Referral Settings

Overview

The Referral Program allows your customers to share your store with friends and family, earning rewards for both the referrer (Advocate) and the new customer (Friend). Advocates share a unique referral link, and when Friends make purchases using the provided discount, Advocates earn points.

This creates a word-of-mouth growth engine where your existing customers become brand ambassadors, helping you acquire new customers while being rewarded for their advocacy.

Key Benefit: Turn your customers into a growth channel by rewarding them for bringing in new business.

How It Works

The Referral Flow:

1. Advocate shares referral link with unique code
2. Friend clicks link and visits your store
3. Cookie is set with referral code (expires after set time)
4. Pop-up appears asking Friend to fill in form
5. Friend receives discount code in the widget
6. Friend makes purchase using discount code
7. Advocate earns points (immediately or after delay)

Example:

Sarah (Advocate) shares: yourstore.com?ref=SARAH123

Emma (Friend) clicks link:
- Cookie saved for 30 days
- Pop-up appears: "Sarah sent you a special discount!"
- Emma enters email: emma@example.com
- Discount code sent: FRIEND25 (25% off)

Emma makes $100 purchase using FRIEND25:
- Sarah earns 500 points
- Emma saved $25

Everyone wins!

Enable/Disable Referral Program

Toggle the entire referral program on or off.

When Enabled:

• Advocates can share referral links
• Friends can claim discounts
• Points are awarded for successful referrals
• Analytics tracking is active

When Disabled:

• Referral sharing is hidden
• Existing referral links still work (cookies remain valid)
• No new referral links can be generated
• Analytics data is preserved

Configuration:

1. Navigate to Referral
2. Toggle Enable Referral Program ON or OFF
3. Save changes

Referral Cookie Lifetime

Set how long the referral tracking cookie remains active after a Friend clicks a referral link.

Configuration:

• Set duration in days (e.g., 30 days)
• Cookie tracks Friend visits during this period
• Pop-up continues to appear during cookie lifetime

How It Works:

Cookie Lifetime: 30 days

Day 1: Friend clicks referral link
- Cookie saved
- Pop-up appears

Day 5: Friend returns to store
- Cookie still active
- Pop-up appears again (if not claimed)

Day 15: Friend claims discount
- Cookie remains but pop-up stops appearing

Day 31: Cookie expires
- No longer tracked as referral

Recommendations:

Duration	Use Case
7 days	Impulse purchases, short sales cycle
30 days	Standard recommendation, most products
60-90 days	High-consideration purchases, B2B

Strategic Considerations:

• Longer duration = more attribution window
• Shorter duration = more urgency
• Consider your typical purchase decision time

Advocate Point Reward

Configure how many points Advocates earn for successful referrals.

Configuration:

• Set point amount (e.g., 500 points)
• Points awarded when Friend makes purchase using discount
• Applied per successful referral order

Example:

Configuration: 500 points per referral

Sarah refers 3 friends:
- Emma makes purchase → Sarah earns 500 points
- Lisa makes purchase → Sarah earns 500 points
- Anna doesn't purchase → Sarah earns 0 points

Sarah's total: 1,000 points from 2 successful referrals

Point Reward Delay

Set a waiting period before awarding points to Advocates after Friend's purchase.

Configuration:

• Set delay in days (e.g., 7 days)
• 0 days = immediate point award
• Points awarded after delay period passes

Purpose:

• Allow time for returns/cancellations
• Prevent fraud from refunded orders
• Ensure Friend's purchase is legitimate

How It Works:

Configuration: 7-day delay

Day 1: Friend makes $100 purchase
- Order is paid
- Advocate notified of pending referral

Day 8: Delay period complete
- Order still valid (not returned)
- 500 points awarded to Advocate
- Advocate notified of point award

If order refunded on Day 5:
- Points are not awarded
- Referral is marked as unsuccessful

Recommendations:

Delay	Use Case
0 days	Immediate gratification, low return rate
7 days	Standard recommendation, allows return window
14-30 days	High-value products, extended return policy

Friend Discount Configuration

Configure the discount that Friends receive when they claim the referral offer.

Restricted Rewards

The Friend discount is created as a restricted reward. Restricted rewards are internal-only rewards that:

• Are not visible to customers in the public rewards catalog
• Have no points cost associated with them
• Are claimed automatically by features like Referrals

The Friend discount can be configured as:

• Order Discount Reward
• Product Discount Reward
• Free Shipping Reward
• Gift Card Reward

You can create restricted rewards through the Referral UI or by selecting the "Create Restricted Reward" option on any of these reward pages.

Reward Type Options

Choose which type of reward Friends receive when they claim the referral offer.

Order Discount

Apply a discount to the Friend's entire order. See Order Discount Rewards for full details.

Configuration Options:

• Fixed value or percentage
• Payment type options (one-time, subscriptions, both)
• Subscription options (first payment, multiple payments, all payments)
• Minimum requirements (order value, item quantity, or none)
• Discount combinations (order, product, shipping)

Example:

Type: Order Discount
Amount: 25% off
Payment Type: One-time payments
Minimum Requirement: $50 order value

Product Discount

Apply a discount to specific products or collections. See Product Discount Rewards for full details.

Configuration Options:

• Fixed value or percentage
• Select specific products or collections
• Payment type options (one-time, subscriptions, both)
• Subscription options (first payment, multiple payments, all payments)
• Minimum requirements (value, quantity, or none)
• Discount combinations (order, product, shipping)

Example:

Type: Product Discount
Amount: $15 off
Applies To: New Arrivals Collection
Payment Type: Both

Free Shipping

Remove shipping costs for the Friend's order. See Free Shipping Rewards for full details.

