Viral Loop

The viral loop is ViralRef's signature feature. When enabled, every customer who signs up through a referral link automatically becomes a referrer with their own link. This creates a chain reaction where one referral can lead to dozens of new customers.

How the Viral Loop Works

Here's a real-world example of how it plays out:

1. Sarah (your existing client) shares her referral link with a friend
2. Emma opens the link, verifies with her phone, and gets a welcome reward -- a gift card or coupon
3. Emma automatically gets her own referral link -- she's now a referrer too
4. Emma shares her link with her coworker Jake
5. Jake signs up, gets his welcome reward, and earns his own link
6. Jake shares with his roommate Chris
7. The chain keeps going...

Every step after Sarah's first share happens automatically. No manual enrollment, no approval process, no extra work for you.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Without the viral loop, your referral program grows in a straight line -- the same 10 referrers bring in 10 new customers every month. With the viral loop, your referral network grows like a snowball rolling downhill:

• Month 1: 10 referrers bring in 10 new customers (who all become referrers)
• Month 2: 20 referrers bring in 15 new customers (who all become referrers)
• Month 3: 35 referrers bring in 25 new customers (who all become referrers)

Your referral army gets bigger every month without you doing anything extra.

Turning On the Viral Loop

1. Navigate to Programs in the sidebar
2. Open the program you want to enable the viral loop for
3. Toggle Enable Viral Loop to on
4. Set the reward amounts:

5. Save the program

Template-created programs enable the viral loop by default.

What Happens When Someone Clicks a Referral Link

Step 1: They See Your Branded /ref Screen

The visitor lands on /ref/{code} showing:

• Your business logo and branding
• A reward-aware pitch for the welcome offer
• A short form: phone number and optional first name (no email field)

Step 2: They Verify and Get Their Reward

When they complete phone OTP:

1. A welcome reward is created -- a Square gift card or an auto-apply coupon, depending on your program settings (only when the program is LIVE)
2. They're added as a referrer with their own unique link
3. They're linked to the person who referred them
4. The same URL swaps to the verified screen -- no redirect

Step 3: They Can Start Referring Immediately

The new referrer can:

• Share their referral link / QR from the same screen
• Save an Apple or Google Wallet pass
• Check reward status and open full history when they want details

Referral Tree

The viral loop creates a family tree of referrals -- you can see who referred whom:

Sarah
├── Emma (referred by Sarah)
│   ├── Jake (referred by Emma)
│   │   └── Chris (referred by Jake)
│   └── Lisa (referred by Emma)
└── Mike (referred by Sarah)
    └── Tom (referred by Mike)

You can view the referral tree for any affiliate from their detail page. This helps you spot your most impactful referrers, even when their impact is indirect.

Double-Sided Rewards Make It Spin Faster

The viral loop works best when both sides get something:

• New customer: Gets a welcome reward -- a gift card (credit toward their visit) or a coupon (auto-apply discount at checkout)
• Referrer: Earns a gift card top-up or coupon when the new customer makes their first purchase

You can mix reward types: for example, give referred customers a coupon to lower the barrier to their first visit, while rewarding referrers with gift cards to keep them coming back.

This creates two motivations:

1. The new customer has a reason to book (free credit or a discount)
2. The referrer has a reason to share (they'll earn a reward)

Best Practices

• Set a generous welcome reward amount. The first visit is the hardest hurdle. A $10-20 gift card or coupon dramatically increases how many people actually book.
• Match the reward to your prices. If a typical appointment costs $80, a $15 reward feels meaningful without being excessive.
• Use coupons for first-time visitors. Coupons auto-apply at the register, so there is nothing to redeem or explain on a first visit.
• Mention the referral link at checkout. Right after a great service is when customers are most likely to share.
• Keep the form short. Phone plus optional first name is enough. Every extra field means fewer signups.
• Activate before promoting. DRAFT programs show a coming-soon page and do not issue rewards.

Next Steps

Affiliate Screen

Learn about the self-service /ref experience referrers use.

Fraud Detection

Protect your viral loop from abuse with automatic fraud prevention.