Referral emails are a successful strategy that ecommerce and DTC brands employ to promote their referral programs to their advocates and improve referral rates.

Sending out referral emails to your happy customers not only brings your loyal customers back to your online shop but also brings in new customers with little effort (thank you, email automation).

Once you’ve decided on the referral incentives for your existing customers, it's time to let them know about it by sending out a well-thought-out referral program email.

In this article, we'll show you how to write the best referral email to get their attention, and what other successful ecommerce and DTC businesses are doing with their referral program emails.

6 quick tips for referral emails

Even with the most irresistible incentive possible, it doesn't necessarily equate to your customers taking up your offer.

Why not?

Because they might not even open your referral program email. And if they do, they might not click on the link to set up their referral discount or offer.

That's why it's super important to write a referral email that is more likely to land in the inbox, be opened, and grab the attention of your existing customer base.

"It only takes a few seconds for customers to decide whether to click on your referral email, so make it stand out. Maximize your chances of higher open rates by using an eye-catching subject head, professional-looking images that highlight your product, and use persuasive, but not aggressive copywriting." - Rachel Leung, Product Designer @ ReferralCandy

We've got a few tips to help you do exactly that.

1. Use a high-converting subject line

As tempting as it is to write a super cheeky subject line as you might do with your friends, it might not be the best tactic when it comes to your email marketing strategy.

Instead, it's super important to be clear about what you are offering in the email so that your customers know whether or not they want to open it. Be clear about what the referral offer is right in the subject line (see examples below) and you will see an over 500 percent increase in your open rate.

Want another tip?

Consider adding an emoji to your subject line. Though only 2 percent of businesses do so, it can increase your open rate tenfold.

Example: 

Subject: Get 10% off your next purchase and help a friend save too!

2. Show the incentive

Referral incentives are one of the most important components of asking for referrals. Most people want to know what’s in it for them by referring your brand and product to their close friends and family. 

The keyword here is “WORTH”. 

The referral incentive should be clear and simple while showing your subscribers that it is worth being an advocate for your brand. By prominently displaying it in your email, it helps your customers to decide if it is worth their time and effort to refer your brand and products. 

Example:

To refer a friend, simply share your unique referral code/referral link with them and have them enter it at checkout. They'll get 10% off their order, and you'll get a discount on your next purchase.

3. Get to the point

Listen, as impressive as human beings can be at times, the truth of the matter is that we are also incredibly lazy.

So make your referral bonus easy to identify right away, either with a clear call-to-action, an effective campaign slogan, a big, bold referral code, or super clear instructions.

A good email design ensures that the main message is read even if your customer is just scanning through the email. Furthermore, custom email templates play a pivotal role in attracting the customer's attention and nudging them to act. People are likely to delete emails that are too long or overwhelming.

To help you with that, we’ve collected some of our favorite referral email designs so that you can draw inspiration and start creating your own gorgeous referral emails.

4. Send it to your highest-value customers

If you have segmentation software in place, you'd be able to easily identify who your brand loyalists are.

Here are a couple of common characteristics: 

• They've made repeat purchases
• They've participated in providing a review/testimonial for your brand previously

Because you know that this group of people is satisfied with your product offerings and brand, they are more likely to convert into your brand advocates. With segmentation in place, you'd be able to target specific campaigns at specific groups of people and customize the rewards accordingly.

5. Send it at the right time

If you're unable to identify the demographics of your highest-value customers, here are some tips that you can follow.

For a general crowd, you can make use of the right timing to target your customer base.

• Post-purchase, immediately after.

This is the most common time to send out a referral email but it's a hit or miss. At this point, customers are happy enough since they've purchased a product from you. But if they're first-time customers, it may be slightly off-putting when you're telling them to share about your product before they've even received it.

• Post-purchase, once they've received the product.

We can't stress enough how important it is to reach out to these customers for referrals. Depending on your "goals", you could target this segment with either a review email or a referral email. But it's the perfect time to turn them into advocates especially if they're satisfied with what they've received in their mail.

• Holiday season.

Targeting customers during the holiday season is also a great idea. While you have an ongoing "general" referral campaign, you could have a separate one just for the festive period with a different seasonal perk that comes along with it. Even your referral messaging, email design, and landing pages can all be catered to the holiday event. A limited edition perk would work super well as it plays on the FOMO behavior of humans.

6. Be genuine

Referrals are all about genuine relationships. It relies heavily on the personal relationships of your customers when they make the decision to share about your product and brand with the people they know. With that said, your referral emails should also show how much you appreciate your customers for doing so.

20 examples of beautiful referral email designs

Front Of The Pack

Subject: Refer a friend and get $20 credit!

Why we love it:

• The images are eye-catching and relevant
• The color scheme follows the brand identity closely
• “Share the savings with other dog parents”—creates a sense of community and belonging amongst customers
• The email clearly indicates the referral incentive of $20 for each referral with two CTA buttons
• It includes an explanation of how the referral program works
• Email reinforces the selling points of the product—makes it easy for potential advocates to share about the brand and product
  

Olipop

Subject: Give $5, get $5

Why we love it: 

• “Get what you give”—a catchy headline that is also essentially what a referral program is about
• Image used shows the sharing of Olipop’s drinks which is in line with the concept of the refer a friend program
• Includes a clear explanation of how their referral program works along with what advocates get from being an advocate
• Uses a simple and straightforward CTA button

Prime

Subject: Discover. Save. Feel Better Every Day.

