Credits FAQ

Answers to common questions about the flexible payment system.

Basics

What are credits?

Credits are a virtual currency in Bookicorn. Customers buy credits in advance and can use them to book courses. This enables flexible pricing and packages.

Why credits instead of direct payment?

Can I also offer direct payment?

Yes. For each course you can choose:

• Credits only
• Direct payment only
• Both (customers choose)

FIFO System

What does FIFO mean?

FIFO = "First In, First Out". Credits are consumed in the order they were purchased. Older credits are used first.

Why FIFO?

• Prevents old credits from expiring unused
• Fairness for customers
• Automatic optimization

FIFO Example

Customer buys:
January:  10 credits (valid until March)
February: 10 credits (valid until May)

Customer books in February:
→ System uses credits from package 1 (older first)

Validity & Expiry

When do credits expire?

Credits have an expiry date based on:

• Package setting (e.g. "valid for 6 months")
• Starting point (from purchase or from first use)

What happens when credits expire?

• Credits automatically become invalid
• No automatic refund
• Customers are warned in advance

Can I restore expired credits?

Yes, as an admin you can:

1. Open customer profile
2. Add credits manually
3. Set a new expiry date

Are customers warned before expiry?

Yes, automatically:

• Email 7 days before expiry
• Display in dashboard

Packages

How many packages should I create?

Recommendation: 3-5 packages

Should I offer volume discounts?

Yes, typically:

• Small packages: no/little discount
• Medium packages: 5-10% discount
• Large packages: 10-20% discount

Can I change packages later?

Yes, but:

• Changes apply to new purchases
• Already purchased packages remain unchanged
• Customers with active packages are not affected

Can I delete a package?

Packages can be deactivated:

• No longer purchasable
• Already purchased packages remain valid
• Customer credits are retained

Trainer-Bound Credits

What are trainer-bound credits?

Credits that only apply to courses by a specific trainer. Useful for:

• Personal training packages
• Specialist trainers
• Self-employed trainers

How do I create trainer-bound packages?

1. Create new package
2. Enable "Trainer-bound"
3. Select trainer
4. Save

What if the trainer leaves?

Options:

• Transfer credits to another trainer
• Manually refund credits
• Extend validity until used

Subscriptions

Can I offer credit subscriptions?

Yes. Subscriptions are recurring packages:

• Monthly charge
• Automatic credit top-up
• Customers can cancel at the end of the billing period

How does a credit subscription work?

1. Customer selects subscription package
2. First payment + credits immediately
3. Every month: charge + new credits
4. Cancellation: Runs until end of period

Do subscription credits accumulate?

Yes, unused credits remain (until expiry date). This can lead to large balances.

Tip: Set shorter validity periods for subscriptions.

Vouchers

Can I create vouchers for credits?

Yes, various types:

• Discount on packages (% or €)
• Free credits
• Free package

How do I create a voucher?

1. Payments → Vouchers
2. "New voucher"
3. Set type and value
4. Generate code or choose your own
5. Optional: Set usage limit

Can I limit vouchers?

Yes:

• Maximum total redemptions
• Once per customer
• Validity period
• Only for specific packages

Cancellation & Refund

What happens when a booking is cancelled?

Within the cancellation period:

• Credits are automatically refunded
• Same package (not a new package)
• Expiry date remains the same

Can I manually refund credits?

Yes:

1. Open customer profile
2. View credit history
3. "Add credits"
4. Provide reason

Can I refund money instead of credits?

Stripe refunds are possible:

1. Payments → Transactions
2. Find payment
3. Click "Refund"

Pricing

How do I calculate credit prices?

Sample calculation:

Average course price: €15
→ 1 credit = €15

10-class card with 10% discount:
10 x €15 = €150
- 10% = €135

Can a course cost multiple credits?

Yes. Typical scale:

• Standard course: 1 credit
• Specialty course: 2 credits
• Workshop: 3-5 credits
• Personal training: 5-10 credits

Can I change prices later?

Yes, but:

• New prices apply to new bookings
• Existing bookings remain unchanged
• Already purchased credits retain their value

Reporting

How do I view credit statistics?

A dedicated analytics page for this does not currently exist. Sales and payments are listed under Transactions, and an individual customer's balance is in the customer profile under Customers.

Can I export credit data?

There is no "Reports" section. If you want to process your payment transactions outside of Bookicorn, Transactions is the right place. With the DATEV Export addon you additionally get a file for your bookkeeping.

Common Issues

Customer cannot book even though they have credits

Check:

1. Are credits active (not paused)?
2. Are credits valid for this course?
3. For trainer-bound: Is it the right trainer?
4. Expiry date not yet reached?

Credits were deducted twice

Should not happen. If it does:

1. Check booking history
2. Check credit history
3. Correct manually if needed
4. Contact support

Customer sees a different credit count

Possible causes:

• Browser cache (reload page)
• Multiple packages (sum vs. individual packages)
• Recent booking not yet updated

Next Steps

• Bookings FAQ →
• Technical FAQ →
• Back to FAQ overview →