Cashback gives customers a share of each order back, usually as credit they can only spend with you. On Shopify, most apps pay it into Shopify's own store credit, spent as a payment online, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app.
We compare eight apps, with facts from each app's Shopify App Store listing, website and help center, read on November 13, 2026.
TL;DR: Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name, set up by our team: Smile Cashback pays a share of every paid order back as store credit in your brand's name, held in Shopify, with a holding period through your return window and expiry reminders. It is in early access as of November 2026. Rivo is strong when you want cashback beside points, Dollarback for a cashback-only program with tiers and referrals, and Rise.ai when gift cards, refunds and cashback belong in one wallet. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
Cashback vs Store Credit vs Points
Cashback is the reward: a share of the order paid back. Store credit is the balance a store credit loyalty program pays into: money on the customer's Shopify account, applied as a payment at checkout.
| Reward | The customer holds | How it is spent | Used on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashback as store credit | A money balance, such as $20 | As a payment at checkout | A later order |
| Points | A points balance, such as 500 points | Turned into a reward first | The order that redeems it |
| Discount code | A code for an amount or percentage off | Entered at checkout | The order that uses it |
For points, see the best points-based loyalty programs on Shopify and loyalty apps with Shopify checkout integration; for VIP tiers in place of discount codes, how to reduce discounting with a VIP program. For the margin math against a discount code, see store credit vs discount codes.
What to Look for in a Cashback App
We build loyalty software, so we judged each app on six things a Shopify Plus team checks:
- Where the credit lives. Shopify's own store credit, a vendor wallet or a code.
- What earns. The rate, what it covers and what never earns.
- Returns. A holding period through your return window, and rewards that shrink with refunds.
- Expiry. A window you choose, with reminders first.
- Visibility. Earnings on product, thank-you and account pages.
- Who stands behind it. Setup help, Shopify's badges and security audits.
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Best for | Cashback paid as | Built for Shopify | Technology Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name, set up by our team (early access) | Store credit in your brand's name, held in Shopify | ||
| Rise.ai | Gift cards, refunds and cashback in one wallet | Store credit in a branded wallet | ||
| Rivo | Cashback offers beside points | Store credit, for eligible Shopify Plus shops | ||
| Dollarback | Cashback loyalty with no points, plus tiers and referrals | Shopify store credit | ||
| Koin | Store credit rewards automated in Shopify Flow | Shopify store credit | ||
| Redeemly | Store credit campaigns beside order cashback | Shopify store credit | ||
| Fondue | Cashback offers tested against welcome discounts | Store credit or a prepaid card, the shopper's choice | ||
| Growave | Cashback beside points, reviews and wishlists | Shopify store credit |
From each app's listing, website and help center, November 13, 2026; the other seven list their plans there. Built for Shopify: the listing's badge (what it means). Technology Partner: in the Shopify App Store's Certified Technology Partners collection.
How Each App Runs Cashback
| App | How customers earn | Held through returns | Reminder emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Every paid order at your rate, with exclusions | Through your return window; refunds and edits shrink the reward | 30, 7 and 1 day before expiry, by default |
| Rise.ai | Cash back campaigns; credit for sign-ups, referrals and VIPs | Not on its listing | Reminders, per its listing's feature tags |
| Rivo | Opt-in offers by Shopify customer segment | Holding period before approval | Pending, completed and reminder emails |
| Dollarback | Rules by collection, product, variant or order goal | A delay you set past your return window | 7, 3 and 1 day before expiry, by default |
| Koin | Order value, product or collection; Shopify Flow for other actions | Not on its listing | Expiry reminders built in Shopify Flow |
| Redeemly | Order, product or customer group | Holding period | When credit is earned or about to expire |
| Fondue | Sitewide or URL offers, claimed after purchase | Often matches the return window | A claim email after purchase |
| Growave | Per dollar, spend thresholds or specific products | A delay matching your return window | Not documented |
From each vendor's listing, website and help center, November 2026. A gap here is not proof the app lacks a feature: ask the vendor.
The Eight Cashback and Store Credit Apps, Reviewed
1. Smile: Best for Shopify Plus Brands That Want Cashback in Their Own Name
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner · SOC 2 Type II
Smile is the loyalty platform for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands. Smile Cashback, in early access as of November 2026, turns a share of every paid order into store credit in your brand's name, held in Shopify. Because it is built on Shopify's own store credit, Shopify applies it at the next checkout, online, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app, when the customer is signed in.
