Reward code not applying at checkout

If a referral discount code isn't applying at checkout, work through these checks in order.

1. Confirm the code hasn't expired or been manually deactivated in Shopify

These reward codes are real Shopify discount codes, so anything that would stop an ordinary Shopify discount from applying applies here too — an expiry date that's passed, a code that's been manually deactivated, or combination/exclusion rules from another active discount that's blocking it. This is the most likely cause to check first.

Where to check: Shopify Admin → Discounts → find the code → check its active dates, its status, and its combination settings against any other discount the customer might be trying to apply at the same time.

2. Confirm the friend or referrer is using the exact code that was shown to them

A customer may be trying to reuse a code from an earlier share rather than the current one, especially if the campaign's reward configuration has changed since — this is most likely to cause confusion when a merchant has swapped the code being issued without the customer's copy of it having changed.

Where to check: compare the code the customer is trying to use against the code the referral landing page (or referrer's own reward notification) actually shows them right now. If they don't match, the mismatch is the cause — have them use the current code.

3. Check whether the code has already been used

If the reward is a single-use code, it's meant for exactly one redemption. A code that's already been redeemed once won't apply again.

Where to check: look up the code in Shopify Admin → Discounts and check its usage count. If it shows as already used, that's the reason — the customer will need a different code, which typically means triggering a new referral rather than reusing the old one.

4. If the reward is set up as a rotating pool

Rotating pools are a newer option, and individual pool codes aren't yet issued to a specific referrer or friend the way an evergreen code is — see Setting Up Rewards → discount codes for where this stands today. If a customer reports a problem with a reward configured as rotating, that's worth flagging to us directly rather than working through this checklist, since it points at something other than the usual causes above.

Still not applying?

Give us the specific code string and details of the order attempt (store domain, approximate time, and whether it's the referrer's or friend's code), so we can check it directly against Shopify's discount records.