Chase Refer A Friend: Get Bonuses for Credit Cards & Bank Accounts [2020]

The Chase “refer a friend” program is something that any Chase cardholder or even potential Chase cardholder should be aware of. That’s because it offers you the chance to earn lucrative bonus rewards while also setting your friends and family up to get in on the fun, too.

Here’s everything you need to know about how the Chase refer a friend program works, including a list bonuses you can get for credit cards and bank accounts (checking and savings). 

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

What is Chase “refer a friend?”

Chase refer a friend is a program that allows you to earn points when other people get approved for a credit card using your personalized referral link. This is a fantastic way to supplement your points earnings. You can visit Chase’s main referral web page here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How does Chase refer a friend work?

The Chase refer a friend process is very simple.

You simply generate a referral link (through one of various methods below) and then you send that link to a potential applicant. And once they apply and are approved, you’ll be eligible for a referral bonus.

You can generate these referral links in different ways.

Chase refer a friend online

The most popular way is to go online at the this website (also linked above). Simply enter in your last name, the last four digits of your credit card, and your zip code and hit “Continue.”

If you’re eligible for a referral then you’ll see the offer show up and it will look something like this.

I recommend just copying the personalized link and sending that to whomever you need to.

You can input email addresses and have the link sent directly to your friends and family but that method can take up to a week for them to receive it.You may submit up to 25 email addresses in a 24 hour period.

You can also share your link on Facebook or Twitter which is quicker.

Chase refer a friend on mobile

In September of 2017, Chase began allowing referrals to be pulled up on the Chase mobile app.

To do this, simply log-in to the Chase app and then click on the three dots near the “pay card” option and you should see “Refer Friends” pull up. You’ll then be able to send the referral link to anyone via email or text message.

Will I find out who is approved or who applies using my referral link?

Chase states that “[d]ue to the confidential nature of the credit approval process, we cannot disclose information on who has applied, nor will you be notified whether we approve or decline any application(s) from the individual(s) you refer.”

So the answer is no, you just have to inquire with those people individually to see if they applied and got approved.

This is not unique to Chase as other referral programs like the Amex refer a friend work the same way.

How long does it take to receive Chase refer a friend points?

After they get approved, you should see your referral points within a couple of billing cycles (or about 8 weeks) on your statement.

What to do if Chase refer a friend not working?

It’s possible that you might get a message that a specific refer a friend offer is not active. The message would like the below image and that simply means that the promotion it no longer ongoing.

You might also not be able to get the referral link to work when trying to generate a referral link. That could be because you’re no longer eligible or because Chase is doing some technical work on their end. You can always call the number on the back of your card to check if it’s a technical glitch.

What to know about Chase refer a friend

• Not every Chase credit card allows you to earn points via referrals. Also, sometimes the referral links go inactive or don’t work for certain cards as shown above.
• The amount of the referral bonus is subject to change. For example, one month you might get 5,000 points for a referral and sixth months later you might get 10,000 (or 0).
• The amount of the sign-up bonus on the referral might not be the best sign-up bonus available for that card or it might be better than public offers. Also, there could be better in-branch offers for some cards.

So when it comes to referrals it’s very important to constantly monitor what cards are active and what their bonus offers are for both the referral bonus and the sign-up bonus. You don’t want to send your friends and family referral links for sub-par offers for your own personal gain. You can read here on how to find the best credit card offers.

What cards work for Chase refer a friend?

Below is a list of Chase credit cards that at any given moment might be offering referrals. As already mentioned, these offers come and go so be sure to check back every now and again if you’re not able to pull them up.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Sapphire Preferred
• Chase Freedom Flex
• Chase Freedom Unlimited
• Chase Ink Preferred
• Chase Ink Cash
• Chase United
• Chase Southwest Plus and Premier
• Chase Disney Rewards Visa credit card 
• Chase Hyatt 
• Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Some of these cards are subject to Chase’s notorious 5/24 Rule while others aren’t but there are other rules to be aware of. Click here to find out more about these Chase application rules.

Chase Sapphire Reserve referral

The Chase Sapphire Reserve referral allows you to earn 10,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year. This referral is currently not available.

The Sapphire Reserve currently comes with a 50,000 bonus although it initially came with a whopping 100K bonus (which likely won’t return anytime soon). The Reserve still is a fantastic card with 3X on dining and travel, a $300 travel credit, and redemption in the Chase Travel Portal at 1.5 cents per point!

Chase Sapphire Preferred referral

The Chase Sapphire Preferred referral allows you to earn 15,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 75,000 points per calendar year.

It’s a solid alternative to the Chase Sapphire Reserve but with a lower annual fee and only 2X on dining and travel. If you need help deciding between the Reserve and Preferred you can read more about them here.