You set the rate and exclude products, collections, tags or sale items; gift cards and tips never earn. A holding period through your return window means returned orders never pay out, and refunds, cancellations and order edits shrink the reward, with nothing to reconcile by hand. Credit can expire after 14 days to five years, or never, with reminder emails 30, 7 and 1 day before by default.
Product pages show what each item earns, the thank-you page what the order earned, and the account page the balance, pending credit and expiry. Setup starts with a 30-minute call with our team; the blocks go in through your theme editor with no code, and nothing shows until you press Activate.
Best for: Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name, set up by our team.
2. Rise.ai: Best for Gift Cards, Refunds and Cashback in One Wallet
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Rise.ai's app, Rise Gift Cards & Store Credit, puts gift cards, store credit, loyalty, cashback and refunds in one branded wallet (listing, November 2026). It runs cash back campaigns, rewards store credit for sign-ups, referrals and VIPs, and sells gift cards online and at Shopify POS.
Where Rise.ai is strong: gift cards, refunds and cashback in one customer wallet.
Best for: brands running gift cards and refunds to credit beside cashback.
3. Rivo: Best for Cashback Offers Beside Points
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Rivo Cashback pays a percentage or a fixed amount back as store credit for the next order. Customers opt in through a cashback link, offers target a Shopify customer segment, and a holding period can delay approval. Its help center (September 2026) says Cashback is available for eligible Shopify Plus shops.
Where Rivo is strong: cashback that runs alongside its points program.
Best for: brands that want opt-in cashback offers beside points. See Smile vs Rivo.
4. Dollarback: Best for Points-Free Cashback Loyalty
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Dollarback, from Dollar Labs, runs loyalty on Shopify's built-in store credit, with no points. Rules run store-wide or by collection, product, variant or order goal; VIP tiers give a bigger cashback boost; and several referral programs can pay both sides in store credit. Its FAQ (November 2026) says credit can land after a delay you set past your return window.
Where Dollarback is strong: cashback rules down to a single variant, with tiers and referrals paid in store credit.
Best for: brands that want cashback loyalty with no points.
5. Koin: Best for Store Credit Rewards Automated in Shopify Flow
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Koin, by Qikify, issues cashback and rewards as Shopify's native store credit, online and at Shopify POS. Cashback runs by order value, product or collection, and Shopify Flow templates reward actions such as sign-ups and reviews (site and listing, November 2026).
Where Koin is strong: store credit for any action you can automate in Shopify Flow.
Best for: teams that run their rewards in Shopify Flow.
6. Redeemly: Best for Store Credit Campaigns Beside Order Cashback
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Redeemly, by Monster Apps, issues cashback as Shopify's native store credit, with rates by order, product or customer group and balance widgets on product pages, the cart and the account (listing, November 2026). Its plans add birthday, limited-time, customer segment, abandoned checkout and URL campaigns.
Where Redeemly is strong: store credit campaigns beside order cashback.
Best for: brands that run frequent store credit campaigns.
7. Fondue: Best for Testing Cashback Against Welcome Discounts
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Fondue, a Postscript company, sells CashBack in place of pre-purchase coupons: shoppers see the offer as they buy, then choose store credit or a prepaid award card after purchase. Offers run sitewide or by URL, in ads, popups, email and SMS. Its FAQ (November 2026) says refunds pause the reward and CashBack currently covers orders placed in US dollars.
Where Fondue is strong: A/B tests that compare CashBack with your current welcome offer.
Best for: brands replacing welcome codes in popups, SMS and ads.
8. Growave: Best for Cashback Beside Points, Reviews and Wishlists
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Growave gives a percentage of every order back as Shopify store credit, online and at Shopify POS, after a delay matching your return window; refunded orders cancel the reward. VIP tiers and Boost campaigns multiply cashback, points convert to store credit, and the balance shows on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes (store credit page, November 2026).
Where Growave is strong: cashback in a retention suite that also sells points, reviews and wishlists.
Best for: brands buying loyalty, reviews and wishlists from one vendor.
