How Do Credit Card Referral Bonuses Work?
Quick Answer
Some credit card issuers will give you bonus rewards if you refer new cardholders. To earn the bonus, the other person will need to use your unique referral link when they apply, and you’ll both need to meet the eligibility requirements.
If you have a favorite credit card, you might get rewarded for spreading the news about it. Credit card issuers incentivize their current cardholders to refer friends with potentially lucrative bonuses for successful signups. Referral bonuses aren't always available, but if your card is part of a referral program, this can be an easy way to quickly earn lots of rewards.
How Do Credit Card Referral Bonuses Work?
Credit card referral bonuses are bonus rewards that you can earn by recommending your credit card to someone else. These bonuses can be sizable, and the person you refer may qualify for an intro bonus as well.
To track and receive a referral bonus, you may need to share a unique application link that's tied to your credit card account. If the other person uses the link to apply, qualifies for the card and meets the requirements—and you're both eligible—you'll get the bonus.
Best credit cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners with intro bonuses, cash back or points offers, and annual fees as low as $0.
Offers from our partners
Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 3% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$0
Revel® Platinum Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.90% Fixed
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$75 - $125
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Intro APR:0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers and 12 months on Purchases
Ongoing APR:16.49% - 27.24% (Variable)
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$0
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro bonus:Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2% (Cash Rewards)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Cash Back
Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:23.89% Variable
Rewards:10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$35
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Credit One Bank® Secured Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
First Latitude Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:27.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39*
Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® Metal Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:13.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$49
Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
Intro bonus:UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key™ Card
Intro bonus:Limited Time Offer: Earn $300 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® - With A Higher Credit Limit
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$125*
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75*
See all our best credit cards for 2026.
How to Earn a Credit Card Referral Bonus
Earning a referral bonus isn't difficult, but you'll want to make sure you read the fine print. Make sure you send the correct referral link, that the person uses the link to submit their application and that you're both eligible for the bonus. The exact requirements can vary depending on the card issuer, but you can use this simple three-step process to see if you can earn a referral bonus.
1. Check Your Referral Offers
You generally have to log in to your account or share a few details about yourself and your card to review your card's referral offer. If you can't find a referral link for your card, it's possible that the card issuer doesn't offer referral bonuses. Or that there aren't any referral bonuses for your specific card right now.
2. Review the Terms and Conditions
You'll want to make sure you're eligible to receive the referral bonus and that the person you refer meets the eligibility and program requirements. Some of the details you may want to look for include:
- The maximum rewards: There may be a cap on the amount of bonus rewards you can earn from referring others to the card.
- Who you can refer: Generally, you can refer friends and family, but it might be against the program's rules to post your link in general forums or to refer people you don't know. If you try to refer strangers, or try to refer yourself, the card issuer might not give you bonus rewards or might take them back after initially awarding you the bonus.
- Eligibility requirements: You might need to keep your account in good standing—in other words, keep making your payments on time—to qualify for referral bonuses. The person you refer generally can't already have the card.
3. Send Your Referral Link
Copy the link from your card issuer's website and then send it in an email or text. Or, many card issuers let you quickly send referral emails after typing in the person's name and email address. Although the second option may be easier, if the recipient opted out of emails or credit card offers from the card issuer, they might not receive your referral email and link.
Card issuers won't necessarily tell you that the person you referred got the card. If they do, you may receive the bonus rewards within one to two billing cycles. However, if the person you refer clicks on a different referral link before applying, including a link from a credit card review, you might not receive the referral bonus.
Are Credit Card Referral Bonuses Taxable Income?
The rewards you earn from referral bonuses could be considered taxable income, and you may need to report the income on your next tax return. In contrast, the rewards you earn from making purchases with your card aren't considered taxable income because the rewards are more like a rebate or discount. However, you aren't making a purchase when you refer a friend.
Card issuers may also be required to send you a tax form 1099-MISC if you receive over $600 in value from the referral bonuses in a year. And they can choose to send you the form even if you earned less.
If you get a cash back referral bonus, the bonus's value is clear. But if you received bonus miles or points, the card issuer may determine how much each mile or point is worth. For example, points in the card issuer's rewards program might be worth 1 cent each, but some hotel points might be worth less. You might not know this amount until you receive Form 1099-MISC.
Check Your Credit and Other Intro Offers
Your credit score can impact whether you can qualify for a new credit card. Get your FICO® ScoreΘ for free from Experian before applying to understand where your credit is at and what you can do to improve your score.
Also, referral links will sometimes have different intro bonuses than other offers. When you're referring someone to a card, you might suggest they check the intro offers from several sources, such as your referral link, the card issuer directly and Experian CardMatch™. If your referral offer is best, there's no harm in asking them to use your link to apply.
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About the author
Louis DeNicola
Louis DeNicola is freelance personal finance and credit writer who works with Fortune 500 financial services firms, FinTech startups, and non-profits to teach people about money and credit. His clients include BlueVine, Discover, LendingTree, Money Management International, U.S News and Wirecutter.
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