Affiliate Program App Starter · Industry version
Ecommerce Referral Program Template
A referral program built around orders — coupon attribution, refund handling, creator payouts — generated into code your store owns.
Store referrals happen where links can't follow: a creator says a code on camera, a customer texts a friend, an order comes back for refund after the commission was counted. This starter models orders, codes, and returns as first-class objects, so the program's numbers survive contact with retail reality.
- 6 core entities
- Partner portal
- Code you own
- Vibe + Governed modes
01 · The problem
Why a generic Affiliate Program falls short
Ecommerce attribution is messier than a tracked click. Creators drive sales through spoken coupon codes on video and podcasts; customers share screenshots, not URLs. A program that only credits link clicks systematically undercounts your best channels — and partners notice when their known sales don't appear in their dashboard.
Returns are the second gap. Apparel and consumer goods run real refund rates, and a commission paid on a returned order is margin gone twice. Generic tools treat the conversion as final at checkout; a retail-shaped program holds commission through the return window and nets refunds out before money moves.
Third, order economics vary by line. Commission on a full-price hero product and commission on a clearance bundle shouldn't be the same rate, and gift cards shouldn't earn at all. That means the program needs order items and product categories in its schema — not just an order total forwarded from a pixel.
02 · Data model
The data model, adapted
Everything in the base Affiliate Program starter —
partnersreferral_linksreferralsconversionscommissionspayouts— plus the entities this industry actually runs on:
| table | what it holds |
|---|---|
coupon_codes | Partner-assigned discount codes that attribute orders without a click — the attribution channel for creators, podcasts, and print. |
order_items | Line-level products and amounts per referred order, so commission rates can differ by category and exclude non-commissionable lines. |
returns | Refunds and exchanges against referred orders, netted from pending commission before each payout closes. |
03 · Screens
Modules through the industry lens
Code-and-link attribution
01Every partner carries both tracked links and a coupon code, and either one attributes the order. The customer gets a discount, the partner gets credit, and the mention that happened entirely off the web still lands in your ledger.
Return-window commission holds
02Commission on a referred order stays pending until your return window closes. Refunds and exchanges net out automatically, so the payout batch pays on kept revenue — no clawing money back from a creator after the fact.
Category-aware commission rules
03Rates read order items, not just totals: 15% on full-price apparel, 5% on sale lines, nothing on gift cards. The rules are code in your repository, so a margin-driven change ships the day merchandising asks for it.
04 · In practice
Workflows it models
Creator campaign launch
01Set a creator up with a vanity code and a link, both tied to the campaign. Orders attribute from either channel; the campaign view shows revenue, units by product, and commission accrued while the video is still climbing.
Post-return payout close
02The month's referred orders age past the return window; refunds net out as they arrive. Close the period and the batch pays each partner on kept revenue, with a statement their side of the ledger already matches.
Friend-referral loop
03Existing customers get personal codes worth a discount to the friend and store credit to themselves. The same referral tables run this loop — two-sided rewards are a rule change, not a second system.
Ecommerce Referral Program template — frequently asked questions
Can partners earn from coupon codes without any link click?
Yes — codes are a first-class attribution channel. An order that uses a partner's code attributes to them directly, which is how creator and podcast promotion actually converts. Links still work in parallel, and both feed one ledger.
What happens to commission when a referred order is refunded?
Commission holds as pending until your return window passes, and refunds or exchanges net out before payout. You define the window; because the logic is your code, categories with different return behavior can hold for different periods.
Can commission rates differ by product category?
Yes — referred orders carry line items, and commission rules read them. Full-price, sale, and excluded categories can each carry their own rate, keeping the program aligned with actual margin instead of a flat percentage of the order total.
Does this work alongside my existing store platform?
The program is a standalone app you own, fed by order events from wherever your store runs. A webhook or import job writes referred orders and items into your tables; attribution, holds, and payouts run from there.
Related
Dual7 App Starters
Build your Ecommerce Referral Program on your terms
A referral program built around orders — coupon attribution, refund handling, creator payouts — generated into code your store owns. Describe your version to start — the output is a project you own.