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Integration Guide

How to Set Up Stripe Subscription Referral Rewards with GrowSurf

Use Stripe coupons or credits as subscription rewards so referred revenue unlocks a billing benefit without manual coupon creation.

Want the full setup walkthrough?

Use these docs for exact setup steps, supported fields, and troubleshooting.

For subscription businesses, the cleanest reward flow is to let GrowSurf unlock the referral reward and let Stripe apply the billing change. That keeps the reward logic in GrowSurf and the actual billing effect in the subscription system.

This setup works well for rewards like one free month, a recurring subscription discount, or credits that accumulate on the customer balance.

Integration Steps

Connect Stripe and open the Coupons/Credits reward area

Stripe Coupons and Credits tab in GrowSurf
Connect the subscription reward from the Coupons/Credits tab instead of creating Stripe discounts by hand.

After Stripe is connected, use Coupons/Credits to attach the reward that should fire when the referral unlocks. GrowSurf will handle the reward event and then issue the billing reward in Stripe.

Choose the reward type that matches the subscription experience

Stripe subscription coupon targeting options in GrowSurf
Apply the reward to Stripe subscriptions when you want the discount to behave like part of the subscription billing flow.

Coupons are the default option for subscription discounts, especially when you want a free month or a discount tied directly to the subscription. Credits are a better fit when the reward should accumulate on the customer balance instead.

Pick who receives the reward and save the connection

In double-sided campaigns, GrowSurf lets you issue the Stripe reward to the referrer, the referred customer, or both. Save the reward connection once the targeting and billing behavior match the offer you want to run.

Respect manual approval, currency, and test mode

If your campaign requires reward approval, GrowSurf waits until approval before issuing the Stripe reward. Also make sure the customer exists in the same Stripe mode you connected and that the customer or subscription currency matches the campaign currency.

Troubleshoot missing subscription rewards from the participant record first

When a reward does not show up, start with the participant activity log and reward details in GrowSurf. That usually tells you whether the reward is still pending approval, waiting on Stripe sync, or blocked by a customer or currency mismatch.

Tips

Start with coupons unless you specifically need balance to accumulate

Coupons are the simpler starting point for subscription discounts. Credits are usually better when each reward should stack on the customer balance over time.

Live and test reward connections are separate

If a reward works in test mode but not live mode, confirm that you connected the live version of the reward after you switched the integration back to live.

FAQ

Should I use a coupon or a credit for subscription rewards?

Use a coupon when the reward should behave like a subscription discount or free period. Use a credit when you want the reward to accumulate on the Stripe customer balance instead.

What if my campaign uses manual reward approval?

GrowSurf waits until you approve the reward before issuing the Stripe coupon or credit, so a reward can look unlocked before the billing change has been applied.

Can I test the reward before going live?

Yes. Stripe reward connections support GrowSurf test mode, but the reward mappings you create in test mode are separate from the live ones.

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