Why we love it: 

• The overall email is catered for customers rather than to sell a product
• The referral program is introduced together with another loyalty strategy—cashbacks
• “Share the love” used in the headline invokes a sense of community 
• Referral incentive is also clearly showcased
• Referral incentive coupled with a clear CTA button
• Email provides extra “help” with methods to reach Prima’s customer service through email and live chat
  

Period Aisle

Subject: BLACK FRIDAY STARTS NOW

Why we love it: 

• Period Aisle first captures the attention of customers with a Black Friday Sale—a great tactic especially if your refer a friend program is new
• The entire email design harmonizes nicely with the brand colors and identity
• Hero image used above the referral program shows “friends coming together while wearing Period Aisle’s products”
• Uses the Black Friday Sale and extra discounts as a reason for customers to get started on their referral program
• States the incentive clearly so customers know what is in it for them when they refer a “bestie”
• Uses a clear CTA button
  

Greats

Subject: International Day of Friendship

Why we love it:

• The subject line celebrates International Friendship Day—which brings the idea of a refer a friend program nicely into the email
• The image used shows friends having fun while wearing Greats’ products
• Email states clearly the incentive that both the referred and advocate will receive
• Uses a simple and straightforward CTA button to invite a friend
• Showcases their community as social proof with the hashtag #BeOneOfTheGreats
  

Flexfits

Subject: TRY NEW THINGS TOGETHER

Why we love it:

• The subject line “Try new things together” encourage customers to share the products with people around them—a good lead into the refer a friend program in the email
• Includes animated gifs on the image to capture the attention of readers, especially since the incentive is clearly shown
• Clear CTA right after the image
• An easy-to-understand description of how the referral program works
• Uses words like “crew”, “bestie”, “pal”, which helps to emphasize the community aspect of a referral program
• Reinforces the unique selling point of their product and what differentiates them from the rest—also serves as additional talking points for advocates when they share with friends
  

Recess

Subject: tell a friend about Recess for $10

Why we love it:

• The subject head is straight to the point
• Uses vibrant colors and email design unique to Recess
• The email mentions that a referral program is a reward for customers that enjoy Recess’ products
• A simple explanation of how the referral program works in 3 steps followed by a clear CTA button
• Also includes additional promotion ideas to help advocates get more from the referral program
• The overall tone of the email is cheeky and fun which is aligned with the brand’s image
  
  

Wildfang

Subject: GIVE $20, GET $20

Why we love it:

• Subject head tells readers exactly what the email is about
• No frills, just a clickable image celebrating International Friendship Day with their referral program in extremely large font
• Incentives are clearly stated
  

Starface

Subject: STARFACE REWARDS

Why we love it:

• The entire email revolves around “giving back” to their customers with reward programs
• Bright yellow and pink color scheme that showcases Starface’s brand identity
• Referral incentive is obvious and conditions are stated clearly
• The image used shows friends using Starface products together
• Includes a clickable image with CTA button which makes it easy for readers to join the referral program
  

Grove

Subject: Your $15 offer is expiring.

Why we love it:

• The subject line plays on the time factor with power words like “expiring”, to get customers to take action
• The headline also includes “Ends Tonight” which urges readers to join the referral program before their credits expire
• Includes multiple CTAs throughout the email
• Breaks down how the refer a friend program works into three steps
  

Bright Littles

Subject: Sharing is caring! Refer a friend + get 20% off your next Bright Littles order!

Why we love it:

• The subject head introduces the referral program straight up together with the referral incentive
• “Sharing is caring” is a strong headline that captures attention
• Has a cute hero image that shows two kids holding onto the signature product of Bright Littles—gives off a sense of 
• Body copy is simple and explains clearly what the referral program is about and how parents can receive 20% off their next purchase
• Clear CTA button for them to get started
  

Cleancult

Subject: This just in: The 2021 Green Impact Report

Why we love it:

• Cleancult does an amazing job in the community aspect by pulling together the milestones that every customer of theirs has helped them to achieve with a “Green Impact Report”
• Uses the report to get the attention of readers, then introduce the referral program
• “Spread the word, save big” emphasizes not just the referral incentive but also the impact that advocates have on the environment just by telling their friends and family
• Referral incentives are also well showcased
• Clear CTA button to get started with sharing
  

Bandier

Subject: Get $25 for each friend you refer

Why we love it:

• The subject head tells readers exactly what to expect in the email
• The header image showcases clearly what the referral incentive is
• Body copy describes what the referral program is about 
• Includes a step-by-step explanation with nice graphics on how to be an advocate and how to get the most out of the program 
• Clear and simple CTA to start referring

Vinyl, Me Please

Subject head: Contest Alert! Win Our 50 Hip-Hop ROTMs

Why we love it:

• Vinyl, Me Please turned their referral program into a contest to generate more word-of-mouth
• Includes eye-catching graphics and gifs of their vinyls
• Incentivizes advocates with more than just store credits but also a chance to win more vinyls
• Has a clear explanation of how the referral program works together with the contest in their body copy
• Straightforward CTA buttons to encourage action 
  

Princess Polly

Subject head: GIVE $25, GET $25

Why we love it:

• Short and sweet subject head leading to the referral program
• Places an expiration date to the referral program—creates a bit of an exclusive factor
• Has a clickable image to the referral program
• Referral incentive clearly stated and in large font
• Includes other promotions (Black Friday sales) in the same email which could entice advocates to share with their friends and family
  

Thinx

Subject head: Make the sustainable switch with the whole squad

Why we love it:

• Taps on the win-win situation in the subject head where advocates can change to a sustainable lifestyle together with their friends
• Uses a pun on their own brand in the headline—”friends who Thinx together, stay together”
• Leverages International Day of Friendship to introduce their refer a friend program
• Teamed up with another brand through a co-marketing collaboration to win products from both brands—customers have to refer a friend
  

