17 years helping Canadian businesses
choose better software

About Refersion

Refersion helps online shops track sales driven by promoters, influencers, and affiliates. Average setup time is 6 minutes or less!

Learn more about Refersion

Pros:

Refersion is easy to use, and also easy to integrate with my business.

Cons:

Can't upload a csv file without sending it to customer service for them to send it to the developers. It takes over a week to complete this and it's annoying.

Refersion ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.1
Customer Service
4.2
Features
3.9
Value for Money
4.1

Likelihood to recommend

6.9/10

Refersion has an overall rating of 4.2 out 5 stars based on 56 user reviews on Capterra.

Have you used Refersion before?

Share your experiences with other software buyers.

Filter reviews (56)

Stephanie
Stephanie
System Administrator in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Referral and affiliate tracking made simple

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: There has been a noticeable increase in the number of people using discount codes provided by our brand advocates. In this way, both we and our affiliates can rest easy as we monitor the effectiveness of our referral program.

Pros:

Using referrals as a form of manual monthly payment to motivate brand advocates is a smart strategy. Having a referral program wherein both the referring user and the referred buyer receive a discount is a great idea.

Cons:

Registrations are approved instantly, which has caused problems because scammers have been utilizing our codes on discount sites to make money off of us.

Kristen
Co-Founder in US
Industrial Automation, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Amazing Affiliate Software!

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall, it’s a great affiliate software option. You get a lot of features with it and it generally is very easy to use and functional.

Pros:

This software is super easy to use! It tracks all affiliate analytics all in one place for you, and the data is extremely beneficial when making business decisions. I love that our affiliates find it easy to use too!

Cons:

There was sometimes a glitch for affiliates trying to get signed in and customer service could be just a little bit faster to respond but other than that, everything was perfect.

Samuel
CMO in US
Retail, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Lackluster platform that only gives you half of what you really need.

2.0 8 months ago

Comments: Not positive. This platform only gives you about half of what you need to conduct a comprehensive affiliate marketing /influencer marketing program. If you're looking for a solution that will help you curate influencer lists and qualify them before connecting with them, this isn't the platform for you.

Pros:

Refersion does only one thing really well; affiliate relationship management. Everything else is up to you, or must be relied on by a different tool.

Cons:

Unfortunately, there's no semblance of an influencer search feature, which means you'll have to source your influencers via other means. We tried this out and quickly realized it wasn't going to be the right tool for us because we needed a tool that handle the relationship with an affiliate/influencer (which Refersion does) but also helps us find those affiliates beforehand (something Refersiond does not do). In the end, we had to pivot away from the platform and find a better solution.

Prosper
Prosper
Affiliate marketer in Nigeria
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Refersion Review

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Overall, Refersion is designed to help businesses effectively manage and optimize their affiliate marketing programs and drive more sales through the efforts of their affiliates.

Pros:

Refersion is easy to use, and also easy to integrate with my business.

Cons:

For now, I don't think Refersion is missing something!

Abigail
Abigail
Member in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

I use Refersion to create affiliate links for my website and blog.

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

I can quickly create affiliate links to products I want to discuss or feature on my website or on blog posts. Easy to access and easy to create and copy links.

Cons:

I do wish there was a built-in search feature for specific products rather than having to go to the website for the product and input that link to create an affiliate link for a specific product. I can still quickly create links for specific products but the extra minute of time savings when you are working with a lot of affiliate links can save a lot of time over the long run.

Brenten
Co-Founder in US
Industrial Automation, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Tracks Affiliate Sales, But Very Glitchy

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall, I love the data it provides and how it tracks all influencer and affiliate data pertaining to sales and traffic. This data has been incredibly useful in making business decisions. But I do not like how glitchy and underdeveloped the software is. It can use some more work.

Pros:

I love how easy it is to track sales from affiliates and influencers! The data on Refersion is really great for analyzing their performance and making decisions accordingly.

Cons:

I didn’t like how glitchy it is. There are so many issues with this software that require customer support to fix which is frustrating and inefficient.

Jessica
Operations Manager in US
Retail, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

It does the job, but doesn't thrill me

3.0 4 years ago

Comments: Overall, if you want a basic affiliate tracking software, this is a good one. It isn't over the top with features, but it did seem reliable, straightforward to setup and the support team was great.

Pros:

I like most that it's fairly straightforward and pretty easy to set up. The support team is also great. When I first signed up for this program we were using wordpress and after a short time we abandoned Refersion to go with an affiliate software that could do more for a similar price. Years later we're now switching our online store to Shopify and will be switching our affiliate software back to Refersaion. Our team members assure me that it integrates better with Shopify so I'm hoping it will indeed be a better experience this time around.

Cons:

I didn't like that for the basic package you couldn't use both tracking links and individual affiliate discount codes. We would have had to pay more to integrate both features which wasn't cost effective. The platform we switched to for wordpress could do both for the same cost as the basic Refersion package. With our switch to Shopify, the basic Refersion package should be able to implement the tracking links as well as track effectively with the Shopify coupon codes which would solve my issue with the software.

