Here are the best refer and earn apps where you can earn money by inviting people with your refer a friend link.
Author: Kari – Certified Financial Education Instructor
In today’s world, many of us are feeling the pinch as bills and living costs keep climbing while our wages often stay put. Finding legitimate work-from-home jobs can be tough, leaving us scrambling to make ends meet and have a little extra for the things we love.
But what if there was a straightforward way to earn more without breaking a sweat? That’s where referral bonus apps come in! You can start padding your wallet just by referring friends.
Join a referral program today to boost your income for bills, tackle debt, or kickstart your dream vacation fund!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may make a commission at no cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more info
The top 3 referral programs that we love
We’ll go through a bunch of apps and referral bonus programs, but let’s start with our favorites, as these are popular apps, and the referral bonus is pretty good.
Chime
Chime is a popular banking app with fee-free overdraft, no monthly fees, and no minimum balance requirements. Earn $100 per referral.
BetMGM
BetMGM is the exclusive sports betting division of MGM, both online and in their casinos nationwide. Earn $50 per referral.
Upside
Upside is a cashback app where you earn can save & earn on gas for your car, groceries, and restaurants. Earn $.15 off per gallon per referral.
How much can I earn with refer and earn apps?
It depends. Below are two screenshots from two of my apps. I wanted to show these (InboxDollars on the left and Fetch on the right) as these are very easy refer and earn apps that you can get started with today. So the amounts shown are something that you can absolutely accomplish!
If you’re a beginner, I suggest starting with these types of apps (survey apps & shopping apps) at the bottom of the post, as they aren’t a big commitment for those you want to sign up.
Yet, if you’re familiar with referring your friends then you can start at the top of the list as these are the bigger payout ones.
Again, these are my actual earnings. No, it’s not a ridiculously high amount, but you take these earnings and focus on 10 – 15 apps, and you have a good side hustle going on!
Referral bonus apps from banking and money management sites
We’re going to start our list with the big money makers; these are the programs that will make the most impact on your bank account.
Chime referral bonus – earn $100
Chime is a banking app where you can bank, save and build your credit score. They offer no monthly fees, high-yield savings options, and fee-free overdrafts. You can also easily send & receive money from your friends (similar to Cash App).
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Chime, and they set up a direct deposit and get at least $200 in qualifying deposits (aka from a workplace), within 45 days, you EACH get $100. it’s important to know that they must be a brand-new user of Chime. There is a $1,000 cap on referral earnings, so ten people (similar to PayPal, but this is a much higher payout).
Albert – earn $50 – $150 bonus
Albert is one of our new favorite banking apps, as it can help you with so many different financial needs. You can direct deposit your check with the app (and get paid two days early compared to traditional banks, take a fee-free cash advance, and have automatic savings and investing capabilities with just $1. Best of all, there are no account minimums, and it’s fee-free!
Don’t forget; even though you are looking to refer people to Albert, it’s a great app for you to have too! Especially if you sometimes find yourself short on cash, as they offer up to $250 cash advances – fee free! You can read more about Albert and how their cash advances work here.
Get Albert on iO and get a $50 cash advance
Get Albert on Android and get a $50 cash advance
Referral bonus program details: When your friend signs up for Albert with your link within ten days of you sending it and sets up Albert Instant, they’ll be immediately approved for a $50 cash advance, and you’ll score some bonus $$$! The amount varies, depending on the current promotion, but it’s anywhere from $50 to $150. Note – your referral needs to be brand new to Albert, not an old customer, to qualify.
Current banking app with referral bonus – earn $50
Current is very similar to Albert (just above), but it has a few extra things, like the option to create savings buckets that are high-yield accounts! And they also offer a credit builder option. While Albert offers Genius, which is like a budgeting concierge, with real human experts to answer all your money questions! While both are great, they offer slightly different products & services.
Referral bonus program details: When your friend signs up for Current with your link and processes a qualifying direct deposit of at least $200 within 45 days, you’ll both get $50 added to your current account! You can earn up to $1,000 per calendar year as a Current referrer.
