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 →
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.
💡 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.
🎉 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!