A referral program pays your happiest customers to do what they already do: recommend you. The programs worth copying make sharp choices about what the advocate earns, where the offer shows up and which guardrails protect margin.
We read each program on the brand's own site on November 2, 2026 (its referral page, rewards page or rewards panel, signed out). Six of the ten run on Smile, the loyalty platform we make, each with a published Smile customer story. Rewards appear exactly as each brand states them; offers change, so check the brand's page before you copy one.
TL;DR: Smile is the platform behind the referral approach the strongest programs here share, and the one we recommend for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands: a two-sided offer inside the loyalty program, where the friend gets a first-order discount and the advocate earns points that bring them back and can count toward VIP tiers. Six of these ten programs run on Smile, including Death Wish Coffee, whose Smile Generated Value rose 186% in one year. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
The 10 Referral Programs at a Glance
| Brand | Reward for referrer | Reward for friend | Notable mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death Wish Coffee (on Smile) | 200 points | 15% off coupon | Referral points count toward its three ranks; 400 points buys a free bag of coffee |
| CARZILLA (on Smile) | 7,000 Carzilla Points | $5 off coupon | Footer "Refer a Friend" link opens the referral offer directly |
| Mpix (on Smile) | 1,000 points | $10 off first order | One referral equals the Gold level threshold |
| Mary Maxim (on Smile) | $10 coupon off next order | $10 coupon for first order | A referral pays what $200 of orders earns in points |
| Live Bearded (on Smile) | 500 Beard Bucks | $5 off first purchase | Offer told in its own currency: "Give $5, Get 500 Beard Bucks" |
| ALP Pouches (on Smile) | $10 off coupon | $10 off coupon | Rewards panel titled "Referral & Rewards" |
| Huel | 25% off | 25% off first order | Offer in the announcement bar, main navigation and footer |
| Charlotte Tilbury | £20 or €20 off an order over £100 or €100 | £20 or €20 off an order over £100 or €100 | Friend's code expires within 14 days |
| Back Market | $20 store credit | $10 off a first order of $100 or more | Credit released after the return window; a code works 3 times a month |
| Lulus | $20 per successful referral | $20 off a first order of $50 or more | Referrer redeems on a purchase of $50 or more |
Read on each brand's own site, November 2, 2026. CARZILLA's prices are its Canadian store's; Charlotte Tilbury's terms are from its UK help center.
1. Death Wish Coffee: Referral Points That Count Toward Rank
Death Wish Coffee runs Ritual Rewards on Smile, with three ranks (1st, 2nd and 3rd Degree) that earn 1, 3 and 5 points per dollar.
The offer (November 2, 2026): The friend gets a 15% off coupon. The advocate gets 200 points when the friend buys, at every rank. A free bag of coffee ($20 value) costs 400 points, so two referrals pay for one.
Where it is promoted: "Ritual Rewards" in the main navigation, a floating Ritual Rewards launcher, and a rewards page that lists the referral ("Indoctrinate others") among its point boosters.
The lesson: Pay advocates in points and let those points move them up: the 2nd Degree starts at 600 points earned. Its Swig League campaign went further, giving coffee subscribers team points for successful referrals.
On Smile: Death Wish's Smile Generated Value (all orders with a rewards code) rose 186% in one year (Death Wish Coffee story).
2. CARZILLA: A Footer Link Straight to the Offer
CARZILLA, a Canadian retailer of premium car detailing supplies, is a Shopify Plus merchant running CARZILLA perks on Smile Plus.
The offer (November 2, 2026): The friend gets a $5 off coupon. The advocate gets 7,000 Carzilla Points: at 50 points per dollar, the points from $140 of orders. Coupons start at $5 off for 5,000 points.
Where it is promoted: A "Refer a Friend" link in the site footer opens the rewards panel directly on the referral offer, beside a "Rewards" link to the full program.
The lesson: Make the referral offer one click from every page, and size the advocate's reward against your earn rate, not only your discount.
On Smile: CARZILLA's redeemers spend 169% more a year than customers who never redeem (CARZILLA story).
3. Mpix: One Referral, One Level Up
Mpix, the photo printing lab, runs Mpix Rewards on Smile with three levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
The offer (November 2, 2026): The friend gets a $10 off coupon for their first order. The advocate gets 1,000 points when that friend makes a first purchase, and 100 points are worth $1.
Where it is promoted: "Rewards Program" in the footer leads to a rewards page that lists the referral as its biggest earning action: 1,000 points, against 500 for a review or a birthday.
