Guide
Rise.ai alternatives for Shopify store credit
Rise.ai is the biggest name in Shopify store credit and gift cards, but its order-based pricing and broad feature set aren't the right fit for every store. Here are five real alternatives, with actual pricing pulled from each app's own Shopify App Store listing — no invented numbers, no badmouthing.
| App | Pricing (as listed) | Credit ledger | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rise.ai | From $19.99/mo, tiers scale with monthly order volume plus per-order overage fees | Rise's own gift card / credit wallet | Stores that want gift cards, loyalty, referrals, and store credit in one broad suite |
| StoreCred | $19/mo flat — no per-order or per-customer fees | Shopify's native store credit | Simple cashback + refund-to-credit automation at a predictable price |
| FreshCredit | $15–$45/mo, tiered by total customer count | FreshCredit's own ledger | Stores that want SMS + email balance notifications and don't mind a small customer list |
| CreditsYard | $29–$149/mo, tied to your Shopify plan tier | CreditsYard's own ledger | Stores that want unlimited customers/credits included at every tier and B2B order support |
| Shopify native store credit | Free (built into Shopify) | Shopify's native store credit | Stores that only need to issue credit manually, with no automation |
Pricing and feature details above are publicly listed on each app's Shopify App Store page and may change — always confirm current pricing there before deciding.
Rise.ai
Rise.ai's plans start at $19.99/mo and include a set number of monthly orders, with a per-order fee once you go over (for example, $0.20/order past the first 100 on the Starter plan). Higher tiers raise both the included order count and the price. On top of store credit, Rise covers gift cards, loyalty programs, referrals, and POS — a much broader suite than a store-credit-only app. The tradeoff merchants report in reviews: because pricing is tied to order volume rather than credit actually issued, a busy month can push your bill up even if store credit wasn't the reason for the extra orders. We cover this in more detail in Rise.ai pricing, explained and our full StoreCred vs Rise.ai comparison.
StoreCred
StoreCred does one job: cashback on every order, bonus store credit on top of refunds, and expiry reminders — issued directly through Shopify's own storeCreditAccountCredit system, so there's nothing proprietary to migrate off later. It's $19/mo flat, with a 14-day free trial, and the price never moves regardless of order volume or how much credit you issue. The honest tradeoff: if you need gift cards, referrals, loyalty tiers, POS integration, or B2B credit approvals, StoreCred doesn't attempt any of that — it's a narrow tool, not a suite.
FreshCredit
FreshCredit's plans run $15/mo (up to 5,000 customers), $30/mo (20,000), and $45/mo (50,000) — priced by your total customer count, not by how many of those customers actually hold a credit balance. That distinction has tripped merchants up in reviews: stores with large customer lists but only a handful of active credit holders have found themselves pushed into a pricier tier for customers who never touch store credit at all. Some reviewers also report store credit not combining with discount codes or not appearing at checkout consistently. See our full StoreCred vs FreshCredit comparison.
CreditsYard
CreditsYard is priced by Shopify plan tier — $29/mo on Basic, up to $149/mo on Shopify Plus — with unlimited customers and credits included at every tier, plus B2B order and multi-store support on top. It's a small app with a strong review base (few negative reviews to find). If a flat-by-plan-tier price with unlimited usage and B2B support matters more to you than a flat dollar amount regardless of plan, it's worth a look. See our full StoreCred vs CreditsYard comparison.
Shopwaive
Shopwaive is the closest in concept to StoreCred — it also automates cashback, refund-to-credit, and expiry on Shopify's native store credit. Plans run $15–$60/mo, but its own pricing page notes that additional usage charges apply on top of the base plan. In exchange, Shopwaive covers more ground: AI-assisted tools, Stripe payouts, and B2B checkout features StoreCred doesn't attempt. See our full StoreCred vs Shopwaive comparison.
Shopify's native store credit
Shopify itself added a built-in store credit ledger in 2024 — free, with no app required. You can issue it manually from the admin or via the Admin API. What it doesn't include is any automation: no rule for cashback on every order, no one-click refund-to-credit prompt, no expiry reminder emails. That automation layer is what every app on this list, including StoreCred, adds on top. Our Shopify native store credit guide covers what it can and can't do on its own.
When to pick which
- Want the full suite — gift cards, loyalty, referrals, POS: Rise.ai or Shopwaive.
- Want just cashback + refund-to-credit + expiry, at one predictable flat price: StoreCred.
- Want SMS balance notifications and have a smaller customer list: FreshCredit.
- Want unlimited customers/credits included and B2B order support: CreditsYard.
- Only issue credit occasionally and don't need automation: Shopify's native store credit, no app needed.
If you're switching off Rise.ai specifically and worried about losing customer balances in the process, see our step-by-step guide to migrating store credit from Rise.ai.
Try StoreCred
StoreCred issues cashback, refund-to-credit, and expiry reminders on Shopify's native store credit — one flat price, no usage charges, 14-day free trial.