Can I Offer Store Credit Instead of a Refund in Chat?
Yes. AeroChat can offer store credit as an option when a customer asks for a refund, and issue it in Shopify when they accept. It verifies the customer, checks the order against your refund rules, explains the credit clearly, and refunds to store credit within the amount you allow. Customers who prefer their money back still get the original payment method. Shopify’s own rules decide where and how the credit can be spent.
Shopify behavior from Shopify’s help center: Store credit and Canceling orders, checked 11 November 2026.
Why it happens
Merchants on the Shopify Community say store credit is usually handed out one customer at a time. That works for a few, and becomes a long manual job when a delay or goodwill gesture affects many orders. Others ask for best practices, or need help building a Shopify Flow step to issue and track credit. Some want to use credit as a loyalty reward.
Credit keeps the money in your store, and many customers are happy to take it if it is offered clearly and quickly. The trouble is that the offer has to be made in the moment, in the conversation where the customer asks for a refund.
What Shopify’s help center says
Per Shopify’s help center, checked 11 November 2026:
- You can refund to store credit for a whole order, part of an order, a returned item or a canceled order. Staff need the “Refund to store credit” permission.
- Customers can apply store credit on your online store, at Shopify POS and in Shop. It can’t be used on draft orders or edited orders.
- Customers must be signed in through customer accounts or use Shop Pay to apply credit. Store credit isn’t available for legacy customer accounts.
- Customers must use the full balance at checkout. You can set an expiry date for each credit.
- Stores created on or after 12 May 2025 pay third-party transaction fees on the portion of an order paid with store credit.
The usual fixes and their limits
- Issue it by hand in the customer profile. Simple for one customer. Slow for many, and the offer comes after the conversation instead of during it.
- A Shopify Flow workflow. Can issue credit on a trigger. It runs on events, not on what a customer says in a chat.
- A returns app that pushes credit. Offers credit or exchange at the return step. Customers who message you still need the same offer.
- Gift cards instead. Another way to keep value in the store, with their own rules on sharing and use.
How to handle it in chat with AeroChat
When a customer asks for a refund on a return or a cancellation, AeroChat checks the order and your rules. It offers the choice: credit now, or a refund to the original payment method. If you add a bonus for choosing credit, it states the amount clearly. If the customer accepts, it refunds to store credit in Shopify, within the limit you set, and tells them how to use it, including that they need to sign in or use Shop Pay. If they want their money back, it follows your normal refund flow. Anything above your limit goes to your team.
Customer: My order arrived late and I don’t need it anymore. Can I get a refund? (example)
AeroChat: Sorry it was late. I’ve checked order #3307. You can have a refund of US$40 to your card, or US$45 in store credit to use right away (example). Which would you like?
Customer: Store credit is fine.
AeroChat: Done. US$45 in store credit is on your account. Sign in at checkout or use Shop Pay to apply it. It needs to be used in one order. Please send the item back using the return label I’ll send once it’s approved.
In Shopify: the return on order #3307 is refunded to store credit, and the customer profile shows a US$45 balance.
Copy this into AeroChat
When a customer asks for a refund on a return or a cancellation, follow these steps.
- Verify them with their order number and the email or phone number they ordered with.
- Check the order against our refund policy.
- Offer two choices: a refund to the original payment method, or store credit for the same amount plus 10% (example).
- If they choose credit and the amount is US$150 or less (example), refund to store credit in Shopify and add the bonus to their account as a separate store credit.
- Tell them the credit amount, that they need to sign in or use Shop Pay to apply it, and that the full balance is used in one order.
- If they choose a refund, follow our normal refund steps. If the amount is over our limit, hand the conversation to our team.
Never push a customer to take credit if they ask for their money back. Reply in the customer’s language.
Set your own bonus, limit and expiry before you paste it.
What to connect
- Your Shopify store. Built in. Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store and connect your store. AeroChat reads the order and issues the store credit refund there. Your store needs new customer accounts for customers to use the credit.
- Your refund and credit policy. In AeroChat’s knowledge, with any bonus, limit and expiry.
Questions
Can AeroChat issue credit to many customers at once?
It issues credit inside each conversation. A bulk credit run for hundreds of customers is better done in Shopify or with a Flow workflow.
Where can customers spend the credit?
Shopify says on your online store, at Shopify POS and in Shop, when signed in or using Shop Pay.
Can I cap how much credit AeroChat gives?
Yes. Write the limit into the recipe. Anything above it goes to your team.
Where can I read about refunds in chat?
See refund requests and refund status and refunds.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
Keep refunds in your store with chat
Install AeroChat, set your credit rules, and ask your own store chat for a refund on a test order.
7-day free trial.