Plant People

Subject: Refer a Friend, Get $10 🌱

Why we love it:

• They used emojis in their subject head that’s relevant to their brand
• Plant People named their referral program “The Buddy System”
• Copy is easy to understand and referral incentive is clearly stated
• The hero image is also very relevant with friends holding up Plant People’s products and smiling
• Included easy-to-remember selling points of the brand at the bottom to make it easier for advocates to share about them
  

Ruggable

Subject head: Your Friends Will Thank You

Why we love it:

• The subject head is quirky and catches the attention
• Incentives clearly stated from the start
• Includes multiple CTAs throughout the email to get readers to take action
• Clear and succinct explanation of how the refer a friend program works
• The hero image is a relevant product image
• Includes three easy to remember keywords about the product so that advocates can easily share about them—washable, changeable, liveable
  

Lulus

Subject head: Your Friends Will Want In On This...

Why we love it:

• The subject head catches the attention of readers
• Simple design without loud graphics or pictures
• Has a prominent headline that includes the referral incentive
• Body copy clearly explains the step-by-step process of referring a friend
• The entire banner is clickable and leads to the referral page
  

Sheertex

Subject head: Give $10, Get $20

Why we love it:

• The subject line is straight to the point with the referral incentive “Give $10, Get $20”
• The image used in the banner shows two different people holding a Sheertex product—taps on the community and sharing aspect
• CTA button has good contrast—stands out in the entire email
• Body copy is simple but explains the referral process well enough
  

Find what works best for your brand

Crafting a successful referral email can be difficult, so take as much time as you need in creating the best possible design and copy that will compel your customers to share with their friends and family.

Take inspiration from these 20 different email designs and make one that is truly your own. For more examples, you can check out Really Good Emails or Milled.

Frequently Asked Questions

No surprise here: from early November through Christmas Eve, the holiday shopping season is one of the busiest for ecommerce brands.

Afraid you’ve missed the chance to leverage your current referral program? Good news: it’s never too late!

In fact, with increased website traffic and sales this time of year, it’s the perfect opportunity to encourage shoppers to sign up for your referral program and become an advocate for your ecommerce brand.

Here’s everything you need to know about creating a holiday referral marketing strategy and how to use the busy shopping season as a runway for even more growth throughout the year.    

Why holiday referral marketing matters

For most ecommerce businesses, the holiday season is one in which traffic and sales are at increased levels. And by taking advantage of the increased brand awareness, there’s an opportunity to have new and existing customers sign up for your referral program.

Let’s take a look at why holiday referral marketing matters:

Drive more traffic to your store

Referrals are a beneficial way to drive traffic to your ecommerce business during the holiday season. Take advantage of the spike in website traffic and encourage customers to share referral codes to access exclusive sales and additional discounts.

Once customers send out referral codes to friends and family and codes are used, customers have an additional opportunity to shop with the business (while also seeing increased traffic and sales resulting from referrals).

Stand out from your competitors

The holiday shopping season is the prime time to pull ahead of the competition. How? By rewarding customers with even better savings when referral codes are used.

This works to activate customers (both new and existing) who might have been on the fence about moving forward in the buying journey. 

A sense of urgency to take advantage of the incentive during the limited window also creates excitement and increases sharing (bringing more traffic to the website).

People tend to spend more during the holiday season

Consumers are primed and ready to spend more during the holiday season, so make it easy and festive for them to shop your ecommerce brand.

A referral program doesn’t always have to be about offering monetary incentives, either. Perks like stocking stuffers or bonus products work well during the shopping season!

The joy of giving

The holiday season is naturally a time for giving. For brands and consumers that emphasize giving back or doing good in the community, using that as an incentive is a powerful motivator.

In addition to offering referral incentives, presenting consumers with an opportunity to donate to a cause or charity can make them feel exceptionally generous during the holiday season.

4 holiday referral marketing strategies you need

Make incentives even more enticing

One of the simplest ways to enhance your existing referral program into one that drives even more traffic and sales to your ecommerce brand is to update the current incentives. 

Double the reward points, offer an additional monetary or percentage with each code used, or include extras to attract even more action toward signing up and using your referral program. 

Apparel brand Boden does a great job of highlighting the benefit of signing up for a referral – both parties receive a discount. Still, new customers get an additional incentive of saving 20% on the first purchase, increasing the likelihood they’ll use it and reap benefits for themselves and the referrer. 

Advocate for a cause

Tap into altruism during the holiday season. Consumers are more in a giving spirit this time of year, making it easier to get them to spend (especially when it benefits an important charity or cause!) to see a bit of good done in the community.

And while not everyone is incentivized by giving back (and that’s okay), you can also include a perk for shoppers to enjoy.

A win-win for everyone.

Use holiday-specific messaging

Simple changes to the aesthetics and messaging of your referral program are recommended.

Book of the Month not only offers a referral bonus for anyone who signs up using a code, the holiday messaging here is targeted at shoppers who need that perfect last-minute gift. 

Doing this highlights to consumers that it’s a special time to sign up and use codes; plus, using holiday copy in referral campaigns underscores a sense of urgency that perks and savings are only available for a limited time.

Build excitement and hype

Want more consumers to sign up for your referral program? Make it exciting to be part of the community. Starbucks does a fantastic job of this every year. Since so many already buy coffee daily, the festive challenges add something special during the holiday season. 

Whether it’s getting active on social media and encouraging fans to tag friends and family, entering them into a raffle when they complete several activities, hosting a giveaway, or rewarding them for loyalty, there are plenty of ways to get new eyes on your brand and referral program. 

