Loyalty and gift cards on Shopify in Singapore

Information checked as of 18 October 2026

Gift cards bring in new customers through people who already love your brand, and loyalty programmes give existing customers a reason to come back to your own store instead of a marketplace. Shopify has gift cards and store credit built in, and apps add points and tiers. This guide covers how they work, the IRAS rules on GST for vouchers, expiry terms, and PDPA for loyalty data.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. It summarises Shopify, IRAS and Singapore legislation sources as of the date above.

Native Shopify gift cards

According to Shopify's gift card overview and its POS gift card page:

• Gift cards are available on all Shopify plans.
• You can sell gift card products, which create a digital gift card with a unique code when the order is fulfilled, or issue a gift card from the admin without payment, for example as a goodwill gesture.
• Customers redeem the code at checkout on channels that use Shopify checkout, including the online store, Shopify POS and the Shop app.
• A gift card can only be redeemed at the store that issued it, and you can only see the last four characters of the code.
• To discount gift cards, use discount codes or automatic discounts, not the compare-at price.

Shopify's pricing page notes that, for stores created on or after 12 May 2025, payments made with gift cards or store credit are charged third-party transaction fees on that amount. Check your plan's rate.

Store credit

Shopify's store credit is attached to a customer's account rather than a code. Customers apply it at checkout when signed in. Points to know:

• It works on the online store, POS and Shop, and isn't available with legacy customer accounts.
• It can be used for the first subscription order but not for renewals; see our subscriptions guide.
• You can refund to store credit, and set an expiry date each time you issue it; there's no store-wide default.
• The full balance is applied at checkout; customers can't choose a partial amount.

Loyalty and rewards apps

Shopify doesn't have a built-in points programme, so loyalty comes from apps. Examples with live App Store listings:

• Smile, LoyaltyLion and Growave: points, VIP tiers and referral programmes.
• Rise and Gift Card Hero: gift card and store credit tools, such as reloadable cards and cashback rewards.

Check how each app issues rewards: as discount codes, gift cards or native store credit. That changes how rewards show in your reports and how GST works. Keep the number of apps small for speed; see Shopify apps a new Singapore store actually needs.

GST on gift cards and vouchers

If you're GST-registered, IRAS's vouchers page and its GST guide for retailers set out the treatment:

• Stored-value gift cards (multi-redemption vouchers) that can be used for anything up to their value: if you can track redemption and sell them at or below face value, no GST is due on the sale. You account for GST when the card is redeemed, on the value redeemed plus any extra the customer pays.
• If you can't track redemption, you may account for GST when the voucher is sold, on the amount received.
• Unredeemed balances: when a voucher expires unused, account for GST on the unredeemed amount when you recognise it as income.
• Product vouchers for a specific item or service, such as "one facial", are treated as a prepayment: GST is due when the voucher is sold, not when it's redeemed.
• Free vouchers given away, such as loyalty rewards: no GST when you give them. When redeemed, account for GST on what the customer pays on top. If goods worth S$200 or more are redeemed with no payment, GST is deemed due.

Shopify gift cards track redemption by code, which fits the "can track" treatment, but set up your tax settings and accounting with your accountant. Shopify's gift card page itself says tax rules vary by region and recommends local advice.

Expiry and consumer expectations

We couldn't find a Singapore law that sets a minimum validity for gift cards, and Shopify leaves expiry to you. But the CPFTA's section 4 makes misleading conduct an unfair practice, and its Second Schedule lists representations that a transaction involves rights or obligations it doesn't. Consumers can take complaints to CASE, which the CCCS names as the first point of contact. In practice:

• Show any expiry date and conditions before purchase and on the gift card email.
• Say whether cards can be used online, in store, or both.
• Don't change the terms of cards already sold.
• For loyalty points, publish the rules, including how points expire, and give notice before changing them.

PDPA for loyalty data

Loyalty programmes collect purchase history, birthdays and referral details, all personal data under the PDPA. Tell members what you collect and why, use it only for those purposes, and protect it. Loyalty apps process this data for you, so name them in your privacy policy and check their data access on the App Store listing. Points updates are service messages, but promotional messages to phone numbers fall under the Do Not Call rules. Our PDPA guide covers the details.

If you also sell on marketplaces, loyalty is one way to bring those customers back to your own store; see selling on Amazon.sg alongside Shopify.

Frequently asked questions

Which Shopify plans include gift cards?

Shopify's Help Center says gift cards are available on all Shopify subscription plans. You can sell gift card products, issue gift cards from the admin, and redeem them online and on Shopify POS.

Do I charge GST when I sell a gift card in Singapore?

For a stored-value gift card that can be used on anything in your store, IRAS generally doesn't require GST when you sell it at or below face value, provided you can track redemption. You account for GST when it's redeemed. A voucher for a specific product is different: GST is due when it's sold.

What's the difference between gift cards and store credit?

A gift card has a code that anyone holding it can use. Store credit is attached to a customer's account and is used at checkout when they sign in. Shopify supports store credit on the online store, POS and Shop, but not with legacy customer accounts.

Can my gift cards expire?

Shopify lets you set expiry, and says gift card rules vary by region. We couldn't find a Singapore law setting a minimum validity, but the CPFTA prohibits misleading consumers about their rights. State any expiry clearly at the point of sale and on the card. If you're GST-registered, IRAS requires GST on unredeemed amounts when they're recognised as income.

Which loyalty apps work with Shopify?

Apps with Shopify App Store listings include Smile, LoyaltyLion and Growave for points, tiers and referrals, and Rise and Gift Card Hero for gift cards and store credit. Check whether rewards are issued as discount codes or native store credit, because that affects GST and accounting.

Planning gift cards or a rewards programme? A Shopify trial lets you set up gift card products and store credit and test redemption before launch.

Start a Shopify trial →

References

Rules, features and fees change, so check the live page before you act on anything here.

1. Gift cards considerations and overview, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 18 October 2026.
2. Gift cards on Shopify POS overview, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 18 October 2026.
3. Store credit, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 18 October 2026.
4. Pricing plans and billing overview, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 18 October 2026.
5. Smile: Loyalty Program Rewards, Shopify App Store. Accessed 18 October 2026.
6. LoyaltyLion Loyalty Program, Shopify App Store. Accessed 18 October 2026.
7. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist, Shopify App Store. Accessed 18 October 2026.
8. Rise Gift Cards & Store Credit, Shopify App Store. Accessed 18 October 2026.
9. Gift Card Hero, Shopify App Store. Accessed 18 October 2026.
10. Vouchers, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Accessed 18 October 2026.
11. GST guide for retailers (PDF), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Accessed 18 October 2026.
12. Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003, section 4, Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 18 October 2026.
13. Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003, Second Schedule, Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 18 October 2026.
14. Consumer protection FAQs, Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore. Accessed 18 October 2026.
15. PDPA overview, Personal Data Protection Commission. Accessed 18 October 2026.