Introducing RewardsWP: Drive More Sales with a Refer-a-Friend Program

More and more AffiliateWP users have been asking for a refer-a-friend plugin for WordPress — something simple that lets customers refer their friends without replacing or complicating their affiliate program.

They didn’t want another platform. They wanted something built for WordPress.
Something that works with AffiliateWP — not around it.

That’s exactly why we created RewardsWP. A referral plugin made to run side-by-side with AffiliateWP, so you can grow through affiliates and customers, with full control inside your WordPress site.

Why RewardsWP?

If you’re already using AffiliateWP, then you already know the power of affiliate marketing. But what about the people already buying from you?

That’s where RewardsWP comes in.

It gives you a simple, customer-first referral program built for WordPress—with all the control you’d expect from a plugin that lives inside your site.

Want to see all features at a glance? Check out the full RewardsWP feature page →

The Rewards Widget: Where Customers Refer and Redeem

The Rewards Widget gives your customers everything they need to participate in your referral program — all in one clean, intuitive panel.

After a customer makes a purchase, they’re automatically enrolled in your referral program. From then on, the Rewards Widget appears across your entire site whenever they’re logged in — no extra steps or dashboards to find.

This makes it easy for customers to refer their friends and redeem rewards from anywhere on your site — whether they’re browsing products, checking their order history, or just returning to visit.

Inside the widget, customers can:

• Invite their friends using a personal referral link
• Share instantly via social media or email
• Redeem rewards earned from successful referrals

Invite Tab: Share Instantly

The Invite tab (pictured above) gives customers quick access to their referral link and one-click sharing tools.

They can:

• Copy their unique referral link to the clipboard
• Share instantly via X, Facebook, or email

It’s fast, familiar, and designed to encourage sharing without adding friction.

Rewards Tab: Redeem with a Click

The Rewards tab shows customers what they’ve earned — and how to claim it.

They’ll see:

• A clear list of available rewards
• One-click actions for coupons, free products, or free shipping (depending on how you’ve set things up)

It’s a rewarding experience that motivates customers to keep sharing.

What’s the difference between referral and affiliate marketing?

This is important, and we get the question a lot.

• Affiliate marketing is where you recruit affiliates—bloggers, influencers, partners—who promote your store in exchange for a commission.
• Referral marketing is where your own customers share your store with their friends and get rewarded when someone buys.
  
  (It’s a powerful channel — according to HubSpot, referral programs bring in more loyal customers who convert better and are more likely to refer others.)

They’re related, but they’re not the same.

Affiliates tend to be more strategic and content-focused. Customers are more casual—they just want to send a link to a friend and maybe earn a discount.

Why Use a Refer-a-Friend Plugin for WordPress?

If you’re running your store on WordPress, it makes sense to manage referrals the same way — right inside your dashboard.

A refer-a-friend plugin for WordPress gives you full control over how your program works, without relying on third-party SaaS tools or external dashboards.

With RewardsWP, you can:

• Set your own rewards
• Customize the widget to match your brand
• Keep referral data and customer activity inside WordPress
• Avoid monthly platform fees or confusing integrations

It’s a faster, simpler way to turn customers into advocates — without sending them to another site or platform.

Customize the Widget to Match Your Brand

The Rewards Widget isn’t just easy for customers — it’s easy for you to tailor to your store.

From the plugin settings, you can:

• Choose your brand color using a visual color picker
• Customize the rewards launcher display settings
• Choose which social networks customers can share to
• Preview your changes live — no coding required

It works out of the box with any WordPress theme and feels like a native part of your site from day one.

Automatic Enrollment, Zero Effort

One of the best things about RewardsWP is that it just works — right out of the box.

As soon as a customer makes a purchase, they’re instantly enrolled into your referral program. There’s no opt-in form, manual approval, or setup required.

Once enrolled, their personal referral link is ready to use — and the Rewards Widget appears across your site whenever they’re logged in.

Guest purchases are supported too. If a customer checks out as a guest and later creates an account, RewardsWP automatically connects their referral history and rewards — so they don’t lose a thing.

Already have existing customers? RewardsWP enrolls them automatically the moment you activate the plugin — no need to import anything or send out invites. That means you can launch your referral program with a full customer base from day one.

Reward Customers and Their Friends

With RewardsWP, you’re not limited to one reward or one audience — you can offer incentives to both the referring advocate and the friend they invite.

This is called double-sided rewards, and it’s built right in.

You can reward:

• The referring customer (advocate) — for each successful referral
• The invited friend — when they make their first purchase

This approach encourages more participation and faster conversions, since both sides benefit.

Supported Reward Types

RewardsWP currently supports:

• Amount off (e.g. “Get $10 off”)
• Percentage off (e.g. “Get 15% off”)
• Free shipping (WooCommerce only)
• Free product (e.g. “Get a free t-shirt”)

Each reward is issued as a coupon, applied automatically or redeemable from the Rewards Widget — depending on your settings.

Automated Emails That Keep Everyone in the Loop

Customers are more likely to refer friends — and redeem their rewards — when they know what’s going on.

That’s why RewardsWP includes built-in email notifications that trigger at every key moment in the referral journey:

• Advocate welcome email — sent after the customer’s first purchase, introducing them to your referral program and providing their unique referral link
• Advocate reward email — sent when a referred friend makes a purchase and a reward is earned
• Friend reward email — sent to the referred friend after they claim their reward

Everything happens automatically — no manual emails, no customer confusion, and no extra work for you.

Referrals and Rewards Are Easy to Track

Want to see who referred who? What rewards were issued? Whether a discount was claimed?

You’ll find everything in the RewardsWP admin.

There are three key admin views:

• Referrals admin screen – shows each successful referral, the referring customer, referred friend, order value, and referral status
• Rewards admin screen – shows every reward that’s been earned, including the type (e.g. discount or free product), status (issued, redeemed), and dates
• Members admin screen – shows everyone enrolled in your referral program, including guests and registered users

Everything is in one place, so you can keep tabs on your program without jumping through hoops.

Fraud Prevention and Built-In Safeguards

Referral programs work best when you reward genuine word-of-mouth — not loopholes or fake signups.

RewardsWP includes built-in safeguards to protect your store from referral abuse, including:

• ✅ Email validation – prevents disposable or temporary email addresses
• ✅ Duplicate detection – stops customers from referring themselves
• ✅ IP filtering – blocks suspicious referral patterns based on IP address

These checks run automatically in the background — so your program stays fair, and your rewards go to the right people.

You don’t need to set up any extra rules or install third-party tools. Just activate RewardsWP and you’re protected from day one.

Built for WordPress Store Owners

RewardsWP was built with WordPress stores in mind — no third-party platforms, no complicated APIs, and no surprise fees.

It works natively with:

• ✅ WooCommerce
• ✅ Easy Digital Downloads

That means it fits right into your existing checkout, customer accounts, and email setup — no need to manage separate dashboards or external apps.

You can install RewardsWP just like any other plugin, configure your rewards, and your referral program is ready to go.

And because it’s built by the team behind AffiliateWP, you can trust that it plays nicely alongside your affiliate program — or runs great on its own.

Start Rewarding Your Customers Today

If you’ve been waiting for a simple, WordPress-native way to let customers refer their friends and grow your store — RewardsWP is ready.

Launch your referral program in minutes, reward both customers and their friends, and turn happy customers into your best marketing channel.

Ready to install the easiest to use refer-a-friend plugin for WordPress?