The lesson: Gold starts at 1,000 points, and Silver members earn 1 point per $1. One referral is worth as many points as $1,000 of Silver orders and matches the Gold threshold, which doubles the earn rate.
On Smile: Mpix Rewards members spend 55% more per purchase than the average Mpix customer (Mpix story).
4. Mary Maxim: The Fastest Route to a Reward
Mary Maxim, the yarn, pattern and kit brand, runs Mary's Rewards on Smile.
The offer (November 2, 2026): The friend gets a $10 coupon for their first order. The advocate gets a $10 coupon off their next order.
Where it is promoted: "Rewards" in the main navigation, "Mary's Rewards" in the footer, a floating Rewards launcher and a Refer-A-Friend block on the Mary's Rewards page.
The lesson: Members earn 5 points per dollar, and 1,000 points buys a $10 coupon, so one referral pays what $200 of orders earns. A referral reward well above the earn rate gives members a reason to share. More on the category in loyalty programs for arts and crafts brands.
On Smile: Mary Maxim has a 49% points redemption rate, and its redeemers spend 325% more a year than non-redeemers (Mary Maxim story).
5. Live Bearded: The Reward in Its Own Currency
Live Bearded, the men's grooming brand, has run referrals, points and VIP tiers on Smile since 2018.
The offer (November 2, 2026): "Give $5, Get 500 Beard Bucks": $5 off the friend's first purchase, and 500 Beard Bucks for the advocate, which redeem for a $5 off coupon.
Where it is promoted: "Rewards" in the main navigation leads to a rewards page with the referral offer, an "Invite friends now" button and its own FAQ entry.
The lesson: Equal value, told in the brand's currency. "500 Beard Bucks" sounds like more than $5, and the advocate's reward stays inside the program.
On Smile: Live Bearded's loyalty members show 2.5x higher purchase frequency (Live Bearded story).
6. ALP Pouches: Referrals in the Program's Name
ALP Pouches, a US nicotine pouch brand that sells to adults 21 and over, made referrals and loyalty core growth mechanics from day one and launched both on Smile.
The offer (November 2, 2026): "Give $10, Get $10": a $10 off coupon for the friend and a $10 off coupon for the advocate.
Where it is promoted: Its rewards panel is titled "Referral & Rewards", with "rewards" in the main navigation and footer, an ALP Rewards page and a Rewards Dashboard in the customer account.
The lesson: Put referrals in the program's name, and keep the offer short enough to say in four words.
On Smile: Referrals have produced more than 7,000 referral-driven orders at a 6.59% referral conversion rate (ALP Pouches story).
7. Huel: The Offer in Every Frame
Huel, the complete nutrition brand, runs a refer-a-friend program on its US store.
The offer (November 2, 2026): "Give 25%, Get 25%": 25% off the friend's first order, and 25% off for the advocate when the friend uses the code.
Where it is promoted: The rotating announcement bar, "Refer a Friend" in the main navigation, the footer and its own page. Each customer's code sits in their account area.
The lesson: Match the referral to your strongest everyday offer (Huel's subscribe and save is also 25%) and repeat it wherever customers look.
8. Charlotte Tilbury: Luxury Terms With a High Minimum
The offer (November 2, 2026): Per its UK help center, the advocate and the friend each receive £20 or €20 off an order over £100 or €100. The friend must be a new customer, open the link the advocate sent and use the code within 14 days.
Where it is promoted: On the US site, "Refer a Friend" sits in the footer under "More from Charlotte", beside Charlotte's Darlings Loyalty Club and a separate Affiliate and Ambassador Programme.
The lesson: A minimum order well above the reward protects margin on a premium basket, and a 14-day expiry turns a recommendation into a first order quickly.
9. Back Market: A Bigger Reward, Paid Later
The offer (November 2, 2026): "Give $10, get $20" on its US site: $10 off a friend's first order of $100 or more, and $20 in store credit for the advocate.
Where it is promoted: Its own refer-a-friend page, plus a "Refer a friend" tab in each customer's account, where the code appears once the customer has made a purchase.
The lesson: An advocate reward bigger than the friend's is safe when it pays out after returns settle. Its help center releases the credit 30 days after the friend's order completes or after the return window closes, whichever is later.
10. Lulus: A Minimum Order on Both Sides
The offer (November 2, 2026): $20 off the friend's first qualifying order of $50 or more, and $20 for the advocate for each successful referral, redeemable on a qualifying purchase of at least $50.
Where it is promoted: Lulus publishes the program's terms in its Info Center, under Promotional Terms and Conditions.