Get Current on iOS and get $50
Get Current on Android and get $50
Cash App referral bonus – $5 to $15 bonus
Cash App has been pretty popular for a while now, as it’s the new generation of peer-to-peer money transfers! They make it very easy to loan money (and receive money) and make it more fun than stodgy old PayPal.
You can create your own cash app card design to show your style, and they make it easy to earn money with their app. One of the easiest ways is to refer your friends and get $5 to $15 for it (it changes periodically). Then that person gets free $5 too!
WARNING – If you don’t have Cash App yet and search for a code, you’ll find lots of people claiming they can get you THE BIGGEST BONUS EVER! Sadly, they’re lying, and they just want you to use their code (and you won’t find out that they used you until it’s too late). All anyone ever gets is $5 for signing up, no matter who’d code you use. I’d be grateful if you’d use mine by clicking this link or using code NRTZMHV when you sign up.
Referral bonus program details: When your friend signs up for Cash App with your link, they need to send someone $5 within 14 days of signing up, and that person can send them $5 back immediately, so they’re not out that money. Once they send that $5, you’ll both get your bonus. Unlike other lending apps, there’s no cap on how much you can refer.
PayPal refer a friend program- earn $10
Yes, just above, I called PayPal old & stodgy. But the positive side is that they’ve been doing their business for so long that they are really good at it, and people trust the PayPal brand.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to PayPal, and they spend at least $5 within 30 days of signing up, you’ll get 1,000 points (a $10 referral bonus). But, this is limited to ten friends, so a max of $100 earning potential as the referer.
Dave – earn $15 in referral money
Dave is another finance app to help you when you need a cash advance, use your card to shop from your spending account, and for helping to find some extra money with side hustles or to make money with surveys.
Referral bonus program details: Dave’s referral program is pretty small, but it’s still worth mentioning. You can get $15 when you refer someone to Dave, and they use your link to sign up. Super bonus – they’ll get $15 too! But you can only earn up to $75 with this referral program, so five friends.
Brigit referral program – earn $10 – $15
Brigit is very similar to Current in their offerings. You can get a cash advance, budget and save money, find a side gig, and get help with building your credit, all with Brigit!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Brigit with your link, and they get either a…
- Cash advance
- Pays their first Credit Builder installment
- Pays a membership fee (for optional services)
… then you’ll earn a referral bonus, which fluctuates between $10 and $15.
Lenme – earn $40
Lenme is a little bit of a different financial app than the ones above. This app mainly focuses on lending people money, and it’s your peers who invest their money into your loan. So you can earn money with Lenme by offering capital for loans, or you can borrow money when you need it.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Lenme with your link, you can earn $40 when (within 30 days of signing up) your friend becomes a qualified lender or borrower. You can earn up to $5,000 with this referral program! Be sure to know that the person you refer must be new to the platform, as they cannot have already used their phone number or email address in prior signup.
To receive your bonus, your account must be in good standing and have a valid bank account tied to your Lenme Account.
Investing apps with referral programs
Groundfloor – earn $10
Groundfloor Finance has opened up real estate investing for the everyday person with fractionalized shares (aka you can invest in just a portion of real estate). These are high-yield, short-term investments where you can earn consistent passive income from your funds invested in the platform.
They have three main investment areas to choose from…
- LROs – SEC-qualified real estate debt investments
- Notes – Publicly issued non-traded debt secured by real estate
- IRA – Self-directed IRA
It’s like saving & investing combined into one bucket!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Groundfloor with your link and invest $100, both you and your friend will receive a free $10 investment credit that can be used towards any loan currently funded on our platform.
Acorns App – earn $5 to $10 bonus
One of the early investing apps on the market, Acorns is a great choice if you want to invest your spare change (by rounding up purchases). It’s basically a painless way to be responsible and grow your portfolio.
So if your purchase was for $5.69, it would be rounded up to $6, and that $.31 would be put into your investments! They even have options for using your funds to help save for the children in your life!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Acorns with your link, and they open an account and start investing, you both will earn $5 (sometimes $10) in your account. They also periodically offer bigger bonuses as a promotional aspect, so be on the lookout for these bonus perks. Best of all, there’s no limit to how many people you can refer!
