Run a creator program

Collabs connects a store-owned creator program to CartWhizz applications, offers, orders and commission records. The addon is disabled by default. Turning it on does not publish an application page, send invitations, create gifts or authorize a charge.

Prepare and publish the program

1. Open Modules, find Collabs and enable it.
2. Open Collabs through the admin menu or search. In Program, set the public program name and introduction.
3. Write the program terms. Set the default creator commission, customer discount, commission return window and referral window.
4. Keep the application page as Draft while reviewing it. Choose Published and Save program when it is ready.
5. Use Open application page to view the store's /collabs page. Share this page with potential creators.

The public page uses the store's storefront appearance. Program and offer terms are plain text. A draft program and a disabled addon do not expose a public application page.

The default percentages are used for new offers. Personalized offers and invitations can use their own rates. Existing offers retain their own rates; changing a default does not rewrite them.

If program terms change, existing creators must review and accept the current version. Their existing offers can be accepted again through the creator account; they do not need to submit another application. New link and code eligibility pauses until the current terms are accepted.

Applications and open access

With Allow open access off, a creator signs in to a customer account, verifies their email, reads the current terms and submits an application. Review the application under Creators & invites, then approve or reject it.

With open access on, a creator can join after verifying their email and explicitly accepting the current program terms. The default offer is still shown for review and acceptance before its code or share link becomes eligible.

The application uses the customer's account name and verified email. Creators can add a website or social profile and a note about their audience. Collabs never trusts a different email entered in a browser to claim a creator account.

If email verification is required, the creator can request a verification email from the Collabs page, open its link, return and retry. Requests are explicit and rate limited. If email delivery is unavailable, the page reports the failure instead of saying that an email was sent.

Invite a creator directly

1. In Creators & invites, select Invite creator.
2. Enter the recipient's email, optional name and personal message, plus the offered commission and customer discount.
3. Leave Send an invitation email now off to create a link you can copy yourself. Select it only when you want CartWhizz to send the email.
4. Create the invitation and copy its one-time link before closing the dialog.

Invitations expire after 14 days. The recipient must sign in with the verified customer email that was invited. Only that authenticated recipient can preview the personal message, rates and program terms before explicitly accepting.

The invitation history shows pending, processing, accepted, expired or disabled invitations. An invitation link is not stored in that history. Creating a new invitation is an explicit action; it does not resend a previous email automatically.

Create personal offers, links and codes

Select an approved creator and open View offers. Create an offer with a name, commission, customer discount, terms and optional expiry.

The creator sees the offer in Account → Creator program. After reviewing the program and offer terms and accepting them, they can copy their personal code or share link. The admin can also copy the accepted offer's code or full store link.

Pause offer stops new use of that offer. Suspending a creator or disabling Collabs stops its eligibility too. Expired offers cannot be used. Existing order and commission records remain available for audit.

Customer discounts use CartWhizz's existing coupon engine. The program, creator, offer, acceptance, current terms and expiry are checked again when the coupon is evaluated. A code appearing in an API response does not itself authorize a discount.

Attribution and commission eligibility

Creator share links pass through a store-owned tracking route. Eligible referral tracking follows the store's marketing consent rules. If tracking is refused or consent is withdrawn, a browser referral is not used. The referral window is between 1 and 90 days.

CartWhizz establishes attribution at checkout from validated referral information or a valid creator coupon. A caller cannot make an arbitrary existing order commissionable by posting an order number and creator code.

Commissions use the eligible product subtotal after discounts, excluding shipping and tax. The order currency, rate and commission basis are recorded with the attribution. Gift orders, self-purchases, unpaid or invalid orders and child-order duplicates do not earn commission.

Paid and completed orders go through the return-window and refund checks before commission becomes eligible for funding. Currencies stay separate. Commission records show their hold date and current state.

Send and track gifts

Gift order creation requires both Manage promotions and Manage orders.

1. Open Gifts → Create gift order.
2. Search for an approved creator and a product. Select the exact variant when the product has variants.
3. Choose the quantity and an active shipping method, then enter the confirmed delivery address and optional note.
4. Review the details and create the gift order.

This creates a complimentary, zero-total order using the normal order and stock checks. It does not automatically ship the item. Open the order to fulfill it through the store's normal process; tracking appears in Collabs when available on the order. Gift orders cannot earn creator commission.

The form supports product variants exposed by CartWhizz's existing variant records. A product requiring other custom options cannot be submitted without those options; choose a complete gift product or variant.

If a request cannot be confirmed, check the gift list and order before creating another gift. Retrying the same form keeps the same request reference and unchanged address and items. Creating another gift is a separate request.

Commission funding and transfers

Commissions & funding separates each currency and distinguishes:

• Return window: the commission remains on hold.
• Eligible: the commission passed the current order, account and return checks.
• Reserved / Funding requested: an exact commission set is assigned to a funding request.
• Funding received: the merchant's CartWhizz funding request has been paid.
• Transfer in progress / Transferred: the provider is processing the creator transfer, or has confirmed it.
• Transfer needs checking / Adjustment required: the outcome or refund requires reconciliation.

A paid funding request means that merchant funds were collected. It does not mean that a creator received a transfer. Only a matching confirmed provider transfer is recorded as transferred. Refunds after funding or transfer create an adjustment state; Collabs does not claim an automatic clawback of money already transferred.

Automatic payouts and commission funding are unavailable in this release. Provider selection has been deferred. There is no payout provider setup form or connected disbursement rail in this build. Creating the addon or tracking a commission cannot collect a bill or transfer money to a creator.

Commission records and the separate funding states provide an audit trail. A future provider integration would also require verified recipient accounts and explicit merchant billing authorization before enabling funds movement. Funding principal is separate from subscription revenue and is not a subscription tax invoice or an invented platform fee. No transfer is recorded as confirmed without provider confirmation.

Creator account and mobile

Creators use Account → Creator program to review participation, accept invitations or offers, copy links and codes, follow gift orders and inspect their own commission history. A creator never receives another creator's history or the merchant's billing payment links.

The admin mobile app provides the same Collabs records and access checks. Complex merchant editors use the normal authenticated web handoff. The customer mobile app exposes the creator program and private creator account when the addon is enabled.

Permissions and disabling

Reading the admin area requires View promotions or Manage promotions. Changes require Manage promotions. Creating gift orders also requires Manage orders. Commission funding and billing consent additionally require Manage billing or Manage settings.

Disabling Collabs stops its public program, new invitations and gift creation, referral/coupon eligibility, accrual and automatic funding or transfers. Records remain for a later re-enable and audit. Disabling does not reverse a transfer already confirmed by its provider.