Funmi
Owner in Canada
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Refersion is a fraudulent company

1.0 2 years ago

Comments: The integration is not yet working for Amazon stores and I was charged for a service that is not available. I paid USD499 per month for a system that is not yet working. After 4 months I was contacted that the service was not available in Canada with no refund despite been based in Canada and having my main market base there. It a purely fraudulent company. They offered me the option to terminate the contract but didn't refund what I paid for months without been told of the location limitation. They stole thousands from me without delivering the service.

Pros:

Nothing, they had a list of affiliates that you can get by browsing social media yourself. There is no guarantee of influencer engagement.

Cons:

Location limitation, they need to be up front with merchants. If they are confident about their service, the minimum required payment amount should be lower and let the amount required be sales based.

John
John
Digital Marketing Strategist in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Market leader, solid tool

4.0 5 years ago

Pros:

This platform is reliable and offers extensive features for both affiliates and publishers. Marketing materials are easy to upload and your program will be joined by high qualify affiliates through Refersion.

Cons:

They send too many emails to affiliates sometimes and it may cause blindness issues with regard to important emails.

Jessica
Jessica
Attract More Clients With Simple Videos in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Makes Shopify Affiliate Program So EASY

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: Excellent would recommend this system.

Pros:

This was so easy to setup in my shopify store and I quickly had affiliates ready and setup to start promoting my products for me.

Cons:

The software was great. Was a little bit more than I wanted to spend per month for affiliate program and it took some time to get over the hump and see a good ROI.

Frank
CRO in US
Computer Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Chargebee Customer Please Review Otherwise You Will Overpay Affiliates and Get Overcharged

2.0 4 years ago

Comments: Great customer service. I do believe based on the time that we have used the platform and seeing the very minimal number of product releases, enhancements, and UI evolution that they are likely short-staffed from a development perspective and/or perhaps haven't embraced an agile development methodology that would allow for this critical issue to be addressed.

Pros:

Ease of setup. The customer support team was always amazing.

Cons:

Incorrect commission calculation despite bringing the issue to Refersions attention and they acknowledged the issue.

Rachel
Content creator in US
Entertainment, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Simple and straightforward

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: It is been effortless and easy and one of the most user-friendly affiliate platform experiences I have had to date.

Pros:

As a user, I really appreciate how clearly everything is laid out, how easy it is to understand every aspect, and how responsive the customer service team is.

Cons:

But, ask someone who is an affiliate with multiple brands when I part ways from a brand and they don't remove me from refersion, I have absolutely no way of removing myself and shutting that account down and I don't like that

Maria Rosario
Outreach specialist in Philippines
Health, Wellness & Fitness, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Successful Affiliate Marketing

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: This app has been very useful to us with our affiliate marketing. We are able to customize our offer, update it and implement hassle free. Tracking is always consistent too.

Pros:

Hassle free sign up and tracking of affiliates. They have excellent customer service support who responds right away for any concerns you have with the app and even follow up with us. You can upload banners for affiliates to use, pay commissions directly to your affiliates Paypal or even pay them through gift cards.

Cons:

We have been fully satisfied with this app and have been using it for a while now that I can't think of anything that I like the least.

Jessi
Partnerships Manager in US
Consumer Goods, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Does the bare minimum

3.0 2 years ago

Comments: I would recommend spending a bit more for a better platform with way more capabilities.

Pros:

Affiliates could see their conversions and link visits.

Cons:

Had to reach out to CSM to pull reports. You can only pull bulk reports. You can not differentiate all links vs. unique links, so the tracking is not 100% accurate.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Higher Education Software, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Micro-Influencer Management Software made easy

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Refersion is a nice way to handle our micro-ambassadors. Rather than pay a "macro-ambassador" an exorbitant amount for promotion, we can simply rely on our loyal customers to spread the word (and get rewarded with commission for doing so).

Pros:

Refersion was easy to set up. We were able to drive interested micro-influencers through a Shopify landing page to sign up for our ambassador program via Refersion. From there, it's simply making sure 1.) our potential ambassadors are old enough to participate and 2.) their coupon codes aren't out of line. It even handles payouts with ease, assuming each ambassador has a PayPal account.

Cons:

We haven't found a ton of ways to use our ambassador's provided info or organize our ambassadors based on their performance.

Ken
Owner in US
Retail, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Pricing Surprise and Data Held Hostage

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: Their systems are smooth and work well, which is a shame because of their bait-and-switch tactics with pricing. I could never recommend a company that does not provide detail on their pricing scheme, then hits you with massive increases and long contract periods once you have gotten past their basic plan, which is monthly and a flat fee. I've attempted to negotiate with them, but at this point I'm not even sure that I can get my affiliate commission information as it is hidden. I highly recommend looking elsewhere for your affiliate needs-- go with a company that is up front about their pricing and contract periods.

Pros:

Easy to use, easy to set up, and the interface is clean and well organized.

