A merchant is seeking an app or workflow to automatically issue partial refunds or cashback to customers who leave reviews, rather than offering discounts on future purchases.
Current Solutions & Limitations:
Key Concerns Raised:
Recommended Alternatives:
The discussion remains open, with the original poster confirming they believe the practice is allowed based on their research, though no consensus has been reached on compliance or best practices.
I’m looking for an app, workflow, or someway we can automatically refund (say a fixed amount or percentage) to customers who leave honest reviews. Most of the apps I have seen offer fixed amounts or discounts to future orders only instead of cashback/refunds.
Thanks in advance!
As far as i am aware there is no app with this functionality - i.e. automatically refunding an order on a review.
This is normally instead handled with a loyalty app - by rewarding the customer for leaving a product review, with points that they can then redeem against rewards.
An alternative to handling this without an app is of course simply handling partial refunds manually through Shopify itself - but this is manual & cumbersome, especially at scale.
Are you sure incentivizing reviews (honest or not) is allowed under Shopify’s terms?
What review app are you using?
Most of the major review apps do have APIs or webhooks. There is the possibility with development to create an automated workflow.
The question is—should you? I believe that’s the tougher question to answer. It’s likely better to focus on optimizing when you ask for a review rather than incentivizing one.
In eCommerce, timing is everything when it comes to getting authentic, positive reviews. A few strategies that often work well:
Post-delivery follow-up: Send a review request a few days after the order has been delivered. This gives the customer time to experience the product.
After customer support interactions: If someone has a great experience with your support team, it’s a perfect time to ask them to share their feedback.
Repeat buyers: When a customer places their second or third order, it’s a good sign they like the brand — and they’re more likely to leave a favorable review.
After social engagement: If someone tags you in a positive post or story, DM them with a thank you and link to leave a review.
Ultimately, the goal should be to integrate the review request naturally into your post-purchase experience. The more it feels like a conversation, not a transaction, the better the results — and the more likely you are to stay within platform guidelines.
From what I read, yes.