You shouldn’t have to choose between an optimized program and a workable launch timeline
The best referral programs are capable of driving 20-30% of your new customer growth, but achieving this impact relies on thoughtful program design. Retailers and credit unions often require highly sophisticated program architectures to address unique journeys and use cases. This has traditionally meant more customization—and more time.
The solution:
Extole’s Flow Builder is equipped with industry-specific pre-built referral flows that dramatically shorten setup times while supporting enterprise-level complexity. Start with a program pre-filled with relevant events, quality rules, and experiences, then customize as needed via an intuitive visual editor.
Dive in to discover Extole’s out-of-the-box solutions for retailers and credit unions, including:
- Credit union-specific Welcome Offer & Refer a Member flows
- Pre-built in-branch, online, and printable credit union share experiences
- Multiple ambassador program types to support unique retail use-cases
- Enhanced Shopify integration for retail marketers
- Intuitive visual interface to simplify program building
Industry Solutions for Credit Unions: Purpose-Built Flows for Member Growth
Credit unions have specialized referral needs—and Extole has multiple flows designed precisely with those in mind, each modeled after the most effective credit union flows and built for a quick and impactful launch.
A. Launch a Welcome Offer Program Purpose-Built for Credit Unions
Generic Welcome Offer flows don’t address the many complexities specific to credit unions, and require time and resources to optimize for their purposes. That’s why Extole offers a unique Credit Union Welcome Offer program type specifically designed to look like top-performing CU flows, and equipped with default settings that make implementation a breeze.
Default flow includes:
- Promotional placements tailored to capturing new members
- Credit union-specific signup flow
- Relevant qualifying activities, including account opening, direct deposit, and debit card usage, all automatically captured for reward approval
- Built-in reminder emails scheduled for optimal times during the user journey to inspire action
- Automatic reward delivery when member passes quality checks and completes qualifying events
B. Refer-a-Member Programs—Now Streamlined and Stronger Than Ever
Like the CU Welcome Offer, this tailored Refer a Member program is carefully constructed to match the CU customer lifecycle, guaranteeing speedier launch times without the back-and-forth. This program template contains all the necessary qualifications and quality rules for advocates and new members, and it is pre-equipped with several CU-specific share experiences and marketing placements, all linked by intelligent event triggers.
Default flow includes:
- Three-person referral flow with advocates, referred members, and credit union employees all in one optimized journey
- Relevant qualifying activities that can be easily customized
- Default quality rules tailored for CU referral validation and fraud prevention
- Variety of CU share experiences templatized and embedded in the flow, including an in-branch referral experience
C. In-Branch Referral Tools: Empower Frontline Staff
Extole’s program builder supports highly effective offline referral workflows—critical for CUs with strong branch traffic. Marketers can easily add these share experiences to their program flows and make creative adjustments as needed, all without additional manual effort:
1. In-Branch Referral Portal
- Branch employees get a dedicated portal to capture referrals in person.
- Contains all the relevant fields to capture key info from advocates and referred friends
- Embedded in Refer a Member flow and set up to trigger all necessary events to fulfill the referral
- Perfect for CUs where employee advocacy and branch engagement are high
2. Printable Referral Forms
- A pre-built, printable form can be added to the share experience for referred friends who would prefer to submit their referral details in person
- Designed to collect all the necessary advocate info and friend info, plus contains detailed fulfillment instructions for employees
- Advocate and friend emails are auto-populated when possible, lowering friction
D. New CU Email Templates Designed for Longer Conversion Cycles
One of the primary challenges for credit unions is ensuring that new members follow through on their account sign-up process and complete all necessary qualifying actions. Extole’s pre-built flows address this concern with timely promotional placements and communications, including new reminder email templates.
Email templates include:
- Full reminder email sequence for referred members who haven’t completed signup
- Pre-scheduled touchpoints at 7, 21, and 40 days – or your ideal schedule
- Fully customizable within an intuitive visual editor (images, fonts, copy)
- Supports the more complex and extended conversion funnel typical in CU membership
Key Takeaway: CU Complexity Without the Extra Lift
Through over a decade of working with leading credit unions, Extole has optimized CU referral flows for capturing and converting new members while deepening engagement with existing ones. Marketers only need to worry about minor customizations to creative, copy, and rewards – leaving more resources available for you to focus on growth.
Industry Solutions for Retailers: Faster Launches + More Flexibility for Shopify Users
Retailers working with Extole benefit from new power features designed to enhance the Shopify integration and streamline retail-specific workflows. Pre-built programs and share experience templates cover a range of complex use cases, so intricate customizations are rarely necessary.
A. New Shopify Integration Solutions Embedded Directly in Flow Builder
Retailers with Shopify storefronts can design their whole referral program inside Extole’s program builder, with Shopify-specific events, placements, and variables all represented as part of the intuitive visual editor. Extensive back-end configuration is rarely necessary, even in the most complex use cases. Shopify merchants will benefit from:
1. Support for Multiple Shopify Stores
Build programs for each of your Shopify storefronts all in one place, no back-end configuration required. Toggle targeting, rewards, and creatives to the appropriate storefront in Flow Builder with just a few clicks. Ideal for global retailers with separate stores in the US, UK, or other international markets.
