Enabling referral discount codes
This guide explains how to enable discount codes for your affiliate groups. Assigning a discount code rule allows your affiliates to track referrals even when a customer doesn't use a referral link—if their unique code is used at checkout, the sale is automatically attributed to them.
Step 1: Select Your Discount Type
Navigate to the Groups section of your dashboard.
Select the specific group you want to enable discount codes for.
Locate the "Discount type" setting and choose the option that best fits your strategy:
Amount off order: Applies the discount to the entire cart.
Amount off collections: Restricts the discount to specific collections.
Amount off products: Applies the discount only to specific individual products.
Free Shipping: Offers free shipping to the customer.
Step 2: Configure the Rule in Shopify
Once you have selected your type, click the "Edit discount rule" button. This will redirect you to Shopify’s built-in discount configuration page.
Set the Discount Value: This is the most important step. Enter the actual percentage (e.g., 10%) or fixed amount (e.g., $5) you want the customers to receive.
Fine-tune the Logic: Use Shopify’s native settings to define:
Minimum purchase requirements (e.g., "Only valid on orders over $50").
Customer eligibility (e.g., "New customers only").
Combinations: Decide if this code can be used alongside other active store promotions.
Click "Save" in the Shopify interface when you are finished.
Important Rules to Remember
Shopify Configuration & Troubleshooting: Our app integrates directly with Shopify’s native discount engine to provide maximum flexibility. Because of this, troubleshooting a code that isn't applying at checkout is handled within your Shopify Discount settings.
Common configuration issues include the discount value being set to 0% or $0, or restrictions in the "Combinations" section that prevent the code from working with other active store offers. For a full breakdown of these settings, please refer to Shopify's Discount guide.
Commission Calculation: To protect your margins, affiliate commissions are calculated after all discounts have been applied to the order subtotal.
Group-Wide Application: The discount rule you set applies to every affiliate within this specific group. If you change the rule later, it will automatically update for all members of the group.
Step 3: Configure your Discount Code Format
The code generator builds discount assets using a three-part modular layout:
Prefix: This is optional text added before the main anchor (e.g.,
SAVE). Only letters and numbers are accepted, with a strict maximum limit of 6 characters.Main Name: Click the dropdown menu to select the primary identifier for the code. You can choose from:
First name (default)
Full name
Social media name (if enabled)
Instagram username (if enabled)
TikTok username (if enabled)
Suffix: This is optional text appended to the end of the main name (e.g.,
20to signify a 20% discount). This field also has a 6-character limit and only accepts alphanumeric characters.
Example Setup: Combining a prefix of SAVE, a main name value of SIMPLE, and a suffix of 20 automatically generates SAVESIMPLE20 when an eligible partner joins the group.
Important Rules to Remember
Applies to New Partners Only: Updating the discount code format only changes how codes are built for affiliates who join the group after the change is saved. The system will never rename, alter, or interrupt existing discount codes that are already active.
Alphanumeric Restrictions: Spaces, hyphens, and special characters (like
$,%, or!) are entirely unsupported in the prefix and suffix fields. Only standard letters and numbers will save successfully.Duplicate Protection: If a generated code is already in use on your storefront, the system automatically begins appending the affiliate's last name letter by letter to maintain uniqueness and prevent errors in Shopify.
Confirming Your Settings
After saving your rule, you will see that the group status now shows as "Active." This confirms that a discount code rule is in place, and members can now use the unique codes assigned to them to track referrals.
