Referral Rate Calculator
The cheapest acquisition, consistently under-resourced.
Referral rate
11%
$13,860 of acquisition cost avoided
Referred customers cost $12.00 against $47.00 to buy, and they typically retain better because they arrive with a recommendation attached. Raising the referral rate is the cheapest acquisition work available and the most consistently under-resourced.
How the Referral Rate Calculator works
Referred customers cost a fraction of bought ones and typically retain better, because they arrive with a recommendation attached. Raising the referral rate is the cheapest acquisition work available and the most consistently under-resourced.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate referral rate?
Customers acquired through referral divided by total customers acquired. Tracking it properly requires attribution at signup, which most stores never set up.
What reward works best?
Two-sided rewards — something for the referrer and something for the friend — consistently outperform one-sided ones. The absolute value matters less than the friend receiving something.
When should I ask for a referral?
At a moment of demonstrated satisfaction: after a repeat purchase, a positive review, or a support interaction that went well. Asking at the confirmation page is easy and premature.
Do referred customers behave differently?
They typically retain better and refer more themselves, which compounds. That makes their lifetime value higher than the acquisition cost comparison alone suggests.