Early Black Friday Offer.
20% OFF for a limited period. Hurry!
00
Days
00
Hours
00
Minutes
00
Seconds
Webinar on How to Strategically Elevate Your Brand and Increase Customer Value – 14 Nov 2024 | 9:30 AM EST

5 Best WooCommerce Referral Plugins (2024)

Share:

Referral program

Are you searching for the best WooCommerce referral plugins? If so, you are in the right place.

A successful referral program is an effective referral marketing strategy that encourages your existing customers to refer their friends and grow referral sales. Research from FinancesOnline found that 86% of brands with a customer referral program witnessed an increase in revenue.

With the best referral plugin for WooCommerce, you can easily set up and manage a referral program that rewards your customers for spreading the word about your brand. 

In this blog, we’ll take a look at – what is a WooCommerce referral plugin, why eCommerce stores need it, factors to choose the best plugin, the five best referral plugins for WooCommerce and their comparative analysis to help you pick the best one for your needs. Let us begin.

What is a WooCommerce Referral Plugin?

WooCommerce Referral Plugin is designed for WooCommerce store owners to draw in referrals by providing attractive referral rewards to both the referrer and the referee.

Essentially, referral plugin for WooCommerce allows you to create and manage referral programs aimed at acquiring and retaining customers through word-of-mouth marketing. When your customers tell their friends and family about your store, both can get rewards or discounts for the successful referral. 

One of the great things about the WooCommerce referral plugin is that you can customize the rewards for both the people who refer others (referrers) and those who get referred (referees). This makes more people visit and shop at the store and keeps the current customers happy and loyal.

Moreover, you can use the referral plugin for WooCommerce to easily keep an eye on how well your referral program is working. It lets you track each referral, so you can make smart choices based on the information and data you gather. 

Why do you need a WooCommerce Referral Plugin?

Your WooCommerce store needs a referral plugin to effectively tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Here are some key reasons why a WooCommerce referral plugin is much needed for your online store:

To Boost Word-of-Mouth Marketing

We all listen to our friends and family more than ads, right? A WooCommerce referral plugin helps your customers easily tell others about your store, boosting your popularity through word-of-mouth.

When a friend shares their positive experience, it adds a layer of trust and credibility to your store. Plus, it creates a chain reaction – every new customer potentially becomes a new referrer, continuously expanding your reach.

To Make a Cost-effective referral Marketing

Referral marketing is cost-effective because your existing customers will be your brand advocates, and they will keep you from spending dollars on advertising.

As brand advocates, they will share about your brand with their friends or family and help you in organic customer acquisition.

When you acquire more new customers, your sales grow naturally. To make this strategy work effectively, all you need is a well-built referral marketing plugin for your WooCommerce store to help you offer suitable rewards and incentives to the customers and encourage them to stay with your brand forever.

To Increase Customer Loyalty

A best referral plugin for WooCommerce helps you show the customers that you appreciate and value the time they spend with your brand. When you provide instant rewards, you quickly appeal to customers’ satisfaction and encourage them to return for more, thus increasing the repeat purchase rate.

A WooCommerce referral plugin is a perfect extension to boost customer loyalty. Through rewarding customers for their referrals, you can build stronger relationships with your customers. It’s the powerful word-of-mouth that helps in improving credibility and trust with your customers.

To Improve Customer Retention

A WordPress referral plugin helps to increase your customer retention rate, which is important for your eCommerce store’s huge success. Customers who find your referral program effective tend to stay with your brand rather than switch to competitors. So, it will reduce customer churn and improve your customer lifetime value.

How to Choose the Best Referral Plugin For WooCommerce?

Choosing the best WooCommerce referral plugin requires various factors to consider. You need a few things to keep in mind before selecting the best referral plugin for WooCommerce. Here are they:

Cost-Effectiveness: While there are some free WooCommerce referral plugins, others come with a price tag. Consider your budget, but also think about the return on investment (ROI). A more expensive plugin might offer more features that could lead to more sales, making it worth the extra cost in the long run.

Compatibility: The next thing you should consider is the compatibility with your WooCommerce version. You can check this through contacting the plugin’s customer support to confirm about compatibility.

Features: Pick up a referral plugin with the feature you want to run a perfect referral marketing program. Some of the great features include automatic reward payouts, a wide range of referral rewards, reward tracking, social media integration, etc.

Customization Options: Your WooCommerce store is unique, and your referral program should be too. A good WooCommerce referral plugin should offer plenty of customization options. 

The customization could include changing the look to match your brand, tweaking how the referral rewards work, or even customizing the messages that get sent out. 

User-friendly Interface: A WooCommerce referral plugin needs to be user-friendly. If it’s too complicated, you might spend more time trying to figure it out than actually benefiting from it. 

Look for a referral plugin with a straightforward setup process and a clear interface. 

Support and Updates: The digital world is always evolving, and so should your referral plugin for WooCommerce. Regular updates are vital for keeping the referral plugin compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce and secure from any online threats. 

Plus, having access to good customer support can be a lifesaver if you encounter any issues.

