Store credit with a bonus: how to choose the right bonus rate

Offering store credit instead of a cash refund is not a new idea. But for customers to actually choose it, the credit has to be more attractive than cash. Store credit with a bonus does exactly that. The short answer: bonus store credit is a balance spendable in your store, made up of the refund amount plus an extra percentage on top; for example 575 TL of credit instead of a 500 TL refund. This article covers how to choose the bonus rate, how to check your margin and when you should not offer an incentive at all.

What is bonus store credit?

Store credit is a balance or coupon given instead of cash, usable only in your store. The bonus rate is the extra value added to it. With a 15 percent bonus, a 500 TL return becomes 575 TL of credit.

For the customer, the offer is simple: instead of waiting for their money, they can shop right away with a higher amount. For the merchant, the sale is not lost entirely; the customer comes back and the revenue stays in the business.

One important reminder: store credit must always be an option. In Turkey, as in many other markets, a consumer exercising the right of withdrawal on a distance sale is entitled to a refund. The credit offer should sit on the same screen as the standard refund, with equal visibility.

How to choose the bonus rate

The right rate differs from business to business. Ask yourself these four questions.

1. What is your gross margin?

What credit costs you is not its face value but the cost of the goods the customer buys with it. If you sell high-margin products, you can afford a more generous bonus. In low-margin categories, be more cautious.

2. Was the product sold at a discount?

When a discounted item is returned, the margin has already shrunk. A lower bonus makes sense for these items. For example, a rule might say "10 percent bonus on discounted items, 15 percent on everything else".

3. What about season and stock?

Near the end of a season, or when you have stock you want to clear, you may want to make credit more attractive. Conversely, during peak periods you may keep the rate steady to avoid stretching operations.

4. How large is the order?

On high-value orders, even a small rate makes a meaningful difference to the customer. On low-value orders, the rate may need to be a bit higher before the customer notices it.

A practical approach: pick a reasonable starting rate, run it for a while, then adjust based on retention rate and recovered revenue. Previewing the effect of a rule change on past returns before publishing it helps avoid surprises.

Worked example: what does the credit cost you?

The figures below are purely illustrative; recalculate with your own margin and shipping costs.

Assumptions:

• Refund amount: 500 TL
• Bonus rate: 15 percent, so the credit is 575 TL
• Average product cost as a share of selling price: 45 percent
• Outbound shipping for the new order: 50 TL

The returned item comes back to you in both scenarios. The difference is what happens to the 500 TL.

Refund scenario: 500 TL goes back to the customer. Nothing from this order stays in the business.

Store credit scenario: The customer shops for 575 TL. Those goods cost you 575 × 0.45 = 258.75 TL. Shipping the new order costs 50 TL. Total cost is 308.75 TL. The contribution that stays in the business is 500 − 308.75 = 191.25 TL.

Run the same calculation at a 25 percent bonus and the credit becomes 625 TL, the cost rises to 625 × 0.45 + 50 = 331.25 TL, and the contribution drops to 168.75 TL. As the bonus rises, the offer becomes more attractive to the customer and your contribution per accepted offer falls. The right rate is where the increase in acceptance outweighs the drop in contribution per unit.

Points to watch in the calculation

• Use your real margin: Customers may spend credit on discounted products. Set your average margin with promotional periods in mind.
• Remember credit is a liability: Credit you issue is value you owe the customer. Decide in advance how it will be tracked in your accounts.
• State the validity period clearly: How long the credit is valid should be shown plainly at the moment of the offer.
• Spending above the credit: If the customer buys more than the credit amount, they pay the difference themselves. That adds revenue, but do not base your planning on it.

When not to offer bonus credit

An incentive is not the right tool for every return. Do not offer bonus credit in the following cases.

Merchant-fault reasons

If the item is defective, the wrong item was sent, parts are missing or it was damaged in shipping, the problem lies with the merchant, not the customer. Trying to talk the customer out of a refund with a bonus is not fair here. The only things to offer are a free exchange for the same product or the standard refund. These reasons must also never be hidden; the customer must always be able to report a fault.

Suspected abuse

If the same person sends several returns within a short time, an incentive can end up rewarding abuse. In these cases, a standard refund with no offers is the safer default.

Excluded categories

You can exclude categories from incentives in your rules, for example those with very thin margins or those covered by campaign terms.

How to present the offer

• Show the amounts plainly: "575 TL in store credit instead of a 500 TL refund" is clearer than a percentage.
• Do not hide the conditions: Validity and terms of use should be visible alongside the offer.
• Keep the standard refund in the same place: If the customer does not want credit, they should be able to choose a refund in one click.
• Issue the credit immediately: Once the customer accepts, the coupon or balance should be created without delay.

Bonus credit in Revoop

In Revoop, you set bonus rates through rules; for example, you can define different rates by discount status, order value or category. Rules always give the same result for the same situation, and their effect can be previewed in the merchant panel before publishing. For merchant-fault reasons, no incentive is offered, and the standard refund is always one click away. When the customer accepts, the coupon is created on the merchant's own platform. Pricing is a success fee only for returns kept in the store, calculated on the full credit given to the customer (bonus included); see pricing for details.

Conclusion

Built well, bonus store credit gives the customer a real advantage and helps keep the sale in the business. Set the rate according to your margin, the item's discount status and order value, then adjust as you watch the results. Avoid incentives for merchant-fault returns and keep the standard refund visible at all times. Lasting success comes from customers choosing credit because it is genuinely worth it, not because they were pushed.