When you have multiple programs (also called tiers), each one is independent. Each program has its own settings for discount codes, referral codes, affiliate links, and rewards. A member belongs to exactly one program at a time, and their attribution and rewards follow whichever program they're currently in.
For example:
A brand running a Nano Program (under 10K followers, 15% off referral codes, 10% commission, no affiliate links) and a Micro Program (10K+ followers, 20% off referral codes, 15% commission, BuzzLinks enabled).
A member in Nano gets a 15% off code and 10% commission.
A member in Micro gets a 20% off code, 15% commission, and a BuzzLink they can share.
If a member is moved from Nano to Micro, they automatically get the upgraded code rate, the upgraded commission, and a BuzzLink generated for them.
This article covers two related concepts: how attribution works across programs with different settings, and what happens when you move a member from one program to another.
How attribution works across programs
Every order is attributed to a member through one of Buzzbassador's five attribution methods. Once attributed, Buzzbassador looks up the member's current program and applies that program's settings to determine what happens next.
This means two members in different programs can have different outcomes for similar orders:
A member in a program with rewards enabled at 10%: their attributed orders generate a 10% commission.
A member in a program with rewards enabled at 5%: their attributed orders generate a 5% commission.
A member in a program with rewards disabled: their attributed orders generate $0 rewards that are automatically declined.
A member in a program with referral codes disabled but BuzzLinks enabled: they cannot generate referral-code-based attribution, but they can be attributed when a customer clicks their BuzzLink.
Each order is processed using the program of the member it attributes to. The program settings used for the order is the program the member is in at the time the order came in. As soon as the program settings are changed, any new future orders process under those new settings immediately going forward.
[ LINK: How order attribution works (all 5 tracking methods) ]
[ LINK: How commission calculations and refunds work in Buzzbassador ]
Each program has its own discount rules in Shopify
Each program creates separate Shopify discount rules, so members in different programs are organized under different rules:
Each program's personal discount code is a separate Shopify discount rule.
Each program's referral codes are stored under one referral rule per program.
Each program's BuzzLinks codes are stored under one BuzzLinks rule per program.
A brand running 3 programs with all three code types enabled would have up to 9 Shopify discount rules total.
[ LINK: Where to find member codes in Shopify ]
What happens when a member is moved to a different program
When you move a member from one program to another, several things change automatically based on the destination program's settings:
Personal discount code: the member loses access to their old program's personal discount code and gains access to the new program's code, if the new program has discount codes enabled. If the new program has discount codes disabled, the member no longer has a personal discount code.
Referral code: if the new program has referral codes enabled, the member's referral code moves from the old referral rule to the new one in Shopify. The code name stays the same (e.g., MARIA15 stays MARIA15). If the new program has referral codes disabled, the member's referral code is deactivated in Shopify, but the code name is preserved in their profile and reactivates if they're moved to a program with referral codes enabled in the future.
Affiliate link: if the new program has a different affiliate link type, the member's link regenerates to the new format automatically. If the new program has affiliate links enabled where the old program did not, a new link is generated. The unique buzz_ref token stays the same across moves, so any cookies set by the old link still credit the member correctly. If the new program has affiliate links disabled, the link disappears from the member's portal, but the buzz_ref token is preserved for future re-activation.
Rewards: future orders attributed to the member follow the new program's reward settings. Already-earned rewards from before the move are not affected. If the new program has rewards disabled, future attributed orders generate $0 declined rewards instead of payable commissions.
Email notification: the member receives the "Your settings changed" email if that email is turned on.
[ LINK: How to move a member to a different program tier ]
Notes:
Member movement is a hard switch: settings change at the time of the move and apply going forward, not retroactively.
Cookies set from a member's old affiliate link continue to attribute orders to that member after the move, but those orders are processed under the new program's settings.
If you want to credit a member for an order that was placed during a no-rewards period before they moved, you'll need to pay them manually outside of Buzzbassador or contact support to adjust the amount on the backend.
Members are notified via the "Your settings changed" email when they're moved (if that email is enabled), so customize that email first if you want to explain the reason for the change.
[ LINK: How to edit email templates ]