Referral Program App - User Manual

Complete guide to setup, configure, and optimize your referral program

Installation

Install from Shopify App Store

  1. Visit the Shopify App Store
  2. Search for "Banify Referral App"
  3. Click "Add app"
  4. Review the permissions and click "Install app"
  5. The app will automatically set up your account and configure default settings
That's it! The app is ready to use immediately after installation. All configuration happens automatically in the background.

Initial Setup

Welcome Screen

After installation completes, click "Complete Setup" to:

  • Configure your reward settings
  • Customize the thank you page widget
  • Set up email notifications
  • Configure social media sharing
Quick Start: The app comes with pre-configured defaults. You can start using it immediately and customize later!

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard displays key metrics about your referral program:

Metrics Displayed

  • Revenue from Referrals: Total revenue generated through referral purchases (in your store currency)
  • Total Referrals: Number of successful referral conversions
  • Active Advocates: Customers who have shared their referral codes
  • Conversion Rate: Percentage of shared codes that resulted in purchases

Program Status

Toggle ON/OFF: Enable or disable the entire referral program. When disabled, widgets won't show on checkout pages.

Configuring Rewards

Navigate to Settings → Reward Setup to configure both advocate and friend rewards.

Advocate Reward Settings

What is an Advocate?
An advocate is a customer who shares their referral code with friends.

Configuration Options:

1. Reward Type

  • Percentage discount: Give advocates a percentage off (e.g., 10%)
  • Fixed amount discount: Give advocates a fixed amount off (e.g., $10)

2. Discount Value

  • Enter the discount amount (percentage or fixed)
  • Example: 10 for 10% off or 10 for $10 off

3. Applies To

  • Entire Order: Discount applies to the whole order
  • Specific Products: Choose individual products
    • Click Browse to select products (10 per page with pagination)
  • Specific Collections: Choose product collections
    • Click Browse to select collections (10 per page with pagination)

4. Minimum Requirements (Optional)

  • None
  • Minimum purchase amount
  • Minimum quantity of items

5. Usage Limits (Optional)

  • Limit to one use per customer
  • Set total usage limit

Referred Customer Reward Settings

What is a Referred Customer?
A referred customer (friend) is someone who uses an advocate's referral code.

Same options as Advocate Rewards:

  • Reward type (percentage/fixed)
  • Discount value
  • Applies to (entire order/products/collections)
  • Minimum requirements
  • Usage limits

Saving Settings

After configuring both rewards:

  1. Click Save in the top right
  2. A success message will confirm settings are saved
  3. Changes apply immediately to new orders

Customizing the Widget

Navigate to Settings → Widget to customize how the referral widget appears on thank you pages.

Widget Text Settings

Title

  • Default: "Thank You for Your Purchase!"
  • This appears at the top of the widget

Description

  • Default: "Share your referral code with friends..."
  • Explains the referral program to customers

Share Text

  • Default: "Share your unique code:"
  • Text above the referral code

Share Now Button Text

  • Default: "Share Now"
  • Text on social media share buttons

Preview

The widget preview shows how it will look on the thank you page with your custom text.

Where the Widget Appears

  • Thank You Page: After checkout completion
  • Order Status Page: In customer account order history

Email Templates

Navigate to Settings → Email to customize notification emails.

Email Types

1. Advocate Reward Email

Sent to advocates when their friends make a purchase.

Available Placeholders:

{advocate_name} - Advocate's name
{referral_code} - The advocate's referral code
{friend_reward} - Friend's discount amount
{advocate_reward} - Advocate's reward amount
{shop} - Your store name

Template Sections:

  • Subject Line: Email subject
  • Email Body: Main message content
Example:
Subject: "Your friend just used your referral code!"

Body: "Hi {advocate_name}, great news! Your friend just made a purchase using your code {referral_code}. Your reward of {advocate_reward} is waiting for you!"

2. Friend Welcome Email (Optional)

Customize the email sent to friends who use a referral code.

Testing Emails

Click "Send Test Email" to:

  • Preview how emails look
  • Test placeholder replacements
  • Verify email delivery

Social Media Settings

Navigate to Settings → Widget → Social Media to configure sharing options.

Available Platforms

1. Facebook

  • Enable/Disable: Toggle Facebook sharing
  • Share URL: Automatically includes referral code
  • Format: https://yourstore.com?referral_code=CUSTOMERCODE

2. Twitter/X

  • Enable/Disable: Toggle Twitter sharing
  • Custom Message: Customize the tweet text
  • Available Placeholders:
    {shop} - Your store name
    {referral_code} - Customer's code
    {advocate_reward} - Reward amount
Example:
"Check out {shop}! Use my code {referral_code} and get {advocate_reward} off your first order!"