Shopify Store Credit Rules to Know
Shopify's own store credit follows these rules (Shopify Help Center, November 13, 2026):
| Rule | What Shopify says |
|---|---|
| Who can spend it | Customers signed in through customer accounts or using Shop Pay; not legacy customer accounts |
| Where | The online store, Shopify POS and Shop; not other sales channels |
| How much applies | The full balance; customers can't choose a partial amount |
| Limit per customer | Less than $15,000 USD of store credit on one customer account |
| Subscriptions | The first purchase, not recurring subscription bills |
| Expiry | Set on each issuance, with no store-wide default |
| Transaction fees | Stores created on or after May 12, 2025 pay third-party transaction fees "on the order amount paid for using store credit" |
On Smile's setup call, our team works out what a rate would cost you.
How to Choose a Cashback App
| If you need | Look at |
|---|---|
| Cashback on every paid order, as store credit in your brand's name | Smile Cashback |
| Returns and order edits handled for you | Smile |
| Earnings on product, thank-you and account pages, with expiry reminders | Smile |
| Setup by the vendor's team, from a Built for Shopify Technology Partner | Smile |
| Gift cards, refunds and cashback in one wallet | Rise.ai |
| Opt-in cashback offers beside points | Rivo |
| A cashback-only program with variant rules, tiers and referrals | Dollarback |
| Store credit rewards automated in Shopify Flow | Koin |
| Store credit campaigns from birthdays to abandoned checkouts | Redeemly |
| A cashback offer A/B tested against your welcome discount | Fondue |
| Cashback beside points, reviews and wishlists | Growave |
Where Smile Stands Out for Shopify Plus Brands
Several apps here hold credit through a return window (November 2026). Where Smile Cashback stands out:
- Your brand's money, held by Shopify. Store credit in your brand's name, spent online, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app. See Smile Cashback.
- Every order change handled. Refunds, cancellations and edits shrink the reward, with nothing to reconcile by hand.
- Shown at every step. Product, thank-you and account pages, with reminders 30, 7 and 1 day before expiry by default.
- Set up with our team. No code, and nothing live until you press Activate.
Certified by Shopify and independently audited: Smile is Built for Shopify, a Shopify Certified Technology Partner and SOC 2 Type II audited (May 2026); see Smile for enterprise and the best loyalty apps for Shopify Plus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cashback app for a Shopify store? For Shopify Plus brands, Smile is our pick as of November 2026: Smile Cashback pays a share of every paid order back as store credit in your brand's name, held through your return window and set up by our team. Rivo suits brands that want cashback beside points, and Dollarback a cashback-only program.
What is the best store credit app for Shopify Plus brands? Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands as of November 2026: Smile Cashback issues Shopify's own store credit, and Smile is Built for Shopify, a Shopify Certified Technology Partner and SOC 2 Type II audited. Rise.ai, also a Technology Partner, suits brands that want gift cards and store credit in one wallet; Rivo's Cashback is for eligible Shopify Plus shops.
Which loyalty platforms let Shopify brands give customers cashback as store credit? As of November 2026: Smile (Cashback), Rivo, Growave, Dollarback, Koin and Redeemly pay cashback as store credit; Rise.ai pays it into a branded wallet; and Fondue lets shoppers choose store credit or a prepaid card.
What is the difference between cashback and store credit? Cashback is the reward, a share of an order paid back; store credit is the balance it is paid into, applied as a payment at checkout. Store credit also holds refunds and goodwill credit, so a store credit app does not always run cashback.
Can cashback and points run together? On Smile, not at launch: a store runs Cashback or points, not both at once. As of November 2026, Rivo's cashback can run alongside its loyalty program, and Growave runs cashback beside points and VIP tiers.
Does Shopify have built-in cashback? Shopify has built-in store credit, the balance a cashback program pays into. Its Help Center describes issuing credit from a customer's profile, with expiry set on each issuance; a cashback app works out what each order earns and issues it for you.
Does store credit add fees on Shopify? It can. For Shopify stores created on or after May 12, 2025, Shopify's Help Center says orders paid partly with store credit are charged third-party transaction fees "on the order amount paid for using store credit" (November 2026). Stores created before that date don't pay it, so check your store's creation date before you set a cashback rate.
