Account linking implementation checklist

An account linking solution enables your customer accounts to be flagged as belonging to various consumer audiences. Updating records in your customer database with a verified status builds a deeper relationship with your customers and makes it easier for them to take advantage of offers as they can be utilized whenever the customer is logged in.

This checklist outlines the necessary steps for implementing an account linking solution.

• Set offer discount method to Account Linking

  • Documentation: Defining a reward strategy

• Create program landing / Brand-built marketing pages

  • This will be the page that leads to the SheerID form
  • The CTA that leads to SheerID, should only lead the user to the SheerID form if they are already logged in
  • Documentation: Landing page best practices

• Pass consumer's account ID to SheerID

  • When loading the SheerID form, and account ID for the consumer should be passed to SheerID as metadata
  • This metadata key must be required to avoid user dead-ends
  • We recommend using a key of externalUserId
  • Documentation: Tracking custom metadata

• Webhook upon success

  • When a consumer is successfully verified SheerID will send a webhook notifier to an endpoint
  • Verification events needed: eligible only
  • Documentation: Setting up webhooks

• Call the SheerID's /details endpoint

  • Upon receiving a verificationId from the SheerID webhook:
    • Confirm the notifierEventType (expected value "notifierEventType":"SUCCESS"
    • Use the verificationId to call our /details endpoint
  • To help with re-verification we recommend saving the date/timestamp of the verification
  • Documentation: Get Details

• Update program copy

  • By default, SheerID has several references to coupon codes on the success page and success email. These messages should be updated with next steps for consumers
  • Documentation: Customizing text

• Configure a recommended redemption limit

  • Recommended: 1/335
  • Documentation: Redemption limits

• Configure a redirect URL (i.e. the success page CTA)

  • Documentation: Success redirect URL

Testing checklist

• Ensure the SheerID form cannot be accessed without externalUserID
• Ensure customers are able to start a new verification when they access the verification form from your account page
• Ensure that consumer accounts are flagged as student/educator/first responder, etc. when they reach success
• Ensure CTAs in the success, reminder, and failure emails lead to the expected customer experience

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Up-level your implementation with an optional 'Just-in-time check' upon success

What is a just-in-time check?

A just-in-time check is a two step process:

1. The SheerID verificationId is appended to the success URL
2. You then call SheerID's /details endpoint to confirm the status of the verification

Why add one? While the success webhook will be the primary method of flagging an account as verified, a just-in-time check on success is a great backup to the SheerID webhook. It ensures that a customer doesn't 'beat' the webhook.

Just-in-time check set-up

Append SheerID verificationId to success redirectURL:

Program > Settings > Redirect URL

1. turn Redirect URL setting on
2. update button copy
3. add a redirect URL
4. under 'Redirect URL Data', click 'Add'
5. under 'Query Parameter', add the key that you'd like SheerID to use when appending the verificationId
6. under 'Metadata Key', select verificationId

This verificationId can then be used to call SheerID's /details endpoint