5 Best Referral Plugins for WooCommerce

WooCommerce referral plugin can be a powerful tool to drive more traffic and increase sales of your WooCommerce store. By leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing, you can incentivize your customers for referrals and acquire new customers.

To help you set up a successful referral program, there are several plugins available for WooCommerce. After considering the above factors, we have come up with the best WooCommerce referral plugins that helps you attain your referral marketing targets. Here’s who got it right:

  1. WPLoyalty
  2. Retainful
  3. ReferralCandy
  4. WPGens
  5. Gratisfaction

Let’s explore each of these WooCommerce referral plugins to help you choose the right one for your store.

1. WPLoyalty

WPLoyalty - WooCommerce referral plugin

WPLoyalty is the best referral plugin for WooCommerce that lets you build your own referral program right from scratch. You can set up an awesome rewards system where you give your customers neat perks for spreading the word. It stands out for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options, allowing you to build a tailored referral program that aligns with your brand. 

With WPLoyalty, you can set up a WooCommerce referral program using the pre-built campaigns, create rewards for your customers and their friends and launch in minutes.

It is considered as the best referral plugin for WooCommerce because it helps you in turning your loyal customers into your brand ambassadors, recognizing their beneficial role, and rewarding customers for referring their friends to your store. 

Moreover, the best part of WPLoyalty is that it has a premium Guest referral add-on which allows you to provide referral rewards to referred/new customers (friends) on their first purchase itself. 

It’s easy to set up and configure the WPLoyalty referral plugin. This plugin gives a unique referral link to your customers and a responsive social media share. So, the main advantage of using WPLoyalty is that your existing customer becomes a brand advocate, and their referrals become your customers.

Key features of this best referral plugin for WooCommerce:

  • Wide range of referral rewards like fixed discounts, percentage discount, loyalty points, free product and free shipping
  • Effective Guest referral add-on
  • Track customers’ referral activities and data
  • Easy discovery of referral earning opportunities using Launcher widget
  • Unique referral links 
  • Allow customers to share referral links via social media platforms
  • Allow any number of customers to your referral program
  • Set expiry dates for the referral rewards
  • Remind customers by sending emails
  • Create specific rules and conditions

Pricing

  • You can start with a starter plan of $99/per year.
  • For professional businesses, it’s $129/ year.
  • For agencies, it’s $199/ year.

2. Retainful

Retainful - WooCommerce Referral Plugin

Retainful is one of the best WooCommerce Referral Plugins to run a robust referral program for WooCommerce stores. The best feature of Retainful is that it is totally automated, has many referral features, and enables you to run a refer-a-friend program successfully.

This WooCommerce referral plugin is user-friendly and easy to set up, with no coding knowledge required. With Retainful, you can set up a referral program in just a few minutes and start increasing your sales in no time. 

The best part about the referral program of Retainful is that you get to reward different types of referral incentives to both the referrer and the referee. You can offer different types of rewards for the referrer and the referee. This easily helps you acquire and retain customers and instills brand loyalty for new customers from the very beginning.  

Popups and chat widgets help customers find out about your referral program. Also, customers receive automated reminders through referral emails. Retainful also provides promotional tools, including email templates and social media sharing buttons, to help you get the word out about your referral program.

Key Features

  • Send next-order coupons and increase customer loyalty easily
  • Set up the referral program in minutes
  • Showcase your Refer-a-Friend program using referral widgets
  • 3 types of rewards – Flat amount discount, Percentage discount, and Free shipping
  • Use a Retainful dashboard and manage customer data
  • Allow customers to share referral links via Facebook, Twitter, or email
  • Tracks reward granted and total earnings with the Retainful Dashboard
  • Use the simple Drag & Drop email editor for email customization.
  • Create appealing emails by including logos, images, and text.
  • Customize using shortcodes.

Pricing

  • $19/ month for starters.
  • $49/ month for growing businesses.
  • $199/ month for professionals.

3. ReferralCandy

ReferralCandy - WooCommerce referral plugin

ReferralCandy is another popular referral plugin that helps to create referral programs. The best thing about ReferralCandy is how flexible it is to use on your website.

It’s super easy to send automatic emails right after someone buys something from your store. You can also invite your customers to join your referral program through personalized emails after they’ve made a purchase. And when your customers successfully get their friends to shop from you, don’t forget to give them their rewards! These rewards can be anything from cash rewards, discounts on your store, to unique gifts.

Key Features

  • Allow any number of customers to your referral program
  • Enable post-purchase popups
  • Customized referral widgets
  • Unique referral links
  • Offer customized freebies
  • Track customers activities
  • Detect suspicious transactions

Pricing

  • The premium plan starts at $47/ month – Billed yearly.

4. WPGens

WPGens - WooCommerce Referral Plugin

WPGens referral program plugin for WooCommerce is an effective referral system that is easy to build and implement. This plugin allows you to reward our customers with coupons instead of paying dollars for referrals. Additionally, you can reward your customers with exciting discounts that your customers can redeem while making purchases at your store.

Moreover, it is one of the best free Woocommerce referral plugins because of some user-friendly features in the free version. Each of your customers will get a unique link generated by the plugin that appears on their account page. Customers can use this referral link to refer their friends and family to your website, and you can reward them with a voucher each time someone uses their referral link to visit your store and make a purchase.

