> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.creem.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Referral Program

> Earn rewards by inviting merchants to Creem. Share your unique referral link and get paid when they sign up, complete verification, and process payments.

Creem's Referral Program lets you earn rewards by inviting other merchants to join the platform. When a business you refer signs up and reaches their qualification threshold, you receive a one-time reward credit straight to your Creem balance.

## How It Works

The referral program is straightforward:

1. **Share your unique link** - Get your personalized referral link from the Referrals dashboard and share it with potential merchants
2. **They sign up through your link** - When a merchant clicks your link and creates a Creem store, they're attributed to you
3. **They qualify** - Once they've processed at least \$1,000 in settled payments and completed verification, they qualify
4. **You get paid** - You receive your \$100 reward within 30 days of qualification, credited to your Creem balance

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Transparent Tracking" icon="chart-line">
    See every referral, its status, and exact rewards in your dashboard
  </Card>

  <Card title="No Limits" icon="infinity">
    There's no cap on how many merchants you can refer or how much you can earn
  </Card>

  <Card title="Simple Payouts" icon="building-columns">
    Rewards are automatically credited to your Creem balance alongside your normal payouts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Zero Setup" icon="zap">
    Start immediately—no applications, no approval process
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Getting Your Referral Link

Your referral link is available in your Creem dashboard under **Balances → Referrals**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Your Dashboard">
    Sign in to your Creem dashboard and navigate to **Balances** in the main menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Referrals">
    Click the **Referrals** tab. If this is your first time, you'll see the program overview and your link will be generated automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy Your Link or Code">
    You can share either:

    * **Referral Link**: A full URL (e.g., `https://creem.io/join/A1B2C3D4`) — easiest for emails and websites
    * **Referral Code**: Just the code (e.g., `A1B2C3D4`) — convenient for social media and conversations
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share It">
    Use the built-in buttons to copy your link, or share directly to X or LinkedIn.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Program Details

### Rewards and Qualification

| Detail                  | Value                                        |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Reward per referral** | \$50 USD (or equivalent in other currencies) |
| **Qualifying volume**   | \$1,000 in settled payments                  |
| **Payout timing**       | Within 30 days of qualification              |
| **Hold period**         | 30 days (covers chargebacks and refunds)     |

### What Counts as a Referral

A referral qualifies when:

* ✅ The merchant is **new to Creem** and signs up through your link
* ✅ They **create a store** and complete KYC verification
* ✅ They **process at least \$1,000** in settled payments
* ❌ Self-referrals don't count (referring yourself from another account)
* ❌ Duplicate accounts don't count (referring the same person twice)

### Referral Statuses

Your referrals progress through these statuses:

| Status        | Meaning                                                                                     |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pending**   | Merchant signed up through your link and created a store, but hasn't yet qualified          |
| **Qualified** | Merchant has processed the required \$1,000 in settled payments                             |
| **Rewarded**  | Reward has been credited to your balance and is available to withdraw                       |
| **Rejected**  | Referral was rejected due to fraud, policy violations, or other issues — no reward paid     |
| **Reversed**  | Reward was previously credited but reversed due to chargebacks, refunds, or account closure |

***

## Understanding Holds and Reversals

To protect both you and the platform, rewards are subject to a 30-day hold period after qualification. Here's why:

### Risk Holds

Merchants can issue refunds or chargebacks up to 180 days after a transaction. The 30-day hold ensures we have time to identify problems before crediting your reward. Holds cover:

* **Refunds**: If a customer of the referred merchant requests a refund
* **Chargebacks**: If a cardholder disputes a transaction
* **Cancellations**: If the referred merchant closes their account

### Reversals

If a reward has already been credited to your balance, it can still be reversed if:

* The referred merchant issues chargebacks that exceed the hold period
* The referred merchant's account is closed or suspended
* Fraud or policy violations are discovered

Reversed rewards are deducted from your available balance. If your balance goes negative, future payments are held until the balance recovers.

***

## Tracking Your Referrals

The **Referrals** dashboard shows:

### Stats at a Glance

* **Total Earned**: Sum of all rewarded referrals (in USD or your local currency)
* **Pending Rewards**: Number of referrals currently on hold awaiting credit
* **Merchants Referred**: Total count of all referrals (pending, qualified, and rewarded)

### Referral Activity Table

A detailed table of every referral with:

| Column       | Description                                                  |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Merchant** | Referred store name and owner email                          |
| **Status**   | Current referral status (pending, qualified, rewarded, etc.) |
| **Reward**   | Amount earned (or "—" if not yet qualified)                  |
| **Date**     | When the referral was created                                |

You can sort and paginate through the table to track all your referrals.

