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Customer referrals explained

Explore how referral programs work from both the advocate's and referred friend's standpoint

James Dohm avatar
Written by James Dohm
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Introduction

Customer referrals are a powerful way to grow your community while rewarding loyal customers. Our referral program allows your customers to share personalized links with friends and earn rewards when those friends make purchases. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about how referrals work, from the initial invitation to reward fulfillment.

✨ Referral campaigns are available on the Scale and Plus plans. See pricing β†’


How Referrals Work

Advocate Journey

An advocate is a customer who refers friends to your store. Here's their complete journey:

1. Getting Started
Advocates can access their referral link through your loyalty program widget, account page, or post-purchase referral prompts. Each advocate receives a unique referral link that tracks their invitations.

2. Sharing Options
Advocates can share their referral link through multiple channels:

  • Direct link copying

  • Email invitations with personalized messages

  • Social media sharing (Facebook, Twitter)

  • SMS and WhatsApp messaging

  • Post-purchase referral widgets

3. Tracking and Rewards
Advocates can track their referral activity and see when friends claim discounts and make purchases. They receive rewards after each successful referral completion.

Referred Friend Journey

A referred friend is someone who receives a referral invitation. Here's their experience:

1. Receiving the Invitation
Friends receive referral links through email, social media, SMS, or direct sharing from advocates.

2. Claiming the Reward
When friends click the referral link, they can enter their email address to claim their discount code. This step is called "claiming" the referral.

3. Making a Purchase
Friends use their discount code during checkout to receive their reward. The referral becomes "completed" once the order is fulfilled.


Referral Status Explained

Understanding referral statuses helps you track the progress of each referral:

Unclaimed
The referral link has been created but the friend hasn't entered their email yet.

Pending
The friend has claimed their discount code but hasn't made a purchase yet.

Completed
The friend has made a purchase using their discount code and the order has been fulfilled. Both the advocate and friend have received their rewards.

Blocked
The referral has been blocked due to fraud prevention measures (see below for details).

Ineligible
The referral was completed but didn't meet the program requirements (such as minimum order value).

Advocate Reward Status

Advocate rewards go through their own status progression:

Awaiting
Waiting for the friend to complete their purchase.

Queued
The reward is queued for processing.

Pending Fulfillment
The reward is being processed and will be sent soon.

Sent
The reward has been delivered to the advocate.

Pending Verification
The reward is waiting for additional verification before being sent.


Fraud Prevention

To ensure fair play, our referral system includes several fraud prevention measures. Referrals may be blocked for the following reasons:

Similar Email Addresses
When the advocate and friend have very similar email addresses, suggesting they might be the same person.

Same IP Address
When the friend signs up from the same IP address that was previously used for referrals, indicating potential abuse.

Existing Customer
When the referred email belongs to someone who already has an account and has made previous purchases.

Advocate Excluded
When the advocate has been excluded from loyalty programs due to previous violations.

Advocate IP Match
When the friend's signup IP matches the advocate's signup IP address.

Previous Order IP
When the friend's IP address matches an IP from previous orders in the system.

πŸ’‘ Note: If your referral is blocked and you believe it's an error, please contact customer support with details about your referral.


Sharing Your Referral Link

Advocates have multiple ways to share their referral links:

Direct Link Sharing

Copy your unique referral link and share it anywhere - in messages, on social media, or in person.

Email Invitations

Send personalized email invitations directly through the referral widget. You can:

  • Add multiple email addresses at once

  • Customize the subject line

  • Include a personal note

  • Set up automatic reminder emails

Social Media Sharing

Share your referral link on social platforms:

  • Facebook: Share directly to your timeline or in messages

  • Twitter: Tweet your referral with custom messaging

  • WhatsApp: Send to contacts with personalized messages

  • SMS: Text your referral link to friends

Post-Purchase Referrals

After making a purchase, you may see a referral widget encouraging you to share with friends. This is a great time to refer others while your positive shopping experience is fresh.


Referral Eligibility

To ensure referrals work properly, there are some requirements:

Advocate Requirements

  • Must have a customer account

  • Must not be excluded from loyalty programs

  • Must have a valid referral code

Friend Requirements

  • Must be a new customer (depending on program settings)

  • Must use a valid email address

  • Must complete their first purchase to trigger advocate rewards

  • Order must meet any minimum purchase requirements

Program Requirements

  • Referral program must be active

  • Referral campaign must not be expired

  • Both advocate and friend rewards must be enabled

  • Customer accounts may be required (depending on settings)


Referral Program Features

Referral programs can be customized in many ways:

Campaign Display Types

Inline: Referral widgets appear embedded in pages
​ Popup: Referral forms appear in popup windows
​ None: Referrals work through direct links only

Reward Types

Both advocates and friends can receive various types of rewards:

  • Discount codes (percentage or fixed amount)

  • Store credit

  • Loyalty points

  • Free products

Reward Timing

Immediate: Friends get their discount right away
​ Delayed: Advocate rewards are sent after friend's order is verified
​ Verified: Additional verification required before reward delivery


Troubleshooting Common Issues

My referral link isn't working

  • Check that the referral program is still active

  • Verify the campaign hasn't expired

  • Make sure you're sharing the complete link

  • Confirm your account is eligible to participate

My friend can't claim their discount

  • Ensure they're using a valid email address

  • Check if they already have an account (if new customers only)

  • Verify they haven't already claimed a referral discount

  • Make sure the referral hasn't been blocked

I didn't receive my advocate reward

  • Confirm your friend completed their purchase

  • Check if their order met minimum requirements

  • Verify the order has been fulfilled

  • Look for the reward in your account or email

My referral was blocked

  • Review the fraud prevention reasons above

  • Ensure you and your friend are different people

  • Check that you're not sharing from the same location/device

  • Contact support if you believe it's an error


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many friends can I refer?
A: There's typically no limit to how many friends you can refer, though some programs may have tier-based limits.

Q: Can I refer someone who already has an account?
A: This depends on your program settings. Many programs are for new customers only, while others allow existing customers to be referred.

Q: When do I get my advocate reward?
A: Advocate rewards are typically sent after your friend's order is fulfilled, though timing can vary by program.

Q: Can I customize my referral message?
A: Yes! When sharing via email or social media, you can often add personal notes and customize the message.

Q: What happens if my friend returns their order?
A: If a referred order is returned, the referral may become ineligible and any rewards may be reversed.

Q: Can I see who I've referred?
A: You can typically see referral statistics including how many people you've referred and their status, but personal information is kept private.

Q: Why was my referral marked as ineligible?
A: Referrals become ineligible when they don't meet program requirements, such as minimum order value, product restrictions, or timing requirements.

πŸŽ‰ Ready to start referring? Look for the referral widget in your account or loyalty program dashboard to get your unique referral link and start earning rewards!

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