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Status: Planned Phase: Phase 2 | Tier: Free + Pro

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Overview

Word-of-mouth is the dominant acquisition channel for cannabis apps. Dispensary visits are social — people go with friends, share recommendations, and trust personal endorsements over advertising. The Referral System channels this natural behavior into a structured program that rewards users for bringing friends to High IQ and gives those friends a warm, personalized onboarding experience. Every High IQ user gets a unique referral code. That code is embedded in share cards, accessible from their profile, and shareable as a QR code or deep link. When a new user signs up through a referral and confirms they are real (by uploading at least one dispensary order), both the referrer and the new user earn rewards. As referrers accumulate successful referrals, they unlock increasingly prestigious tiers — from profile frame upgrades to beta feature access to advisory board membership. The system is designed to be generous without being exploitable. Referral confirmation requires a real order upload (not just account creation), which eliminates fake signups. Rewards are primarily cosmetic and status-based rather than monetary, which keeps the program sustainable and avoids the perverse incentives that plague cash-reward referral programs. The goal is not to pay people to spam their contacts — it is to reward the organic behavior of sharing something genuinely useful with friends who will benefit from it.

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How It Works

1

Get Your Code

Every user automatically receives a unique referral code upon account creation (e.g., HIGHIQ-J7K2). Pro users can request a vanity code (e.g., HIGHIQ-JOHN). The code is visible on the user’s profile and in the “Invite Friends” screen.
2

Share It

Users share their code through multiple channels: embedded in share cards (automatic), from the “Invite Friends” screen (copy link, QR code, or share sheet), or by telling friends the code verbally.
3

Friend Downloads

The new user downloads High IQ from the App Store. If they used a deep link (highiq.app/r/HIGHIQ-J7K2), attribution is automatic. If they downloaded directly, they enter the referral code during onboarding.
4

Friend Activates

The referral is not confirmed at signup. It is confirmed only when the new user uploads at least one dispensary order. This proves they are a real user with genuine intent, not a fake account created to game rewards.
5

Both Get Rewarded

Upon confirmation, the referrer earns IQ Points and progresses toward their next referral tier. The new user receives a “Recruited” badge, 50 IQ Points, and their referrer’s top strain recommendation as a personalized welcome gift.

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Referral Tiers

Referral tiers are cumulative — reaching a higher tier includes all rewards from lower tiers. The progression is designed so that every tier feels meaningfully different and worth pursuing.
RewardDetails
Badge”Connector” (Common rarity)
Profile FrameBronze frame around profile photo
IQ Points100 IQ
StatusReferral count visible on profile
RewardDetails
Badge”Networker” (Rare rarity)
Profile FrameSilver frame upgrade
IQ Points300 IQ
Bonus ContentUnlocks “Deep Dive” bonus section in research reports
RewardDetails
Badge”Influencer” (Rare rarity)
Profile FrameGold frame upgrade
IQ Points500 IQ
Custom App IconUnlocks exclusive “Gold” app icon
Beta AccessEarly access to features in development
RewardDetails
Badge”Community Builder” (Epic rarity)
Profile FrameDiamond frame upgrade
IQ Points1,000 IQ
Early DataAccess to new strain data 48 hours before public release
RewardDetails
Badge”Cannabis Ambassador” (Legendary rarity)
Profile FrameAnimated frame with particle effects
IQ Points2,500 IQ
Vanity CodeRequest a custom referral code (e.g., HIGHIQ-AMBASSADOR)
Advisory BoardInvitation to product advisory board with direct input on roadmap
RewardDetails
BadgeAll previous badges
Profile FrameAll previous frames + exclusive Legendary animated frame
IQ Points5,000 IQ
MerchHigh IQ branded merchandise package
Community SpotlightPermanent feature in “Community” section of the app

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What the Referred Friend Gets

The referred user’s experience is not just “sign up and get nothing.” They receive a personalized welcome:
  • “Recruited” badge — Shows in their badge collection immediately, with their referrer’s name
  • 50 IQ Points — Starting balance to explore the IQ Store
  • Referrer’s top strain recommendation — “Your friend John’s favorite strain is Wedding Cake. Here’s the full report.” This creates an instant conversation between the two users and demonstrates report depth from the first session

