Introduction
Client credit gives every client a single running credit balance on their profile. Team members give it a top-up (sometimes called a reload), the client spends it over time, and it applies itself automatically at checkout - no codes to enter or track. It’s the simpler alternative to juggling several separate gift-card codes for one regular client. Client credit is a business-owned balance: your business holds the funds and Bella records the liability you owe the client - the same posture as gift cards. It works in any currency; every amount is shown in the client’s balance currency. How it differs from gift cards: a gift card is a bearer instrument redeemed by a code and giftable to anyone; client credit is bound to one client, has one running balance (top up the same balance instead of issuing a new card each time), and applies without a code.Enabling client credit
- Go to Settings → Client credit
- Switch Client credit to Active
- Set your top-up amounts (the quick-pick presets, e.g. 50 / 100 / 200), and optionally allow a custom amount with a minimum and maximum
- Optionally add top-up bonuses (see below)
- Click Save
Top-up bonuses
Reward bigger top-ups by adding top-up bonus tiers - for example, “top up 100, get 10 extra”.- Each tier has a threshold (the top-up amount that unlocks it) and a bonus, set as a flat amount or a percentage of the top-up.
- The highest tier at or below the top-up amount applies - bonuses don’t stack.
- Bonus credit is tracked separately from the client’s own money, so your liability report always shows the real balance and the promotional balance side by side. At checkout, bonus is spent first.
Topping up a client’s balance
- Open the client’s profile and go to the Wallet tab’s Credit section
- Click Top up balance
- Pick or enter an amount - any applicable bonus is shown live (“+10 bonus → 110 added”)
- Choose how it’s settled and confirm:
- Cash, Card (Manual) or Other - you collected the money, so Bella just records it.
- Card on file - Bella charges the client’s saved card for the top-up (available only when they have a card on file). The bonus is never charged.
Reversing a mis-keyed top-up
Made a mistake? In the Credit section, open the top-up and choose Reverse top-up (a reason is required). This writes the reversal and claws back any still-unspent bonus. If the top-up was charged to the client’s card on file, that charge is refunded automatically; if it was settled at the till (cash / manual card / other), you hand the money back the same way you took it.Applying credit at checkout
When you check out an appointment for a client with a balance, their credit applies automatically, capped at the bill:- The checkout shows an “Apply credit” toggle and the Client credit amount being applied - switch the toggle off to skip it for this sale.
- Whatever the balance doesn’t cover is taken on one other method (cash, card, etc.), exactly like a gift card.
- The balance is debited when the sale completes and the spend appears in the ledger.
Refunds
- Refund a credit-paid sale: refunding a sale in full returns the spent credit to the client’s balance automatically.
- Refund to credit balance: when refunding any sale, choose Refund to credit balance to return the money to the client’s credit instead of their card or cash - the money stays with your business.
Adjustments
Team members with the right permission can adjust a balance from the Credit section - issue goodwill credit or correct a balance. A reason is required and every adjustment is recorded in the ledger with who made it.The transaction ledger
The Credit section (Wallet tab) lists every movement newest-first: top-ups, bonuses, spends, refunds-as-credit, credit returns, adjustments, top-up reversals, bonus reversals and merges - each with the amount (credit in green, debit in red), the running balance, the date, and who did it.Stored-value liability report
Reports → Client credit summary shows the total outstanding credit across all your clients, split into real money owed and promotional bonus, and broken down per currency. Use it to see exactly how much stored value you’re carrying. An on-demand reconcile check confirms the balances match the ledger.Permissions
- View client credit - see a client’s balance and ledger (the Wallet tab’s Credit section)
- Manage client credit - top up, reverse a top-up, and make goodwill adjustments
FAQs
Q: Does client credit expire? A: No - balances don’t expire, which is the safest default under stored-value rules worldwide. Q: Can a balance go negative (pay later / IOU)? A: Not in this version - spending is capped at the available balance. Q: What currency is the balance in? A: A balance is held in the currency of the client’s first top-up. If you run locations in different currencies, a balance can only be topped up or spent at a location using that same currency. Q: Can I delete a client who still has a balance? A: Not until the balance is zero - a balance is money you owe, so pay it out or write it off (via an adjustment) first. Q: What happens when I merge two clients? A: Same-currency balances are combined and the full credit history moves to the surviving profile. If the two balances are in different currencies, zero one out before merging. Q: Can clients see or use their credit when they book online? A: Not in this version - client credit is applied by your team at checkout. A client’s balance isn’t shown on your online booking page, and it isn’t auto-applied to an online deposit or prepayment (those are taken in full); the balance stays on the client’s account for you to apply at the till.To manage gift cards - the bearer-code alternative to client credit - see Gift cards.