Offer store credit as a payment method
Updated September 14, 2026
Alongside the redemption tool, store credit can be offered as a payment method in its own right. Enable Offer store credit as a payment method at checkout under Store Credit › Settings › Credit Redemption. It pays for the whole order from the account balance, with no gateway involved.
Tool or payment method?
- The redemption tool applies credit as a discount, so the customer can part-pay with credit and settle the rest another way.
- The payment method is all or nothing – it covers the full total or it cannot be used.
Both can be enabled together, and many stores do exactly that: partial redemption for everyday orders, and the payment method as a fast path for customers with a large balance.
Title and description
Payment method title is the name customers see in the payment list, and Payment method description is the text beneath it. The customer’s current balance is shown under the method at checkout so they can see whether it will cover the order.
These fields are the source of truth – the method also appears under WooCommerce › Settings › Payments, but that screen simply points back here rather than offering its own controls.
When it is offered
The method requires the account balance system to be enabled and the customer to be logged in. It is deliberately hidden on any order that is itself selling store credit – a top-up, gift card or gift – because buying credit with credit would create value out of nothing.
When a customer’s balance does not cover the total, the method is still listed but payment is blocked with an explanation rather than the option silently vanishing. That is a deliberate choice: a customer who knows they have credit is more confused by a missing option than by a message telling them how short they are.
Refunds
The method supports refunds, so refunding an order paid with store credit returns the balance to the customer from the usual WooCommerce refund box.