I agree. Also - giving a customer a gift card instead of a store credit - provides zero customer history.
Topic summary
Merchants are seeking a way to offer store credit instead of refunds for returned items, with the credit automatically linked to customer accounts.
Current Shopify Limitations:
- No native store credit functionality exists in Shopify’s core platform
- Shopify only processes refunds to original payment methods
- Gift cards can be issued manually (Shopify Plan or higher), but this creates accounting complications and doesn’t function as true store credit
Available Workarounds:
- Third-party apps like Rise.ai, Rewardify, and Fresh Credit can provide store credit features
- Manual discount codes can be created for individual customers
- Some merchants use coupon codes tailored to specific customers and amounts
Major Pain Point:
- Strong consensus that app costs are prohibitively expensive ($60-120/month for low-volume stores)
- Many merchants pay more for add-on apps than for Shopify itself
- Users view store credit as basic e-commerce functionality that should be built into the platform, not requiring expensive third-party solutions
Merchant Sentiment:
- Multiple users report considering or actively planning to leave Shopify due to missing core features
- Frustration centers on paying premium prices for basic functionality that competitors offer natively
- Several merchants seeking alternative platform recommendations
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