How exactly does referrals work? It seems to be incredibly random whether or not it gives you credit for the referral. Do you have to be registered first, or can you click a referral link, register, purchase and get credit?

Can you add a referral code to the end of any url?

You need to use the referral link given by someone to register, in order for it to be added as a referral on register

 

You need to use the referral link given by someone to register, in order for it to be added as a referral on register

So what happens after they register, if they continue to use your referral will you keep making commission from sales?

 

Some of our users have been contacting me about this recently. Asking what it is, and why they are being notified that someone has used their referral code. We have not knowingly set anything up for referring other members to my knowledge.

Is it simply that someone has decided to register after visiting another user's profile page? From a Google search result perhaps?

No, not really. In the ACP on the member tabs is a section called "Referrals", if you activate that options each member will have a special tab on their profile settings where a special link will be displayed, the so called "refferal link". Any registered member can later take that link, give it to a friend or just posting it on a social media and any new guest wich register on that link appears as refferel for him.

Are there any restrictions? Because I've tried testing referrals by clicking link, registering and then purchasing something to not avail. Credit is never given

 

I'm slightly confused/curious about what this custom work entails since you can already add a referrer ID to any URL. We automatically add them to share links already if referrals are enabled.

 

The idea is to expand referrals beyond just getting users to register. More over using as an affiliate system. I guess that's outside of the scope but certainly something that should be considered into IPS to complement IP.Downloads and IP.Commerce.

The ability to reward commission on purchases only to those who register to purchase leaves a lot to be desired imo.

@Jim MI am so confused.  First, in the ACP, under System > Applications > System expand I see 'Referrals.'

Since I have no idea what Referrals are, I find this in the Help Guide:

That tells me to go to the ACP 

  Quote

Within the admin CP, you can get to the referal setup section by going to Commerce>Customers>Referrals.

... except when I do that, there is nothing there.  There is nothing under Customers, under Store, under Payments, under Subscriptions, and under Support.  So I do a huh?

Then I do more Google searches and I find this:

So are these two separate things? One for Commerce and another for ? 

Help! 

Looks like the first guide you found is out of date. I will change that location as the other information is still valid.

The referral system got merged under ACP -> Members -> Member Settings -> Referrals.

Okay, I found this: 

So now I have located the Commerce referrals.  

@Jim M Okay, I'm getting closer.  Referring to this post 

There is this part:

  Quote

Integration With Sharing

If the feature is enabled, a

To what does that refer?  Does it mean the section in the ACP that says System > Site Promotion > Sharing and having one or more of those social media links enabled?