Module 3: Tracking everything with codes and a spreadsheet

The unique-code system

For online checkout, most platforms — Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce, Stripe payment links — let you create discount codes in the dashboard. Create one code per referrer, set the discount to match your offer (e.g. $15 off), and set a usage limit if you want. The platform's order export then shows which code was used on each order. For phone or in-person businesses, train your staff to ask "Did anyone refer you? Do you have a code?" and write the code on the receipt or in your booking notes. Unsexy, but it works — and the asking itself reminds customers the program exists.

Code hygiene matters. Keep codes short, uppercase, no confusing characters (skip 0/O and 1/I). Never reuse a code across two people. And create the codes yourself — don't let referrers invent them, or you'll get duplicates and arguments. One person should own the master list, which brings us to the spreadsheet.

Your tracking spreadsheet, column by column

Open a spreadsheet and create two tabs: Partners and Referrals. The Partners tab has one row per referrer/affiliate with these columns: name, contact info, their unique code, date joined, total referrals sent, total rewards earned, total rewards paid, and balance owed. The Referrals tab logs every single referred sale: date, new customer name, code used, order value, reward owed to the referrer, reward status (pending / paid), and notes.

Your weekly routine: export orders from your checkout platform, filter for orders with a referral code, and add each one as a row in the Referrals tab. Then update the Partners tab totals — a simple SUMIF by code does it. Once a month, filter the Referrals tab for "pending" rewards past your refund window, pay them out, and mark them paid. The whole routine takes 30–60 minutes a week at meaningful volume.

This manual system has a hidden advantage: you see every referral. You'll notice which partners send buyers versus browsers, which months spike, and which rewards actually motivate. Software hides all of that behind dashboards. When you eventually graduate to referral software (at hundreds of partners or thousands of referrals), you'll know exactly what you need because you've been doing it by hand. Until then, the spreadsheet is free and honest.

Payouts without drama

Nothing kills a program faster than a partner who earned a reward and never got paid. Set a payout rhythm and publish it: "Rewards are paid on the 5th of each month for the previous month's referrals, after the 14-day refund window." Monthly is the standard because it's predictable for you and frequent enough for partners. Weekly payouts are an admin burden; quarterly payouts make partners forget the program exists.

For referral programs (customers earning credit), payouts are easy: apply account credit directly. For affiliate cash payouts, use whatever's simplest — bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, or a check for larger amounts. Set a minimum payout threshold ($25–$50) so you're not sending $3 payments; unpaid balances roll to the next month. Keep a "paid" column and never delete rows — if a partner ever disputes a payout, your spreadsheet is the receipt.

One tax note, not tax advice: in the US, if you pay any individual $600 or more in a calendar year, you generally need to collect a W-9 and issue a 1099. Check current IRS rules or ask your accountant when someone approaches that threshold. It's a good problem to have — it means your program is working — but handle it before January surprises you.