> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dollarlabs.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dollarlabs.io/dollarback-store-credit/earning-cashback-programs/exclude-customers-from-earning.md).

# Exclude customers from earning

{% embed url="<https://dollarlabs.neetorecord.com/watch/ecf3482efb11a0396297>" %}

Not every order should earn cashback: wholesale buyers, staff accounts, marketplace channels, or a program that's out of season. This page covers the four exclusion mechanisms and when to use each.

## 1. Tag exclusions (global)

The broadest tool: **DollarBack admin → Settings → Advanced → Exclude customers by tag**.

1. Enter one or more Shopify customer tags, separated by commas, e.g. `wholesale, staff`.
2. Save. Customers carrying **any** of these tags earn nothing from their orders: no purchase cashback and no purchase discount codes, on any channel. The exclusion is checked before anything is issued, so nothing needs clawing back.

<figure><img src="https://2844543096-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcVBfwy7Yj4tU8TsxkHEr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bb9a0cbfc7f67a22bfbc3792b92e2d3318e8017a%2Fdb-settings-exclude-tags-annotated.png?alt=media" alt="Settings Advanced section with an Exclude customers by tag field that holds the tag wholesale, and its help text." width="560"><figcaption><p>The global tag exclusion in Settings › Advanced stops a customer from earning on orders, across every purchase program at once.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
**The global exclusion only covers rewards earned from orders.** Signup, newsletter, birthday, social follow, review, custom (API) and referral rewards don't check it. Newsletter, birthday, social follow and review programs have their own **Exclude customer tags** field in the program editor; signup and custom (API) programs have no tag fields. On birthday and social follow programs, the tag fields only hide the program's entry in the widget. They don't stop a customer who reaches the reward another way (for example a shared short link or the Merchant API).
{% endhint %}

Tags are managed on the customer in Shopify admin. You can apply them manually, via customer segments and Flow, or at import time.

{% hint style="info" %}
Excluding a tag stops **future** earning only. Credit the customer already holds is untouched and stays spendable.
{% endhint %}

## 2. B2B considerations

Wholesale/B2B buyers usually shouldn't earn consumer cashback:

* The common pattern is to tag B2B contacts (e.g. `wholesale`) and exclude that tag as above.
* If you *do* want B2B orders to earn, the **Give store credit to B2B buyers on company locations** setting (plan-gated, **Settings → Advanced**) credits the **company location's** shared balance rather than the individual buyer; see [B2B store credit](/dollarback-store-credit/analytics-data-and-account/b2b-store-credit.md).
* Don't rely on exclusion alone for B2B pricing logic: draft orders are also a common B2B path, which the next section can gate per program.

## 3. Sales-channel eligibility (per program)

Each cashback program can be limited to specific sales channels. In the program editor (**DollarBack admin → Home → Cashback** tab → **Manage configurations**, then open the program), find **Restrict to sales channels**:

* Check the channels that should earn: your installed channels are listed, plus **Draft orders** as its own checkbox.
* Leave **all boxes unchecked** to allow every channel (the default).

<figure><img src="https://2844543096-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcVBfwy7Yj4tU8TsxkHEr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9be6eda9b7f45b83e7c61c10af33705c64c41f1a%2Fdb-purchase-advanced-annotated.png?alt=media" alt="Advanced section of a purchase program with Who can see this offer, Give cashback when discount codes are used, and unticked sales channel boxes Online Store, Shop, Point of Sale and Draft orders." width="560"><figcaption><p>Restrict to sales channels is in the Advanced section of each program. Leave all boxes unticked to allow every channel.</p></figcaption></figure>

Use this to keep POS orders, marketplace channels, or admin-created draft orders out of a specific program without affecting the others.

## 4. Program date windows (per program)

A program only pays between its **Start date** and **End date**. Orders outside the window are not matched by that program. That's handy for seasonal boosts and for retiring a program without deleting its history.

## How the gates stack up

All the checks run before anything is issued: excluded tag → no earning on the order at all; otherwise each program checks its own channel restriction, date window and customer tags. An order can therefore earn from one program while being excluded from another.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Using loyalty tiers?** When tiers are active, the tier decides which purchase programs a customer earns from, and the customer tag fields of store-credit purchase programs are ignored. Purchase programs that reward a **discount code** still check their own customer tags, with or without tiers. A customer with no tier earns no purchase cashback. The global excluded tags in Settings still apply. See [Link cashback programs to tiers](/dollarback-store-credit/loyalty-tiers/link-cashback-programs-to-tiers.md).
{% endhint %}

## Verify it works

1. Tag a test customer `wholesale` (or your excluded tag).
2. Place an order for them. A draft order is fine if the program allows draft orders.
3. Check **DollarBack admin → Analytics → Activity** (the **Credits earned** view): no credit row should appear for that order.
4. Remove the tag, order again, and confirm credit is issued this time.

## Common issues

* Excluded customer still earned: the tag must match exactly, including upper and lower case (check it against the customer's tags in Shopify admin), and be present *before* the order's trigger event fires.
* Nobody is earning on POS/drafts: check each program's **Restrict to sales channels** boxes; all unchecked means all channels allowed.
* A customer stopped earning unexpectedly: check their tags, then walk [A customer didn't receive cashback](/dollarback-store-credit/troubleshooting-and-faq/customer-didnt-receive-cashback.md).

## Related articles

* [Advanced settings](/dollarback-store-credit/settings/advanced-settings.md)
* [How cashback is calculated](/dollarback-store-credit/earning-cashback-programs/how-cashback-is-calculated.md)
* [B2B store credit](/dollarback-store-credit/analytics-data-and-account/b2b-store-credit.md)
* [Set up purchase cashback](/dollarback-store-credit/earning-cashback-programs/set-up-purchase-cashback.md)