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How to create a Referral Rewards System on Shopify to Grow Your Customer Base?
How to create a Referral Rewards System on Shopify to Grow Your Customer Base?
Ray Kung avatar
Written by Ray Kung
Updated this week

Before you start

βœ… Check Your Subscription Plan: Referral Rewards is available in our Platinum plan and above. Please go to More > Service Plan to make sure your current plan is on Platinum plan or above.

βœ… Enable Point Rewards: Please go to Program > Settings in the navigation bar and check if "Points" is in the green "Enabled" state.

1.Setting Up Your Referral Reward System:

Step 1: Defining Rewards for Referrers and Referrals

  1. Head to Ako Marketing's dashboard > Loyalty Programs > Program > Referrals.

  2. In the Referral Rewards section, you'll be able to set up rewards for both referrers

    and referrals:

  • Friend Reward (Referrals): Reward your referrals when they complete their registration and bind their referral code.

  • Customer Reward (Referrers): Show appreciation to your referrers when the friends they've invited complete registration, bind their referral code and make their first purchase.

Imagine a store that offers rewards like points, discounts, or percentage off your purchase. They give these rewards "14 days after you've paid for your order."

Now, let's say Member A shares her referral link with her friend, C, on August 1st, and on the same day, C signs up using that link and buys something.

Jump ahead 14 days to August 15th, and C gets their reward points. Right after that, Member A receives her referral bonus! Just remember, these rewards apply only to the cost of the products you buy, not to shipping fees or taxes.

Step 2: Configure Sharing Platforms

We've made it easy for your members to share their referral links. They can use popular social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LINE or simply send referral links via email.

Step 3: Define Where the Referral Link Leads

Step 4: Customizing Notification Emails for Referral

In the Ako Marketing dashboard, head to Loyalty Program > Programs > Email. Here, you can customize the notification emails for member referral rewards:

  • Referrer Reward Earned ➜ Letting Your Friends Know: When your new friend finishes signing up and attaches their referral code, the system will send them an email saying their reward will be delivered to their account and ready to be used on their first purchase.

  • Referred Friend Reward Earned ➜ When your referred friend gets their first order's reward points, the system will send you, the referrer, an email saying your reward is in the bag and good to go.


2. Inviting Friends to Join as Members

  1. When members log in, they will see the "Check referral code" button in the loyalty widget. There, just click on "Check referral code" to hop over to get their own referral page:

  2. On this page, members can see the rewards for both them and their friends. Now, it's easy to invite friends with these three methods:

    1. Method 1: Copy and share your referral link with friends. When they click it, the system will fill in their referral code automatically during registration.

    2. Method 2: Copy your referral code and share it manually with friends. They can enter it during registration.

    3. Method 3: Tap those social platform icons to share your referral link with friends on platforms like LINE, Facebook, Twitter(𝕏), or send it via email.


3. How New Members Register and Enjoy Referral Rewards

Step1: Bringing Friends Onboard:

Your members can invite friends in three easy ways: they can share the referral link, pass along the referral code, or use our friendly social platform icons.

Step2: Joining as New Members: How it Works:

New members can kick start their journey by clicking the referral link, which will take them to your store. They can register using their social accounts or email:

After registration, new members can go to the loyalty widget and click "Enter Referral Code". They can link their referral code effortlessly here:

If they register using a referral link, system will auto fill the referral code for new members to redeem their reward:

Once that's done, our system will shoot new members a notification, letting them know that their referral rewards are on the way. These rewards are ready to be used on their very first order:


4. Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: How many discounts can new members, who register using the referral link, apply to their first order?

A1: New members who register successfully using a referral link can enjoy different discounts on their first order. The number of discounts they get depends on whether you've offered a "Free Gift with Your First Order" or a "Social Login Reward":

  1. If you've set up both a "Free Gift with Your First Order" and a "Social Login Reward," when the referred person registers using their social media account, they can enjoy three types of rewards: the "Referral gift + Free gift with your first order + Social login reward." All of these can be used for their first order.
    ​

  2. If you're providing "Points" as a reward, the system will calculate the maximum amount of shopping credit the new member can use based on your "Order Discount Limit."

Q2: Can new members still link a referral code if it's been more than 30 days since they registered?
​

A2: Unfortunately, no. The option to link a referral code disappears after 30 days from the date of registration. It's best to encourage new members to act promptly and link their referral code right after registering to enjoy special benefits from their friends.

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