3. WhatsApp

  • Enable/Disable: Toggle WhatsApp sharing
  • Custom Message: Message sent via WhatsApp
  • Same placeholders as Twitter

4. Email

  • Enable/Disable: Toggle email sharing
  • Custom Message: Email body content
  • Same placeholders as above

How Social Sharing Works

  1. Customer completes purchase
  2. Widget shows on thank you page with enabled social buttons
  3. Customer clicks a social button
  4. Pre-filled message opens with their unique referral code
  5. Friend receives message with clickable link
  6. Friend shops and applies code at checkout

How It Works

Complete Customer Journey

For Advocates (Original Customers)

1. Purchase

  • Customer completes a purchase on your store
  • Order is processed normally

2. Thank You Page

  • Widget appears with unique referral code
  • Example code: JOHNSMITH3XY9Z
  • Social share buttons displayed

3. Sharing

  • Customer shares via Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, or Email
  • Friend receives message with referral link
  • Link format: https://yourstore.com?referral_code=JOHNSMITH3XY9Z

4. Reward

  • When friend completes purchase, advocate receives email
  • Email contains their reward discount code
  • Code can be used on next purchase

For Friends (Referred Customers)

1. Click Link

  • Friend clicks referral link from advocate
  • Lands on your store with code in URL

2. Shopping

  • Friend browses products normally
  • Adds items to cart

3. Checkout

  • Friend applies referral code at checkout
  • Discount is automatically applied
  • Example: "10% off your order!"

4. Purchase Complete

  • Friend completes purchase with discount
  • Advocate receives notification email
  • Friend may also receive thank you email

Discount Code Generation

Format: FIRSTNAME + LASTNAME + 5 RANDOM CHARS
Examples:
• John Smith → JOHNSMITH3XY9Z
• Sarah Jones → SARAHJONESK4L2P
• Mike Wilson → MIKEWILSON7Q8RT

Features:

  • Unique per customer
  • Easy to remember (includes customer name)
  • Random suffix prevents guessing
  • Automatically created in Shopify Discounts

Troubleshooting

Widget Not Appearing

Possible Causes:

1. Program is disabled
Solution: Go to Dashboard, toggle program ON
2. Order doesn't meet criteria
Solution: Check reward settings minimum requirements
3. Extension not deployed
Solution: Reinstall the app or contact support

Discount Code Not Working

Possible Causes:

1. Code expired or usage limit reached
Solution: Check discount settings in Shopify Admin
2. Minimum requirements not met
Solution: Verify cart meets minimum purchase/quantity
3. Code applied to wrong products
Solution: Check "Applies To" settings in rewards configuration

Emails Not Sending

Possible Causes:

1. Email template not configured
Solution: Go to Settings → Email, configure template
2. Invalid email address
Solution: Verify customer email in Shopify
3. Email in spam folder
Solution: Ask customers to check spam/junk

Social Share Links Not Working

Possible Causes:

1. Social media settings disabled
Solution: Enable desired platforms in Settings → Widget → Social Media
2. Invalid URL format
Solution: Ensure your store domain is correct
3. Browser blocking popups
Solution: Allow popups for checkout domain

Performance Issues

Slow Loading:

  • Expected initial load: 3-5 seconds
  • Expected settings page: 1-2 seconds
  • If slower, check your internet connection

Timeout Errors:

  • Extension timeout: 20 seconds for thank you page
  • If timing out, contact support for optimization

Best Practices

1. Reward Configuration

  • Start Small: Begin with 5-10% discounts, increase based on results
  • Test First: Make test purchases to verify everything works
  • Clear Communication: Use simple, clear language in widget text

2. Email Templates

  • Personalize: Use customer names and specific details
  • Clear CTA: Make it obvious what action to take
  • Mobile-Friendly: Keep text concise for mobile viewing

3. Social Sharing

  • Enable Multiple Platforms: Give customers options
  • Compelling Messages: Create shareable, engaging text
  • Test Links: Click each social button to verify functionality

4. Monitoring

  • Check Dashboard Weekly: Monitor key metrics
  • Review Discount Usage: Check Shopify Admin → Discounts
  • Customer Feedback: Ask customers about their experience

Support

Getting Help

Common Questions

Q: Can I customize the widget design?

A: Currently, you can customize text and enable/disable elements. Design customization coming soon.

Q: Is there a limit to referrals?

A: No limit on number of referrals per advocate. You can set usage limits per discount code.

Q: Do referral codes expire?

A: By default, codes don't expire. You can set expiration in Shopify Admin → Discounts.

Q: Can I use this with other apps?

A: Yes, compatible with most Shopify apps. May conflict with other discount apps.

Q: What happens if I uninstall?

A: All data is deleted within 48 hours. Existing discount codes remain in Shopify but won't generate new rewards.

Privacy & Data

Data Collected:

  • Customer names and emails (for discount generation)
  • Order information (for tracking referrals)
  • Social media share events (for analytics)

Data Security:

  • Encrypted data transmission
  • Secure database storage
  • GDPR compliant
  • Data deleted on app uninstall (48 hours)

For more details, see our Referral App Privacy Policy.

Thank you for using Banify Referral App!
We're committed to helping you grow your business through the power of referrals.