Set up your referral program

A referral (or affiliate) program turns happy customers and partners into a channel. In KudosCRM, partners get a shareable /r/ link that drops a first-touch cookie, optional promo codes, and a portal to track their results — and when a referred deal is won, a commission is recorded automatically on a ledger.

This guide covers setting up the program, inviting partners, how attribution and promo codes work, and exactly what the commission ledger does. It's explicit on the boundary that matters most: KudosCRM tracks commission, it does not pay it — automated payouts are on the roadmap.

Who this is for

Partnerships and growth owners standing up a referral or affiliate channel, and finance who'll act on the tracked commissions.

Before you start

• Your program settings decided — the commission rate per partner and any promo codes you want to offer.
• Partners to invite (or who'll self-register), with the per-tenant currency set so commissions record correctly.
• Your deal flow in place, since commission is recorded off a won deal.

Tracked, not auto-paid — and how the rate works
When a referred deal is won, a commission is recorded automatically on a ledger in your per-tenant currency. It's idempotent (a win won't double-record) and anti-self-referral (a partner can't refer their own deal). But the ledger is commission TRACKING only — KudosCRM does not run automated payouts. There's no Stripe, PayPal, or ACH disbursement; you pay partners through your own process and the ledger is your record. One more honest note: partner tiers do NOT drive the commission rate — the rate is set per partner, so a higher tier does not automatically mean a higher rate. Automated payouts are on the roadmap (shown as 'Soon').

Stand up the program

1. Configure your program settings
   Set up the program — the commission rate (set per partner) and any promo codes. Promo codes can be percent or fixed amount, with usage limits and an expiry date, so you can run time-boxed or capped offers.
2. Invite partners (or let them self-register)
   Invite partners by email, or let them self-register and verify themselves. Each partner gets access to the partner portal — a separate login from your team's CRM accounts — where they log in, see their links, and track results.
3. Share referral links
   Each partner gets a shareable /r/ referral link. When someone clicks it, a first-touch cookie attributes that visitor to the partner — so the credit sticks to whoever brought the lead in, even if the deal closes weeks later.
4. Hand out promo codes (optional)
   Give partners promo codes to share. A code can be a percentage or a fixed amount, capped by a usage limit and an expiry — useful when you want the incentive on the customer's side as well as the partner's.
5. Let commissions record on a win
   When a referred deal is won, the commission is recorded automatically on the ledger in your per-tenant currency. It's idempotent so a win records once, and anti-self-referral so a partner can't claim their own deal.
6. Track partners and the ledger
   Watch the program through the portal — partners see their own results and a leaderboard, and you see the commission ledger. Remember this is tracking: you settle payments through your own process, using the ledger as the source of truth.

What you get

• Shareable /r/ links with first-touch attribution, so credit sticks to the right partner.
• Promo codes (percent or fixed) with usage limits and expiry.
• A commission ledger that records automatically on a referred-deal win — idempotent and anti-self-referral.
• A self-service partner portal with invite, self-register, verify, login, training, and a leaderboard.

Frequently asked questions

How does referral attribution work?

Each partner has a /r/ referral link. When a visitor clicks it, a first-touch cookie attributes them to that partner, so the credit sticks even if the deal closes weeks later. Promo codes give an additional way to tie a referral to a partner.

When is a commission recorded?

Automatically, when a referred deal is won. It's written to the commission ledger in your per-tenant currency, idempotently (a single win records once) and with anti-self-referral protection (a partner can't earn on their own deal).

Does KudosCRM pay my partners?

No. KudosCRM tracks commission on a ledger — it does not run automated payouts. There's no built-in Stripe, PayPal, or ACH disbursement, so you settle with partners through your own process and use the ledger as the record. Automated payouts are on the roadmap, shown as 'Soon'.

Do higher partner tiers earn a higher commission rate?

Not automatically. The commission rate is set per partner, so tiers do not drive the rate — a partner on a higher tier does not get a higher rate just because of the tier. Set the rate you want on each partner directly.

What can partners do in the portal?

The partner portal is a separate login from your team's CRM accounts. Partners can be invited or self-register, verify their email, log in, access training, see their referral results and a leaderboard, and grab their links and codes.

Learn more

• Referrals (feature) — Everything the referral and affiliate program does, on the feature page.
• Growth platform overview — The full Growth stage — the broad engine that keeps new pipeline flowing.