Chase Freedom Flex referral

The Chase Freedom Flex referrals allow you to earn 10,000 points per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year. This equates to at least $100 per referral which is fantastic.

Chase Freedom Unlimited referral

The Chase Freedom Unlimited referral also allows you to earn 10,000 points per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year.

Note that there are two Chase Freedom cards: The Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom Classic (you can read here about which version is better for you).

You can only referral the specific type of Chase Freedom card that you have. So if you only have the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you can only send out referrals for that card. However, if you have both Chase Freedom cards you can send out referrals for both and they will be counted separately. This means you could earn a total of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards if you maxed our your credit card referrals!

Chase Ink Preferred referral

The Chase Ink Preferred referral allows you to earn 20,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year. This is one of the best referral bonuses out there.

Note that if you have the Chase Ink Plus (which is no longer allowed for new applicants), you should be able to generate a referral link for the Chase Ink Preferred. The Chase Ink Preferred is one of the best cards for entrepreneurs and start ups with a high sign-up bonus of 80,000 and 3X on advertising, so it’s usually worth the referral. If you’re new to business credit cards then read here on tips for getting approved.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Chase Ink Cash referral

The Chase Ink Cash is known for offering referrals although currently you might not be able to pull them up. But typically, the Chase Ink Cash referral allows you to earn 10,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year. This is a great no-annual fee business credit card though it might be going away soon.

Chase United referral

The Chase United MileagePlus Explorer referrals allow you to earn 10,000 United miles per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 miles per calendar year.

The sign-up bonus on the United credit card can fluctuate a lot so you definitely want to make sure that you’re not referring a low offer. Sign-up bonuses usually range from 30,000 to 60,000 (or even 70,000) so make sure you’re going after an offer that makes sense to refer.

Chase Southwest Plus and Premier referral

The Chase Southwest referrals allow you to earn 10,000 Rapid Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year. Just like the Freedom cards, these are counted separate from another.

With the Southwest credit cards you really need to be mindful about what sign-up bonus is being offered. Southwest often has 50K offers and 60K offers out so you want to be sure that you’re not causing someone to miss out on a lot of Rapid Rewards, especially since those sign-up bonuses can be used to obtain the Companion Pass. 

Note that the Chase Southwest business referrals are not currently offered.

Chase Disney Rewards Visa credit card referral

The Chase Disney Rewards Visa credit card referral allows you to earn $100 Disney Rewards per approval up to a maximum of $500 Disney Rewards per calendar year. I’m not a big fan of the Disney credit card but $100 is a pretty good referral amount. Keep an eye out on this referral because it’s often dips down to $50 per referral.

IHG Rewards Club Premier/Traveler 

IHG Rewards Club Premier/Traveler referrals allow you to earn 10,000 IHG points per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year.

Chase World of Hyatt Visa

The Chase World of Hyatt Visa referrals allow you to earn 5,000 Hyatt points per approval up to a maximum of 25,000 points per calendar year.

Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless referral

Chase Marriott referrals allowed you to earn up to 20,000 Marriott points per approval up to a maximum of 100,000 miles per calendar year.

Note that you can also refer people to the Marriott program and earn a few extra points that way.

Chase refer a friend checking and savings account

In addition to all of the credit cards, you can also get referrals for Chase referrals for checking accounts and savings accounts.

It’s common for Chase to offer a checking account referral bonus of $50 when you refer a friend who does not currently have a Chase checking account open. That friend will then receive a nice bonus, too.

Depending on the type of bank account opened and the terms of the offer, they could receive a $150 to $300 bonus per checking or savings account opened, which means they can receive up to $500 total sometimes! 

Sometimes these referrals are open to people who don’t even live near Chase branches, too. Keep in mind that these offers can come with specific requirements like direct deposit, minimum deposits (usually higher for savings accounts), and minimum account termination periods, monthly fees, etc.

The referral bonuses generally hit pretty quick, too at around 10 business days. Keep in mind that bank bonuses can be considered MISC income and could mean that you need to report them if you receive a 1099-MISC.

Where can you share your referral links?

Some blogs allow you to post referral links on their site. I don’t typically allow it on my comments because it fosters a lot of spam-like activity and attracts visitors who aren’t interested in engaging with the content.

Instead, I recommend checking out the recurring threads on Reddit that you can find for individual credit cards.

Final word

If you have any Chase credit cards you definitely need to monitor them for referral bonuses. Brad and I have easily earned over 150,000 points over the past couple of years via referral bonuses alone, so these can be great ways to supplement your earnings. Just make sure that you’re referring the best sign-up offers to your friend and that you try to catch the referral bonuses when they are at their highest.