WooCommerce referral plugin solves major pain points: retaining loyal customers and finding new buyers without overspending.
Traditional marketing methods often drain budgets and fail to build trust. But these cost-effective plugins automate “refer a friend” programs, rewarding customers for sharing your store. For example, a customer refers to a friend, both get a 10% discount—you gain a sale, they gain a reward.
But not all plugins work the same. Some lack rewards flexibility, others fail to track referrals accurately, and many are too complicated for non-tech users.
In this blog, we analyze the best WooCommerce referral plugins, evaluating their features, pricing, ease of use, and reliability.
Increase your ROI upto 20X using WPLoyalty’s customizable referral campaign and reward more your loyal customers.
Why Does Your WooCommerce Store Need a Referral Plugin?
Your store needs a referral plugin for WooCommerce mainly to acquire and retain customers through word of mouth marketing.
Here are few more reasons why you need a referral plugin for WooCommerce:
1. Slash Customer Acquisition Costs
Paid ads and influencer campaigns demand constant spending to stay visible. A WooCommerce referral plugin cuts these costs by rewarding existing customers for bringing in new buyers. For example:
- Referred customers cost 40% less to acquire than non-referred ones (InviteReferrals).
- They also have a 37% higher retention rate (Wharton School).
2. Automates Your Referral Program
Without a plugin, managing referrals manually is time-consuming and error-prone. A dedicated plugin:
- Generates unique referral links for customers.
- Tracks clicks, sign-ups, and purchases automatically.
- Instantly issues rewards (e.g., discounts or points) via email.
3. Builds Trust with Personal Recommendations
92% of shoppers trust recommendations from friends over ads (Nielsen). A referral plugin makes sharing seamless:
- Customers share links via WhatsApp, email, or social media.
- New buyers see a “Recommended by [Name]” message, boosting credibility.
4. Prevents Fraud and Disputes
Manual tracking can lead to missed referrals or fake claims. Plugins solve this with:
- Fraud detection: Flags suspicious activity (e.g., duplicate IP addresses).
- Transparent logs: Customers see real-time referral statuses.
5 Best WooCommerce Referral Plugins
The 5 best referral plugins for WooCommerce:
1. WooCommerce Referral Program by WPLoyalty
WPLoyalty is the best referral plugin for WooCommerce which has a pre-built referral campaign to create a customer referral program easily.
You can reward both the referees and referrers with 5 different reward types:
- Loyalty points: Eg- Get 100 points and give 100 points on successful referrals.
- Percentage discount: Eg- Get 20% off your next order and give your friend 20% off their first order
- Fixed discount: Eg- Get $15 off your next purchase and give your friend $15 off their first purchase
- Free product: Eg – Get a free cap and give your friend a free cap with their first order
- Free shipping: Eg – Get free shipping on your next order and give your friend free shipping on their first order
You can also provide hybrid referral incentives by mixing points and rewards. The plugin is perfect for WooCommerce stores prioritizing long-term customer loyalty. Also, it has a clear dashboard and integrates seamlessly with your store.
Key features
- Fully customizable pre-built referral campaign.
- Additionally you have 12+ loyalty campaigns to reward customers for various actions like purchases, product reviews, sign ups, achieving loyalty tiers and more.
- Easily sharable automated referral links.
- Apply conditional rules on language and currency if needed.
- Schedule campaign start and end dates.
- Set referral coupon expiration dates.
- Guest referral add-on to reward customers on their first purchase.
- Dedicated launcher widget to showcase your referral campaign’s earning and redeeming opportunities.
- Send automated email notifications.
Pricing
- Free plan available.
- Paid plan starts from $99/year.
- You also have a 14-day money back guarantee.
Reward both referrers and referees with WPLoyalty’s multiple reward types like points, discounts, freebies and free shipping easily.
2. Referral System for WooCommerce by Codup
Codup’s Referral System for WooCommerce is a lightweight plugin that helps you launch referral campaigns.
This plugin lets you reward customers with 3 types of referral rewards: loyalty points, percentage discount and fixed discount. These rewards are offered when the referee signs up with you and can be redeemed on a future purchase.
Though it is a lightweight plugin, its functionality is a bit moderate while setting up a referral program.
Key features
- Reward both referrers and referees when the referee signs up or makes a purchase.
- Define minimum order quantities for eligibility (e.g., orders over $50).
- Social sharing buttons (Facebook, WhatsApp, email) for easy link sharing.
- Track referral rewards and coupons directly on the customer’s account page.
- Schedule referral campaigns with start/end dates.
Pricing
- No free version.
- Paid plan starts at $49.
- 30 day money back guarantee.
3. WooCommerce Refer a Friend by Addify
Addify’s Refer a Friend for WooCommerce simplifies email and social media-based referral programs, helping you reward customers for bringing new buyers to your store.
Perfect for stores prioritizing easy-to-manage campaigns with customizable discounts.
Key Features
- Reward customers for referrals with fixed or percentage discounts (e.g., $10 off or 15% off).
- Choose when to reward users:
- On referee signup (instant rewards).