Robinhood – earn free stock $5 – $200
Robinhood is one of the earlier apps on the market where you can start your portfolio with just $1 invested. Their big tagline is that they offer commission-free trading, so more of your money gets invested instead of going into the company’s overhead.
They offer 24-hour trading, IRA accounts (with a 1% match), crypto investing, and a Cash Card that helps you invest when you spend.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Robinhood with your link, and they link their bank or debit card, you’ll both get free stock for your portfolio. You can earn up to $1,500 in free stock a year, so considering compound interest potential, this is a great deal! The actual amount per referral varies; it could be anywhere from $5 to $200 worth of stock (most people get $5).
When you get started today by signing up and linking your bank account, you can get free stock from companies – see current offerings for details (certain limitations apply).
(We are an affiliate partner of Robinhood and may receive compensation when you use the links provided.)
Empower – earn $25 per referral
Empower is one of my favorite financial tools (I’ve used it for years). The main aspect that I really like is that you can see your entire financial situation on one dashboard, as it pulls in all your data from all your accounts. The best part is that this is a free tool for anyone!
They also have many great tools to help you better understand your finances and how to get where you want to be. For example, they have a net worth calculator, a retirement planner tool, a budget planner, and lots of other calculators. Once you figure out what you need to save/earn/invest, they help you do that with their investment platform (optional).
Note: There is also an app called Empower, which is a cash advance app, totally different. The Empower that I am talking about used to be called Personal Capital.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Empower with your link, and they link one qualified investment account (e.g., brokerage, 401k, or IRA) containing a balance of more than $1,000 U.S. Dollars within 30 days of registering for the dashboard. You’ll both get a bonus, which varies between $20 – $100 Amazon gift card (just depends on the promotion they’re running at the time. They don’t need to buy/invest anything; just link their account for you to qualify for the bonus.
The person you refer must be a new user of the Empower Dashboard, and you can only receive up to 100 referrals.
Referral bonus from miscellaneous
BetMGM refer a friend – earn $50
BetMGM is considered the premier online gaming & sports betting app in partnership with MGM Resorts. So you can try your luck at casino games or play a hand of poker on the BetMGM mobile app or on your desktop. So how good are you at picking winners? That’s the question!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to BetMGM with your link, they sign up within 30 days and get verified, meet the wagering minimum, then you’ll both receive a bonus on the item they signed up for! Here’s how it specifically plays out on all their products…
- Sports: $50 Sports Bonus only
- Casino: $50 Casino Bonus
- Poker: 100%, up to $1,000 + Up to $75 in Tournament Play
You can refer up to 20 friends per month. Your friend needs to sign up in the same state as you are registered. For example, if you signed up as a BetMGM New Jersey player, they need to select that same state. You and the friend you’re referring both need to be 21 years+. If they sign up for Sports or Poker, they must first deposit into their account. All sports wagers need to have odds -200 or greater in order to complete the wagering requirement.
If you decide to go after this program, please make sure you read the full terms & conditions page.
Jackpocket app with referral bonus – earn $10
Jackpocket may not be the most responsible app, as playing the lottery is considered gambling. Yet, it is a lot of fun to use and dream about what you’d do with your winnings if you scored the winning lotto ticket! Yes, it’s a mobile app where you can buy lotto tickets. They offer…
- Mega Millions
- Powerball
- State-specific Megabucks
Please only buy lotto tickets if you can afford to lose it; remember, it’s for entertainment purposes, and there’s a 99.999999999% chance you won’t win (but there’s a teeny tiny chance you will win).
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Jackpocket with your link, and they fund their account, you’ll get $10, and they’ll get $2 (which is enough for a free ticket into a lotto drawing.
Play Jackpocket on iOS and get a free $2 ticket
Play Jackpocket on Android & Samsung and get a free $2 ticket
Upside – earn an extra $.15 off of gas per gallon at your next fill up
I’ve used Upside for a little while, and I love it; it’s the easiest way to save on gas for your car! Even if you’re not interested in the referral-earning potential, you can save a lot of money!
Every time you fill up your car, log into the app, and it will tell you where gas is the cheapest and how much you can save per gallon at each station. Pick which station you want to go to and claim your offer, then after you fill up your car, hit “I’ve paid,” and the next day, you’ll get your cashback loaded into your Upside account (you can withdraw it for gift cards, sent directly to your bank account or PayPal).
