Idle store credit doesn't drive sales. Now you decide when it expires

A customer places their third order. As a thank-you, you drop $20 of store credit straight into their account. Real money, waiting for them.

And then… nothing. They mean to use it. Life gets busy. The balance sits there for months - an open liability on your books, doing zero work to bring them back.

That’s the quiet problem with store credit that never expires. No deadline means no urgency. No urgency means no return visit.

That changes now.

Store credit, with a deadline you control

You can now set store credit to expire after a window you choose — and Joy gives you two levels of control so it fits every program, not just one.

A global default. Turn on store credit expiration once, set a duration — 30 days, 6 months, or a year — and every store credit program inherits it automatically. Place Order, Referral, Milestone: all covered, no per-program busywork.

A per-program override. Need a program to behave differently? Each one that rewards store credit carries its own Store credit that expires after toggle, and it always wins over the global default:

• On → that program uses its own duration
• Off → that program’s credit never expires
• Untouched → it inherits your global default

So a 90-day expiry on Place Order rewards can sit right alongside referral credit that never expires — your call, program by program.

Why a deadline turns credit into revenue

A balance with no end date is easy to ignore. A balance that expires is a reason to come back.

That’s the psychology loyalty runs on: a deadline creates a deciding moment. “Use your $20 before it’s gone” pulls a customer back to your store in a way “you have $20” never will. You’re not just rewarding the last purchase — you’re scheduling the next one.

And there’s a balance-sheet upside. Unredeemed store credit is a liability that lingers indefinitely. An expiration window keeps that liability bounded and predictable — without you having to chase anything manually.

How to set it up

Step 1 — Set your global default. Go to Reward programs → Point Expiration, turn on Store credit expiration, and pick a duration.

Step 2 — Override where it matters. Open any Place Order, Referral, or Milestone program that rewards store credit and set its own Store credit expiration after toggling.

Step 3 — Let it run. Every new store credit reward now has the correct expiry date, and customers can see it in their activity history.

A few things worth knowing: expiration applies only to credit granted after you switch it on — existing balances are never touched. Shopify Flow keeps its own separate expiration setting. And it’s available wherever you already reward store credit in Joy.

Loyalty that keeps moving

The best rewards don’t just sit in an account - they pull. They give your customer a reason to come back while the relationship is still warm.

Store credit expiration is a small switch with a big job: it turns a static balance into a standing invitation. Money waiting isn’t loyalty. A reason to return is.

Set it once. Let every program follow. Watch idle credit turn into the next order.

Ready to turn retention into real growth?
Join the future of loyalty today. With our omnichannel platform, you can connect with customers across every touchpoint, reward their engagement, and build lasting relationships that drive growth.