Skip to content

Referrals

The referral program gives existing monthly lockout members a way to invite new members. Both the referrer and the referred member receive a $50 credit. Referral codes are internal to Metrognome — they are not Stripe promotion codes.

How It Works

Every member who signs up for a monthly lockout automatically receives a referral code. The code format is their first name followed by a random suffix (e.g., JANE-A3C2). Each member has at most one active code at a time.

When a new member checks out for a lockout and provides a referral code:

  • The new member gets $50 off their first invoice, applied as a negative line item. If the first invoice is less than $50 (e.g., due to proration), Stripe automatically rolls the excess forward as a customer balance credit applied to future invoices.
  • The referrer gets a $50 credit added as a pending Stripe invoice item, which is automatically applied to their next monthly renewal invoice.

Both sides receive the same amount.

Referral Code Lifecycle

  • Created when a member's first monthly lockout is fulfilled — only for monthly studio reservations, not hourly or other types
  • Active indefinitely — no expiration or maximum use limit
  • Deactivated when the member's lockout subscription is cancelled
  • Re-created if the member signs up for a new lockout after cancellation — a fresh code is generated

Rules and Constraints

  • Self-referral is blocked — a member cannot use their own referral code
  • A referral code can be used unlimited times by different new members
  • Referral credits and Stripe promotion codes / coupons can be applied to the same checkout — they are separate mechanisms. However, a promotion code and a coupon cannot both be used simultaneously.
  • Only members with a Stripe customer record can receive referrer credits — if the referrer has no Stripe customer ID, the credit is skipped with a warning

Referral Credits on Lockout Updates

When staff updates a lockout (e.g., during a studio transfer), a referral credit can be applied or changed. The credit is added as a Stripe invoice item on the existing subscription. The referrer metadata on the subscription is updated accordingly.

Partner Referrals

Partners use the same code system but with a different payout mechanism. Partner codes have no random suffix and are tracked separately. Instead of receiving a Stripe invoice credit, partner referrals create a payout record that is settled externally. Duplicate payouts are prevented per referrer-referee-code combination.

Design Note

Referral credits use negative Stripe invoice items rather than Stripe promotion codes. This guarantees the full dollar amount regardless of proration — a percentage-based Stripe promotion code on a prorated first invoice could result in a nearly worthless discount.