***

## Payout Mechanics

### When You Get Paid

Referral rewards are automatically added to your **Available Balance** on the Balances page, where they appear alongside your payment processing earnings.

### Normal Payout Schedule

Referral rewards follow the same payout schedule as all your Creem balance:

| Detail              | Value                       |
| ------------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Payout windows**  | 1st and 15th of each month  |
| **Minimum balance** | 50 USD or 50 EUR            |
| **Processing time** | 7–12 days after payout date |

To request a payout:

1. Go to **Balances** → **Withdraw**
2. Ensure your balance is above the minimum threshold
3. Click **Withdraw** — your request is queued for the next payout window

### Multiple Currencies

If your referrals are in a different currency than your payout method:

* Creem will convert at the current exchange rate
* Your payout provider (bank or crypto service) may apply an additional conversion fee
* This is outside Creem's control

***

## Compliance and Restrictions

### Who Can Use the Referral Program

✅ **Can participate:**

* Active Creem stores in good standing
* Individuals who've completed identity verification (KYC)
* Any merchant, regardless of location (subject to local laws)

❌ **Cannot participate:**

* Accounts under investigation for fraud or policy violations
* Merchants who've been suspended or banned
* Self-referrals and accounts created to game the program

### Program Rules

To keep the program fair and secure:

* **No paid advertising** - You can't buy Google Ads or social media ads specifically for your referral link
* **No misleading claims** - Don't promise outcomes or rewards beyond what Creem offers
* **No spam** - Don't send unsolicited bulk emails or messages
* **No account abuse** - Creating fake accounts to earn rewards will disqualify all referrals

Violations of these rules may result in:

* Rejection of referrals
* Reversal of previously earned rewards
* Suspension from the referral program
* Account suspension (in severe cases)

***

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I get my referral link?">
    Sign in to your Creem dashboard, go to **Balances → Referrals**, and your link will be generated automatically on the first visit. You can copy the full link or just the code.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use multiple referral links?">
    No, each store gets one referral link. If you have multiple stores, each gets its own link.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I refer someone who already has a Creem account?">
    No, the referral must be a new merchant signing up for the first time through your link. Existing customers don't count.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long is the hold period?">
    All referrals have a 30-day hold after qualification. This covers potential refunds and chargebacks during this window. After 30 days, the reward is credited and appears on your Available Balance.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if a merchant refunds their customers?">
    Refunds from the referred merchant's customers don't disqualify the referral (they already qualified). However, if refunds are large enough or chargebacks occur, the referral may be reversed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if my referred merchant closes their account?">
    If a merchant closes their account, any reward already credited will be reversed. If they close before qualifying, the referral stays pending indefinitely.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I get paid for my own referrals?">
    No, self-referrals don't count. You can't refer your own second store or account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a limit to how much I can earn?">
    No limit. You can refer as many merchants as you want and earn unlimited rewards. Creem celebrates your success!
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When do I see the referral in my dashboard?">
    The referral appears in your dashboard immediately after the merchant signs up through your link. It starts in **Pending** status.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I see which of my referrals generated revenue?">
    Yes, the referral activity table shows each merchant's status. Once they process \$1,000 and qualify, the status changes to **Qualified** and the reward is shown.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if a referral is rejected?">
    Rejected referrals mean the merchant didn't meet program requirements or violated policies. No reward is paid. Check the referral details or contact support if you have questions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I contact support about my referrals?">
    Reach out to Creem support via the help center or contact page. Provide your store ID and the referral code if you're asking about a specific referral.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Share Your Link

The best way to grow your referral earnings is to share consistently:

**Places to share:**

* Email to your network
* Social media (X, LinkedIn, Instagram)
* Blog posts or newsletters
* Discord or Slack communities
* Forums where your audience hangs out
* Slack community in your network

**What to say:**

* Mention that Creem makes it easy to sell globally
* Highlight features you love (tax compliance, multiple payment methods, no coding required)
* Share your personal experience
* Keep it genuine—people trust recommendations from people they know

***

## Program Terms

Referral rewards are discretionary and subject to Creem's [Merchant Terms](https://www.creem.io/terms) and any additional program terms provided during onboarding.

***

## Related Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Affiliate Program" icon="users" href="/features/affiliate-program">
    Run a full affiliate program with custom commissions and partner management
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payouts" icon="money-bill-transfer" href="/merchant-of-record/finance/payouts">
    Learn how payouts work and set up your payout method
  </Card>

  <Card title="Account Verification" icon="shield-check" href="/merchant-of-record/finance/payout-accounts">
    Complete KYC to unlock all features, including the referral program
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dashboard" icon="chart-bar" href="/getting-started/dashboard-overview">
    Explore your Creem dashboard
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

Need help? Contact [Creem support](https://www.creem.io/contact) or join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/q3GKZs92Av).