Running a referral program
How to set up referral codes, what families get when they refer a friend, and how to track it.
Updated June 4, 2026
Referrals are the single highest-converting source of new families for most schools. Rosterra ships a built-in referral program so you do not have to build one in Excel.
Turning it on
Go to /settings/marketing/referrals. Toggle Referral program on. You will be asked to choose:
- What the referrer gets. A credit on their next bill (most common), a free month, a gift card, or a pro shop item.
- What the new family gets. A discount on their first month, a free uniform, a free trial, or nothing extra.
- When the reward fires. On signup (riskier, since some new families do not stick) or after the new family has paid for one full month (more conservative, fewer freebies given away).
How families refer
Every guardian has a unique referral code at /portal/refer. They see a card with their code, a share link, and pre-written messages they can send by text or email.
The referral link is short and pretty: {your-slug}.getrosterra.com/r/{code}. When clicked, it lands the visitor on your public signup or enrollment page with the referral code attached.
When the new family signs up
The referral code is auto-filled if they used the link, or they can type it in manually if they heard the code in person. Once they enroll, both the referrer and the new family see a confirmation that the reward is in flight.
Reward fulfillment
- Credit on bill: Applied automatically on the next invoice. Family sees it as a line item.
- Free month: Skip the next month's charge. Family sees a "free month, courtesy of your referral" note.
- Gift card: Auto-issued to the referrer's account.
- Pro shop item: Adds a "free item" voucher the family redeems at the front desk.
Tracking results
The referral dashboard at /marketing/referrals shows you:
- Who has referred whom.
- How many referrals each family has made.
- What conversion rate the program is at.
- Top referrers (the families you should thank publicly).
A good marketing motion
Once a month, send a broadcast email celebrating the top referrer with a small extra thank-you (a t-shirt, a private lesson, a featured spot on your social media). This costs almost nothing and turns one referral into the start of a habit.
Common pitfalls
- Reward too small. A 5-dollar credit does not move the needle. Make it meaningful.
- Reward too late. Waiting 6 months to give the reward kills referrals. Faster is better.
- No reminders. Most families forget they have a referral code. A reminder email twice a year keeps it top of mind.