- After the referee’s first order (verified sales).
- Both (double incentives).
- Add social sharing buttons (Facebook, WhatsApp, email) for easy link sharing.
- Track referral codes, earned coupons, and referee activity on the My Account page and Admin dashboard.
- Customize coupon prefixes and set expiration dates for urgency.
Pricing
- No free version.
- Paid plan starts at $49.
- 30 day money back guarantee.
4. Refer A Friend for WooCommerce by WPGens
WPGens’ Refer A Friend for WooCommerce is one among the popular choices for creating a customer referral program.
Each customer receives a personal referral link displayed on their account dashboard. When they share this unique link with others, the plugin tracks any purchases made by new customers who visit through their link.
After a successful referral purchase, the system automatically generates and sends a reward coupon to the referring member.
Key Features
- Generate unique referral links for customers, visible on their account page.
- Reward referrers with coupons when their referrals complete purchases.
- Free version includes:
- Basic coupon creation (fixed/percentage discounts).
- Minimum order requirements for coupons.
- Referral tracking on customer accounts.
- Premium version adds:
- Share referral links via product page tabs with social icons.
- Reward referees (friends) with coupons for their first or second purchase.
- Shortcodes to display referral links anywhere.
- Coupon expiry dates and product-specific discounts.
Pricing
- Free version available.
- Paid plan starts at $59/year.
- 14 days money back guarantee
5. Coupon Referral Program for WooCommerce by WPswings
WP Swings’ Coupon Referral Program is a versatile referral marketing tool designed to drive customer acquisition and repeat sales through customizable coupons, fraud prevention, and seamless integrations.
It comes with a good integration with WooCommerce Points and Rewards to reward referrals with points instead of coupons.
This WooCommerce refer a friend plugin is ideal for stores running discount-focused campaigns or subscription models. But, setting up the plugin and referral coupons is a bit confusing and not for beginners.
Key Features
- Reward referrers with coupons when friends sign up or complete purchases.
- Block fake sign-ups using IP restrictions and email verification.
- Fetch referral data via REST API for external apps or dashboards.
- Let customers track earned coupons on their dashboard; admins export CSV reports.
- Restrict coupon usage.
- Share referral links via email, SMS, or social media.
Pricing
- No free version
- Paid plan starts at $49/year.
- 30 days money back guarantee
How to Choose the Best WooCommerce Referral Plugin
Selecting the right referral plugin can make or break your store’s growth. Here’s a checklist of 7 critical factors to evaluate before making your decision:
1. Reward Flexibility
- Look for refer a friend plugins that let you offer multiple reward types:
- Discounts (fixed or percentage).
- Loyalty points.
- Free products or shipping.
- Hybrid rewards (e.g., points + discounts).
- Avoid tools with rigid point reward systems if you plan to scale.
2. Ease of Setup
- Prioritize referral plugins for WooCommerce with:
- Pre-built templates for quick campaign launches.
- Drag-and-drop customization (no coding).
- Clear documentation or tutorials.
- Steer clear of overly complex setups unless you have technical expertise.
3. Fraud Prevention
Ensure the plugin includes:
- IP/email tracking to block duplicate sign-ups.
- Cookie-based tracking to validate referrals.
- Manual approval for suspicious referrals.
4. Integration Capabilities
Your plugin should work seamlessly with:
- Email/SMS tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Klaviyo).
- Loyalty programs (e.g., WooCommerce Points and Rewards).
- Subscriptions (if you sell recurring products).
5. Tracking & Reporting
- Real-time dashboards for customers and admins.
- CSV/Excel exports for analyzing referral performance.
- Metrics like referral conversion rates, revenue generated, and top advocates.
6. Social Sharing Options
- Built-in buttons for WhatsApp, Facebook, or email.
- Customizable referral links (e.g., yourstore.com/refer-John).
- Mobile-friendly sharing interfaces.
7. Budget & Scalability
- Free vs. Paid: Free plans are great for startups, but paid plugins offer advanced features.
- Pricing Transparency: Avoid plugins with hidden fees (e.g., charges per referral).
- Scalability: Ensure the plugin supports unlimited campaigns as your store grows.
Red Flags to Avoid
- No fraud detection: Risk of fake referrals draining your budget.
- Poor customer support: Delayed responses can stall your campaigns.
- No mobile optimization: 60%+ referrals happen via mobile devices.
Final Checklist Before Buying
- Test the free version (if available).
- Read user reviews for real-world performance insights.
- Verify compatibility with your WooCommerce version.
Get started with WPLoyalty’s pre-built referral program to acquire and retain loyal customers.
Conclusion
A WooCommerce referral plugin drives high-converting traffic and builds long-term loyalty through word-of-mouth marketing.
From our analysis, the best referral plugins strike a balance between flexibility (reward types), ease of use, and fraud prevention.
If you’re unsure where to start, WPLoyalty stands out for its pre-built campaigns, hybrid rewards, and seamless loyalty integrations. Its free plan lets you test features risk-free, while paid tiers scale with your growth.