Referral template · Combines every template
The Universal Referral
The Universal Referral is Viral Loops’ most flexible referral program template: reward referrers, their friends or both, for every referral or at milestones, when a friend signs up, subscribes or buys.
- Best for
- Programs that run all year
- Who gets rewarded
- Referrers, their friends, or both
- A referral counts when
- Sign-up, purchase, or any event you send
- Plan
- Plus and up
Invite friends
Give 20% off, get $5
4 friends joined with your link
Jay joined. $5 for you, 20% off for Jay
Campaigns run on the Universal Referral
How does the Universal Referral work?
Built for a program that runs all year, not a one-off campaign. You decide what a referral is and what it earns.
- 1
People get referral links
Everyone gets a link automatically, or joins the program through a form.
- 2
They refer friends
A referral counts when the friend becomes a customer, subscriber or lead: the goal you set.
- 3
You reward them
Reward the referrer for inviting and the friend for joining, with reward tiers along the way.
Who is the Universal Referral for?
Schools and courses
Students refer friends to programs: the friend gets a discount, the referrer earns cash, free classes or gifts.
Run by
- Speak Up London
Services and coaching
A referred business owner gets a free strategy session, and both sides can enter a prize draw when they join a program.
Run by
Apps and ecommerce
Welcome the friend with a starter coupon, and reward the customer when the friend buys.
Run by
What rewards can you offer with the Universal Referral?
Pay for every referral, add milestones, welcome the friend, or combine them. The examples come from our set-up guide.
| Rule | Example | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Every referral | $5 for every friend who buys | The referrer |
| Milestones | $5 at the first referral, $40 at three | The referrer |
| Welcome reward | 20% off the first purchase | The friend |
| Combined | $5 per friend, plus a free product at four | Both |
Send rewards yourself, or automatically as credit and coupons through Stripe, gift cards through Tremendous or gifts through Sendoso. A referral can count when someone joins, visits a page you pick, or when you send an event through Zapier, the API or the SDK.
Results from Viral Loops customers
Customer story · Milestone Referral
Growth Tribe went from idea to an online growth marketing summit in one month, with an ambassador program.A third of all registrations came from referrals
Customer story · Milestone Referral
JoeyWears built the email list for its Kickstarter launch with a milestone referral prelaunch.Every sign‑up brought 1.4 sign‑ups
Customer story · Tempting Giveaway
Mustard built a new audience for Camp Bestival Shropshire with a referral giveaway before the ticket pre-sale.30% more sign‑ups from referrals
Customer story · Milestone Referral
Prentus, a career platform, launched with a waiting list that unlocked rewards as people referred friends.20% referral rate
Customer story · Newsletter Referral
the DONUT, a daily news newsletter, was one of the first to run the Newsletter Referral, rewarding its readers.From zero to tens of thousands of subscribers
Customer story · Startup Prelaunchultimate.money, a DeFi wallet, opened its private beta with a referral waitlist people climbed by inviting friends.200,000 people in the first four weeks
What’s included in the Universal Referral?
Set up in the Campaign Wizard: rewards, pages, goals and emails. Zapier, webhooks and the API connect anything not listed.
All integrationsWidgets
- Form and popup
- Referral link and sharing options
- Leaderboard and stats
- Progress tracking
- Invitee form
Pages
- Referrer page, hosted or on your site
- Invitee page
Emails
- Welcome email
- Successful referral email
Works with
StripePayments
TremendousRewards
SendosoGifts
HubSpotCRM
Customer.ioEmail
Zapier500+ more apps
FAQ
Universal Referral FAQ
Can this run as an ongoing program?
Yes. Customers can join and start referring at any time, and their rewards add up over time. It is built for continuous use, not a short campaign.
What can count as a successful referral?
Joining the program, visiting a page you choose (like a thank-you page), or any event you send through Zapier, the API or the SDK, such as a purchase or an upgrade to a paid plan. You can also require several steps before a referral counts.
How are rewards delivered?
You can approve them from your dashboard, or send them automatically through Stripe, Tremendous or Sendoso. Automatic rewarding is on the Growing plan and up.
Do I need a developer?
No. The no-code installer finds your sign-up forms, and the widgets go in with two lines of code. Developers can go further with the JavaScript SDK (every plan) or the REST API (Plus and up), or our team can set it up for you.
Can I track the revenue referrals bring?
Yes. Give each successful referral a value and see referral revenue in your analytics. Referral revenue tracking is on the Growing plan and up.
Start with the Universal Referral.
Plans start at $35 a month, billed annually. Try it free for 14 days, or talk to our team.