Would you like to offer your affiliates an additional benefit by giving them the option to earn store credit for their referrals? Store Credit for AffiliateWP allows affiliates to use their earnings as store credit when making purchases on your website.
This guide will walk you through enabling, configuring, and managing store credit for your affiliates.
The Store Credit is available with all the license levels of AffiliateWP.
Enabling Store Credit
Before we get started, be sure to install and activate AffiliateWP on your WordPress site.
After installing AffiliateWP, the next step is to enable the Store Credit feature. To do this, go to AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts, and locate the Store Credit card.
Click the toggle to enable Store Credit, then click Configure to open the Store Credit settings panel.
Additionally, if you’re using WooCommerce Subscriptions, you’ll also see an option to apply store credit toward renewal orders. Enable Apply Store Credit to WooCommerce Subscriptions Renewal Orders to allow affiliates to use their credit for future subscription charges.
Once you’ve selected your preferred options, click Save Changes.
Configuring Affiliate Access to Store Credit
There are two settings at the top of the Payouts tab that control which affiliates can earn and use store credit.
Setting the Default Payout Method
The Default Payout Method dropdown, found at the top of AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts, controls which payout method is used for any affiliate who hasn’t been assigned a specific method. Set this to Store Credit to make store credit the default across your affiliate program. Affiliates will continue using their individual payout method if one has been set for them directly, or if they’ve chosen one themselves.
Allowing Affiliates to Choose Their Payout Method
If you want affiliates to be able to select store credit themselves, enable the Allow affiliates to choose their payout method toggle near the top of the Payouts tab.
When this is on, affiliates will see a Payout Method dropdown on the Settings tab of their Affiliate Area. They can select Store Credit as their preferred payout method directly from their dashboard.
Note: If Allow affiliates to choose their payout method is turned off, affiliates will not see the payout method selector in their dashboard. Their payout method will be set by the Default Payout Method setting or by an admin directly from their affiliate profile.
Using Store Credit
Store credit is automatically added to an affiliate’s account when their referral is marked as paid. There are two ways to do this: paying individual referrals or running a payout batch.
Paying Individual Referrals
To pay an individual referral, go to AffiliateWP » Referrals in your WordPress admin. Find the unpaid referral you want to pay, hover over the row, and click Pay. The store credit balance is updated automatically.
Once the referral is paid, the corresponding amount will be credited to the affiliate’s store credit balance. Affiliates can then use this balance during checkout.
Running a Payout Batch
Store Credit also works with AffiliateWP’s bulk payout flow. Any affiliate with Store Credit as their payout method will have their credit applied automatically when the batch runs — no extra steps needed.
For full instructions on running a payout batch, see Paying Your Affiliates — Running a Payout Batch.
In WooCommerce, store credit will appear as an option at checkout. Affiliates can apply their available store credit balance directly to their purchase during checkout.
For Easy Digital Downloads (EDD), store credit will be shown as a payment option at checkout, provided you have the EDD Wallet extension enabled. Affiliates can apply their store credit just like any other payment method.
The EDD Wallet extension is required to use store credit with Easy Digital Downloads.
Viewing and Adjusting Store Credit
Affiliates can view their store credit balance under the Settings tab of the Affiliate account. The balance is updated automatically each time a referral is marked as paid.
The store credit can be managed through the Edit affiliate screen. To access this, navigate to AffiliateWP » Affiliates, then click on the affiliate’s name you’d like to edit. Once in the affiliate’s profile, scroll down to the Store Credit section, where you can view the affiliate’s current store credit balance and a log of any changes made to the affiliate’s store credit balance. The log shows details such as the referral date, adjustment type, and amount.
To manually adjust the store credit balance click on the Adjust button.
After clicking, a lightbox will open displaying the affiliate’s current store credit balance. The lightbox will provide options to either increase or decrease the store credit balance.
To increase the store credit, select the Increase Store Credit option. Enter the amount you wish to add, and you’ll see a preview of the updated balance. Once you’re satisfied, click Save Adjustment to apply the changes.
To decrease the store credit, select the Decrease Store Credit option. Enter the amount you wish to subtract, and click Save Adjustment to update the balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enable store credit for only specific affiliates?
You can set the payout method on a per-affiliate basis by editing an affiliate’s profile. Navigate to AffiliateWP » Affiliates, click on the affiliate’s name, scroll to the Payout Method field, and set it to Store Credit.
Where affiliates see their store credit balance?
Affiliates can view their store credit balance under the Settings tab of their Affiliate Area. The balance updates automatically each time a referral is marked as paid.
Is store credit available for subscription renewals?
Yes, if you are using WooCommerce Subscriptions, you can configure store credit to be applied to subscription renewals. Enable the option in the Store Credit settings panel under AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts.
Can I manually adjust store credit?
Yes, admins can manually adjust store credit from the Edit Affiliate screen under AffiliateWP » Affiliates. The Adjust button allows you to increase or reduce store credit as needed.
What happens if an affiliate doesn’t use their store credit at checkout?
The store credit balance remains available until the affiliate decides to use it. It does not expire unless manually adjusted by the admin.
Why isn’t the payout method option showing in the affiliate’s dashboard?
Affiliates can only see the payout method selector if the Allow affiliates to choose their payout method toggle is enabled in AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts. If the toggle is off, affiliates will be assigned the default payout method automatically and the selector won’t appear in their dashboard.
That’s it! Store Credit for AffiliateWP provides a flexible and user-friendly option for rewarding affiliates. By enabling store credit, affiliates can apply their earnings directly toward purchases on your site, simplifying the payout process. With the ability to manually adjust and track credit, both admins and affiliates benefit from greater control and transparency.