Referral marketing: Beyond the holiday season

Enhancing your current program to one geared toward the holidays makes sense for a few reasons:

• Consumer behavior and spending habits change and evolve during the holiday season. They’re more motivated to shop, sign up for rewards and incentives, and spend.
• Reward your most loyal brand advocates! As a way to spread some holiday cheer, increasing incentives or offering exclusive perks shows your biggest fans that you care about them. For many, the holiday season comes with financial struggles, and referral programs are a great way to help them save money or make a little bit of extra cash.
• Creativity wins. If you want to revamp and promote your referral program, this is a great time to do it. Social media, interactive contests, and communities are just a few ways to build traction and attention for a referral program, especially during the holiday season.

With a referral program already in place, using it to your advantage throughout the year (holidays and beyond) is essential to growing your ecommerce brand and attracting loyal customers.

What is referral marketing?

Referral marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies: using your current customers to spread the word about your brand to new customers.

We compiled a truly epic list of the best referral program ideas currently on the market, along with recommendations on what kinds of referral program software to use, incentives to offer, and current customers to target for your very own referral program.

But hang on—there's a catch.

It's not always easy for your customers to do. Between their hectic work schedules and a never-ending list of social and family obligations, your marketing strategy is the last thing on their minds.

To turn your loyal customers into your biggest brand advocates, you have to make the referral process as easy as possible for them, and you have to stay top-of-mind with killer referral incentives, like free products and major discounts.

Instead of reinventing the wheel to come up with your own referral marketing ideas, you may want to take inspiration from top brands who are absolutely killing it with referral programs.

By the end of our list, you will have enough referral program ideas to launch your very own program and open the floodgates of another customer acquisition channel for your business.

Before we begin, let's break down some basic referral marketing definitions so that we know that we're all on the same page.

What is a referral program?

A referral program or a “refer-a-friend” program is a marketing strategy used by many top ecommerce brands to incentivize existing customers to recommend the brand and its products to their family and friends.

A referral program is a deliberate, systematic way of getting people to make referrals to your business. Referral programs are often called word-of-mouth marketing, because they reward existing customers for sharing and incentivize new customers to try out your brand.

Customers are rewarded with referral incentives, such as free cash, major discounts, or a free month of subscription. While there is an upfront cost to the business, referral programs significantly increase long-term revenue by making loyal customers out of your existing customer base.

If you are wondering why you should have a referral program and how to run one, let’s take a look at how the top ecommerce brands are running their referral programs and the results they have achieved.

Before we begin, let's quickly go through the basics of referral programs.

Why do I need a referral program?

One of the biggest stresses of any business is finding a solid customer acquisition channel, or basically, bringing in new customers. When you have a solid referral marketing program, however, you let your existing customers bring new buyers to your brand. This not only significantly reduces spending on bringing new customers to your shop, but also increases customer retention, which is a very good thing.

Why?

Because loyal customers have a higher conversion rate than new customers and spend more per transaction, making customer referral programs the most cost-effective and lucrative marketing strategy that your business can possibly employ.

How does a referral program work?

People don't make as many referrals as they intend to for a variety of reasons. A referral program helps make their mind up with a tangible reward for referrals.

Modern referral programs, or refer-a-friend programs, use software to track referrals made by happy customers through either a referral code, a rewards card, or a referral link. Depending on the referral campaign, customers will usually receive some kind of referral bonus or benefit when they refer a friend. Referral marketing software automates the payout of these referral rewards.

This referral process creates a natural word-of-mouth marketing experience for your brand, which ultimately increases both your customer retention rate and your revenue.

To find out more, check out how ReferralCandy works.

How do I create a referral program?

The best way to bring in potential customers is to first focus on your existing satisfied customers. Rather than just offering cash rewards or free gifts in hopes that your customers will refer a friend to your shop, it takes a little bit of planning to set up a referral program that works.

1. Get clear about your goals

Before creating a complex ambassador program or launching tons of marketing campaigns (of any kind), it's important to be clear about what your goals are for the program. This will help guide you as you brainstorm referral marketing ideas. Some questions to consider are:

• What are you hoping to get out of your rewards program?
• Do you want more customers? Or just bigger purchases by your existing customers?
• Are you trying to get a higher conversion rate and increase sales?

You can certainly achieve each of these goals, but it might require a different referral campaign for each goal. So it's important to be clear about your goals before beginning.

Canopy makes the world's cleanest and easiest humidifier for optimal skin health and wellness.

It’s not unusual for brands to choose product incentives rather than cash or credit incentives, but they definitely belong to the minority. Canopy does a great job in closing the loop for existing customers and keeping them loyal. If I’m an advocate, it makes absolute sense for me to be incentivized by free filters since I already own the device. They’ve also made it enticing to click on the “Free Filter” button rather than to put “Refer-a-Friend Program” on their homepage. 

2. Make a list of your existing customer referral sources

Your referral sources are your happy customers, friends, and family. They are your biggest advocates and will be the lifeblood of your referral marketing program. Make a list of all of these groups and how you can easily contact them.

3. Make an outreach plan

Now that you have a list of referral sources, carefully make an outreach plan. It's not quite as simple as sending a blast email with a generic referral incentive. Instead, research the best practices for reaching out to each type of referral.

Newer customers, for example, shouldn't receive emails about your reward program right after their first purchase. And close friends and family may not need an incentive at all! The types of referral programs that you use will largely depend on your list, so plan accordingly.

