REST API Pull order referral_link developer store vs public store

[volkis]

I'm pulling data for my app using the GET /orders.json

When I run a test sale through my store using a link with a ref tag (on a developer store) I can see the ref tag through the REST API pulling the referring_site.

But when I do the same thing on a public site (non developer) using a ref tag at the end of the domain the API shows nothing for the referral_site, why is this?

example domain link:
developerstore.com/products/test?ref=testref
publicstore.com/products/test?ref=testref

API response:
(developer store) referring_site: developerstore.com/products/test?ref=testref
(public store) referring_site:

both the developer and public store API response pulls in the rev for the order but only the public site does not pull in the referring_site. Permissions on both apps are identical

For additional context, when I look at order in both developer and public stores under conversion summary they both show a referral code was used and they both show what the code is, but for some reason the referral code doesn't show when I pull data through the public store.