## Overview

The Referral program lets you earn bonus balance by inviting friends to ModelStack. You both get rewarded the moment they sign up — no payment required — and you keep earning every time they deposit. It's a win-win: they get started with bonus balance, and you get rewarded for sharing.

## How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Share Your Link">
    Copy your unique referral link or code and share it with friends,
    colleagues, or your community.
  </Step>
  <Step title="They Sign Up">
    Your friend signs up using your link or enters your code. No payment
    needed to trigger a reward.
  </Step>
  <Step title="You Both Get Rewarded">
    Both of you instantly receive $1 in bonus balance. No claiming required.
  </Step>
  <Step title="You Keep Earning">
    Every time your friend deposits, you earn a share of it automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Reward Structure

### Signup Bonus ($1 for Both of You)

The moment your friend signs up with your link or code, you **and** your friend each instantly receive **$1** in bonus balance. No payment is required to trigger this.

### Deposit Rewards (10% First, 3% After That)

From then on, every deposit your friend makes earns you a reward — only you, not your friend:

| Deposit Order      | Your Reward             |
| ------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Their 1st deposit    | **10%** of the amount     |
| Their 2nd+ deposits  | **3%** of the amount, every time, forever |

**Examples:**

| Deposit Amount | 1st Deposit (10%) | Later Deposits (3%) |
| --------------- | ------------------ | --------------------- |
| $10              | **$1.00**            | **$0.30**               |
| $25              | **$2.50**            | **$0.75**               |
| $50              | **$5.00**            | **$1.50**               |
| $100             | **$10.00**           | **$3.00**               |

<Note>
  All referral rewards are granted **immediately** and added to your **bonus
  balance** — a separate pool from your regular top-up (prepaid) balance.
  Bonus balance expires **30 days** after each grant, so use it before it
  expires.
</Note>

## Getting Started

### Find Your Referral Code

1. Navigate to **Dashboard → Referral**
2. Your unique code is displayed at the top of the page
3. You have two options for sharing:
   - **Referral Link** - Full URL (e.g., `https://modelstack.com/signup?ref=X7K2P9AB`)
   - **Referral Code** - 8-character code (e.g., `X7K2P9AB`)

### Sharing Your Link

**Method 1: Copy Link (Recommended)**

1. Click **Copy Link** button
2. "Copied!" confirmation appears for 2 seconds
3. Paste the link anywhere: email, Slack, Discord, Twitter, etc.

**Method 2: Copy Code**

1. Click **Copy Code** button next to your code
2. Share the code directly
3. Your friend can enter it manually right after signing up

**Where to Share:**

- Social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- Developer communities (Discord, Slack, Reddit)
- Email to friends or colleagues
- Your website or blog
- Tech newsletters
- GitHub README or documentation

<Tip>
  The referral link is the easiest method - it automatically applies the code
  when they sign up. No manual entry needed.
</Tip>

## Tracking Your Referrals

The Referral dashboard shows your stats:

### Summary Section

- **Total Referred** - Total count of people who signed up with your code
- **Total Earned** - Total bonus balance you've earned from referrals (signup bonus + all deposit rewards)

### Referrals List

For each referral, you'll see:

| Column     | Description                                        |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**   | First name of the person who used your code         |
| **Joined** | Date they signed up (formatted as "MMM D, YYYY")     |
| **Earned** | Total bonus balance you've earned from this referral so far |

## Using Referral Codes (For New Users)

If someone shared a referral code with you:

### Applying a Referral Code

1. Sign up for ModelStack — if you used a referral link, the code is applied automatically
2. Otherwise, enter the 8-character code manually on the billing page
3. As soon as it's applied, you and your referrer each get $1 in bonus balance

<Warning>
  Referral codes can **only be applied before your first payment**. Once you
  subscribe or make a deposit, you cannot apply a code.
</Warning>

## Rules & Limitations

### Code Requirements

- **Must be applied before first payment** - Cannot add a code after depositing
- **One code per account** - You can only use one referral code, ever
- **Cannot use your own code** - Self-referrals are blocked
- **Cannot change code** - Once applied, cannot be changed

### Reward Eligibility

- **Signup reward** - Granted once, immediately, when the code is applied — no payment needed
- **Deposit rewards** - Granted to the referrer only, on every deposit the referee makes, for as long as they keep depositing
- **Balance type** - All referral rewards are added as bonus balance (expires 30 days after each grant)

### Fair Use Policy

- **No self-referrals** - Using your own code is blocked
- **Organic sharing encouraged** - Share with people who genuinely benefit from ModelStack
- **No incentive loops** - Don't create referral chains or artificial signups

<Warning>
  Abuse of the referral program (fake accounts, self-referrals, automated
  signups) will result in forfeiture of rewards and potential account
  suspension.
</Warning>

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="When do I receive my reward?">
    The $1 signup bonus is granted immediately when your friend applies your
    code — no payment required. Deposit rewards are granted immediately after
    each of their deposits.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Does the reward expire?">
    Yes, referral rewards are added as bonus balance, which expires 30 days
    after each individual grant. Make sure to use it within that timeframe.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Can I refer someone who already has an account?">
    No, referral codes can only be applied before the first payment. If they
    already subscribed or deposited, they cannot apply a code.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Do I earn from all of my friend's deposits, or just the first?">
    Both — you get 10% of their first deposit, and 3% of every deposit after
    that, indefinitely.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Does my friend earn anything from their own deposits?">
    No, the referee's reward is the one-time $1 signup bonus. Deposit-based
    rewards go to the referrer only.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Is there a limit to how many people I can refer?">
    No limit! Refer as many people as you want.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Can I refer my own company?">
    Yes, if different team members sign up individually using your link.
    However, you cannot create multiple accounts yourself (self-referral is
    blocked).
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="What if someone signs up without my link but wants to apply my code?">
    They can manually enter your code right after signing up, as long as it's
    **before their first payment**. If they've already paid, it's too late to
    apply a code.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Documentation

- [Billing & Balance](/docs/billing/balance) - Understand how bonus and prepaid balance work
- [Getting Started](/docs/quickstart) - What to tell your referrals about ModelStack