They also have some restaurant and grocery store offers as well. For example, get 17% cash back at Hawaiian Time restaurant. Fun info, the average user of Upside gets $19 cashback every month! So if you’re not using it, you’re missing out.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Upside with your referral link, they’ll get $.15 off extra per gallon at their first fill-up, and you’ll get an extra $.15 off per gallon at your next fill-up. You’ll also earn $.01 per gallon for every gallon of gas they buy after that! You can even stack your rewards. So if you have three friends that sign up with your link, and after their first use, you’ll get $.45 off per gallon!
GasBuddy – earn $.10 off per gallon of gas at your next fill up
GasBuddy is similar to Upside but slightly different. I use the programs together to get the max amount of rewards when I buy gas. GasBuddy will show you the prices at local gas stations (as does Upside), but you save money right at the pump when you use your GasBuddy card to pay, which is linked to your bank account.
So with Upside, you can save (for example) $.08 per gallon when you fill up (and get those savings as cashback into your Upside account). And when you use your GasBuddy card to save, you can get $.11 off per gallon. With that, the receipt will say the total on the pump, but GasBuddy will only pull the amount minus your per gallon savings from your checking.
So if gas was $4.19 a gallon and you got 10 gallons = $41.90 total, but you save $.11 per gallon, which makes it $4.08 a gallon, then GasBuddy will only withdraw $40.80 ($4.08 x 10 gallons) from your linking checking account.
So use Upside & the GasBuddy card together to save the most at the pump.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to GasBuddy with your link, and when they fill up for the first time, you’ll save an extra $.10 per gallon at your next fill-up.
Xfinity refer a friend – earn up to $175
Xfinity is one of the larger internet and phone service providers for residential customers in the US (across 41 states). So they most likely operate in your area.
You’ll first need to sign up to accept the terms & conditions, then send people your link. Yet, it’s important to note that when friends sign up, they need to start one of the qualifying services, which is Xfinity Internet 25Mbps download speed (or above), Xfinity TV with X1, Xfinity Home, Xfinity Voice, or Xfinity Mobile. Here’s how it breaks down…
- If they sign up for one service, you’ll earn a $50 gift card
- If they sign up for two or more services, you’ll get a $150 gift card
- If they switch to Xfinity mobile, you’ll get $25
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Xfinity with your link, and they sign up within 30 days, and their account remains in good standing for 90 days, then you’ll both get your referral bonus, which is a prepaid Visa gift card. You can earn a total of $500 worth of gift cards in a year.
T-mobile – earn $50
T-Mobile is America’s largest 5G network (cell phone coverage), and they also sell mobile phones and other small electronics. They offer great discounts for military, first responders, and customers 55 and up.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to T-mobile with your link, and they sign up for a phone plan within 15 days, you’ll get $50 per friend (max of $500 per year). The person you refer can’t have been a recent T-Mobile or Sprint customer (within the past 90 days). To qualify for the $50 prepaid MasterCard, they must have an active account for at least 30 days.
DoorDash referral bonus can be as high as $18,000 per year
DoorDash is one of the leading food delivery services in the US and a great way for people to make extra income in the limited time they have available.
Dashers in good standing who have completed 30 deliveries and have been dashing for at least 30 days, who have also passed our quality checks, will be eligible to refer friends and family to be a Dasher.
Referral bonus program details: You’ll earn a bonus when you refer others to DoorDash with your referral link, who are new to DD and complete the onboarding process! That bonus can vary from week to week and by location.
For example, one week, it could be $50 for you and your referral; the next week, it could be a $50 bonus once they hit ten deliveries. There’s even been an $1800 bonus once they hit their 270th delivery! You can refer up to 10 people and get referral bonuses.
Instacart – earn up to $2,500
Instacart is an on-demand grocery delivery service that uses personal shoppers who pick up items from local stores and deliver them to Instacart users for a delivery fee.
As an Instacart customer, you can refer friends and family to the platform as a user. For each referral, they’ll get up to $40 credit to use across their first two orders, and you’ll get $10 credit once their delivery is complete.
