Why does a customer have a negative store credit balance?
Yes, a negative store credit balance is possible in Rivo. This is expected behavior in some real-world situations and does not always indicate a bug.
Most common reasons this happens
1. An order was refunded after the credit was already used
If a customer earned store credit from an order, spent that credit, and then the original order is refunded or canceled, Rivo can reverse some or all of the previously earned amount.
Depending on your store’s store credit setup and prior activity on that balance, this can reduce the customer’s balance and may push it below zero in some cases.
2. A manual or CSV adjustment reduced the balance
Store credit can be adjusted manually for individual customers, in bulk, or by CSV.
If a negative amount is entered, the customer balance is reduced by that amount. This can result in a negative balance.
3. Gift card-based store credit sync updated the balance
If your store uses gift card-backed store credit sync, customer balances can be updated to match gift card activity.
When a gift card is used outside of your normal loyalty redemption flow, the next sync can reduce the customer’s Rivo balance to match. In some cases, that can make the balance negative.
Is this a bug?
Not usually. In most cases, a negative balance reflects a valid adjustment or reversal event.
If the amount looks unexpected, review the customer’s balance history to identify which event changed the balance.
What should you do when you see a negative balance?
Open the customer profile and review their balance history.
Identify whether the change came from a refund reversal, manual adjustment, CSV adjustment, or sync event.
If needed, apply a manual balance adjustment to bring the customer back to your desired balance.
For adjustment steps, see Adjusting customers’ points balances.
FAQ
Can customers still redeem when their balance is negative?
No. Customers must have enough available balance to redeem new store credit rewards.
Will a negative balance fix itself automatically?
Not always. It depends on future earnings, reversals, or manual adjustments you apply.
Should I reset all negative balances to zero?
That is a merchant policy decision. Many merchants keep the balance as-is when it accurately reflects prior earnings and reversals. Others choose to manually reset case by case.