Rewards and Benefits
Part of Points earning rules
Reversing Earned and Redeemed Points After a Return
A return may affect two balances: points earned from the purchase and points the customer spent to claim a reward on it.
A return can affect points earned on a purchase and points spent on a reward. Reverse those separately: the earned-point adjustment follows the refund, while the return of redeemed points depends on the reward and the refund details.
Link the return to the order
Identify the returned items, original points award, points already spent and any earlier reversal. LoyaltyLion receives return details by callback (webhook) and removes points accumulated for the purchase in the background; Yotpo removes earned points when the Shopify order is marked Refunded.
For LoyaltyLion, a partial return removes earned points proportionally when the customer did not use a voucher on the order. In its example, two items totalling $20 earn 20 points at 1 point per dollar; refunding one $10 item removes 10 points, leaving 10, and refunding the rest returns the balance to 0.
For that example, the calculation is the refunded item value multiplied by the earn rate: $10 × 1 point per dollar = 10 points removed. Yotpo says earned points are removed when an order is marked Refunded in Shopify, but its stated partial-refund rules for redeemed points depend on the reward type.
LoyaltyLion worked example: reversing earned points on a $20 order
- $20Points earned on the order (1 point per dollar) — 20
- $10Points removed when one item is refunded ($10 × 1 point per dollar) — 10
- 10Points left after the partial return
The reversal workflow, from return to member view
- Link the return to the orderIdentify the returned items, the original points award, points already spent and any earlier reversal.
- Adjust the earned pointsRemove points earned on the refunded value, proportionally for partial returns where the platform allows it.
- Decide the redeemed pointsApply the reward-type rules: full or partial return of points spent, subject to any optional proportional-return setting.
- Handle pending awardsIf an award is still pending, reverse the pending award rather than a settled balance.
- Record the identifiersLog the refund ID and reversal ID so the same refund event cannot reverse points twice.
- Confirm the member viewShow awards, redemptions and reversals as separate account entries.
Check the member view
For a full refund, LoyaltyLion voids the used voucher and returns the points spent on it, except for Shopify gift cards. If shipping is not refunded, LoyaltyLion does not treat the order as a full refund.
For a partial refund, LoyaltyLion does not return points spent on a voucher by default. An optional reward setting enables a proportional return based on what the customer actually returned, calculated using Shopify’s per-line-item discount allocations; it is available on Shopify for flat voucher, percentage voucher and seamless free product rewards, and only for orders placed after the setting is enabled. An optional Minimum return size (%) can also be set.
Yotpo returns redeemed points for fixed redemption rewards only after a full refund. For variable redemption rewards, it can return redeemed points proportionally when an order is partially refunded.
LoyaltyLion deducts earned points even if the customer does not have enough points in their account, and Yotpo notes that a balance can become negative in some situations. If an award is still pending, reverse the pending award; record the refund ID and reversal ID so the same refund event cannot reverse points twice.
Show awards, redemptions and reversals as separate account entries. Explain the applicable calculation and reward rule in the programme terms, and test full and partial returns in the integration before publishing the rule.
LoyaltyLion vs Yotpo: how each platform reverses points on a return
- LoyaltyLion — earned points on a partial returnRemoved proportionally when the customer did not use a voucher on the order.
- Yotpo — earned pointsRemoved when the order is marked Refunded in Shopify; partial-refund rules for redeemed points depend on the reward type.
- LoyaltyLion — redeemed points on a full refundUsed voucher is voided and the points spent are returned, except for Shopify gift cards. If shipping is not refunded, it is not treated as a full refund.
- LoyaltyLion — redeemed points on a partial refundNot returned by default. An optional reward setting enables a proportional return based on what was actually returned, using Shopify per-line-item discount allocations; available on Shopify for flat voucher, percentage voucher and seamless free product rewards, and only for orders placed after the setting is enabled.
- Yotpo — redeemed pointsFixed redemption rewards return redeemed points only after a full refund; variable redemption rewards can return redeemed points proportionally on a partial refund.
- LoyaltyLion — insufficient balanceEarned points are deducted even if the customer does not have enough points in their account.
- Yotpo — insufficient balanceA balance can become negative in some situations.
Before you publish a return-and-reversal rule
- Explain the applicable calculation and reward rule in the programme terms
- Show awards, redemptions and reversals as separate account entries
- Decide whether to enable proportional return of redeemed points on partial refunds, and set a Minimum return size (%) if used
- Test a full return in the integration before publishing the rule
- Test a partial return in the integration before publishing the rule
- Record the refund ID and reversal ID so the same refund event cannot reverse points twice