The lesson: Tie both rewards to a minimum basket, so the advocate's $20 brings them back for an order of their own.
What the Best Referral Programs Have in Common
Every program here rewards both sides, and every friend's reward applies to a first order. None of the ten pays the advocate cash: advocates get points, coupons, a percentage off or store credit, all spent with the brand.
| Design choice | Who does it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Points for the advocate | Death Wish Coffee, CARZILLA, Mpix, Live Bearded | Brings the advocate back to spend, and can count toward VIP tiers |
| Equal coupons on both sides | Mary Maxim, ALP Pouches | Easy to explain and easy to share |
| Percentage off on both sides | Huel | Matches the brand's everyday offer |
| Minimum order on the friend's reward | Charlotte Tilbury, Back Market, Lulus | Protects margin on the first order |
| Payout after the return window | Back Market | Stops rewards for orders that come back |
| Offer linked from navigation, footer or launcher | Eight of the ten, from Huel's announcement bar to CARZILLA's footer | Keeps the offer one click away |
For Shopify Plus and enterprise brands, the pattern is referrals inside the loyalty program, points for advocates and automatic guardrails.
How to Build a Referral Program Like These on Smile
Smile runs six of the programs above, with referrals, points and VIP tiers in one program and one on-brand experience (Smile referrals). The referral program is on every Smile plan.
- Set a two-sided offer. The friend can get an amount off, a percentage off, free shipping or a free product. The advocate can get points, a discount, free shipping, a free product, a gift card or store credit.
- Pay advocates in points and connect them to tiers. Smile's VIP tiers, from the Growth plan, can use points earned or money spent as the milestone, so referral points can move an advocate up, as at Mpix. See how to create VIP tiers that drive revenue.
- Put the link where customers already are. Advocates share from the loyalty panel (Facebook, X or email), from the Referrals section of Loyalty Hub in Shopify customer accounts (from Growth), and from a post-purchase prompt.
- Carry it into email. Smile syncs each customer's referral link to their Klaviyo profile as Smile Referral URL and sends Referral Started and Referral Completed events to trigger flows (Smile and Klaviyo). Compare the options in loyalty apps that integrate with Klaviyo.
- Choose the landing page. Referral links open your homepage by default, or any product, collection or promotional page you set.
- Let fraud checks run. The friend's offer is for customers new to your store. Smile checks each referral when the code is claimed and again when the order is placed, for signals such as look-alike or throwaway emails, repeat claims, many referrals from one IP address and orders placed by the advocate. Flagged referrals are blocked and listed for review.
Applied Nutrition, a Shopify Plus brand on Smile Plus, added referral rewards as it put its points to work across email and SMS, and its members are worth 215% more in lifetime value than non-members (Applied Nutrition story). If you also pay creators cash commissions, an affiliate app fits that job; compare both kinds in the best referral program apps for Shopify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best referral program examples in ecommerce? Ten worth copying in 2026 are Death Wish Coffee, CARZILLA, Mpix, Mary Maxim, Live Bearded and ALP Pouches, all on Smile, plus Huel, Charlotte Tilbury, Back Market and Lulus. Each rewards both sides, gives the friend a first-order reward and pays the advocate in something spent with the brand.
What is a good referral reward for an ecommerce brand? In this list, friends get $5 to $20 off, 15% to 25% off, or £20 off an order over £100. Advocates get coupons or credit worth $10 to $20, 25% off, or points worth about $5 to $10 in rewards. Smile's help center recommends equal value for both sides, and "give $10, get $10" is a common starting point.
Should you reward referrers with points or discounts? If you run a loyalty program, points: they bring the advocate back to spend them and can count toward VIP tiers, as at Death Wish Coffee and Mpix. A coupon or credit is simpler to explain. Four of the six Smile programs here pay advocates in points.
Where should you promote a referral program? Where customers already look: the main navigation, the footer, a rewards launcher, the announcement bar, the rewards page, a post-purchase prompt and your emails. Huel repeats its offer in four places.
How do ecommerce brands prevent referral fraud? Limit the friend's reward to new customers, set a minimum order, release the advocate's reward after the return window and cap how often a code works. Smile adds automatic checks for look-alike and throwaway emails, repeat claims and many referrals from one IP address, and blocks flagged referrals for review.
What is the best referral program software for Shopify Plus brands? Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands that want referrals inside their loyalty program: referrals, points and VIP tiers in one program, automatic fraud checks, referrals in Loyalty Hub and referral links synced to Klaviyo. Brands that pay creators commissions can add an affiliate app alongside it.