Cons:

The pricing model after you have reached a minimum level of conversions switches to a percent of sales and a long term contract. We, like many online retailers, have very little margin to work with. To have the affiliate commissions double due to Refersion tacking on a % of sales commission ON TOP of affiliate commissions, and to require a one year contract, and -- most importantly-- to not let potential customers know that this is their pricing model when they sign up, is very poor business practice

Chase
Customer Service Manager in US
Retail, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great Fraud and Charge Back Prevention System

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: I would highly recommend Refersion to growing and large companies looking to avoid charge backs and fraudulent orders.

Pros:

This system integrates directly with our shopify checkout process. It checks for high risk orders/customers and approves or declines orders based on previous purchases and charge backs across their system. This was an easy system to implement and has saved us money over time with charge back reimbursement and avoidance.

Cons:

Back end system could offer more information on why orders were declined. Other than that, everything else works great and is easy to use.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Retail, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Good features but expensive and hard to set up

3.0 4 years ago

Comments: I found it hard to set up as kept experiencing errors.

Pros:

It was good in that they have a marketplace and you can use it as an affiliate program and referral program. The customer support was keen to help and did try many times to solve my issue even doing testing on their end. Thank you.

Cons:

It's pricey and the customer service is only via email and takes a while to get a reply if you are not in the same time zone. I found it hard to set up as there were errors that could not be resolved so I was paying USD89 and not able to set up.

Bridget
Operations Manager in US
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Functional, Useful, and Simple to Use

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: I am able to track our best promoters of this product and I am also able to incentivize influencers.

Pros:

I like that it can directly track payments and allow us to complete payments right from the software. I also like how you can use the discount codes instead of the links so that influencers can include them on their IG posts.

Cons:

I can't really find a con about this product because I am so satisfied with it. I cannot come up with any complaints or suggestions.

Chris
US
Used the Software for: Not provided
Reviewer Source

Not terrible as the rest

4.0 8 years ago

Comments: I have managed and signed up for a handful of different affiliate tracking systems over the years  both as merchant and affiliate  and am usually astounded at how bad they are. Especially the well-known, established ones. Clunky and confusing design, jargony labeling and writing, poor/undocumented/lacking integration to popular software, pricing to indicate that they're all pretty much allergic to their own dog food (whatever happened to paying for performance?), and more. Refersion is not innocent in this but still seems to be among the best of the bunch. A rich set of features, a reasonable starting price for vendors trying it out, and a design from this century is a decent start. Simple setup and integration to a platform like Shopify, and what seems like a simple experience for the affiliates lift it more. It's worth a half-hearted recommendation. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement in the design and experience.

Refersion Response

8 years ago

Thank you so much for your review. This feedback is tremendously important for us so that we know what to improve on. I think we can do a better job immediately on correcting some of the confusion you've expressed. We're slowly releasing a new dashboard for our merchants and if you could kindly get in touch with me, I believe I can make your experience using our platform better today. I am also happy to hop on a call to discuss the remaining items.

Elisa
COO in US
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Great affiliate software

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Wonderful! I love the experience I’ve had working with reversion and I would recommend them.

Pros:

This is great affiliate software. It is a wonderful way to track how the advertisers are doing. It gives a lot of insights.

Cons:

The marketplace is a bit hard to understand for Newer advertisers. I would love if it had clearer explanations for them.

Aileen
Social Media Manager in US
Marketing & Advertising, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Refursion Excursion

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Refersion is a really nice basic service for smaller and larger brands alike. Easily approve/deny influencers, create your own questionnaire applications and more! Also LOVE the shopify integration for supplying coupon codes.

Pros:

It takes a lot of the manual work out of handling large amounts of influencers and gives you easy accessibility.

Cons:

The platform is a little boring/lack-luster.

Patrice
Patrice
Founder, CEO in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Cosmetics
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Refersion makes affiliate marketing campaigns easy

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

The software makes it super easy to create and track affiliate links and manage your affiliate marketing campaigns. It's simple and does what it should.

Cons:

It isn't cheap. The costs aren't always justified so determining whether to use or stop using Refersion is a constant question.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Packaging & Containers, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Not the easiest to use

3.0 4 years ago

Comments: Overall, I feel it's a frustrating tool to use. Need to make it more user friendly with maybe some guides to help navigate the tools.

Pros:

I feel like the software is very secure. You must get an email each time and verify your log-in before continuing. This ensures your account is safe.

Cons:

The software is very basic. Functionality is a little rough as well. I still haven't been able to successfully run a report.

Rebecca
Rebecca
Spa Marketing & Success Mindset Coach in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Happy Reversion Affiliate User!

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

I love the ease and using Reversion as an affiliate. The backend / login is super easy and simple to use, and not confusing at all. I can easily get graphics, affiliate links & discount codes in just a few seconds!

Cons:

Sometimes when you are an affiliate for more than one company, there are multiple logins, and if you have a separate/ different password for each login, it can be a headache to login. I have to constantly change my password to login to the correct account. I wish there was a dashboard to see all the companies I am an affiliate for at-a-glance.