Refer A Friend for Free Money & Gifts

Refer a friend for free money and gifts. Businesses will give you cash, store credit, gift cards and other gifts in exchange for referring your friends. There is a wide variety of referral programs that are available including gym memberships, bank accounts, credit cards, web applications, cellular providers, rewards programs, groceries, and pretty much any service on the planet.

Business love to give you money for referring your friends because they know that if you’re the one referring business to them, they’ll trust the business more. They also don’t have to pay anything up front for this type of marketing. They only pay out after the referral is made. Refer-a-friend programs are very similar to affiliate programs. Affiliate programs also offer businesses a free sales force online. The difference is how the referrals are made. In affiliate programs you’ll generally receive a unique affiliate link that you can promote online through blogging, internet advertising or email marketing. In refer-a-friend programs you’ll email your friend individually and invite them on a one-on-one basis, although some refer-a-friend programs are tracked with a unique code or link.

Are Refer-A-Friend Programs Actually Free?

Some referral programs are actually free and others are not. Sometimes it’s free for you, but not for your friend. And the best ones are free for both you and your friend!

If the program is a paid membership and they require that you be a member before you can refer friends, then this is not actually free. However, referring friends can be a way for you to get your membership free. However, your friends will have to pay.

If the program does not require that you be a member before you can refer others for commissions, then whatever commissions you get will actually be free for you, but not necessarily for your friend.

If the program is a free program that pays you when your friends join, then it’s free for both you and your friend. These are the best kind. And they’re possible with bank bonuses. As explained on the bank bonuses page, bank bonuses are actually free money. They may have some requirements to obtain the bonus, but there are no out-of-pocket costs. Read more about Bank Bonuses.

One of the best referral programs is the Capital One 360 refer-a-friend program. You get $25 for signing up for their checking account and another $25 for signing up for their savings account. These are completely free accounts. You can even refer your children for their own accounts, although the sign up bonus might be less for kids accounts. The checking account requires $250 initial deposit (which is still your money). Then you can get $20 for every referral and your friends get the same sign up bonus that you got.

Some referral programs will pay you if your friend signs up for a free trial. If they are allowed to cancel the trial before it ends, then it’s free for you and your friend. However, your friend will have to be persistent to make sure their credit card is not charged. You and your friend should read more about Free Trials before doing this.

Are Referral Programs Pyramid Schemes?

No, refer-a-friend programs are not pyramid schemes. It is referral marketing, but there is a difference. You generally don’t get any residual income from refer-a-friend programs. The commission is a one-time commission that consists of an absolute amount. It does not increase as you add people to your down line.

There are some referral programs that are 2-tiered. This means that if you refer a friend, then your friend refers a friend, you’ll get a second-level commission. But they rarely go beyond 2 tiers because they do not want to be considered a pyramid scheme, which is actually illegal. Refer-a-friend programs are a legitimate way for businesses to grow and for you to get some nice bonuses.

How Do Referral Programs Work?

Each program is a little different. But for most programs, you’ll sign in to your account. Click a link that says “refer-a-friend” and then enter your friend’s name and email into a field. Your friend will receive a link by email. When they click on that link and sign up then you’ll get the credit for that referral.

Some programs will give you a commission or other freebies. But the best ones will offer something to you AND your friend. This gives your friend more incentive to sign up.

Advanced Tips:

We’ve looked for platforms online that allow people to exchange referrals, but they seem hard to come by. It would be awesome if there was a forum or a social network that allowed two people to connect where they can offer to trade referrals. That way two people can get two referral bonuses. If you know of a resource like this, please share it with us.

You’ll have the most success with referral programs if you prep your friend before sending them the invitation. If they are interested in the service or product that you’re referring them to and they’re expecting the email invitation, then they’re more likely to click the link and sign up. If they weren’t expecting the invitation then they might wonder if it’s spam or if your email got hacked. It also helps if you’re using the service and you like it since that will help you share positive feedback with your friends. If the service is free, then by all means, invite your friends and explain to them that it’s actually free. But if it’s not free you don’t like it or use it yourself, then they might not stay your friend. That is something important to consider is whether your friend would actually appreciate the invite.

Where Can I Find Refer-A-Friend Programs?

Log into any service that you’re currently using to see if they have a referral program. This includes any place where you already sign into an account online – utilities, your bank, your credit card, shopping accounts, Amazon, etc. Most likely they have one.

Whenever refer-a-friend programs are discovered they will be added to the Refer-A-Friend Directory as long as they’re free for you; they may not be free for your friend.