Configuration Options:

• Payment type options (one-time, subscriptions, both)
• Subscription options (first payment, multiple payments, all payments)
• Minimum requirements (order value, item quantity, or none)
• Maximum shipping cost coverage (optional)
• Discount combinations (order, product, shipping)

Example:

Type: Free Shipping
Payment Type: One-time payments
Minimum Requirement: None
Max Coverage: Unlimited

Gift Card

Issue a gift card of a specified value to the Friend. See Gift Card Rewards for full details.

Configuration Options:

• Set gift card value (e.g., $10, $25, $50)
• Automatically delivered to Friend's email

Example:

Type: Gift Card
Value: $10
Delivery: Automatic email

Important Notes

Customer Eligibility:

• All Friends who claim the referral receive the same reward
• Customer eligibility restrictions are not available for Friend rewards (unlike standard rewards)

Strategic Considerations:

• Order/Product Discounts: Higher percentages increase conversion but impact margins
• Minimum Requirements: Protect profitability while still providing value
• Free Shipping: Popular option, removes common purchase barrier
• Gift Cards: Maximum flexibility, encourages future purchases

Friend Claim Process

How Friends claim their referral discount.

Process:

1. Friend clicks referral link

   • Arrives at your store
   • Cookie is set with referral code

2. Pop-up appears

   • Form to enter email address
   • Terms and conditions (if configured)

3. Friend submits data

   • Discount code generated
   • Code displayed in widget/pop-up
   • Friend registered in system (linked via email)

4. Friend views discount

   • Code shown in widget on storefront
   • Can copy and use at checkout

5. Friend makes purchase

   • Uses discount code at checkout
   • Order must meet minimum requirements
   • Advocate's referral tracked

Important Notes:

• Friend doesn't need to create account immediately
• Email links Friend to future account creation
• Code displayed in widget and can be copied
• Cookie persists throughout lifetime (continues prompting until claimed)

Email Notifications

Emails to Friends must be enabled in Email Notifications settings. The specific email is "New referral" under the Referrals section. This email is meant for sharing the referral link by an advocate to a friend.

Advocate Notifications

Configure notifications sent to Advocates when they earn points through successful referrals.

Points Earned Through Referrals:

• Sent when Advocate receives points from a Friend's purchase
• After delay period (if applicable)
• Shows point amount earned

Email Notifications

Advocate emails must be enabled in Email Notifications settings. Look for "Referral points earned" under the Referrals section.

Terms and Conditions

Provide legal terms for your referral program.

Configuration Options:

Option 1: Link to Terms

Point to an existing Terms and Conditions page.

Setup:

1. Select "Link to Terms"
2. Enter URL (e.g., yourstore.com/referral-terms)
3. Link appears below sharing options
4. Opens in new tab when clicked

Use Case:

• Already have referral terms on your site
• Want full control over terms page
• Need to update terms frequently

Option 2: Content Pop-up

Display terms directly in a pop-up modal.

Setup:

1. Select "Content Pop-up"
2. Enter terms text (rich text supported)
3. Link appears below sharing options
4. Opens modal when clicked

Use Case:

• Don't have separate terms page
• Want terms visible without navigation
• Simple, straightforward terms

Example Content:

Referral Program Terms:

1. Advocates must be existing customers
2. Friends must be new customers or haven't purchased in 90 days
3. Discount applies to first purchase only
4. Points awarded after order fulfillment
5. Program terms may change at any time
6. Fraudulent activity will result in removal from program

Best Practices:

• Keep terms clear and simple
• Specify eligibility requirements
• Define what constitutes successful referral
• Explain fraud prevention measures
• Reserve right to modify terms

Setup Process

Step 1: Enable Program

1. Navigate to Referral
2. Toggle Enable Referral Program to ON

Step 2: Configure Cookie Lifetime

Field	Recommended
Cookie Lifetime	30 days

Step 3: Set Point Rewards

Field	Example
Advocate Points	500 points
Point Reward Delay	7 days

Step 4: Configure Friend Discount

Field	Example
Discount Type	Percentage
Discount Amount	25%
Payment Type	One-time only
Minimum Order Value	$50

Step 5: Set Terms and Conditions

Choose one:

• Link to existing terms page
• Create content pop-up with terms

Step 6: Configure Email Notifications

1. Navigate to Email Notifications > Referral Program
2. Enable:
   • Discount reward claimed
   • Referral successful (Advocate)
   • Points earned from referral (Advocate)
3. Customize email content
4. Test emails

Step 7: Configure Sharing Options

1. Navigate to Referral > Sharing Options
2. Enable desired sharing methods
3. Customize messages for each
4. Save changes

Step 8: Configure Fraud Protection

1. Navigate to Referral > Fraud Protection
2. Review default protections
3. Add manual blocks if needed
4. Save changes

Related Pages

• Sharing Options - Configure how customers share referrals
• Fraud Protection - Prevent referral abuse
• Referral Analytics - Track referral performance
• Email Notifications - Configure referral emails

Summary

Referral Settings provide the foundation for your referral program, defining how Advocates and Friends interact with the system. By configuring appropriate cookie lifetimes, point rewards, and discount structures, you create a balanced program that motivates sharing while protecting your margins.

The automated cookie-based tracking ensures Friends are properly attributed to Advocates, while the configurable delay protects against fraudulent referrals. With clear terms and proper email notification setup, both Advocates and Friends understand the program and receive timely updates about their status.