4. Determine the referral incentives you'll offer

While cash incentives likely seem like they’ll get the biggest draw out of your existing customer base, that’s not necessarily the case. One study found that non-cash incentives were 24% more effective with referral marketing than cash incentives. It’s best to offer something of tremendous value to your customers that will keep them coming back to your shop in the future.

Braxley Bands’ referral program reward structure:

• Advocate reward: 20% off and a chance for a $100 gift card
• Friend offer: 20% off

Beyond the conventional 20% for you, and 20% for me, Braxley Bands also introduced an additional perk of standing a chance to win a $100 gift card (that’s essentially 3 more bands for the advocate). That alone is an extra incentive at zero cost to the advocate, all he or she needs to do is to share via word of mouth. 

5. Tell your customers about it

Once you’ve settled on your referral lists and your incentives, it’s time to get people to spread the word both about your brand and your rewards! There are many different ways to do this, each of which brings in a different segment of potential customers.

You could add details about your referral program in your newsletters, have opt-ins on your website, capture customers through a pop-up widget right on your homepage, or even send out specific referral emails to your most loyal audience. Do a little research about the most effective way to grow your lists and then test it out for yourself.

Like most ecommerce brands, Chāmpo puts a link to their referral program in their site footer. It’s accessible and easy to spot. 

6. Track the referrals and rewards

In order to run a successful rewards program, you need to keep track of all of the referrals being made. You need to be able to keep track of who referred whom, the date they were referred, whether or not a conversion was made, and the best way to follow up with both the referrer and the referee.

One of the easiest ways to do this is with referral program software, like ReferralCandy. A system that not only facilitates the reward within your shop but also provides accurate data on the referrals is going to help you know exactly how successful (or unsuccessful) your program is. Some referral systems go one step further in making sure that your referrals are legit and not frauds. Here’s an example of what your referral report might look like on ReferralCandy!

Now that you have a clearer idea of referral programs, let's take a look at the referral programs of top brands and what we can learn from them.

How top brands are running their referral programs

1. Dropbox

Dropbox's referral program is probably one of the most well-known examples of referral marketing around. Dropbox grew by 3900% with this very famous referral program. Even today, almost ten years later, it is often used in case studies to demonstrate how referral programs may either assist or even act as the growth engine of a business.

Dropbox's referral program guiding principles are quite clear. Since the product provides cloud storage, it decided to give users more free space in addition to referral bonuses for both accepting invitations and referring friends. Dropbox users can get up to 16 GB for their referrals. So you basically get 500 MB for every friend who installs the Dropbox desktop app and the friend gets 500 MB too. They can sign up for any plan and you get your bonus storage the minute they download the app.

How Referrals Built The $10 Billion Dropbox Empire.

2. PayPal

When discussing referral-based viral growth, almost every blog post mentions PayPal’s referral program. PayPal was one of the first companies to use a referral campaign to achieve viral growth at such a massive scale, from “A 10% daily growth rate” to “A $1.5 billion buyout”.

All users need to do is send an invitation to a friend who doesn’t have PayPal and have them sign up and link their bank account or card. When they spend or send at least $5, PayPal sends both the advocate and the referred, $10. Users can invite up to ten friends and earn up to $100, and just need to make sure they spend/send at least $5.

3. Uber

Uber's referral program was the basis of its success. It was offered ever since the business began, and its quick expansion was largely due to it. The program has changed, but it still offers rewards to its users. To earn referral rewards, users have to follow their conditions. The program is eligible only for a customer who received a program email. Users need to share a referral code in your email with their friend. To earn referral rewards, a referee must complete the first trip with the referral code.

We've written more about Uber's many referral programs here:

How Uber Covered More Than 50 Countries In 3 Years

4. Airtable

Airtable is an online tool that combines elements from databases and spreadsheets. It's very adaptable and has a wonderful user interface. For each person users refer to Airtable, they'll receive $10 in credit. Only when the person invited registers and confirms their email will the users be given credit. Users can invite people to use Airtable, and access an Airtable-referral link, from the Referrals and credits section of the Account page.

5. DocSend

DocSend is a wonderful solution for safely sending important files while getting immediate feedback on how your recipients are interacting with your content. Their referral program is a way to show their customers’ appreciation for the tool to others while getting a $15 credit for each new user they invite.

6. Fiverr

A famous global internet marketplace for independent contractors, Fiverr also offers a referral program to its customers. The Fiverr platform links freelancers with individuals or companies looking to hire. They allow their users to earn up to $100 for every friend who signs up and makes their first order. You can share it by email or with a link via social sharing. When your friends sign up to Fiverr, they get 10% off their first purchase, and you get 10% off their first order amount, up to $100.

7. Duolingo

Every marketer’s favorite social media example Duolingo offers its referral program too. With their program, for every person you refer and signs up for a Duolingo account, you receive a free week of Super Duolingo! This is a simple and easy way to attract your friends to learn a new language and get rewarded.

How do different industries make use of referral programs

Ecommerce Referral Program examples

Fashion & Apparel Referral Program examples

1. The Clymb

The Clymb is an adventure gear brand that has many customers from around the world. They offer a referral reward structure to their loyal customers where you invite a friend to join The Clymb and you each get $10 in Clymb credit when they make their first order of $50 or more. They send your credit to your account when the first order ships.

They now even allow you to mass invite your friends and send them a personalized message.

2. Erin Condren's

Erin Condren is known for creating fun organization essentials for your home, office, and everything in between. They have an awesome referral program, where you can earn EC credits to spend in their online store. All you need to do is to send your friends a referral link. After they sign up they get a 10$ coupon, and after their first purchase, you will get rewarded with 1000 EC points (a $10 equivalent). You can stack up these points and shop later.

