Behind the Build: How LocalWebsCoder Developed the CompliChef Referral System
A developer’s look at the two-tier referral engine powering CompliChef growth.
At CompliChef, we don’t just want to build software — we want to build systems that feel natural for the kitchens, managers, and suppliers who use them. Our latest milestone was the development of a referral system. What started as a simple idea — “reward our users for spreading the word” — grew into a two-tier system that now supports both individual user referrals and paid partner & supplier programs.
Here’s how LocalWebsCoder took the concept from scratch to a fully working feature inside the CompliChef platform.
Stage One: Free Time Subscription Referral
We began with something every chef or manager could benefit from: extra free time on their subscription.
- Referral Codes: Each account received a unique code to share.
- Tracking: When a new kitchen signed up using that code, the system stored the link between referrer and referee.
- Rewarding: Once the new kitchen activated their subscription, the referring user’s account was automatically credited with free time (e.g., an extra month).
This pushed us to engineer a clean, reliable referral-tracking workflow that feels effortless to end users while remaining verifiable in the backend.
Stage Two: Paid Partner & Supplier Referral
Next, we recognised CompliChef wasn’t just for individual kitchens. Suppliers, training bodies, and larger partners needed a way to introduce whole networks of operators. That required a more formal partner referral system.
- Partner Accounts: We extended the database to support referral partners with defined commission rates.
- Finance Integration: When a referred business subscribed, the system logged it as a partner commissionable event tied to the plan and gateway.
- Supplier Support: Partners can see referral activity and earnings via their dashboard, while our finance module tracks payouts alongside subscription income.
This layer is flexible enough for varied commission agreements, while remaining secure and tamper-resistant.
The Development Journey
Across both systems, LocalWebsCoder solved for:
- Edge cases: cancellations, upgrades/downgrades, duplicate referral attempts, shared devices/browsers.
- Automation: rewards and commissions trigger automatically on valid subscription events (including plan changes).
- Transparency: clear records and statuses in the finance dashboard for admins and partners.
The result is a robust, event-driven flow where both free-time rewards and partner commissions are handled inside CompliChef’s existing subscription logic.
The Result
The referral system is now a core part of the CompliChef ecosystem. Users can share with confidence, partners can build revenue streams, and admins have a clear view of how referrals drive growth.
For CompliChef, it’s more than a feature — it’s proof that the platform can evolve to support not just kitchens, but the wider hospitality network that keeps them running.