As an Instacart driver, you can refer friends, and once they meet the minimum amount of deliveries, you’ll get a bonus! The referral amount varies by city, so it could be $400, or it could be $750 (just as an example).
Referral bonus program details: When you refer other drivers to Instacart with your link, and they sign up within 45 days, they have to complete a certain amount of deliveries in 30 days for you both to qualify for your bonus. It could be 30 deliveries; it could be 50 deliveries; it just depends on location (aka customer demand levels). You’ll receive your bonus in your regular paycheck for Instacart.
To be eligible to refer people, you must be an active driver with at least 40 hours of work under your account and in good standing. Being in good standing means you have good customer reviews.
Decluttr – earn $5
Decluttr is a great way for people to earn money by selling their old electronics and a great way for people to buy discounted (and refurbished) electronics (or books, CDs, DVDs & Blu-rays). So if you have a box of old cell phones, Decluttr can give you cash for them!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Decluttr with your link, they’ll give you and your friend free $5 into your account. Best of all, you can refer as many people as you like; there’s no cap on how much you can earn. With Decluttr, you can cash out via bank transfer or PayPal.
CardCash – earn $5
If you have a bunch of unused gift cards just collecting dust in your junk drawer, then it’s time to cash them in with CardCash! On this site, you can trade in (or get cash) for gift cards you won’t use. So if Grandpa got you a gift card to Bass Pro Shop, you can trade it for a Target card or a gift card to Nike, Apple, Amazon, etc.
The process is super easy; I did it with two of my old giftcards, it took less than five minutes, and I got a good trade-in value too!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to CardCash with your link, and they sign up and make their first purchase, you’ll both get $5. The minimum order to qualify is a $25 order. You can use your $5 credit towards any gift card you want!
ThredUp – earn $40
ThredUp is a huge online consignment store for men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing & accessories! They make it so easy to sell with them, as all you do is request a Clean Out Kit, where you box up your old clothing, print a shipping label that they send you (for free), and drop your box off at the post office.
Then in a few weeks (it may take a month, depending on how busy they are), they’ll post your clothes up for resale.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to ThredUp with your referral link, you’ll give them a 40% off coupon, plus free shipping, when they purchase their first order (or send in their first clean-out kit). And you’ll get a $40 credit to shop on your next order! Remember that your referral credits have an expiration date, so be sure to use them before they expire! The max amount you can receive in credits is $580 per calendar year.
To qualify as a referrer, you must have sent in at least one clean-out kit to ThredUp. The person you refer must be a brand-new customer of ThredUp.
Sell your old clothes on ThredUp
Dinnerly – earn up to $43 worth of free meals
While meal kits are no longer crazy popular as they once were when they came out about ten years ago, they are still dang convenient. I’ve used them every week for at least five years – seriously, they are so easy, and my #1 hated household chore is trying to meal plan. I hate thinking up, “What’s for dinner.”
Dinnerly is one of the least expensive on the market while still being tasty and super easy to prepare. It’s less expensive than the others as you don’t get as many side dishes to go with the main course. Sometimes I’ll add a side of rice or veggie to help supplement the portion size, but it’s not necessary.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Dinnerly with your link, you’re giving away a free meal kit to a friend, and you’ll get a free Dinnerly box (up to $43 worth) if they sign up, so that’s about three meals with two portions. You can send a max of 10 boxes to friends & family. After that, you can send a new invitation for each additional order you place. The voucher on the invite is valid for up to 28 days after they click on your link.
The offer you’re sending your friends is specific in how they discount it (most meal kits are like this). The invite offer is valid for up to $43 on the first box, plus 25% off and free shipping on the second, 20% off the third, and 15% off the fourth box. Applies to new customers to Dinnerly only.
Outschool – earn $20 or $200
Outschool is truly a hidden gem, helping parents conquer summertime kiddo boredom! This isn’t your typical distance learning; these are FUN interactive classes that teach topics that kids actually want to learn about!
