Rise.ai's Shopify app, Rise Gift Cards & Store Credit, has been on the Shopify App Store since December 2014. Its listing puts gift cards, store credit, loyalty, cashback and refunds in one branded wallet.
This guide compares the Rise.ai alternatives and competitors for the store credit and cashback side of that wallet, then covers what to check before you switch. Every fact comes from each app's Shopify App Store listing, website or help center, or from Shopify's Help Center, read on November 13, 2026. For a feature by feature comparison of cashback apps, see the best cashback and store credit apps for Shopify. For how cashback works on Shopify, see what a cashback loyalty program is.
TL;DR: Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name, set up by our team: Smile Cashback, in early access, pays a share of every paid order back as store credit in your brand's name, held in Shopify, which applies it at the next checkout, online, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app. The other Rise.ai alternatives for store credit and cashback on Shopify are Rivo for cashback offers beside points, Dollarback for cashback with no points, Koin for store credit automated in Shopify Flow, Redeemly for store credit campaigns, Growave for cashback beside reviews and wishlists, and Toki for paid memberships that pay out in store credit. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
Why Brands Look Beyond Rise.ai
Two documented differences matter when you compare, as of November 13, 2026:
- How customers spend the credit. Rise.ai's knowledge base says cashback lands in the customer's Rise.ai wallet, spent with a wallet code at checkout; its help center adds a one-click apply button on the cart page for logged-in customers, and in checkout on Shopify Plus. Smile Cashback, Dollarback, Koin, Redeemly and Growave pay Shopify's own store credit, which Shopify applies as a payment for signed-in customers.
- Shopify's quality badge. Rise.ai's listing does not show the Built for Shopify badge; Smile, Dollarback, Koin, Redeemly, Growave and Toki do (what the badge means). Rise.ai, like Smile, is in Shopify's Certified Technology Partners collection.
None of this makes Rise.ai a weak product. Per its listing, Rise.ai pairs the wallet with an AI Retention Agent that recommends next moves, sells branded digital and physical gift cards online and at POS, and rewards store credit for sign-ups, referrals, VIPs and lifetime spend. Its cashback page adds tiered cashback with in-cart nudges toward the next tier, and its help center describes a liability report that breaks active credit down by type.
Where Rise.ai is strong: gift cards, refunds and cashback in one customer wallet.
Rise.ai Alternatives Compared
We build loyalty software, so we compared each app on where the credit lives, how customers spend it and Shopify's two badges:
| App | Best for | How customers spend it | 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 and applied online, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app | ||
| Rise.ai (for reference) | Gift cards, refunds and cashback in one wallet | A Rise.ai wallet code at checkout, or one-click apply; works with Shopify POS | ||
| Rivo | Cashback offers beside points | Store credit on the next order | ||
| Dollarback | Cashback loyalty with no points | Shopify store credit at checkout or Shopify POS | ||
| Koin | Store credit rewards automated in Shopify Flow | Shopify store credit, online and at Shopify POS | ||
| Redeemly | Store credit campaigns beside order cashback | Shopify store credit | ||
| Growave | Cashback beside points, reviews and wishlists | Shopify store credit, online and at Shopify POS | ||
| Toki | Paid memberships that pay out in store credit | Store credit balances, online and at Shopify POS |
From each app's listing, website and help center, November 13, 2026. Built for Shopify: the badge on the app's listing. Technology Partner: in the Shopify App Store's Certified Technology Partners collection.
The Seven Rise.ai Alternatives, 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, pays a share of every paid order back as store credit in your brand's name, held in Shopify. Because it is built on Shopify's own store credit, Shopify applies the balance as a payment 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. For the math against a discount code, see store credit vs discount codes.
Setup starts with a 30-minute call: we look at your catalog and return window, name your money and work out what a rate would cost you. The blocks go in through your theme editor with no code, and nothing shows to customers until you press Activate. Smile is also a 2026 Shopify Build Award winner and was SOC 2 Type II audited in May 2026 (Smile for enterprise).
Best for: Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name, set up by our team.
2. Rivo: Best for Cashback Offers Beside Points
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Rivo Cashback gives customers a percentage back as store credit for their next order, and it can run alongside Rivo's loyalty program or on its own (cashback page, November 2026). Offers target a Shopify customer segment and customers opt in through a cashback link; its help center (September 2026) says Cashback is available for eligible Shopify Plus shops.
Where Rivo is strong: cashback offers that run alongside its points program.
Best for: brands that want opt-in cashback offers beside points. Weighing Rivo too? See the best Rivo alternatives.
3. Dollarback: Best for Cashback Loyalty With No Points
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Dollarback, from Dollar Labs, runs loyalty on Shopify's native store credit with no points or coupon codes, redeemed at checkout or Shopify POS (listing, November 2026). Cashback rules run by product, collection, variant or order goal, VIP tiers qualify on any condition you set, and several referral programs can run at once.
Where Dollarback is strong: cashback rules down to a single variant, beside VIP tiers and referrals.
Best for: brands that want cashback loyalty with no points.
4. 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 (site and listing, November 2026). Cashback runs by order value, product or collection, pre-built Shopify Flow templates reward other actions, and staff can credit or debit balances one at a time or in bulk.
Where Koin is strong: store credit for any customer action you can automate in Shopify Flow.
Best for: teams that run their rewards in Shopify Flow.
5. Redeemly: Best for Store Credit Campaigns Beside Order Cashback
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Redeemly, by Monster Apps, issues cashback as native Shopify store credit, with rates by order, product or customer group, referrals that send credit to friends, 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.
