A Shopify referral program gives each customer a personal link or code to share. When a friend places a first order with it, the friend gets a welcome reward and the referrer gets a thank-you reward. SubzWallet's refer-a-friend program is coming soon and is not live yet. Today, SubzWallet drives repeat revenue with points, VIP tiers, a cashback wallet, milestone rewards and Klaviyo events.
How a Shopify Referral Program Works
- 1Each customer gets a unique referral link or code, usually in their account page, a post-purchase email or an on-site widget.
- 2They share it with friends by message, email or social media.
- 3The friend uses it on a first order and gets a welcome reward, such as a discount.
- 4Once the order qualifies, the referrer gets their reward, such as points, store credit or a discount.
What to Reward
- Two-sided rewards usually work better than rewarding only the referrer, because the friend has a reason to act.
- Match the reward to your margins. A fixed amount is easy to understand; a percentage scales with order size.
- For subscription brands, consider rewarding the referrer only after the friend's second order, so you pay for subscribers who stay rather than one-time trials.
- Set a minimum order value and decide what happens on refunds before you launch.
Choosing a Referral App on Shopify
Dedicated loyalty apps such as Smile.io, Rivo, Yotpo and BON Loyalty include referral programs today. Compare them on how links are shared, how fraud such as self-referrals is handled, and what the program costs at your order volume. Our Yotpo alternatives page lists prices checked in October 2026. Shopify customer accounts (help.shopify.com/en/manual/customers/customer-accounts) are what most referral programs build on.
What SubzWallet Offers Today for Repeat Revenue
Referrals bring in new customers. For subscription brands, keeping the customers you already have is usually worth more. These are live in SubzWallet now:
- Points on every plan, including Free: earn rules, redemption codes, expiry and a birthday reward
- Milestone rewards and free gifts on the order number you choose (Launch and up)
- VIP tiers with multipliers (Growth and up)
- A cashback wallet that adds store credit after each billing (Growth and up)
- Visual automation flows to award points, cashback or gifts on subscription events (Growth and up)
- Klaviyo integration on every plan, with 21 subscription and rewards events for your email flows
Rewards are shown in the customer portal next to the upcoming order and on a rewards wallet page in Shopify customer accounts. More on the Shopify loyalty program page.
Refer-a-Friend in SubzWallet: Coming Soon
A referral program is on the SubzWallet roadmap. Until it ships, if referrals are central to your growth plan, run a dedicated referral app alongside SubzWallet. Ask your account manager for the current status.