My little girl and I did an arepa cooking class with “Mirabel” from Encanto, and it was amazing! The kids answered Encanto trivia, they talked about Columbian cuisine, and we made a tasty snack. They have traditional math & reading classes, along with things like…
- Summer camping skills for 7-10 yr olds
- Grandmaster chess camp for advanced players
- Making friendship bracelets – intermediate level
- Drawing warrior cats in Anime and Manga styles
- Roblox coding basic camp level
- Mindfulness summer camp for kids 7-11
Referral bonus program details: There are two different ways you can earn referral money on Outschool…
- When you refer a student to take a class on Outschool when they sign up with your link, you’ll give them a $20 credit to take any class; if they take a class within 90 days, you’ll get a $20 credit for any class. The user must be a new user of the platform.
- When you refer a teacher to the platform, and they successfully earn $100 in student enrollments in their classes, then you, as the referer, will get $200. This is a cash payment via PayPal, not an Outschool credit. Being a teacher on Outschool is a great way to earn extra income by helping kids learn through short one-off classes or an ongoing series of classes on any topic you have expertise in!
Rover – earn $50
Rover is the go-to when people need a dog walker/sitter or pet groomer! People sign up as independent contractors who work on their own schedule and get paid to play with furry friends!
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Rover with your link, and they complete a stay within their first 90 days, then you’ll get a $50 prepaid Visa gift card!
Chase Disney Visa – earn $500
If you are a Chase Disney Visa cardholder (#disneynerd), you probably use it everywhere so you can earn that Disney money, which is 1% cash back as Disney Reward Dollars!
While it’s just a regular credit card, there is also a Disney Premier Visa, where you earn 2% cashback on your purchases and 5% on other promotional categories like gas, restaurants, grocery stores, etc (these categories may change).
Referral bonus program details: When you refer others to Chase Disney Visa program with your link, and they get approved for a card, you’ll get 100 Disney Reward Dollars = $100. You can refer up to 5 people per year.
Survey site apps with instant referral bonus
Branded surveys – earn 50 points per referral
Branded Survey – You can earn money by taking surveys on all sorts of topics, and they’re all pretty short. This makes Branded Surveys ideal if you don’t have much time but want to make some extra money. You can also score points by logging in daily, answering their daily poll, and using their loyalty program.
They’ve paid their members over $15 million since 2012, so they have a great reputation in the industry.
You can earn gift cards for various companies, including Amazon, Apple, PayPal, and free Visa gift cards. You can even donate your points to charities and non-profits!
Referral reward program details: For every referral that joins the program and earns a Silver Badge, you’ll get 50 free points.
Inbox Dollars – earn a $1 cash bonus for each referral + earn 30% of whatever they earn
Inbox Dollars – is a free money site where you can earn extra cash. Each day you can earn points by reading emails, taking surveys, shopping online (which we will explain how to do below), and using coupon codes.
When you want to shop, you start by visiting the Inbox Dollars website, where you can search for your item. You’re given a list of approved retailers, and if you purchase from one of them through the InboxDollars portal, you’ll earn cashback. The best part is, is that with Inbox Dollars, they pay straight into your PayPal account!
Referral bonus program details: you’ll earn $1 for every qualified referral and get 30% of their earnings (don’t worry, it doesn’t come from your friend’s earnings). So if you referred Becca, and she earns $15 this week, you’ll get $4.50 from Inbox Dollars!
Fine Print: Your referral must earn at least $7 to receive the $1 bonus. Applicable for your first five referrals.
Refer a friend bonus from shopping sites
Ibotta App – $10 referral bonus
Ibotta is one of my favorite quick cashback apps; I’ve earned $389.59 with this app! Basically, you go grocery shopping, then get on the app and add offers to items you bought, scan your receipt, and get easy money! You can even shop through their app (at your favorite stores & sites), and you’ll earn cashback.
What makes this app different is they are constantly offering bonuses. So if you buy a selection of certain offers, you’ll get even more money. For example, around Thanksgiving, they’ll have coupons for stuffing, pumpkin pie mix, marshmallows, cranberry sauce, etc. And if you buy 5 of their ten seasonal offers, you’ll get an extra $5 on top of the individual cashback offers!
Referral bonus program details: Ibotta periodically changes its referral bonus amount; right now, it’s $10 per new referral. Your friend will get free $5 too when they submit their first receipt. You’ll see some sites promote different amounts, and you’ll earn even more with their code. Don’t believe it; everyone earns the same (they just want you to use their code).
