Refer and Earn: 52+ Programs That Pay You Per Referral
“Refer and earn” is the simplest side hustle there is: share a referral link for a product you already use, and get paid when a friend signs up. The payout might be cash, free stock, crypto, account credit, a gift card, or free months of a service. This page rounds up every referral program we track — 52+ in total — grouped by how they pay you, so you can pick the ones that match how you want to earn.
The formula is the same everywhere: join the program (it’s always free), copy your unique link or code, and share it with people who would genuinely benefit. You earn once your referral completes a qualifying action — usually a sign-up, a first deposit, or a first order. Below, jump straight to the payout type you care about.
52 referral programs that pay you per referral
Referral Programs That Pay Cash
These programs pay real money — deposited to your bank, PayPal, or sent as a check. Cash referral bonuses are the most flexible way to earn because there is no catch on how you spend what you make.
Airbnb
~$200 cash per hostAirbnb pays a cash reward (around $200 in the US) when you refer a new host who completes their first reservation. The US guest referral program is no longer available.
Chime
$100Earn $100 for each friend who opens a Chime account and sets up direct deposit. One of the highest-paying banking referrals available.
T-Mobile
$50 per account ($100 limited-time)Earn a $50 Virtual Prepaid Mastercard ($100 during the current limited-time promo) for each new T-Mobile account you refer, up to $500 per calendar year.
SoFi
$75Earn $75 for each friend who opens a SoFi account and deposits $10. No limit on the number of referrals.
Rakuten
$50 cashEarn $50 cash for each friend who joins Rakuten and shops $50+. One of the highest-paying shopping referral programs with unlimited referrals.
Chase
$50Earn $50 cash for each friend who opens a qualifying Chase checking account. Up to 10 referrals a year, for $500/year in referral bonuses.
Acorns
$5–$50Earn $5–$50 for each friend who joins Acorns and makes their first investment. Perfect for referring investing beginners.
Wise
$75 per 3 referralsEarn $25 per qualifying referral who makes a $300+ international transfer on Wise. Your friend gets their first transfer fee-free.
Cash App
$5–$15Earn $5–$15 for each friend who signs up for Cash App and sends $5. No limit on referrals — unlimited earning potential.
Ibotta
$10 cashEarn $10 cash for each friend who joins Ibotta and redeems their first cashback offer. Free to use with unlimited referrals.
Venmo
$5Earn $5 for each friend who joins Venmo and makes their first $5 card-funded payment. Capped at 10 referrals ($50 total).
GetUpside (Upside)
$5 + 1¢/gal foreverEarn $5 for each friend who joins Upside (GetUpside) and makes a $10+ purchase, plus 1¢/gallon forever on their future gas fill-ups. Everyone drives — easy referral.
Chewy
No referral payoutChewy has no consumer referral program that pays the referrer. The $20 eGift card is a new-customer welcome offer. The only earning path is Chewy's affiliate program.
Referral Programs That Pay in Free Stock
Investing apps reward you with free shares of stock for every friend who signs up and funds an account. The share is chosen at random, so a single referral can be worth a few dollars or much more.
Moomoo
~$100 in stock per friendEarn roughly $100 in stock for each friend who opens and funds a Moomoo account ($500+ deposit). Capped at 10 successful referrals.
Webull
Free stocks (varies by promotion)Earn free fractional shares for each friend who joins and funds a Webull account. Rewards vary by current promotion, capped at 10 referrals.
Robinhood
1 free stockEarn a free stock worth $5–$200 for each friend who joins Robinhood — up to $1,500/year in rewards. No deposit required for your friend.
Crypto Referral Programs
Crypto exchanges pay you in Bitcoin, USDC, or a percentage of your referral's trading fees. Some pay a flat bonus per sign-up; others pay recurring commissions for as long as your referral keeps trading.
Gemini
$50 in cryptoEarn $50 in the crypto of your choice for each friend who joins Gemini and trades $100+. Both sides earn $50, with unlimited referrals on a regulated exchange.
Crypto.com
$25 in CROEarn $25 in CRO tokens for each friend who joins Crypto.com and stakes for a Visa card. Your friend can earn up to $50 across sign-up tasks. Unlimited referrals.
Coinbase
$10 in BitcoinEarn $10 in Bitcoin for each friend who joins Coinbase and trades $100+. Unlimited referrals with the world's most trusted crypto exchange.
Binance.US
$10 in cryptoEarn a flat $10 in crypto for each friend who joins Binance.US and trades $100+. Both sides earn $10, with unlimited referrals.
