is processed for a refund to store credit on AfterShip Returns. Learn more.
Shift the toggle to the right to activate the Store credit incentive. When setting up the incentive, you must decide whether to offer a percentage or a fixed amount.
a. Percentage: You can choose to give customers a certain percentage of the refund amount as a store credit (e.g., 10% of the refund).
b. Fixed amount: You can offer a set amount of store credit, such as $5 or $10, no matter what the refund amount is.
Click +Add currency
Choose the currency from the dropdown. Make sure the currency you are selecting is the same as supported by your Shopify store.
If you have multiple stores connected to your AfterShip Returns account, add a price for all checkout currencies used by your connected stores.
Input the amount to want to give as bonus credit.
Save the changes
You can also create custom workflows (rules based on conditions) to offer store credit incentives only when certain conditions are met. This is useful for creating special offers for specific situations, like a higher incentive for certain types of returns.
For example, you can set a rule where customers returning an item because it's damaged might get a larger store credit incentive ($10), while regular returns receive the default $5.
When a customer opts for store credit, they will see a bonus amount added to their store credit. This bonus will be displayed clearly, so customers can see the difference between the store credit option and their original refund amount.
If a customer opts for Refund to original payment method, the bonus credit will not be extended and is only due their original refund amount.
Example: If a customer is due a $120 refund but opts for store credit instead, they might receive $125 in store credit (if there’s a $5 bonus).
On the RMA detail page, a merchant can see the complete breakup of the refund value with the bonus credit displayed clearly.
Currency matching: If you're offering a fixed amount of store credit (e.g., $10), the currency used in the store must match the customer’s return currency. If there's a mismatch, the incentive won’t be applied.
Limit on fixed amount: To prevent abuse (where customers might try to exploit the system), the fixed store credit incentive can only be used once per order. So, if you offer a $5 store credit incentive for a return, customers can only use that offer once per order.
If you have both a default incentive and a conditional workflow, the workflow will override the default setting if the condition for the workflow is met.
Example: You might have a default $5 store credit for all returns, but if the return reason is "damaged product," you might offer $10 instead. The workflow rule ensures the customer gets the higher amount if the condition (damaged product) is met.
Currently, this feature only works with Shopify. The team is working on expanding support to other eCommerce platforms in the future.
Overview
AfterShip Returns allows Shopify merchants to offer store credit incentives to customers when they are processing returns. This encourages customers to opt for store credit instead of requesting a refund, helping merchants retain more revenue and reduce refund rates.
What you’ll learn
In this article, we will show you:
Default setting vs. conditional incentives
Setting up store credit incentives
Customer experience
Additional considerations
FAQs
Default setting vs. conditional incentives
Default setting: You can apply a store credit incentive to all customers by setting it globally. For example, you can offer a fixed $5 or 10% bonus to any customer who selects store credit when they return an item.
Conditional (scenario-based) incentives: This lets you offer store credit bonuses only for specific situations. For instance, you could offer a higher incentive, like $10, for customers returning items for a specific reason (e.g., the product is damaged or the return is for an exchange).
Setting up store credit incentives
1. To all customers
The Default setting allows you to set up a standard incentive that applies to all customers when they choose store credit for a return.
For example, you might offer 10% extra store credit to everyone who returns an item.
If a customer returns a $50 item and selects store credit, the system might automatically add a $5 bonus in store credit (10% of $50).
Setting up store credit incentives for all customers
Go to Refunds and exchanges under Return policy in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Move to Refunds > Replace to store credit section.
Shift the toggle to the right to activate the Refund to store credit method.
Click Edit to customize the display text and store credit processing settings.
Edit the customer-facing text and title that will be displayed on the branded returns page when the customer submits a return request as per your requirement.
Select how the store credit will be issued to the customer. Currently, for WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce, the store credit will be issued as gift cards.
Suppose you wish to further enhance the store credit management process for your Shopify store. In that case, you can integrate your AfterShip Returns account with third-party apps like Rise.ai to set up a workflow on Rise.ai to automatically issue store credit to customers when a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is processed for a refund to store credit on AfterShip Returns. Learn more.
Shift the toggle to the right to activate the Store credit incentive. When setting up the incentive, you must decide whether to offer a percentage or a fixed amount.
a. Percentage: You can choose to give customers a certain percentage of the refund amount as a store credit (e.g., 10% of the refund).
b. Fixed amount: You can offer a set amount of store credit, such as $5 or $10, no matter what the refund amount is.
Click +Add currency
Choose the currency from the dropdown. Make sure the currency you are selecting is the same as supported by your Shopify store.
If you have multiple stores connected to your AfterShip Returns account, add a price for all checkout currencies used by your connected stores.
Input the amount to want to give as bonus credit.
Save the changes
2. By specific ccenarios
You can also create custom workflows (rules based on conditions) to offer store credit incentives only when certain conditions are met. This is useful for creating special offers for specific situations, like a higher incentive for certain types of returns.
For example, you can set a rule where customers returning an item because it's damaged might get a larger store credit incentive ($10), while regular returns receive the default $5.
Customer experience
When a customer opts for store credit, they will see a bonus amount added to their store credit. This bonus will be displayed clearly, so customers can see the difference between the store credit option and their original refund amount.
If a customer opts for Refund to original payment method, the bonus credit will not be extended and is only due their original refund amount.
Example: If a customer is due a $120 refund but opts for store credit instead, they might receive $125 in store credit (if there’s a $5 bonus).
On the RMA detail page, a merchant can see the complete breakup of the refund value with the bonus credit displayed clearly.
Additional considerations
Currency matching: If you're offering a fixed amount of store credit (e.g., $10), the currency used in the store must match the customer’s return currency. If there's a mismatch, the incentive won’t be applied.
Limit on fixed amount: To prevent abuse (where customers might try to exploit the system), the fixed store credit incentive can only be used once per order. So, if you offer a $5 store credit incentive for a return, customers can only use that offer once per order.
FAQs
1. What is prioritized between default setting and custom workflow?
If you have both a default incentive and a conditional workflow, the workflow will override the default setting if the condition for the workflow is met.
Example: You might have a default $5 store credit for all returns, but if the return reason is "damaged product," you might offer $10 instead. The workflow rule ensures the customer gets the higher amount if the condition (damaged product) is met.
2. Can this be used on platforms other than Shopify?
Currently, this feature only works with Shopify. The team is working on expanding support to other eCommerce platforms in the future.
Updated on: 20/11/2024
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