MyPoints – $10 refer a friend bonus + 10% of their earnings
MyPoints – is another site that will pay you to read emails, answer surveys, and shop. They pay you in points that you can redeem for cash or prizes. They have a point system, so reading their emails and clicking on the links within will count as extra points. The more pages you explore during your time there (after signing up), the faster they add up, which means faster earning of free money.
Referral bonus program details: You get a 300 Point Bonus Bonus when your referral earns 300 Point Bonuses within their first 30 days. For example, If your referral signs up on the 10th of July, your referral has until the 10th of August to earn 300 Point Bonuses for you to qualify for the bonus. And you can get 750 Point Bonus when your referral spends $20 or more on a single transaction! Plus, you get 10% of your referral earnings for the life of their account.
Get a free $5 bonus when you sign up with MyPoints
Fetch Rewards – $2 referral bonus
Fetch – Fetch Rewards gives you points for shopping and submitting your receipts with the app. Since I started using Fetch in early 2020, I have earned $105 in gift cards and have 67k points I have yet to redeem (worth about $65). And honestly, it’s so easy; scanning a receipt takes maybe a total of 10 seconds from opening the app to closing it up. You can read my full review of the Fetch Rewards program here.
Use your points to redeem gift cards from a wide variety of your favorite retailers and restaurants! I always go for Target gift cards; you can cash out for as little as $3, all the way up to $50!
Referral bonus program details: Their program usually gives out 2,000 bonus points per new referral (about $2), but sometimes they’re running a promotion where you can get up to 4,000 points per referral, which would be approx $4. You’re cash-out value depends on what kind of gift card you cash out for, as more popular GCs cost a bit more. For example, prepaid Visa cards cost a tiny bit more than a gift card for Subway (I love getting free Visa giftcards!)
Rakuten – $30 referral bonus
Rakuten – is one of the most popular sites for earning cash back on your online shopping purchases. They have many online shops to choose from and often offer double or even triple cashback deals! It’s an easy way to make some extra money just by doing something you already do.
Referral bonus program details: When a friend signs up using your link and makes a qualifying purchase of $30 or more within 90 days of signup – you’ll receive a $30 referral bonus!
Swagbucks – earn 10%
Swagbucks is an easy money-earning & saving site where you can earn gift cards for doing what you normally do online (shop, play games, answer polls, submit receipts, etc.). They have hundreds of ways to get points (called SB), which are redeemable for gift cards to places like Apple, Target, Amazon, Walmart, or even PayPal cash and prepaid Mastercards.
Referral bonus program details: When you refer a friend to Swagbucks, they get 150 SBs for using your link, and you get 15 SBs, and you earn 10% of their earnings for life (don’t worry, it doesn’t come out of their earnings). You can email or text your friends with your link straight from the app!
TopCashback – earn $35
TopCashBack – another site where you can earn cash back on purchases. Every time you click through and purchase something from one of the 4,000 major retailers featured on TopCashback, the retailer pays them a commission for referring you to the product, and TopCash Back passes 100% of this commission back to you; as ‘cashback.’
They also offer a browser extension for your desktop, making getting coupons and discounts easy.
Referral bonus program details: To receive your Tell-a-Friend bonus program, the person you have referred must sign up to TopCashback from your link and earn $10 to $35 payable cashback or more.
You can still earn cashback from TopCashback even if your friends or family members don’t want to join. Simply create a special link on TopCashback’s website for a specific online merchant and share it with them. When they make a purchase through that link, the cash back earned will be credited to your account.
BeFrugal – earn $40
Be Frugal is another site that can help you save when shopping online (and even find discount codes for you). The also keep a hot deals page pretty active. So if you’re looking for a great item for a good deal, this is where you’d go. You earn cashback by shopping through their portal and earn $40 when you refer a friend! When you’re ready to cash out, you can get your funds via bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (as well as popular gift card options).
Referral bonus program details: To qualify for a $40 Refer-a-Friend bonus, new referrals must click on your unique Refer-a-Friend link, join BeFrugal and earn $10 or more in Cash Back (not including bonuses and earnings from non-purchase activity) within one year of creating their account. Your friend will also get a $10 bonus cash for using your link, so a win on both sides!