Referral Programs That Pay Account Credit
Ride-share, food delivery, and subscription apps hand out account credit you can spend on the service. If you already use the app, this credit is effectively cash off your own bills.
DraftKings
Up to $100 in bonus betsEarn up to $100 in bonus bets for each friend who joins DraftKings and deposits $25+. Capped at 5 referrals ($500) per promotional window.
BetMGM
$100 bonus betEarn $100 in bonus bets for each friend who joins BetMGM Sportsbook and deposits $100+. Capped at 20 referrals per month (~$2,000/mo).
Fiverr
Up to $100 in Fiverr CreditsEarn up to $100 in Fiverr Credits (10% of first order) per new Fiverr buyer you refer, capped at $500 total. Credits are spendable on Fiverr, not cash.
Fanatics Sportsbook
$100 in FanCashEarn $100 in FanCash for each friend who joins Fanatics Sportsbook and bets $20+. Capped at 5 referrals for $500 in FanCash.
BetRivers
$100 bonus betEarn $100 in bonus bets for each friend who joins BetRivers and deposits and wagers $50. Capped at 3 referrals for $300 in bonus bets.
FanDuel
$50 bonus betEarn $50 in bonus bets for each friend who joins FanDuel and bets $10. Capped at 5 referrals per 30 days per product.
bet365
$50 bonus betEarn $50 in bonus bets for each friend who joins bet365 and bets $10+, up to $500 per year. The offer runs in cycles and excludes NC and PA.
Caesars Sportsbook
~$50 in Reward CreditsEarn 5,000 Caesars Reward Credits (about $50) for each friend who joins Caesars Sportsbook and deposits and wagers $50. Up to 10 referrals per window.
Mint Mobile
$45 renewal creditEarn $45 in renewal credits for each friend who activates Mint Mobile — up to 4 referrals a year ($180). Budget wireless from $15/month on T-Mobile's network.
ClassPass
~$20 in creditsEarn free ClassPass credits for each friend who signs up for a membership. Access to 30,000+ gyms and fitness studios worldwide.
Visible
$20 account creditEarn a $20 Bring a Friend credit for each friend who joins Visible. Bank up to 12 credits ($240) at a time on Verizon's network at budget prices.
Lyft
$5–$18 ride creditEarn $5–$18 in Lyft ride credits for each new rider. Unlimited referrals plus driver referral bonuses up to $500+.
Grubhub
Around $10 creditEarn a Grubhub delivery perk (around $7–$12) for each friend who signs up and places their first order. Unlimited referrals.
Uber Eats
$10 creditEarn around $10 in Uber Eats credit for each friend who signs up and orders food. Part of the larger Uber referral ecosystem.
Lemonade Insurance
$10 per referralEarn a $10 Lemonade credit for each friend who signs up through your link. No purchase required, capped at 10 referrals per year (~$100).
Instacart
$10 creditEarn a $10 grocery delivery credit for each friend who joins Instacart and completes their first order. Unlimited referrals.
Notion
$5 creditEarn $5 in Notion credits for each friend who signs up. Unlimited referrals for the popular all-in-one workspace tool.
DoorDash
$5 delivery creditEarn $5 in delivery credit for each friend who joins DoorDash and places their first order, up to $20 total (about four referrals).
Upwork
Upwork CreditsRefer freelancers or clients to Upwork and earn Upwork Credits (not cash) when they complete their first contract or hire. The top professional freelance platform.
Uber (Rides)
Varies / limited-timeUber no longer runs an always-on rider referral code, and the driver referral bonus has been replaced in many US cities by a new-driver earnings guarantee. Here is what actually pays in 2026.
Referral Programs That Give Free Months
VPNs, software, and subscription services extend your membership for free with each referral. Refer enough friends and you can keep the service running indefinitely at zero cost.
Peloton
1 free month of All-Access MembershipEarn a free month of Peloton All-Access Membership (about $50) for each friend who buys Peloton equipment. Capped at 4 referrals per year in 2026.
NordVPN
3 free monthsEarn 3 free months of NordVPN for each friend who subscribes. Leading VPN service with 7,000+ servers worldwide.
BarkBox
Free extra monthEarn a free month of BarkBox for each friend who subscribes. Premium dog toys and treats delivered monthly.
ExpressVPN
30 days freeEarn 30 free days of ExpressVPN for each friend who subscribes. Premium VPN service with servers in 105 countries.
Referral Programs That Pay Gift Cards
Some brands reward referrers with gift cards or store credit — great if you shop there regularly and want to stack bonuses toward a bigger purchase.
