What are the best credit cards that offer a referral bonus?

The best credit card for a referral bonus is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which offers a bonus of 10,000 points per approved referral. There is a limit of 10 approved referrals per year, which means you can get as many as 100,000 bonus points. You can also get an initial bonus of 75,000 points for spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, and you’ll earn 1 - 5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.

Another good option, especially if you know someone who enjoys staying at Marriott properties when they travel, is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. It offers 40,000 points per approved referral, and the limit is 200,000 points per year.

Best Credit Cards with Referral Bonus

Major Credit Card Company Referral Bonus Offers

Chase

Chase offers credit card referral bonuses of up to $50, 10,000 miles, 20,000 points or 40,000 points per approved referral, depending on the card. There is a limit of $500, 100K miles, or 200K bonus points per year.

You can learn more about the Chase referral program on Chase’s website.

Capital One

Capital One credit card referral bonus amounts and limits vary by cardholder. To view more information about Capital One referral bonuses, take a look at their dedicated web page and log in to your online account.

Discover

Discover will give you up to $500 in referral bonuses per calendar year. To learn more about Discover's refer-a-friend program, log in to your online account.

American Express

American Express credit card referral bonus amounts and limits vary by cardholder. To view more information about Amex referral bonuses, consult their dedicated web page and log in to your online account.

How to Get a Credit Card Referral Bonus

1. Log in to your credit card online account.
2. Look for the "Refer a Friend" option on the account summary page.
3. Create a personalized referral link that you can share with whomever you want to refer.
4. Ask the people you refer to apply for one of the eligible cards using your link.
5. Earn a bonus for each approved referral, up to a certain amount per calendar year.

A credit card referral bonus is a specified amount of points, miles, or cash back given to cardholders as an incentive for referring a credit card to a friend. Generally, you only get the bonus if the referred person gets approved for the card. Also, there are usually annual limits to how many referral bonuses you can earn.

Referral bonuses can change and may not apply to all credit cards. To see if your credit card or the one your referral gets approved for makes you eligible for a referral bonus, check your card’s terms and conditions or call the number on the back of your card.

If you end up liking your credit card, go ahead and refer friends/family. Most major issuers offer some sort of referral bonus. I just wouldn’t pick a card this way.

This really seems like an underutilized perk. I had no idea so much referral value was out there, from so many issuers.

Discover it Cash Back gives $50 per successful referral (up to $500/year). Super easy to generate referral links through your account, and your friends get $50 too. No complicated tiers or limits - just straightforward cash in your pocket.