How to use a referral code: a step by step guide

To use a referral code, open the referral link or enter the code while you create a new account, then complete the action the offer requires, such as a first booking or purchase. Most failures happen because the code was applied too late or because the person already had an account. Follow the steps below and you will avoid the usual traps.

Step 1: Read the offer before you click anything

Before you sign up, find out exactly what you are being offered and what you need to do to get it. Look for:

• The size and type of the reward, such as account credit, a percentage discount or cash
• Whether it applies to new customers only
• A minimum spend, deposit or booking length
• A deadline for completing the qualifying action
• Countries or products that are excluded
• Whether the reward expires after it has been paid

It takes two minutes and it is the single best way to avoid disappointment. Every code on Referral CodeFinder shows the offer, the steps and the terms on one page, plus the date we last verified it.

Step 2: Start from a clean session

If you have visited the brand before, your browser may hold a cookie from an earlier visit or an old logged in session. That can override the referral link and cause the brand to treat you as an existing customer.

To be safe:

1. Log out of any existing account with that brand.
2. Open a private or incognito window.
3. Pause any browser extension that blocks trackers, because it may stop the referral being recorded.

Step 3: Use the link or code during sign up

There are two common ways a brand tracks a referral:

• A link. You click the referral link and the brand remembers it through a cookie or a code in the web address. You do not type anything.
• A code. You type a short code into a field on the registration form or at checkout.

Do this before you finish creating the account. Many programmes cannot attach a referral afterwards. If the form has a field for a code, copy and paste it instead of typing, because characters such as 0 and O are easy to mix up.

Step 4: Complete the qualifying action

Joining is often not enough. Rewards commonly unlock only when you do something specific, for example:

• Make a first purchase or booking
• Spend a minimum amount
• Deposit money into an account
• Verify your identity
• Keep an account open for a set period

Put the deadline in your calendar. If the offer expires in thirty days and you forget, the reward is gone.

Step 5: Check the reward before you pay

Where a reward applies at checkout, check that it appears in the basket or booking summary before you pay. If it is not there, stop. Do not complete the order and hope the credit arrives later.

For rewards that are paid after a purchase, look at your account for a pending credit and note the date the brand says it will arrive.

What to do if the reward does not apply

Do not keep creating new accounts, which can breach the terms and cancel your reward. Instead:

1. Re-read the terms to check that you met every condition.
2. Take screenshots of the offer, the basket and your account.
3. Contact the brand's support team with the referral link or code, the email you used and the date you signed up.

Our guide to why a referral code is not working walks through the most common causes in more detail.

Using a referral code safely

A genuine referral only needs you to create an account on the brand's own website. Check the web address before you type anything, never share a password or a one time security code, and be extra careful with banking, investing and crypto offers. Read our guide on how to spot a referral scam for the warning signs.

A worked example: a coliving stay

Suppose you want to book a stay with a coliving company and there is a referral offer for a discount on your first stay. A sensible order is:

1. Read the terms on the code's page, including that it applies to a first stay.
2. Open the referral link in a private window.
3. Create a new account from that link.
4. Search for your location and dates, and choose a stay.
5. At checkout, confirm the discount appears in the booking summary, then pay.

You can see this applied on our Outsite referral code page.

Quick checklist

• Read the terms
• Fresh browser session
• Link or code used at sign up
• Qualifying action completed on time
• Reward visible before you pay