MasterClass
Free membership to giftShare MasterClass with friends through buy-one-get-one promotions. Learn from world-class instructors like Gordon Ramsay and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Skillshare
$20–$50 gift cardEarn a $20–$50 gift card for each friend who joins Skillshare. Annual signups pay $50; monthly signups pay $20. Unlimited referrals.
TurboTax
$25 per referralEarn a $25 gift card for each friend who files taxes with TurboTax. Up to 20 referrals per year ($500 total).
Referral Programs That Pay Points or Rewards
Loyalty and rewards programs pay out in points you can redeem for travel, statement credits, or merchandise. Point values vary, so check the redemption rate before you share.
American Express Gold Card
15,000 Membership Rewards pointsEarn 15,000 Membership Rewards points (~$150 value) for each friend approved for the Amex Gold Card. Capped at 100,000 points per calendar year.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
15,000 Ultimate Rewards pointsEarn 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for each approved Sapphire Preferred referral. Capped at 100,000 points per year (about 7 referrals).
PayPal Honey
500 PayPal Rewards points ($5)Earn 500 PayPal Rewards points (about $5) for each friend who installs the Honey browser extension and makes a qualifying purchase.
Fetch Rewards
2,000 points ($2)Earn 2,000 Fetch points for each friend who joins and scans their first receipt. One of the easiest referral programs to convert.
Referral Programs That Pay in Free Storage
Cloud storage services give you extra space for every friend who installs the app. It is not cash, but for heavy users it replaces a paid subscription.
Refer and Earn by Category
Prefer to browse by industry? Every category below collects the referral programs from one vertical, with full earning breakdowns for each.
Curated “Best Of” Referral Lists
Want the shortlist? Our hand-picked collections rank programs by a single earning strategy — highest paying, cash-only, unlimited, recurring, and more.
Highest Paying Referral Programs
9 programs
Best Referral Programs That Pay Cash
11 programs
Referral Programs with Unlimited Earnings
11 programs
Best Recurring Commission Programs
5 programs
Best Referral Programs Under $50 Effort
10 programs
Best Crypto Referral Programs to Earn From
4 programs
Best Bank Referral Bonuses for Referrers
5 programs
Easiest Referral Programs to Share
10 programs
How to Make the Most From Refer-and-Earn Programs
The referrers who earn the most don’t share more links — they share smarter ones. Start with services you already use and can recommend honestly; your endorsement converts because it is genuine. Then match each program to the right audience: a crypto exchange link belongs in an investing community, not a general group chat.
Stack programs with no referral cap and recurring commissions first — those compound over time, turning a one-off share into passive income. For one-time bonuses, focus on high-value categories like banking, investing, and business software, where a single successful referral can be worth far more than a handful of small app credits.
Always confirm the current terms before you share. Bonus amounts, referral caps, and qualifying requirements change frequently. Every listing on RefPerks shows a “last verified” date so you know how current the information is.
Refer and Earn: Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I make money by referring friends?
- Sign up for a referral program, grab your unique referral link or code, and share it with friends or your audience. When someone signs up and completes the qualifying action (such as making a deposit, placing an order, or subscribing), you earn a bonus — paid as cash, free stock, crypto, account credit, gift cards, or free months depending on the program.
- Which referral programs pay the most per referral?
- Payouts vary widely by category. Banking, investing, and business software programs tend to pay the highest per-referral bonuses, while everyday apps like food delivery and ride-share pay smaller credits. Browse our payout-type sections above to compare programs side by side, or see our highest-paying collection for the top earners.
- Are there referral programs with no limit on earnings?
- Yes. Many programs let you refer an unlimited number of people with no cap on total earnings — common with VPNs, crypto exchanges, and SaaS tools that pay recurring commissions. Others cap the number of referrals or total payout per year, so always check the program's terms before you start sharing.
- Do I have to pay to join a referral program?
- No. Legitimate referral programs are free to join. Most simply require you to be an existing user or customer of the service so you can generate a referral link. Be wary of any program that asks you to pay a fee to participate.
- How long does it take to get paid for a referral?
- Payout timing depends on the program. Some credit your account within minutes of a friend signing up; others hold the bonus until your referral completes a qualifying action or clears a waiting period (often 30 to 90 days). Each listing on RefPerks shows the payout type and key requirements so you know what to expect.
- Where can I share my referral link to earn the most?
- Share where the people most likely to benefit will see it: relevant social media posts, niche online communities, your blog or newsletter, and direct messages to friends who would genuinely use the service. Targeting an interested audience converts far better than blasting a link everywhere.
Referral program terms may change. Verify current offers on the official website.