If your store isn't on one of ReferralCandy's natively supported platforms (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento), you can still use ReferralCandy with most setups. The one requirement: your store must be able to send purchase data to ReferralCandy — that's what lets ReferralCandy enroll your customers as advocates and detect referred purchases.
This applies beyond standard online stores too — if you sell B2B or invoice customers directly, see Can I run a referral program for B2B sales? in ReferralCandy 101.
How the integration works
Your store connects to ReferralCandy through one of three connection types, set up from the Integrations page after you create your account:
Email integration — forward or BCC your order-confirmation (invoice) emails to ReferralCandy. Recommended if you'd rather not touch code.
JavaScript integration — add a tracking snippet to your purchase-completed page.
API integration — send purchase data directly via the API, for the most control.
See the Integration overview for how to choose between them and for each method's setup guide. You can also bridge platforms that lack a direct connection — including custom setups and some of the platforms listed below — through Zapier. Note that ReferralCandy doesn't provide troubleshooting support for issues with third-party integration tools.
Note: For help implementing these steps on your store — like forwarding emails or editing your purchase-completed page — your eCommerce platform's support team is in the best position to guide you.
Platform types that generally can't integrate
Based on merchant feedback gathered over time, these platform types generally can't send ReferralCandy the purchase data it needs — usually because the purchase happens on a checkout page you don't control, and there's no way to forward order emails or send purchase data out:
Marketplaces — e.g. Amazon, Etsy. The storefront and checkout belong to the marketplace, not to you.
Redirect checkouts — flows where customers complete payment on an external page (e.g. being redirected to PayPal to finish the purchase).
Billing, invoicing, and CRM tools — e.g. QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Chargebee, Salesforce, Keap (Infusionsoft). These manage payments or customer records but don't give ReferralCandy a storefront to integrate with.
Crowdfunding platforms — e.g. Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe.
Event platforms — e.g. Eventbrite.
Mobile apps — in-app purchases (iOS and Android).
Website builders with closed checkouts — e.g. Weebly. For Wix, integration may be possible via Zapier, but this is unconfirmed — it depends on the purchase data Wix can pass through.
Platforms evolve, though — this list reflects merchant feedback at the time it was gathered. If your platform now gives you a way to get purchase data out (or connects through Zapier), it's worth testing the integration before ruling it out.