How to take advantage of credit card referral bonuses and earn up to $500 each year

Some of the offers below may no longer be available.

If you’re looking to earn some extra cash ahead of the holidays, now is a great time to check if your rewards credit card offers referral bonuses.

Referral bonuses typically allow you to earn $50 to $150 each time you refer someone for a credit card and they apply then get approved. There are some requirements to receive these kinds of bonuses, but they are still a relatively simple way to earn extra money (up to $500 in many cases).

Select explains how credit card referral bonuses work and which card issuers provide them.

Referral bonuses, also known as refer-a-friend bonuses, allow you to earn cash back, points or miles when you refer someone for a credit card you have.

In order to receive the bonus, the person you refer needs to apply through the link you send and get approved for the card. You won’t earn any rewards just for sending a link or if your friend gets denied.

You can earn a referral bonus multiple times, up to the annual maximum set by your card issuer. That’s compared to a typical welcome bonus, which is one-time only.

Most referral bonuses offer a minimum of $50 per referred friend who's approved and card issuers limit the amount you can earn to $500 each calendar year.

If you have several credit cards from different issuers and you’re successful in sending out referrals, you may even qualify to receive dozens of bonuses totaling over $500.

Card issuers assign different bonus values depending on the card you refer someone for. Generally, premium cards receive larger referral bonuses.

A handful of card issuers offer referral bonuses, including American Express, Chase and Discover. Here’s how each issue handles these offers.

American Express

American Express cardholders can earn a referral bonus no matter which card your friend is approved for, unlike other issuers that make bonus offers unique to a specific card. The size of the referral bonus varies by card and card member.

Currently, Amex is running an untraditional refer-a-friend offer where you have the potential to maximize rewards on everyday spending and earn a lump sum amount of points. Consumer Amex card members who refer a friend for any consumer or business card between October 1 to October 28, and their friend gets approved, earn 3X more points (or 3% more cash back) per dollar they spend for the next three months.

Let’s say you have the American Express® Gold Card and refer a friend for an Amex card and they get approved. You’ll earn an elevated 7X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants and shop at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 6X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com and 4X points on all other purchases for the next three months, which is 3X points more than the typical rewards rates.

Additionally, card members who refer a friend who is approved can also earn up to 7,500 Membership Rewards points or $75 Reward Dollars®, up to 55,000 points/$550 per year.

Learn more about American Express referral bonuses. Terms apply.

Capital One

Capital One credit card account holders can earn statement credits or miles for each referral for an eligible card. The bonus amount varies across products and referral bonuses are limited to $500 or 50,000 miles per calendar year. Capital One’s website lists cardholders who may be eligible, including:

• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (See rates and fees)
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (See rates and fees)
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (See rates and fees)
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (See rates and fees)
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (See rates and fees)

Learn more about Capital One referral bonuses.

Chase

Chase credit card members can refer friends for a variety of cards. The amount of rewards you can earn per referral and each year varies by card. Here are some of the most lucrative offers:

• Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn $100 cash back for each referral, up to $500 per year.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 15,000 bonus points for each referral, up to 75,000 bonus points per year.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus points per year by referring friends for any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card. That's 20,000 bonus points for each friend who gets any Southwest Credit Card. Your friend must apply by 12/1/2021.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn 40,000 bonus points for each referral, up to 200,000 bonus points per year. Plus, each friend can earn a new cardmember bonus after qualifying purchases.

Learn more about Chase referral bonuses.

Discover

Discover credit card users can earn statement credits through referrals. Here are the refer-a-friend bonuses you may qualify for:

• Discover it® Miles, Discover it® Cash Back, Discover it® Chrome, Discover it® Student Cash Back and Discover it® Student Chrome: Earn a statement credit worth $50 to $100 per referral. Your referred friend will also earn a statement credit after making a purchase within three months of account opening. The maximum annual referral amount will be stated in individual referral offers once you login to you Discover account.

Learn more about Discover referral bonuses.

*Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Cash Back, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Student Cash Back, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Student Chrome, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Chrome, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click here.