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How the System Is Built

The Refer a Friend program runs entirely inside the Candescent digital banking experience. There is no separate app or external website — members access it directly from their dashboard. The system has three main pieces working together: The widget inside digital banking A lightweight panel that appears on the member’s dashboard. It shows their referral code, how many people they’ve referred, and the current status of their rewards. Inviters see their share options; acceptors see their eligibility progress. The RAF backend A service that handles all the logic behind the scenes — generating referral codes, validating submissions, tracking eligibility, and processing reward payouts. It connects to the FI’s core banking data to verify account activity. The rewards engine When an acceptor meets all the eligibility criteria, the system automatically transfers the reward from the FI’s designated holding account to both the inviter’s and acceptor’s accounts. No manual steps required.

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System Overview

Refer a Friend system overview — member dashboard widget connects to the RAF backend, which checks account data and processes rewards automatically.

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Member Flow

Here is what happens from start to finish when a referral takes place: Step 1 — Inviter shares their code The inviter opens their digital banking dashboard and sees their unique referral code in the RAF widget. They share it via email, SMS, or by copying the link. Step 2 — Acceptor joins and submits the code After completing account opening and onboarding, the acceptor logs in and is prompted to enter a referral code. They enter the code they received. Step 3 — Eligibility tracking begins The system records the submission and starts tracking whether the acceptor meets the campaign’s qualifying criteria — such as setting up direct deposit or making a set number of debit purchases. Step 4 — Progress is visible inside the app Both the inviter and acceptor can check their status at any time from the dashboard widget. The acceptor sees a progress tracker showing which criteria are complete and which are still pending. Step 5 — Rewards are paid automatically Once all criteria are met within the eligibility window, the system transfers the reward to both the inviter’s and acceptor’s accounts. No staff action needed.

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Campaign Configuration

Each financial institution can configure their campaign with settings specific to their goals: