ReferralCandy calculates cash rewards and success fees based on the subtotal amount of referred purchases. The success fee (the percentage-based commission paid to ReferralCandy) is charged only on the first three purchases each new referred customer makes, multiplied by your plan's success fee rate.
Important: The success fee only applies to the first three (3) referred purchases a referred friend makes. Orders beyond the 3rd are not charged a success fee, regardless of how many rewardable referred purchases you allow or the minimum purchase amount required for a reward.
How cash rewards and success fees are calculated from the subtotal
ReferralCandy uses the subtotal amount of each referred purchase as the basis for calculating both cash rewards and success fees. The subtotal is the amount after any discount is applied, but before taxes and shipping fees.
How the subtotal is extracted depends on your platform and integration type:
Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce: ReferralCandy extracts the subtotal amount directly from your platform.
Other platforms: The subtotal must be explicitly stated in the data ReferralCandy receives — in the referral invoice email with email integration, in the purchase and referral tracking code with JavaScript integration, or in the API call with API integration.
If the subtotal amount is not explicitly stated, ReferralCandy uses the next amount closest to the subtotal (usually the total) to calculate cash rewards and success fees.
The minimum purchase amount reward condition also uses the subtotal amount to determine reward eligibility.
Example: the subtotal amount is stated in the invoice
Example: the subtotal amount is stated in the invoice
When the subtotal is stated in the invoice, ReferralCandy uses that figure. Given these invoice details:
Price of product: $100
Discount: 10%
Subtotal: $90
Shipping: $10
Taxes: $5
Total: $105
ReferralCandy calculates the cash reward and success fee based on the stated subtotal of $90.
Example: the subtotal amount is not stated in the invoice
Example: the subtotal amount is not stated in the invoice
When the subtotal is not stated, ReferralCandy falls back to the next closest amount (usually the total). Given these invoice details:
Price of product: $100
Discount: 10%
Shipping: $10
Taxes: $5
Total: $105
ReferralCandy calculates the cash reward and success fee based on the total amount of $105.
Which orders are charged a success fee
The success fee applies only to purchases made by new customers referred to your store (referral sales) — and only to the first three orders each referred friend places. Orders 4 and beyond are not charged a success fee.
This is separate from your campaign's reward settings. You can still configure how many rewardable purchases a referral can make (on Shopify or other platforms) and a minimum spend for reward eligibility (on Shopify or other platforms) — but the success fee always uses the first-three-orders rule.
Quick illustration: Say one referred friend, Alex, places 5 orders of $100 each ($500 total in referral sales). Orders 1, 2, and 3 are charged a success fee ($300 in subtotals). Orders 4 and 5 are not. So even though Alex contributed $500 in total referral sales, only $300 is used to calculate the success fee.
How your monthly success fee is calculated
Your monthly success fee is calculated as:
Success fee = subtotal of first-3 orders × your plan's success fee rate
Add up the subtotals of the first three orders from each referred friend for the month — that's the amount the success fee is calculated on. Your invoice for the period is that success fee plus your plan's base fee.
For example, if the combined subtotal of all first-3 orders for the month is $1,100 and your plan's success fee rate is 3.5%:
Success fee: $1,100 × 3.5% = $38.50
Your invoice: $38.50 + your plan's base fee
Note: For current plan rates (base fees and success fee percentages), see the ReferralCandy pricing page. To confirm your own plan and rate, open the Plans page in ReferralCandy.
When cash rewards and success fees are billed
Success fees are billed in arrears — on your invoice date, for eligible referral sales tracked during the prior billing period. Base fees are billed in advance for the upcoming billing period.
Your billing period is anchored to when your 7-day trial ended, so it doesn't always line up with the calendar month. Check your Billing page in ReferralCandy to see your current billing period and next invoice date.
For a full breakdown of how invoices are structured and how base fee and success fee timing works, see Plans, Billing, Billing History, and Payments.