Fashion Referral Programs – Erin Condren

3. Greats

GREATS is the first sneaker company to be founded in Brooklyn. They claim to produce high-quality, long-lasting sneakers with an excellent fit and feel using quality material. Their referral program GIVE $30, GET $30 is a win-win for existing and new customers, offering a great discount and rewards.

Footwear Referral Program Examples – GREATS

4. Rothy's

Rothy’s creates essentials from classic shoes to carry-everywhere bags. They get their inspiration from the strides that the community is making. Their Refer-a-Friend promises to give $20, get a $20 reward, as your friends get their first order.

5. Girlfriend Collective

Here’s a great example from the ethical brand Girlfriend Collective. They believe in sustainable manufacturing and recycled materials. They use old water bottles and fishing nets to produce their clothing, so they won’t be clogging landfills and polluting oceans. With their referral program, you can earn free leggings. Give your friends 30% off their first purchase of $95 or more and earn a Free Pair of Compressive Leggings when they buy. 

6. J. Crew Factory

J.Crew believes that shopping should be fun and provides high-quality clothing that helps you look and feel your best, whether you enjoy specific details, unique fabrics, or traditional colors. They offer their customers a classic GIVE $20, GET $20 referral program. Refer a friend and they’ll get $20 off their order, plus you’ll get $20 when they sign up for J.Crew Passport. What we like about their referral program is that it provides all of the information that potential advocates want to know, including the terms and conditions. Better to be safe than sorry! 

7. Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices brand designs its products through the lens of longevity and circularity to reduce our environmental impact. If you refer a friend to join the brand’s community, you’ll both get $20 off your next purchase of $100 or more. It's also interesting how they've tied in a campaign specific hashtag #DoingThings with their referral program to maintain the consistency of their branding across the board.

8. Hanna Anderson

Hanna Andersson was established by a Swedish woman living in America. By embracing essentially Scandinavian ideas, such as iconic design that successfully combines form and function, a sincere commitment to sustainability, and a way of life that promotes contented happy lives, she aimed to furnish childhood adventures. If you refer a friend, then you'll both get a 20% off reward with Hanna’s generous referral program. See how the brand has also provided a cute hero image on the side to tap on the "share with friends" concept. And also added a bunch of links just in case potential advocates need them.

9. Boden

Boden is all about sustainability. Also, they offer a great referral program to their customers. All they need to do is to fill in the details on their form, next their friend receives 20% off their FIRST purchase, and after they've ordered, customers get a $15 VOUCHER.

10. Fabletics

Fabletics is a popular activewear, fitness, and workout clothing brand. Their goal is to design the finest stylish, high-performing, active-lifestyle goods in the world for every person and everybody at an affordable price. With their referral program, you can get $40 in store credit if you refer a friend and they sign up and become VIPs. What's great about their referral landing page is that they've provided a way for advocates to customize the content of their invite emails, which could be a great point for personalization!

11. Thinx

Thinx is a unique women's underwear brand. They make comfortable, absorbent products, and women around the world love their brand. Thinx offers a give $10, get $10 referral program. When you refer a friend and they make a purchase, you get $10 and they get $10 off their first order of Thinx.

12. Birdies

Birdies brand was created by a woman who believes there should be a comfortable pair of shoes in all of your life’s journey. Designed to take you everywhere, Birdies shoes combine elevated style, ultimate comfort, and everyday versatility. Their Give $20, Get $20 referral program pays to refer friends and family and enjoy shopping even more. Your friends will get $20 off their first order, and you’ll get $20 off your next order when they make a purchase. Again, Birdies strategically placed an image showing friends wearing Birdies shoes and it does help to paint the picture of referring the product to friends!

13. Hunter

Hunter is a forward-thinking British heritage company established in 1856 and known for its famous Original boot. The company has a long history of invention and continues to create products that are weatherproof and functional in a variety of environments. With Hunter’s referral program you can give your friends 20% off, and if they go on to purchase, they will also send you a 20% discount.

14. American Giant

American Giant was born when the founders were dissatisfied with the way clothes were created. So new technologies emerged that allowed for reduced supply chains and direct online sales to customers like you. The brand already has a lot of loyal customers and can use their Give 20%, Get $20 refer a friend program to get rewarded.

Beauty & Grooming Referral Program examples

15. Dermstore

Dermstore is a skincare and beauty online shop in the United States. Their customers get rewarded $15 for each friend they refer, also providing friends and family with discounts on their first order. Rather than allowing anyone to join their referral program, they've made it exclusive for people who have an existing account with them (pretty smart since now they have the data to reach out to them), but it could also deter non-customers from signing up as well.

16. Adore Beauty

Adore Beauty is the top pure-play online beauty retailer in Australia and an authorized supplier of more than 260 top-tier beauty brands. You can get up to a $30 reward, depending on your level, if you refer a friend and they will complete their first order.

17. Thrive Causemetics

Karissa Bodnar founded Thrive Causemetics, a beauty company, and philosophy that goes beyond skin deep by uplifting various communities. Their beautiful online store offers a Give $10, Get $10 referral program, where you can give your friend $10 off their first purchase of $50 and more, plus free shipping, and get $10 in points for each successful referral.

18. Quip

Quip is an oral hygiene subscription-based service that provides customers with toothbrushes and other dental essentials. They have a $5 for you, $5 for a friend referral program for their users, and also offer free brush heads, floss, & paste in addition to that.

19. Madison Reed

Haircare brand Madison Reed allows their customers to earn up to $45 from their referral program. It’s a give $15 get $15 deal, and you get beautiful hair as a bonus.

