Shopify Native Store Credit lets merchants refund to account-bound credit that appears automatically at checkout for logged-in customers on Shopify's new customer accounts. Merchants can now also set a store credit expiration date, so native store credit issued through Loop can expire after a configurable window. This article covers native store credit use cases, how to set it up, and how to configure an expiry date for expiring store credit.

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Note: This move is optional for current merchants. Merchants can still utilize store credit via our Shopify gift card API outlined here: Store Credit Automation

• Retain revenue from returns by issuing credit instead of cash.

• Encourage exchanges or re-purchase using store credit balance.

• Safer alternative to gift cards for fraud-prone categories.

Merchants can set an expiration window for native store credit issued through Loop return outcomes. When configured, Loop calculates the expiration date at the time credit is issued, applies it to the Shopify store credit, and stores it for reporting and display.

You can configure store credit to either:

• Never expire, or

• Expire after a set amount of time — a configured number of days, months, or years.

Important: Expiration applies to Shopify Native Store Credit. It does not change expiration behavior for gift-card-based store credit, which is configured separately.

Tip: If you don't have a policy reason to expire credit, start with no expiration. If you want to encourage repurchase, a clear window such as 6 months or 12 months balances urgency with a fair chance for customers to use their credit.

To start, please reach out to your Merchant Success Manager or support@loopreturns.com to ensure they enable the backend Native Credit Setting for you.

1. Enable new customer accounts in Shopify

2. Enable the feature in Loop: Navigate to Policy Settings → General → scroll to Store Credit section → toggle to "Store Credit"

   

3. Configure in return policy: Go to Policy Settings → Return Policies → Select a policy → scroll down to Store Credit section and enable/configure it there.

4. Set the expiration behavior: In the same Store Credit section, choose whether store credit never expires or expires after a set number of days, months, or years.

   

5. Run a test return in Loop and check redemption in Shopify checkout.

Important: For the expiration date to reach shoppers, the expiration must also be configured in Shopify to be included in the store credit notification email. See the FAQ below.

Once expiration is configured, Loop calculates the expiration date when native store credit is issued and stores it on the store-credit record for reporting and troubleshooting. The expiration date can then be surfaced to shoppers in Shopify's store credit notification email.

Do shoppers need a Shopify account? Native store credit will still be created and associated with the email from the order. From there the shopper will need to create a Shopify customer account with the store to actually access and spend the credit.

Are native store credit transactions captured in Shopify reporting? Yes, native store credit allows better financial reporting as the transaction is captured within Shopify reporting, and no order adjustments are required for credit issuance.

Why is the store credit not appearing when the customer is checking out? Please verify that the customer is logged into their customer account and has a balance, and ensure you have customer accounts enabled in Shopify.

Is multi-currency supported with Native Store Credit? Yes, multi-currency is supported with native store credit!

How is the store credit expiration date calculated? When credit is issued, Loop calculates the expiration date from the expiration window configured in your store credit policy settings (for example, 6 months from the issue date) and applies it to the Shopify store credit.

Will shoppers see the expiration date? The expiration date can be shown to shoppers when store credit is issued. It is configured in Shopify to be included in the email that notifies the shopper of their store credit.

Does expiration apply to gift-card-based store credit? No. This expiration behavior applies to Shopify Native Store Credit. Gift-card-based store credit (via the Shopify gift card API) is configured separately.

Please reach out to support@loopreturns.com with any additional questions.