What happens to points if an order is refunded?
Simple Points and RewardsUpdated October 26, 2026
FAQ – Rewards & Redemption
Points earned on an order are taken back when the order is refunded or cancelled, if Deduct points when order is refunded or cancelled is on. You can find it under Points & Rewards › Settings › Ways to Earn › Points for Spending, in the Refunds & redemption box.
Partial refunds
By default, points are only taken back when an order is fully refunded or cancelled. To also take back points when part of an order is refunded, turn on Also deduct points when part of an order is refunded in the same box. The same option is also under Points for Orders. It is off by default.
The customer loses the same share of the order’s points as the share of the order that was refunded, so refunding half an order takes back half its points. Only the parts of the order that earn points count. Refunding shipping or tax takes nothing back unless it is included in the calculation total. One-off bonuses, such as the first order bonus, are only taken back when the whole order is refunded.
In Pro, this also works for orders placed as a guest. The refunded share is taken back whether the points are still held for the guest, waiting out the points delay, or already moved to the account the guest created.
If you delete a refund in WooCommerce, the points are given back.
Points that were already spent
If the points an order earned have already been spent, by default only what is left in the balance is taken back. To take back the full amount and let the balance go below zero, turn on Let the balance go below zero when points taken back were already spent in the same box. New points pay off a negative balance first, and it cannot be spent.