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Deep Linking

ComponentImplementation
Link Formathighiq.app/r/{CODE} (e.g., highiq.app/r/HIGHIQ-J7K2)
iOS HandlingUniversal Links via apple-app-site-association
App Not InstalledRedirects to App Store with referral parameter in campaign URL
AttributionCode stored in device keychain on first app launch, applied at account creation
QR CodeGenerated client-side using react-native-qrcode-svg, encodes the deep link URL
FallbackManual code entry field on onboarding screen for verbal/text shares

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User Value

The referral system turns every High IQ user into a growth channel — not through spammy incentives, but by rewarding the natural behavior of sharing something useful with friends who smoke together.

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Technical Approach

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Data Model (Convex)

referral_codes
  - userId: Id<"users">
  - code: string (unique, indexed)
  - isVanity: boolean
  - createdAt: number

referrals
  - referrerId: Id<"users">
  - referredUserId: Id<"users">
  - code: string
  - status: "pending" | "confirmed" | "rejected"
  - createdAt: number
  - confirmedAt?: number
  - confirmationMethod: "order_upload" | "manual"

referral_rewards
  - userId: Id<"users">
  - tier: "connector" | "networker" | "influencer" | "community_builder" | "ambassador" | "legend"
  - unlockedAt: number
  - rewards: string[] (list of reward keys claimed)

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Anti-Abuse Protections

The referral system is designed to resist gaming from day one:
ProtectionHow It Works
Order Upload RequirementReferral only confirms after the new user uploads a real dispensary order — account creation alone is not enough
Apple ID UniquenessOne referral credit per Apple ID, preventing multi-account abuse
Lifetime CapMaximum 50 confirmed referrals per user (the Legend tier is the ceiling)
Daily Point CapMaximum 1,000 IQ Points earned from referrals per day
Code Rate LimitingEach referral code can be used maximum 5 times per day (prevents mass distribution)
Review QueueReferrals from users with 10+ pending referrals are flagged for manual review
Velocity DetectionIf a user’s referrals are all confirmed within 24 hours of each other, the account is flagged

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Key API Mutations

MutationPurpose
createReferralCodeGenerate unique code for new user (auto on signup)
requestVanityCodePro user requests custom code (admin approval)
applyReferralCodeNew user enters/auto-applies code at onboarding
confirmReferralTriggered when referred user uploads first order
checkTierProgressReturns current tier + progress toward next tier
claimTierRewardUser claims a specific reward from their unlocked tier

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Tier Impact

TierAccess
FreeUnique referral code, share via link/QR, earn Connector and Networker tiers, standard profile frames
ProVanity code request, all 6 referral tiers, premium animated frames, beta access eligibility, advisory board eligibility

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Dependencies

  • Badge system with rarity levels — built and live
  • User profiles in Convex — built and live
  • Share Cards (Phase 1) — referral code embedding in share visuals
  • Deep linking infrastructure (Universal Links + App Store redirect)
  • Convex tables for referral tracking (referral_codes, referrals, referral_rewards)
  • QR code generation (react-native-qrcode-svg)
  • “Invite Friends” screen UI
  • Referral code entry field in onboarding flow
  • Web redirect page at highiq.app/r/{CODE}
  • IQ Points system (Phase 4) — for point rewards (badges work independently)
  • Admin panel for vanity code approval and abuse review

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Open Questions

  1. Vanity code conflicts — What happens when two Pro users request the same vanity code? First-come-first-served, or auction with IQ Points?
  2. Referral expiration — Should pending referrals expire if the referred user never uploads an order? 30 days seems reasonable.
  3. Re-referral — If a user deletes their account and re-creates it, can they be referred again? Probably not (Apple ID tracking prevents this), but the policy should be explicit.
  4. Cross-tier rewards — When a user reaches a new tier, do they retroactively get all lower-tier rewards they have not claimed, or only the new tier’s rewards? Retroactive is simpler and more generous.
  5. Referral transparency — Should referrers see who they referred (by name), or only see a count? Showing names builds social connection but raises privacy questions.