Net spend after refunds can mask a customer's true purchasing behaviour. A customer who has spent £500 gross but received £300 in refunds still demonstrates high purchasing intent. Without a gross spend flag, these customers are undervalued.
OrderBadger can automatically flag customers based on their gross lifetime spend before refunds.
Stores where gross spend is a better indicator of customer engagement than net spend - fashion with high return rates, electronics with warranty returns, and any business where refunds are common but customers remain active.
How it works
Adds a High Spender badge to orders from registered customers whose total gross spend across all previous paid orders exceeds £200. Unlike net spend, this figure is not reduced by refunds, showing the customer's raw purchasing power.
Recognise these customers as engaged buyers even if they have refund history. Consider offering product recommendations based on their purchasing pattern, or investigate whether refunds indicate a product or fulfilment issue.
Rule template
Write this (or something similar) in the OrderBadger rule builder. The AI compiler turns it into executable logic automatically.
Make it yours
- Try lowering '£200' to '£100' to catch mid-range spenders who are still more engaged than average.
- Raise '£200' to '£500' if you sell high-ticket items and want the badge reserved for truly significant purchasing history.
- Add 'and customer has 3 or more previous paid orders' to combine spend with frequency - confirming the customer is genuinely active, not just the result of one large purchase. …t more than £200 gross on previous orders before any refunds and customer has 3 or more previous paid orders
- Add 'and at least one product has been purchased by this customer 2 or more times' to narrow to high-spenders who also show repeat-product loyalty. …t more than £200 gross on previous orders before any refunds and at least one product has been purchased by this customer 2 or more times
Badge preview
When this rule matches
When this rule does not match
Good to know
- Guest checkouts are excluded - gross spend tracking requires a registered customer account.
- Gross spend includes the full order total before any refunds. A customer with many refunded orders may still trigger this badge.
- The £200 threshold is fixed in the rule text. Edit the rule to change the amount.
Frequently asked questions
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Could a customer with many refunded orders still trigger this badge?Yes. Gross spend is calculated before refunds, so a customer who ordered £300 worth of products but returned £150 still shows £300 in gross spend and will trigger the badge. This is by design - it reveals purchasing intent regardless of returns.
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Why would I use gross spend instead of net spend after refunds?Gross spend reveals purchasing intent regardless of returns. A customer who orders frequently but returns some items is still highly engaged and worth nurturing, especially in fashion or electronics where returns are common.
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How does gross spend differ from the high-value-customer-ltv-500 rule?The LTV rule uses net spend after refunds, while this rule uses gross spend before refunds. Use gross spend to identify engaged customers regardless of return behaviour - useful in fashion or electronics where returns are common.
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Does gross spend include shipping and tax, or just the product subtotal?It includes the full order total as recorded by WooCommerce. Whether that encompasses shipping and tax depends on your store's pricing and tax display configuration.
Related rules
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