CashBack is a loyalty reward feature built into Onward Checkout+. When customers add Checkout+ to their order, they earn cashback rewards that can be redeemed as store credit on their next purchase — giving them a reason to come back and shop again.
How It Works
Earning CashBack
Customer adds Checkout+ — When a customer opts in to Checkout+ at checkout, they're automatically enrolled in CashBack.
Reward is calculated — A percentage of the order value is calculated as the customer's CashBack reward.
Reward is issued — The reward is either issued immediately or set to a pending state (available after a waiting period, typically 30 days).
Customer is notified — The customer receives information about their CashBack in the Onward welcome email, including their reward amount and how to redeem it.
Redeeming CashBack
Customer receives a discount code — Each customer gets a unique, reusable discount code linked to their CashBack balance.
Customer shops again — When they're ready to make another purchase, they enter the discount code at checkout.
Balance is applied — The CashBack balance is applied as a discount on their new order. If the balance doesn't cover the full order, the customer pays the difference. If there's leftover balance, it stays on the code for next time.
The CashBack Percentage
CashBack rewards are calculated as a percentage of the eligible order value. The total percentage is made up of two parts:
Merchant percentage — The portion funded by the merchant.
Onward matching percentage — The portion funded by Onward (Onward matches a portion of the merchant's contribution).
For example, if the merchant percentage is 5% and Onward matches 5%, the customer earns a total of 10% CashBack on their order.
The exact percentages are configured during your Onward onboarding and can be adjusted in your settings.
When CashBack Is Available
CashBack rewards can be configured in two ways:
Immediately available — The reward is issued as soon as the order is placed. The customer can redeem it right away.
Pending issuance — The reward enters a pending state and becomes available after a waiting period (typically 30 days). This protects against refunds or cancellations on the original order.
When a pending reward becomes available, the customer receives a "CashBack Ready" email letting them know their reward can now be redeemed.
Minimum Subtotal for Redemption
Merchants can set a minimum subtotal amount that a new order must meet before a CashBack code can be applied. For example, if the minimum is $50, the customer needs to have at least $50 in their cart before the CashBack discount code will work.
This encourages larger repeat orders.
Discount Combination Settings
You can control how CashBack discount codes interact with other discounts:
Combine with shipping discounts — Allow CashBack to be used alongside free shipping or shipping discount codes.
Combine with order discounts — Allow CashBack to stack with order-level percentage or fixed discounts.
Combine with product discounts — Allow CashBack to work on already-discounted products.
These settings let you fine-tune how flexible the CashBack redemption is.
CashBack Reminder Emails
Onward automatically sends a series of reminder emails to customers who have unredeemed CashBack rewards:
First reminder (Position 0) — Sent shortly after the reward is issued. Subject line and preview text are customizable.
Follow-up reminders (Positions 1–6) — Sent at increasing intervals to remind customers about their unused balance.
Each reminder position can be individually enabled or disabled, so you control exactly how many reminders go out and when.
The emails include:
The customer's current CashBack balance.
Their unique discount code.
A link to start shopping and redeem their reward.
CashBack and Klaviyo
If you have set up the Klaviyo Integration, CashBack data is automatically synced to Klaviyo customer profiles:
onward_balance — Current CashBack balance.
onward_pending_issuance_balance — Pending reward amount.
onward_lifetime_issued — Total CashBack ever earned.
onward_lifetime_used — Total CashBack ever redeemed.
onward_discount_code — The customer's unique discount code.
This data can be used to build Klaviyo segments and flows — for example, targeting customers with a high unused balance or creating a flow that triggers when a new CashBack reward is issued.
CashBack Name Customization
The feature is called "CashBack" by default, but merchants can customize the display name to match their brand. For example, you might call it "Rewards," "Store Credit Bonus," or your own brand-specific name.
The custom name appears in the widget, emails, and the merchant dashboard.