When a new member is added, Buzzbassador creates their referral code (which is also a Shopify discount code). If the new member comes from the application form, this code is chosen during the application ("Create Your Referral Code" question). If the new member is imported, the code is input by the merchant during the import process ("Referral Code" column).

When the code that is requested for the new member (either by the merchant or the member) is already taken in the merchant's Shopify account, Buzzbassador cannot create that code, as Shopify requires that each discount code must be unique. So, Buzzbassador has to generate a random unique code instead.

The problem is that the member (during the application form) wouldn't have a way to know if their desired code was already taken in Shopify, so they would enter it into the application anyway and up with a random code that they didn't choose once they were approved. Same for the merchant - if merchants did not check their Shopify discounts list before doing an import, they may not have known that the codes they chose for the new members were already taken, so those imported members ended up with random codes.

This feature request post addresses this issue by introducing validation in both the member and the merchant side before the member is added, to let the user know that the code they are requesting is already taken, so that they can choose another code before a random one is generated. This feature is commonly requested by merchants and members alike.