Last reviewed: 26 October 2026
Quick answer: You can run customer referrals and creator commissions in ReferralCandy on Shopify. Set up separate campaigns for the two audiences, define each offer, and test how a purchase earns its reward before inviting everyone.
Table of Contents
- Why use ReferralCandy for both programs
- What to decide before setup
- Step-by-step setup
- How to track performance
- What to improve after launch
- Frequently asked questions
1. Why use ReferralCandy for both programs
A customer referring a friend and a creator recommending you to an audience need different invitations and reward terms. ReferralCandy supports both in one account, so you can manage the programs together while keeping those terms clear.
ReferralCandy carries Shopify's Built for Shopify badge, which recognizes performance, design, and integration standards.
2. Prerequisites Before You Install
- Know your margins. Include the customer discount, advocate reward or creator commission, and software costs.
- Choose the offer for each audience. Write down the reward, eligible purchases, review period, and payment or redemption method.
- Gather brand assets. Have your logo, colors, and invitation copy ready.
Before going through the steps, it's worth reviewing how affiliate marketing works for online brands so you know what you're building toward.
| Decision | Customer referral campaign | Creator affiliate campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Who joins? | Customers you want to invite to recommend the store. | Creators you invite or accept through applications. |
| What do they share? | A personal referral link and the friend offer. | Their affiliate link or configured code, with clear audience terms. |
| What do they earn? | The reward you've chosen for a qualifying referral. | The commission you've agreed for eligible sales. |
| What needs explaining? | When the reward arrives and where it can be redeemed. | Which purchases count, how returns affect earnings, and when payments arrive. |
3. Step-by-Step Setup in ReferralCandy
Step 1: Install the App
Install ReferralCandy from the Shopify App Store and follow the onboarding instructions for your store.
Step 2: Pick Your Program Type & Reward
Create a referral campaign for customers and an affiliate campaign for creators. Set the reward and purchase conditions for each. Keep your written offer beside you as you configure the settings.
For customers, use the campaign's target audience to decide who qualifies for enrollment. For creators, choose direct invitations or an application process you review. ReferralCandy's affiliate signup guide explains both routes.
Decide what happens when a creator is also a customer
A person can participate in multiple campaigns. If you want creators excluded from the customer referral campaign, configure an excluded segment rather than relying on different reward settings. Enrollment and reward eligibility do different jobs.
One purchase can be attributed to only one person through one campaign. Joining both does not mean earning two rewards on the same order. Someone enrolled in both can also receive both campaigns' emails if enabled. Check the enrollment rules before sending invitations.
Step 3: Brand Your Widgets
Apply your branding to the relevant pages, widgets, and emails. Keep the customer invitation focused on sharing with a friend. Explain commissions and payout timing in the creator welcome email.
Step 4: Enable Signup & Sharing Widgets
Choose where each audience should join. Customer-facing placements can link to your referral program; creator-facing pages should send applicants to the affiliate campaign. Review the Shopify widget options before adding them to your store.
Step 5: Generate Links & Codes
Check the link each participant receives and the offer a shopper sees. If creators will promote a named coupon code, agree on it before they publish. In ReferralCandy, changing a customized code disables the previous one. Follow the code customization instructions.
Step 6: Test the Flow
Test both journeys: joining, sharing, purchasing, attribution, and the resulting reward or commission. Confirm the right participant and campaign receive credit, then check the participant's view.
For a referral campaign that has never been activated, use the built-in Test Mode. Affiliate campaigns do not support it, and swapping optional target segments does not isolate their required application audience. Follow the testing guide and arrange an appropriate affiliate test with support. Don't assume a $1 order will meet your own minimum-spend rules.
Step 7: Launch & Announce
Invite the intended customer audience and your first creator group. Send each the terms relevant to them. Make sure your banners and emails describe the reward you've configured.
4. How to Track Performance
Review participation, referred purchases, and rewards for each campaign. Keep customer referrals and creator performance separate in your analysis, even though you manage them in one account.
Reconcile the sales you attribute with the discounts, rewards, commissions, and app costs you pay. Revenue alone won't tell you what the program contributes.
5. What to improve after launch
- Read the questions customers and creators send you. Use them to improve instructions.
- Check links and reward redemption after changing offers or store promotions.
- Change one part of the offer at a time so you can interpret the result.
6. Frequently asked questions
Do I need two apps for customer referrals and creator commissions?
No. ReferralCandy supports both through separate campaigns in one account. Use distinct offers and audiences so each participant knows what they've joined.
Can I launch with creators before adding customer referrals?
Yes. Start with the campaign you need. Our creator commissions guide covers eligible sales, review periods, and payouts.
Do higher ReferralCandy plans unlock more features?
No. All plans include the features. Choose based on your sales volume and the balance between the base fee and success-fee rate. See ReferralCandy pricing explained for the calculations.