When an order is refunded or cancelled, two things can happen to points: the points the customer earned on it come back off their balance, and the points they spent on it can come back to them. This guide covers both, and what happens when a balance goes below zero.
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Why It Matters
Points are a promise with a value. If a refunded order kept its points, a customer could earn on a purchase and return it. If spent points vanished on a refund, a customer would lose their reward for an order they didn’t keep. Perkie handles both directions so the balance stays fair either way.
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Points Earned on the Order
Points earned on an order come back off the balance when it’s refunded or cancelled. A partial refund takes back a matching share: a 50% refund takes back half the points.
This happens even if the customer has already spent those points, so their balance can go below zero. Referral points taken back when a referred friend’s order comes back can do the same. See Referral Program.
When a balance is below zero
- The customer can’t redeem until their balance is back above zero.
- Their next purchase earns it back.
- Your terms page tells customers this: “If they’ve already been spent, your balance can go below zero until you earn more.”
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Points Spent on the Order
This is the Refund returns points setting. It’s on by default.
- Go to Tracksies > Perkie > Redemption tab.
- Open More options and find Programme policies.
- Tick or untick Refund returns points.
- Click Save Changes.
When it’s on
- Partly refunded: the customer gets back the same share of the points they spent as the share of money refunded. Later refunds on the same order top it up, never past what was spent.
- Fully refunded or cancelled: all the points they spent come back.
- Failed: nothing comes back.
When all of an order’s spent points have come back, the reward coupons from that order are retired, so the same reward can’t be used again.
When it’s off
Refunds are cash only, and points spent on the order stay spent. Points earned on the order still come back off either way.
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Common Questions
A customer’s balance is negative. Is that a mistake?
Usually not. It means points were taken back for a refunded order after the customer had spent them. Their next purchase earns them back above zero. You can also add points by hand with Adjust Points on the customer’s profile in Tracksies > Customers.
Can I stop balances going below zero?
No. Taking back points earned on a refunded order is how Perkie stops points being earned on purchases that were returned.
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