6. 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 you set to match your return window (store credit page, November 2026). VIP tiers and Boost campaigns multiply cashback, points convert to store credit, and the balance shows on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes.
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.
7. Toki: Best for Paid Memberships That Pay Out in Store Credit
On Shopify: Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Toki lists store credit and cashback among its rewards, beside points and paid memberships (listing, November 2026). Its docs describe store credit earned for activities or redeemed from points, deposit memberships whose reward is store credit worth more than their price, and, since August 2026, several store credit balances in one program that staff can redeem at Shopify POS.
Where Toki is strong: paid memberships that pay out in store credit.
Best for: brands that sell paid memberships.
What to Check Before Switching from Rise.ai
Rise.ai's own pages show what your customers hold today and how they spend it. Check each of these before you uninstall:
| Check | What Rise.ai documents (November 2026) | Before you switch |
|---|---|---|
| Where balances live | Cashback, refund credit, compensation, workflow and loyalty rewards in each customer's Rise.ai wallet, spent with a wallet code | Export the liability report, which breaks active credit down by type |
| Gift cards in circulation | Branded digital and physical gift cards, sold online and at POS | Agree with Rise.ai how cards already sold stay redeemable |
| Refunds to credit | Refund and return credit lands in the same wallet | Move refunds to Shopify's own refund to store credit, or your new app |
| Expiry | Never, after a set period or on a date; each credit's expiry shows in the customer's record | Keep the dates customers were given |
| Theme blocks and emails | Custom emails, a redemption page and a balance page; store credit emails carry the wallet code | Take Rise.ai's cart button and pages out of your theme, and tell customers where their balance lives |
| Customer sign-in | One-click apply for logged-in customers | For Shopify store credit, move off legacy customer accounts first |
Shopify's Help Center sets the rules for what comes next (November 13, 2026):
- Store credit needs a signed-in customer. It is a payment method on the online store, Shopify POS and Shop for customers signed in through customer accounts or Shop Pay; legacy customer accounts can't use it.
- Refunds can go to store credit natively. You can refund an order to store credit even when the customer paid by card, if you are the store owner or have the Refund to store credit permission.
- Expiry is set on each issuance, and Shopify advises checking your country's laws before you set one.
- Gift cards are on every Shopify plan. Shopify's own gift cards redeem on any sales channel that uses Shopify checkout, including the online store, Shopify POS and the Shop app.
If a returns app issues credit through Rise.ai (AfterShip and Loop Returns are among the integrations on its listing), check how it will issue credit after the switch. With Smile Cashback, nothing shows to customers until you press Activate, so you choose the day new credit starts.
How to Choose a Rise.ai Alternative
| If you need | Look at |
|---|---|
| Cashback in your brand's name, built on Shopify's own store credit | Smile Cashback |
| A launch you control, with nothing live until you press Activate | Smile |
| Credit held through your return window, with refunds, cancellations and edits handled | Smile |
| Expiry from 14 days to five years, or never, with reminders before credit runs out | Smile |
| Setup with the vendor's team, from a Built for Shopify Technology Partner | Smile |
| Gift cards, refunds and cashback in one wallet | Staying on Rise.ai |
| Opt-in cashback offers beside points | Rivo |
| Cashback with no points, plus tiers and referrals | Dollarback |
| Store credit for any action in Shopify Flow | Koin |
| Store credit campaigns from birthdays to abandoned checkouts | Redeemly |
| Cashback beside points, reviews and wishlists | Growave |
| Paid memberships that pay out in store credit | Toki |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Rise.ai alternatives for store credit and cashback on Shopify? 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 Shopify store credit (November 2026). Rivo suits cashback offers beside points, Dollarback cashback with no points, Koin store credit in Shopify Flow, Redeemly store credit campaigns, Growave cashback beside reviews and wishlists, and Toki paid memberships.
Smile vs Rise.ai: which is better for cashback and store credit on Shopify? Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands that want cashback in their own name. Smile Cashback is built on Shopify's own store credit, which Shopify applies as a payment at checkout, at Shopify POS and in the Shop app for signed-in customers, and our team sets it up with you. Rise.ai's knowledge base says its cashback lands in a Rise.ai wallet spent with a wallet code at checkout (November 2026); it suits brands that want gift cards, refunds and cashback in one wallet. Both are Shopify Certified Technology Partners, and Smile is also Built for Shopify.
Is Rise.ai Built for Shopify? Not as of November 13, 2026: Rise.ai's listing does not show the Built for Shopify badge, though Rise.ai is in Shopify's Certified Technology Partners collection. Of the alternatives here, Smile, Dollarback, Koin, Redeemly, Growave and Toki show the badge, and Smile is also in the collection.
How do I switch from Rise.ai without losing customer balances? Export Rise.ai's liability report first, since it lists active credit by type. Agree with Rise.ai how existing credit and gift cards stay redeemable, keep each credit's expiry date, then tell customers where their balance lives. On Smile Cashback, nothing shows to customers until you press Activate, so you choose the day new credit starts.
Can I refund orders to store credit without Rise.ai? Yes. Shopify's Help Center says you can refund an order to store credit even when the customer paid by card, and customers spend that credit on the online store, Shopify POS and Shop when signed in through customer accounts or Shop Pay (November 2026). Staff need the Refund to store credit permission.
What should we use for gift cards after leaving Rise.ai? Shopify's own gift cards, available on every Shopify plan, redeem on any sales channel that uses Shopify checkout, including the online store, Shopify POS and the Shop app (Shopify Help Center, November 2026). Keep cards already sold through Rise.ai redeemable; Shopify notes that gift card laws vary by region.
