How does the referral program work?
Respondent's referral program lets you earn money by introducing friends and colleagues to paid research opportunities from Fortune 500 companies, research agencies, and verified professional researchers. You can earn two types of bonuses:
Signup/Network Referrals ($20 Referral Bonus) - When someone signs up using your unique link and earns $75+ from completed studies
Project Referrals ($50 Referral Bonus) - When someone you refer completes a specific high-value project ($100+)
All referral incentives are paid through Tremendous gift cards or PayPal via Tremendous (varies by country) once payment conditions are met.
Network/Signup Referral Bonuses
The Network/Signup Referral is your personal introduction code that allows new users to sign up on Respondent. Here's exactly how it works:
Requirements:
The person you refer must be signing up for the first time
They must use your unique referral link during signup
They must earn at least $75 in total incentive payments (can be across multiple studies)
You receive the bonus after their payments show as "PAID" status
Important Limitations:
Each referral link bonus can only be earned once per new user
If someone already has an account, they cannot be referred
Referral links are not connected to specific projects
Project Referral Requirements
Project Referral links allow you to refer people to specific high-value studies. These have higher bonuses but stricter requirements.
Requirements:
The person you refer must NOT have an existing Respondent account
They must use your unique project referral link to sign up
They must be selected for and complete the specific project
The project must have an incentive of $100 or higher
The project cannot have been completed by any of your other referrals
Maximum Earnings Per Project:
You can earn up to five $50 bonuses per project (total $250 per project)
You may refer unlimited people, but only the first 5 who complete it will generate bonuses
After 5 successful referrals to a project, additional referrals won't generate bonuses for that specific project
You can still earn bonuses by referring people to other projects
When am I paid for referrals?
Payment Timeline for Network/Signup Referral Bonuses ($20)
Earning Phase: Your referred friend signs up and participates in studies
Threshold Met: They reach $75 in total completed study payments
Payment Status: Their study payment shows as "PAID" in our system
Processing: Your $20 bonus processes within 7-10 business days
Delivery: Tremendous virtual gift card sent to your email
Payment Timeline for Project Referrals ($50)
Participation: Your referred friend completes the specific project
Researcher Approval: Study completion is verified (typically 3-5 days)
Payment Status: Project payment shows as "PAID"
Processing: Your $50 bonus will process within 7-10 business days
Delivery: Tremendous virtual gift card sent to your email
Important Notes:
The $75 threshold ensures genuine participation before referral bonuses are paid
Multiple small studies can count toward the $75 threshold
Processing begins only after the referred person's payment status shows "PAID"
Holiday periods may add 2-3 business days to processing times
Important Platform Rules
Payment Security
All payments must go through the Respondent's platform. Accepting payments directly from researchers outside our platform is strictly prohibited and will result in account termination. This protects both participants and researchers from fraud.
Account Reviews
Respondent reserves the right to review and audit all accounts, including:
Verification of referral authenticity
Compliance with Terms of Service
Quality standards for research participation
Violations may result in:
Removal of fraudulent referrals
Forfeiture of pending bonuses
Account suspension or termination
Special Circumstances
In some cases, we may be unable to:
Process referral payments for terminated accounts
Provide bonuses for studies that were cancelled or disputed
Pay referrals that violate our Code of Conduct
How to Track Your Referrals
Dashboard: View your referral status in your Respondent account
Email Updates: Receive notifications when bonuses are earned
Support: Contact support@respondent.io for payment questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I refer myself using a different email?
A: No, self-referrals are prohibited and will be detected by our fraud prevention.
Q: What if my referred friend doesn't reach $75?
A: You won't receive the referral bonus until they meet the threshold. There's no time limit, the bonus is awarded whenever they eventually reach $75.
Q: Can I refer someone who had an account but deleted it?
A: No, previous account holders cannot be referred, even if their account was deleted.
Q: Can I share my referral link on social media?
A: Yes, but only share with people genuinely interested in research participation. Spam or misleading promotion is prohibited.
GDPR/NDA Compliance
We take data protection and confidentiality seriously:
Data Privacy (GDPR Compliance)
We only collect essential information needed to track and pay referrals
Your referral link contains a unique code, not personal information
When you refer someone, they'll see your name for transparency
All referral data is encrypted and stored securely
You can request the deletion of your referral data at any time
We don't sell or share referral information with third parties
For EU residents: Processing is based on consent, which you can withdraw anytime
NDA Considerations
Research participation may require NDAs for specific studies
Referral participation itself doesn't require an NDA
Your referred friends will handle their own confidentiality agreements if selected for studies
You can learn even more about our Participant Referral Policy directly on our website, here!