Key Features

  • Offer freebies and exciting discounts
  • Set the minimum number of orders
  • Set the coupon to your preference
  • Set the value for each coupon
  • Set the coupon’s expiration date
  • Allow coupons for only specific products

Pricing

  • Free version available. For a single site, the premium edition costs $49.

5. Gratisfaction

Gratisfaction - Referral plugin for WooCommerce

Gratisfaction is a great option if you’re looking for free WooCommerce referral plugins. With this free plugin, you can create lots of different rewards for customer referrals, and you can set up referral programs at every step of your sales process.

This plugin also lets you make loyalty programs. You can start loyalty programs that encourage more subscriptions, repeat purchases, and celebrate different subscription time milestones. For various loyalty levels, you can make special badges. Gratisfaction helps you put together a complete marketing campaign, which can boost your sales and follower numbers.

Key Features

  • Easy and simple to set up and manage
  • Offer rewards for both visitors and customers
  • Flexibility to create referral campaigns
  • Appreciate customers with level/badges

Pricing

  • For up to 100 Loyalty members, Gratisfaction is free; paid plans depend on the number of members.

Comparative Analysis of the WooCommerce Referral Plugins

In this section, we delve into a comparative analysis of the five referral plugins for WooCommerce: WPLoyalty, Retainful, ReferralCandy, WPGens, and Gratisfaction. Understanding these differences will help you choose the best fit for your WooCommerce business.

1. Referral Rewards System

First, let’s compare the referral rewards of each WooCommerce Referral Plugin.

Comparison about the referral rewards system among the WooCommerce referral plugins

2. Ease of Integration

Next, we’ll check how easy it is to add these plugins to your online store. This means seeing if you can set them up without needing a lot of tech skills.

Comparative analysis about ease of integration among the WooCommerce referral plugins

3. Customization and Flexibility

Here, we’ll compare how much you can customize and adjust each WooCommerce referral plugin to fit what your store needs. 

Comparison about the customization and flexibility  among the referral plugins

4. User Interface and Experience

Now, we’ll examine how each referral plugin for WooCommerce looks and feels to use. It’s important that they are easy for both you and your customers to navigate.

Comparative analysis about User interface among the WooCommerce referral plugins

5. Pricing

In this part, we’ll talk about how much each WooCommerce referral plugin costs. We’ll compare the prices, including if there are any free versions or different payment plans.

Comparative analysis about Pricing among the referral plugins for WooCommerce

6. Best Use-Case Scenarios

Lastly, we’ll discuss which WooCommerce referral plugin works best for different kinds of stores. This will help you figure out which one might be the right choice for your own store’s needs and goals.

Comparative analysis about use-case among the WooCommerce referral plugins

Conclusion

A WooCommerce referral plugin is an effective way to establish an effective word-of-mouth marketing. All you have to do is to find the best referral plugin that helps you motivate your loyal customers to recommend or refer your brand to their family and friends.

Find the best way to reward them for actively involving in boosting your brand value. We are glad to bring you the list of the best WooCommerce referral plugins for you to choose from. Each plugin has its own unique features, so choose your referral plugin that fits well with your brand. Start a referral program right today!

Read more:

How do I add a referral code in WooCommerce?

To add a referral code in WooCommerce, follow these steps: Go to your WordPress dashboard -> WooCommerce -> Referral Program. Choose the referral plugin you have installed and follow its specific instructions to set up and manage referral codes.

How do I create a referral program in WordPress?

To create a referral program in WordPress: Go to your WordPress dashboard -> Plugins -> Add New. Search for a WooCommerce referral plugin like WPLoyalty or Retainful, install and activate it. Then, set up the program by following the plugin’s configuration settings.

How do I create a simple referral program?

For a simple referral program: Go to your WordPress dashboard -> WooCommerce -> Plugins. Install a straightforward referral plugin like WPLoyalty. Configure the settings to define your referral rewards, such as discounts or free products, and launch your program.

How do you implement a referral program on a website?

To implement a referral program on a website: Go to your WordPress dashboard -> Plugins -> Add New. Install a referral program plugin compatible with your website platform. Once installed, activate it and configure the settings to suit your referral strategy.

How to get free referral?

To get free referrals, you can leverage social media and existing customer networks. Offer incentives for sharing your products or services. 

How do I get referrals for my business?

To get referrals for your business, 
1. Create an attractive referral program with compelling rewards. 
2. Promote this program to your existing customers through email, social media, and on your website. 
3. Providing excellent service or products also naturally encourages customers to refer your business to others.

Table of Contents

WooCommerce

Points and Rewards Plugin

$99/year

Picture of Harini Arunachalam
Harini Arunachalam
Harini is an experienced content writer with a passion for transforming complex SaaS concepts into engaging, informative content. She has honed her skills in crafting compelling blogs and articles that resonate with a diverse audience.
Start your WooCommerce Loyalty Program with WPLoyalty

Create a loyalty and rewards program now to increase your revenue and loyal customer base.