20. Boxycharm

BoxyCharm is a monthly subscription beauty box that comes with 5 full-sized skincare and cosmetics items. Existing customers can use the company's referral program to send a special link to friends. You will receive 500 charms (also known as points) for each new member who signs up. You can exchange the charms for cosmetics. It's also nice that they've explained the whole referral process from start to end so that advocates have a better idea of what's going happen once they sign up.

21. Kari Gran

Kari Gran Skincare has been successful in the clean skincare market for ten years. The business is founded on a small number of essential, oil-based products. The referral program on their website allows you to give your friends $10 off. When your friends buy from your invite link, you get $10 off!

22. Murad Skincare

Murad is the first brand of clinical skincare products, setting a new standard for high-performance skincare. Give a friend $10 off their first $50 purchase to get $10 off when they redeem. What's great about their referral program is that it's extremely easy to sign up, all they need to do is just fill in a very simple form.

23. Ohana Skincare & Beauty

Ohana provides beauty and skincare products and on their website they allow all of their clients to use the referral program. For every completed purchase you will receive 20% off.

Electronic & Gadget Referral Program examples

24. Pavlok

Pavlok sells a waking-up device that helps its customers become more productive, relaxed, and mindful. They have a referral program that allows you to earn $20 from each friend. 

25. MSI

MSI is a computer hardware manufacturer. If you refer a friend you can get 300 points and a chance to win a big prize. This is slightly different from a default referral program because they've provided the added benefit of winning a prize on top of the purchase bonus.

26. Bose

Bose is an American manufacturer that specializes in selling audio equipment. They have a classic give $20, get $20 referral program on their website that inspires you to become everyone’s best friend. Bose's made it clear and easy to understand the entire referral process by breaking it down into bullet points on their referral landing page.

27. Lulu & Georgia

Lightning and home decor brand Lulu & Georgia gives you and your friend 25$ for each successful referral. Again it's easy to sign up for it since it's a simple form which greatly reduces the friction for potential advocates!

F&B and Supplements Referral Program examples

28. Craft Coffee

Craft Coffee is a coffee subscription box that makes it easy to find good coffee at fair prices. With their referral program, your friends get 15% off and you get a free bag of coffee. With a punchy headline using power words, Craft Coffee is able to capture the attention of coffee lovers—who doesn't want free coffee?

29. Soylent

Soylent is a meal-replacement product that has a combination of vitamins, minerals, and other necessary components. You can receive 10,000 points through their referral program for each referral that joins. 

30. Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop is an online food store. Customers can use email, Facebook, Twitter, Messenger, Pinterest, and Pinterest Messenger to share referral links with friends. Customers who successfully refer friends will receive $25 to put towards their next purchase, while referrals who sign up receive $25.

31. Hydrant

Hydrant is an online beverage store that sells refreshment drinks and its generous referral program gives you and your friends a 50% off coupon.

32. Muscle Food

Muscle food offers meal plans and prepped food with protein. They offer a referral program where your friend gets £10 off and you get £10 off.

33. Farm Fresh To You

Farm Fresh To You offers delivery service of organic fruits and veggies fresh from their farm and other local growers/artisans. You get to save $25 and your friend saves $15 with their referral program.

34. Flaviar

Flaviar gives you and your referred friend the possibility to choose an extra Tasting Box or bottle in case of a successful referral. Flaviar takes their branding so seriously, that even their referral program process is illustrated with branded images. And that works extremely well for them in helping advocates understand the referral process better.

35. Love With Food

Love with Food offers s huge variety of snacks to its customers. They have a referral program for all of their customers, where you can invite friends, and after they sign up, you get a free box of snacks and 1000 points to redeem at their store.

36. Happy Way

Happy Way is an Australian brand of organic and natural health snacks with a top-notch rewards system. Happy Way stands out in a crowded market that regularly takes itself too seriously by using vibrant color pops and upbeat visuals. With their Happy Way referral program, you and your friend get $10 in the referral was complete.

We Are Feel

We Are Feel offers safe and natural supplements—multivitamins, collagen, and more. Their referral program is a simple one but it taps on the altruistic mind of "keeping friends healthy" by introducing these supplements to them. It's an angle that is widely used in referral campaigns and they tend to do well too.

37. Seated

Seated is an app for restaurant and cafe reservations. The referral program on their website allows their users and referred friends to get credits that can be used toward future reservations. As seen above, Seated has a whole FAQ segment that fully answers all of the commonly asked questions from potential advocates.

E-cigarettes and Vaporizers Referral Program examples

38. GPen

GPen's referral program gives your friends 15% off and a 20% discount to you.

39. Vampire Vape

Vampire Vape sells a variety of e-liquids, disposables, vapes, and pods. You can use their refer a friend feature so that you and your friend will get £5 off your next order.

40. Vape Loft

Vape Loft gives you and your friends $10 coupon for each successful referral.

41. Vape Merchant

Vape Merchant offers a classic give $15, get $15 referral program to their existing customers and new friends.

Pets Referral Program examples

42. PetFlow

PetFlow offers a classic give $10 get, $10 referral program to their customers and their furry friends.

43. Animal Friends

An animal pet insurance brand Animal Friends gives you and your referred friend a £10 voucher to boost their sales and attract more customers.

44. PetDirect

A pet food online store PetDirect gives you $10 and your friends $10 when you tell them about the store with your personalized referral link. Their referral landing page has a cute approach by using a pet pun to get the attention of people on the page—plus it does wonders for their branding!