2. Shopify Checkout Extension within Flow Builder
Retailers can now configure the Shopify Checkout Extension directly inside Extole’s Flow Builder. This high-impact referral placement captures referral conversions immediately after checkout on Shopify.
Checkout Extension template includes:
- All relevant Shopify variables, reusable across placements for easy editing
- Placement is built out automatically in Shopify using the information from Extole
- Fields that marketers can add, remove, or customize wherever Shopify makes it possible
3. Shopify Discount Auto-Applied at Checkout
For retailers who offer in-store discounts as a reward, this update means your customers’ Shopify coupon code will be automatically applied at checkout when they navigate to your site via their reward link.
How it works:
- Shopify-specific discount code embedded in advocate share link
- When a referred friend clicks on the link and adds items to their cart, discount is auto-applied
- Encourages quicker conversions with zero lift for advocates or referred friends
- No complex configuration necessary; set up everything in Flow Builder
- Eliminates time-consuming troubleshooting and “where is my reward” requests
B. Ambassador Programs: Three Flexible Approval Models Available in Flow Builder
Choose from three pre-configured ambassador program templates tailored to unique retail use-cases, enabling speedier launches with less need for customization. Retailers can now choose from:
- No Approval Flow: No customer-facing application process; ambassadors are hand-selected by the client on a case-by-case basis
- Auto Approval (Rules-Based): Ambassador membership approved or denied based on customizable dynamic criteria (purchase history, loyalty tier, etc.).
- Manual Approval: Marketers manually approve or reject applicants from the program page.
Each program follows the optimal path for the chosen approval method, reducing complexities while ensuring the necessary events, triggers, and rules are in place.
All Industries: Expect Faster, Smarter Referral Programs with Flow Builder
Instead of starting from scratch, choose a Flow Builder program template and be 75% of the way to implementation in seconds. Extole’s intuitive visual program editor is designed to handle enterprise-level complexity with minimal configuration, reducing launch timelines and giving marketers the flexibility to build and edit more programs, more often.
Flow Builder at a glance:
- Program picker: Browse program types with visual previews before starting a build
- Pre-configured programs: Deploy the recommended default architecture for your industry
- Drag-and-drop tools: Intuitively add or remove events, share experiences, rules, and triggers
- Embedded creative editor: Seamlessly connect onsite, in-app, and email creative all in a single flow
- Easy to edit: Optimize your flows in minutes, plus swap in seasonal rewards and creatives
Conclusion: Start from 75%, not 0%
Extole’s industry-tuned default flows eliminate hours or days of upfront configuration for even the most complex use cases. We’ve worked with countless credit unions and retailers to understand what they need to succeed, and each Flow Builder program type reflects a proven high-performing structure for CUs or retailers.
Curious what your referral program experience could look like with Extole? Book a demo to see how seamless a Flow Builder launch can be.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Extole’s Flow Builder?
Extole’s Flow Builder is an intuitive visual platform that lets marketers launch
high-performing referral programs quickly using pre-built, industry-specific templates.
It removes the need for complex customization while still supporting enterprise-level
requirements.
How do pre-built referral flows help credit unions?
Credit unions benefit from referral flows purpose-built for their member lifecycle,
including Welcome Offer and Refer-a-Member programs. These flows come pre-loaded with
credit union-specific qualifying activities, quality rules, reminder emails, and
in-branch referral tools to accelerate launch and maximize conversions.
What advantages does Flow Builder offer retailers?
Retail marketers—especially those using Shopify—gain access to specialized program
templates, embedded Shopify events, multi-store support, and automated discount
application. These tools simplify complex use cases while accelerating time to launch.
Do I need technical resources to launch a referral program with Extole?
Not necessarily. Flow Builder’s visual editor, drag-and-drop tools, and out-of-the-box
architecture allow marketers to configure or customize flows without heavy engineering
support.
How do Flow Builder templates improve launch timelines?
Instead of starting from scratch, marketers begin with pre-configured program structures
that are 75% complete—dramatically reducing upfront setup time and eliminating guesswork
around best practices.
Can I customize pre-built programs?
Yes. While programs come with recommended default settings, you can easily adjust events,
placements, rules, triggers, creatives, and rewards within the visual editor.
Does Flow Builder support in-branch referral programs?
Yes. Credit unions can leverage in-branch referral portals and printable referral forms,
both of which plug directly into referral flows and streamline offline member acquisition.
What types of ambassador programs are available for retailers?
Flow Builder includes three ambassador program models—No Approval, Auto Approval
(rules-based), and Manual Approval—each built with optimized paths for quick deployment.
How does Extole prevent fraud and maintain referral quality?
Pre-built flows include industry-tuned quality rules, lookback logic, and automated
validation to ensure referrals meet requirements before rewards are issued.
How can I see a demo of Flow Builder?
You can request a personalized demo to explore Flow Builder’s templates, tools, and
industry-specific workflows—and see exactly how fast your team can launch.
