Referral program or affiliate program?
The difference is who promotes. A referral program is run with your own customers: they share with colleagues and friends, a few times each. An affiliate program is run with outside promoters such as bloggers, newsletter writers and agencies, who send traffic as a business.
In SaaS the line blurs, and the software is mostly the same: unique links, tracking, rewards and payouts. What changes is where the program lives. Customers should find it inside your product, where they already are, instead of on a separate site they have to sign up to.
Put the program where your customers already are
Refgrow gives you two front ends on the same data. An embedded widget goes into your app with a script tag and takes your brand colors, so a customer opens a Refer tab and sees their link, clicks, signups and earnings without a second login. A hosted portal at your-name.refgrow.com, or on your own domain through a CNAME, serves partners who are not your customers.
In both, the customer sees their referral link, coupon code, earnings that are available, held or paid, and payout history with invoices.
Rewards that fit a subscription
A one-off bounty pays for the first month and ignores the next eleven. Subscription products usually do better with a share of what the referred customer pays.
- Percentage or fixed amount per payment.
- One-time, for a fixed number of months (3, 6, 12) or for as long as the customer stays.
- Different terms for individual partners, and per product, with partner terms taking priority.
- A discount for the referred friend through the referrer's own coupon code; with Stripe, Refgrow creates a Promotion Code per partner.
- A hold period before commissions become payable, which gives refunds time to come in first.
What to check before you choose
- Can customers join from inside your product, or only on a separate site?
- Does the tool read payments straight from your billing provider, so renewals keep paying the referrer?
- Can referred friends get a discount, and how is it created?
- How are referrers paid, and are there fees on payouts?
- What does the plan cost at the referral revenue you expect in a year, not just today?
When Refgrow is not the right pick
- You want a viral waitlist or points for consumer sign-ups. Refgrow pays referrers a share of revenue; it is not a waitlist or gamified sharing tool.
- You run an online store rather than a subscription product. Tools built for e-commerce platforms will fit better.
- You want to pay referrers in account credit only. Refgrow is built around cash commissions and payouts.
- You need more than 14 days or no card to evaluate. Refgrow's trial is 7 days and needs a card.
Frequently asked questions
What is referral program software?
Software that gives each customer or partner a unique link or code, records who they bring in, works out what they earned under your rules, and pays them. For SaaS it should also follow renewals and refunds through your billing provider.
Can customers refer from inside my app?
Yes. Refgrow's widget is added to your app with a script tag and styled with your colors. Customers see their link, stats and earnings there, and the hosted portal shows the same data for partners outside your app.
Can the referred friend get a discount?
Yes, through the referrer's coupon code. With Stripe, Refgrow can create a Promotion Code for every partner automatically, with limits such as first order only, expiry or a redemption cap.
How are referrers paid?
Refgrow tracks what each partner is owed, with a minimum payout and a schedule you set. Automatic payouts through PayPal or Wise are on Pro and above; you can also pay manually.
What does Refgrow cost?
From $29/mo on Starter (up to $1,000 a month of referral revenue), $49/mo on Pro (up to $10,000), $99/mo on Business (up to $25,000) and $199/mo on Enterprise (up to $100,000). No transaction fees.