45. Budget Pet Supplies

At Budget Pet Supplies, you and your friends get the chance to collect rewards together. All you have to do to earn thousands of reward points is recommend a friend or family member to Budget Pet Supplies. You will receive 500 reward points for one referral link, and your friend will receive 200 reward points in addition to a 15% sign-up and purchase discount.

46. Pet Releaf

Pet Releaf sells plant-based products for pet health. In their referral program, they give you and your friends $20 to shop on their website.

47. PetKind

Superfoods for pets brand PetKind gives your friends $10 off their first order and you get $20 (in points) for each successful referral.

Home and Care Goods Referral Program examples

48. Five Good Friends

With the Five Good Friends program, you can refer a friend and you and your friend will receive a $50 gift card when they join Five Good Friends and complete their first service visit. Sometimes, referral incentives don't just have to be strictly cash or products, they could come in the form of gift vouchers and gift cards!

49. QE Home

QE Home sells luxury bedding like duvet covers, kids' bedding, down duvets, quilt sets, weighted blankets, and more. You need to share $10 off that your friends can use towards their first order and get $10 off for each successful referral.

50. The Conran Shop

The Conran Shop is a home accessories and textile eCommerce store. They offer their users give 15% get, 15% off for referring a friend.

Games, Software and Digital Goods Referral Program examples

51. World of Warcraft

In the WoW referral program, the player and their friends receive not only free game time but also exclusive in-game items. The conditions are also provided for new users who have not played World of Warcraft for a long time (more than 2 years). This increases the number of active players who show loyalty to earlier users.

52. Binance

Share your referral link with your friends to get earn rewards. When an invited friend registers for a Binance account and makes his first deposit worth more than $50, you’ll both receive 100 USDT ($100) in trading fee credit. 

53. Lunatic Capital

Lunatic Capital offers their members get discount for a monthly subscription by inviting 2 friends. For example, John invited 2 of his friends. And in case of a successful referral, John will get a $160 discount for the monthly subscription.

54. Cash App

Cash app lets customers and their friends get bonuses following these simple steps. They just have to download the application, enter their referral code in the profile, link a debit card, and spend within the given time frame to receive the referral bonus.

55. TransferGo

TransferGo is an app that can help you easily send money to over 160 countries. You can earn 22€ on your bank account every time your referral friends make their first transfer. 

56. Western Union

Instead of the usual cash or discount rewards, Western Union’s referral program introduced another incentive where customers and their referred friends can earn a $20 Amazon.com e-gift code. 

Travel Referral Program examples

57. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles referral program

Turkish Airlines gives you 500 Miles for every invited friend. You can refer up to 5 friends and earn 2500 Miles.

58. Friendly Planet

Friendly Planet offers travel services. They offer their customers a generous referral program, where you and your friends can earn $100 each.

59. Travelink

Travelink gives you a $25 American Express Gift Card for a first-time booking or when you refer friends and family.

60. Rooh Travel

All travel enthusiasts can refer a friend and they’ll both save £100 on your next trip with Rooh Travel.​

61. Holiday Vacations

With the Holiday Vacations referral program you can earn $200 in Refer a Friend credit for each new friend you refer.

62. Kensington Tours

Kensington Tours offers you and your referred friends or family members $250 each to spend on your next trip.

Finance Referral Program examples

63. CapitalOne

CapiotalOne also has a great referral program for its users. You need to sign in to your account to get your personal referral link, then share that link with family members or friends. If they’re a new Capital One cardholder and get approved using your link, you’ll earn a bonus for each friend approved.

64. American Express

American Express rewards their loyal customers if they refer a friend and get approved for the card.

65. Payoneer

With Payoneer’s referral program you can get a $25 reward when referring a friend or family member.

66. Chase Bank

Chase Bank offers up to 75,000 bonus points or up to $500 cashback per year in their referral program for each friend that gets referred.

67. Discover

Refer-a-Friend eligible users get Discover’s credit referral reward of $50 to $100 if their friend applies for the specific offer sent via the link provided. 

Phone Service Referral Program Examples

68. T-Mobile

By introducing friends and family to T-Mobile to open new postpaid accounts, current customers are eligible to win a $50 Virtual Express Prepaid MasterCard card.

69. Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile offers you 3 months of free usage for referring a friend. You can also earn up to $90 for each referral. The amount of credit you get will depend on which plan your friend picks.

70. Metro

If you refer your friends to Metro, you can earn up to $125 a year. For every friend who joins any Metro plan, you’ll receive a $25 virtual prepaid Mastercard.

71. FoneHouse

Earn £25 with the FoneHouse referral program. There are some steps you need to follow in order to refer friends and earn rewards.

Over to you

Building a referral program from scratch can be daunting at the start.

What referral incentives should I offer? How often should I promote my referral program? What if people are taking advantage of our referral campaigns? 

These are all legitimate questions that any business would have. What matters most is to really understand who your customers are, what makes them happy? Not to forget make sure that your product itself is of good quality and easily referable.

What are your favorite ecommerce referral programs? If this list is missing your favorites, let us know!

P.S. If you enjoyed reading this article and want to grow your ecommerce store, subscribe to our newsletter to get our latest articles and roundups.

Further reading

• Why Referral Marketing Is Awesome
• How to Set Up a Referral Program for Your Ecommerce Store
• How to Design Your Referral Emails
• How to Get More Ecommerce Referrals
• How to Promote Your Referral Program
• How to Measure the ROI of Your Referral Program

The previous versions of this article were written by Visakan Veerasamy, Si Quan Ong, Darren Foong, and Marquis Matson, Alfred Lua, marketers at ReferralCandy. We update this article regularly to keep it relevant and useful to ecommerce merchants.

Frequently Asked Questions