Manage customer account credit in CommentSold by viewing balances, adding or subtracting Discount Credit, and understanding how Payment Credit and Discount Credit are applied at checkout. Account credit can come from refunds, gift card redemptions, loyalty rewards, referral bonuses, or manually issued credits.
Account credit acts as a business-specific currency that customers can use toward purchases. CommentSold separates account credit into Payment Credit and Discount Credit to ensure sales tax is calculated and reported correctly.
Retailers can view a customer's credit balance and transaction history, manually add Discount Credit, and subtract Discount Credit when needed.
| Important: Customers see one combined account credit balance, but CommentSold internally tracks Payment Credit and Discount Credit separately. |
Use the table of contents below to navigate to specific sections of this article:
- How Does Account Credit Work in CommentSold
- Types of Account Credit
- How Is Account Credit Applied at Checkout
- What Can You Add or Remove
- How Do I View a Customer's Account Credit Balance
- How Do I Add Account Credit to a Customer
- How Do I Subtract Account Credit from a Customer?
- FAQs
How Does Account Credit Work in CommentSold?
Customers can use account credit to pay for eligible purchases. Although customers see one combined balance, CommentSold applies the two credit types in a specific order:
- Discount Credit is applied first.
- Payment Credit is applied next to cover any remaining order balance.
Customers cannot use account credit to purchase gift cards, and purchases made entirely or partially with account credit do not earn loyalty rewards.
Types of Account Credit
Customers can have two types of account credit: Payment Credit and Discount Credit.
Payment Credit
Payment Credit represents money the customer has already paid. Examples include:
- Refunds for returned items
- Gift card redemptions
Payment Credit is applied toward the taxable total of an order.
Discount Credit
Discount Credit represents credit provided to the customer as a gift, reward, or bonus. Examples include:
- Loyalty rewards
- Referral bonuses
Discount Credit is applied before tax as a discount on the order total.
How Is Account Credit Applied at Checkout?
When a customer uses account credit, CommentSold applies Discount Credit first. Any remaining balance is then covered by Payment Credit.
For example, if a customer has $10 in Discount Credit and $20 in Payment Credit and has a qualifying $25 order, CommentSold applies the $10 Discount Credit first and then $15 of Payment Credit toward the remaining balance.
Account Credit Restrictions
- Customers cannot purchase gift cards using account credit.
- Customers do not earn loyalty rewards on purchases made using account credit.
What Can You Add or Remove?
Discount Credit
Retailers can manually add Discount Credit at any time using the Add Discount Credit button on a customer's account.
Discount Credit can also be removed when necessary.
Because Discount Credit represents a gift, reward, or bonus, it can be adjusted independently of refunds.
Payment Credit
Payment Credit can be added when payment has been received, such as through an order or gift card redemption.
How Do I View a Customer's Account Credit Balance?
- Select Customers in the side menu of your CommentSold dashboard.
- Locate the customer whose account credit you wish to view and select their name.
- Select Customer Details from the drop-down list.
- Here you can view the amounts earned, added, and subtracted as well as the timestamp and any internal notes.
How Do I Add Account Credit to a Customer?
- Select Customers in the side menu of your CommentSold dashboard.
- Locate the customer to whom you wish to add account credit and select the three-dot icon to the right of their name.
- Select Customer Details from the drop-down list.
- Select the Add Discount Credit button at the top of the page.
- On the pop-up, complete the following fields:
- Store Credit. Enter the amount of account credit you wish to add (e.g., 5.00 or $5, 7.00 or $7.50, etc.).
- Notes. Add a note that gives your team more context about why the credit was added (e.g., live sale bonus, contest winner, delayed shipping, etc.).
- Include notes in the customer notification email. Select this checkbox if you wish to include the note in the account credit increase notification email that CommentSold will send the customer.
- Select Add Credit.
How Do I Subtract Account Credit from a Customer?
- Select Customers in the side menu of your CommentSold dashboard.
- Locate the customer from whom you wish to subtract account credit and select the three-dot icon to the right of their name.
- Select Customer Details from the drop-down list.
- Select the Subtract Discount Credit button at the top of the page.
- On the pop-up, complete the following fields:
- Balance. Select which balance CommentSold should subtract the account credit from. Since most credit is earned through loyalty purchases, we recommend Discount as the option you choose.
- Store Credit. Enter the amount of account credit you wish to subtract (e.g., 5.00 or $5, 7.00 or $7.50, etc.).
- Notes. Include an internal note that gives your team more context as to why the credit was subtracted.
- Select Subtract Credit.
FAQs
What is account credit in CommentSold?
Account credit is a business-specific currency that customers can use toward purchases. CommentSold tracks account credit as either Payment Credit or Discount Credit, although customers see one combined balance.
What is Payment Credit?
Payment Credit represents money the customer has already paid. It can come from sources such as refunds or gift card redemptions and is applied toward the taxable total of an order.
What is Discount Credit?
Discount Credit represents non-cash credit provided as a gift, reward, or bonus. Examples include loyalty rewards and referral bonuses. It is applied before tax as a discount.
What is the difference between Payment Credit and Discount Credit?
Payment Credit represents cash-related funds the customer has already paid, while Discount Credit represents non-cash rewards or bonuses. CommentSold applies them differently to ensure accurate sales tax calculation and reporting.
Do customers see Payment Credit and Discount Credit separately?
No. Customers see one combined account credit balance in their account. CommentSold internally tracks Payment Credit and Discount Credit separately.
Which account credit is used first at checkout?
Discount Credit is applied first, followed by Payment Credit to cover any remaining order balance.
Can customers use account credit to buy gift cards?
No. Customers cannot purchase gift cards using account credit.
Do customers earn loyalty rewards when they use account credit?
No. Customers do not earn loyalty rewards on purchases made using account credit.
Can I manually add account credit to a customer?
Yes. Retailers can manually add Discount Credit from the customer's Customer Details page by selecting Add Discount Credit.
Can I manually remove customer account credit?
Yes. Retailers can subtract Discount Credit from a customer's account using the Subtract Discount Credit option.
Should I use Discount Credit to issue a refund?
No. Discount Credit should only be used as a gift, reward, or bonus. When payment has been received and needs to be returned to the customer, the appropriate refund process should be used instead.
Can I add Payment Credit manually?
Payment Credit can be added when payment has been received, such as through an order or gift card redemption. Discount Credit is the credit type retailers can manually add through the Add Discount Credit option.
Where can I see a customer's account credit history?
Open the customer's Customer Details page from Customers. You can view amounts earned, added, and subtracted, along with timestamps and internal notes.
What information is included in account credit history?
The account credit history shows credit amounts that were earned, added, or subtracted, as well as the associated timestamp and internal notes.
Why are Payment Credit and Discount Credit tracked separately?
CommentSold tracks the two credit types separately so they can be handled correctly for sales tax calculation and reporting.
Can account credit be used with other discounts?
Account credit can be used toward eligible purchases, but the exact interaction with other discounts depends on the order and discount configuration. Free shipping and coupon behavior should be reviewed separately when applicable.
What happens if a customer has both Payment Credit and Discount Credit?
The customer sees one combined balance. At checkout, CommentSold uses the customer's Discount Credit first, then applies Payment Credit toward any remaining balance.
Can I see why account credit was added or removed?
Yes. Internal notes can be added when credit is added or subtracted, allowing your team to record why the account balance was changed.
How can I notify a customer when I add account credit?
When adding Discount Credit, select Include notes in the customer notification email. The customer will receive a notification containing the note you entered.