Referrals
Word of mouth, finally on the books.
Every client gets their own referral code. When a friend they sent books, that referral attributes back to them. When the friend completes their first visit, an in-store credit reward lands on the referrer automatically. No spreadsheet, no honor system, no chasing.
For the salon that already grows by word of mouth and has nothing to show for it. Turn the friend-tells-a-friend that already happens into something you can see, reward, and repeat.
Your referral code
Client portalGive a friend $15, get $15
Credit lands after their first visit
Referred
4 friends
Earned
$45 in credit
Demo. Each client gets their own code and a one-tap share.
01/
Every client gets a code, ready to share.
Turn the program on and each client gets their own referral code, surfaced on a share card right in their account portal. They grab the code or link in one tap and send it to a friend. Nothing for you to hand out, print, or track by hand.
A code per client, not one for the salon.
Each code is personal, so every referral can be traced back to the exact client who made it. That is what makes the reward fair and the attribution honest.
A share card in the portal.
The client account portal shows the code, the offer, and a share affordance. The client does the spreading; you do nothing.
Off until you turn it on.
The whole program is per business and off by default. You decide if and when referrals go live, and what the reward is.
It runs on the credit system you already have.
The reward is in-store credit, landing on the referrer's account through the same ledger that powers refunds, gift cards, and loyalty.
02/
The reward fires on a real, completed visit.
When a new client books with a referral code, the booking attributes to the referrer right away. But the reward holds until the referred client actually completes their first visit. A booking that never happens pays out nothing, so nobody games it with appointments they never intend to keep.
How a referral pays out
Maya → JessJess books with MAYA-GLOW
The booking is attributed to Maya. Nothing pays out yet.
Jess's first visit completes
Spends $90, clears the $50 minimum you set.
$15 credit lands on Maya
In-store credit on Maya's account, through the same ledger as the rest of the app.
The reward only fires on a real, completed, qualifying visit. A booking that never happens pays out nothing.
03/
Set the qualifiers, protect your margin.
You decide what unlocks the reward. Require a minimum spend on that first visit, so a $10 add-on doesn't trigger a $15 payout. Set a reward expiry, so unused credit doesn't sit on the books forever. The reward only ever fires on a completed, qualifying visit, which is why the program pays for itself.
A minimum spend on the first visit.
Set a floor the referred client's first visit must clear before the reward unlocks. It keeps a token booking from earning a real reward.
A reward expiry, your call.
Give the earned credit a shelf life or let it stand. Either way it is one setting, and the expiry sweep handles the rest.
You pick the reward amount.
Set the credit the referrer earns. Size it against the value of a new client and the math stays in your favor.
It only costs you on a win.
No reward goes out until a new client has come in and paid. The program is self-funding by design: you reward growth you already booked.
04/
Credit lands where the client already spends it.
The reward is in-store credit on the referrer's account, not a coupon code or a separate balance to reconcile. It shows up on their client record, applies at checkout like any other credit, and flows through your reporting the same way. One credit system, no new plumbing.
On the client record, visible to you.
The earned credit sits on the referrer's account with the rest of their balance, so you always see what is owed and why.
Spent at checkout like any credit.
The referrer applies it on their next visit as a tender method, the same way they would a gift card or a refund-to-credit balance.
Tracked in your books.
Because it runs through the credit ledger, the cost of the program shows up where you already read your numbers, not in a side tool.
One reward per first visit.
Attribution is captured at booking and the reward is issued once, on the referred client's first completed visit. No double payouts.
Common questions
Honest answers, including the ones we don't love.
When exactly does the referrer get rewarded?
When the referred client completes their first visit, not when they book. The booking is attributed at booking time, but the credit holds until that first visit is actually completed. This is deliberate: it stops people from gaming the program with bookings that never happen.
Can I require a minimum spend before the reward unlocks?
Yes. You can set a minimum-spend requirement on the referred client's first visit, so a tiny add-on booking doesn't trigger a full reward. You can also set a reward expiry so earned credit doesn't sit unused forever. Both are settings on the program.
What form does the reward take?
In-store credit on the referrer's account. It runs through the same credit system as refunds, gift cards, and loyalty, so it shows on the client record, applies at checkout like any other credit, and flows into your reporting. There is no separate coupon balance to reconcile.
Do I have to manage codes or hand anything out?
No. Once you turn the program on, every client gets their own code automatically, and a share card in the client account portal lets them grab and send it themselves. You set the reward and the qualifiers once, and the program runs on its own.
Does running referrals cost me money up front?
No. Nothing pays out until a referred client has come in and completed a qualifying visit, which means the reward only ever fires after you've booked real revenue. The program is self-funding: you reward growth you already captured, not a hope.
Pairs well with
Fourteen days. No card.
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