Sign up with BeFrugal and get a $10 bonus!
Shopkick – earn 500 kicks = $2
Shopkick – If you’re looking for an app that’ll help you save money on groceries, we recommend this one! It’s another app where you get rewards (or ‘kicks’) when you walk into stores, scan barcodes of items, or make purchases. You can even earn while at home by watching ads, scrolling & browsing.
To can get paid out to PayPal in $10 or $25 payout options.
Referral bonus program details: When your friend signs up with your link, you’ll earn 500 kicks (aka points), about $2. Your friend has to earn ten kicks for the offer to become valid (and watching videos doesn’t count for the bonus offer).
Important things to know when you want to get paid to refer friends
While referring friends to new places is pretty straightforward, there can be some fine print unique to each program. Always read the fine print! Here are some common stipulations with referral programs.
- For you to receive credit for a referral, your friend must click through to the site using your referral link. Or they must use your referral code when they create their account. You don’t get the referral bonus if they don’t do this. Sorry.
- Some sites also stipulate that your referral must be new to their site, not just an old account that’s being reactivated. While some programs state that you cannot have been a customer within the past 120 days.
- Some sites limit their referral bonus program to a limited number of referrals. For example, you may only earn money from your first 50 referrals. So if you’ve stopped earning, you may have reached their threshold.
- Your account, as the referrer, usually needs to be in “good standing,” which usually means that you don’t owe them any money or break any of their rules.
- Most sites say that you cannot drive traffic to your links by purchasing online ad space to promote your link. So no running Facebook ads to your link.
- Some rewards are given as credits to the platform (which may or may not have expiration dates), and some rewards may be given as “cash” as a gift card or via PayPal.
- Many programs also offer a signup bonus for people, be sure to know what that is, so you can tell your friends about that piece. As people are more likely to sign up if they get something for referral free.
- To find your unique referral link in your app, it’s usually labeled as an “invite friend” button. They usually have an easy way to post your link on social media, email it to someone, or text it to your contacts. If you can’t find a link to copy, you can always email it to yourself to get the full link. Remember, your link is unique to you and you only.
- A lot of people you refer won’t actually follow through with it. That’s normal; just a part of the process. Don’t take it personal; just move on.
These are just a few common rules; again, please read the terms & conditions of any programs you want to promote.
How is affiliate marketing different than refer a friend programs?
Affiliate marketing is very similar to regular referral programs, but the main distinction is that affiliate programs are usually for those with businesses. You apply for their program, go through an approval process, and get paid real money through a separate platform. You don’t get credits on the actual app you’re promoting.
Apps, businesses, and programs may run their own affiliate program, or they may go through an affiliate network where a network handles all the business dealings and tracks & collects data. Some examples are Impact, FlexOffers, Rakuten, etc.
In contrast, referral programs are open to anyone using the app. Just regular people like you recommending things that they love to their friends.
Why would a business give a referral bonus?
Referral bonus programs are a smart investment for businesses looking to acquire new customers. By offering bonuses or discounts to both the referrer and the referred friend, businesses can incentivize their customers to spread the word about their services. Referral programs can be particularly effective for businesses in competitive industries, as they allow satisfied customers to do the marketing for them.
In fact, studies have shown that referral marketing can be more effective than traditional advertising. According to a Nielsen survey, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, while only 58% trust advertisements. This means that referred customers are more likely to become loyal, long-term customers than those acquired through other means.
Plus, referral programs can potentially save businesses money in the long run. Businesses can reduce their marketing expenses by relying on their customers to advertise for them. Referral programs can also help businesses to build a positive reputation, as satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews and recommendations online.
Overall, referral reward programs are a win-win for businesses and customers alike. Customers can earn extra cash or discounts by referring their friends, while businesses can acquire new customers and save on marketing expenses.
At the end of the day
Referral apps are a great way to help out your friends and make a bit extra money for yourself. While these referral bonuses may not replace another full-time job, they can be a nice side income that comes from doing something simple. Just remember, if you want to earn money from referrals, you need to read the fine print so you know what’s expected of you as the referrer! Good luck and happy referring!
