The shortest way to earn tons of points, miles and cashback every year is credit card signup bonus. These can be extremely lucrative and use the best credit card for every purchase (based on spending category) can add thousands of points to your balance each year.
Another great strategy to earn points and miles with minimal effort is to refer friends and family for a credit card. This overlooked strategy can bring in thousands of dollars in cash or miles per year, and it requires no extra spending.
Related: Quick Points: Free points and miles for referring friends with loyalty programs and credit cards
Here’s how you can use it to refer friends, family members, and small businesses to Capital One Credit Card — and how you can earn great bonuses along the way.
Capital One Refer a Friend
Capital One Refer a Friend allows you to refer people to your credit card through a unique link. Using this link, your friends, relatives or colleagues can apply for a credit card and earn a sign-up bonus the same way they usually do.
However, using your personalized link, you (as the referrer) can earn a bonus once the person you refer signs up and is approved for a credit card. They have to start and complete their application with your link for you to get the bonus.
Related: How to refer friends and earn points, miles or cash credits
Referral rewards will be awarded according to the same type of rewards your credit card normally earns. As a result, you will earn a bonus for referring a cashback credit card and will earn miles for referring an earned card. Capital One mile.
Capital One Business Introduction
If you have a small business credit card from Capital One, you can use the Business Referral program to earn referral bonuses on these credit cards. You will earn cash bonuses on cashback cards and earn miles bonus on cards that earn that amount.
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Earn extra cash or miles bonus that will complement your business’s existing credit card strategy to help you earn more rewards.
Related: 10 considerations for your small business credit card strategy
Eligible Card for Referral
There’s a simple answer with good news here: All personal credit cards are eligible for referrals, as long as your account is in good standing.
For business cards, nearly any Capital One account can generate a referral link. The only exception: You cannot refer someone to Capital One Spark Classic for business.
Spark Classic for Business business card information has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
This means you can refer people to personal credit cards from the Venture, Quicksilver, Savor, and Platinum families, and can refer people to business cards from the Spark Cash and Spark Miles families.
Related: Best time to apply for these popular Capital One credit cards based on offer history
Get bonus for your referrals
Capital One’s Refer a Friend and Refer a Business programs generate targeted offers. That means not everyone will see the same rewards for generating a referral link from their credit card. However, here are the possible rewards you can expect for referring someone to the Capital One credit card:
Related: Choose Capital One cashback card now earn 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases
Spark Cash Select and Spark Miles Select card information has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
How to create a referral
To create a referral, go to the Capital One Refer a Friend page located at This. If you’re referring someone for a small business credit card, you’ll need to start from the About Business page. at this link.
After logging into your Capital One account, you will be able to copy your referral link.
After clicking the blue “Copy” button, you will get this message saying you copied the link correctly.
If you give this link to a friend or relative, they will see this screen when they use your link to sign up.
It is also possible to create a referral link using the Capital One mobile app. Just go to your credit card account details and scroll down.
Next to options to replace your card and view recent reports, you’ll see “Refer a Friend”.
On this screen you will see the details of your referral bonus and a “Refer a Friend” button to copy your referral link at the bottom of the screen.
You don’t necessarily know the person you’re referring to. Posting your referral link online or on your social media accounts can generate unwanted referrals.
You can’t refer a card you don’t have
Some banks allow the creation of a general referral. Thus, you can refer a friend to a page with multiple credit card options, allowing the person to choose which card is best for their situation.
Unfortunately, with Capital One, that is not the case. You can refer someone to sign up for the same card you have but cannot refer other cards. So if you have Capital One Venture Cardyou cannot generate referrals or get bonuses on X Adventure Card.
Referral bonuses may be taxed
It should be noted that banks can issue tax form 1099-MISC on any referral bonus you receive. While the rewards you earn from credit card spending (as well as sign-up bonuses) are generally considered a discount or rebate on merchandise you’ve purchased, referrals are different.
Related: If I withdraw my points and miles, do I have to report it when I pay taxes?
As a result, you may receive a tax form on any bonuses or miles earned from referring friends and family to use a credit card. If you have questions about how this may affect you, consult your tax preparer or attorney.
Referral bonus is not instant
Unfortunately, you will not receive your referral bonus as soon as your friend signs up and is approved for the Capital One credit card. Capital One says it can take up to eight weeks to receive these bonuses, though generally quicker than that.
If it’s been longer and you’re sure the person used your link to sign up for the card, call the number on the back of your card to inquire about the missing referral bonus.
When You Can’t Get Referral Bonus
Sometimes, you may not receive a bonus from Capital One Refer a Friend or Refer a Business. The following rules apply:
- Your account must be open and in good standing to receive the referral bonus.
- That person must use your link to initiate the registration, complete it and be approved for an account before you can receive the bonus. If that person does not complete the application through the link you sent, you will not receive the bonus.
- Your affiliate users must have credit card approval, otherwise you will not receive the referral bonus.
- If you or someone you refer is an employee of Capital One, you may not receive the referral bonus.
- You will also not receive a referral bonus if you have already exceeded the annual maximum for referrals on your account.
If any of these apply to you or the user of your referral link, it is possible that you will not receive the bonus.
bottom line
Referral bonus should take into account any long term credit card strategywith retention offeruse the right credit card for each purchase, use discounts like Capital One Offer and earn more sign up bonus whenever possible. The best part about referral bonuses is that they do not require any spending on your part. You simply create a link, ask someone to sign up for a credit card through the link and then claim the bonus once that person is approved for a new account.
Capital One’s Refer a Friend Program (and its Business Referral partner) allows you to refer the credit cards you have in your wallet and can offer up to 100,000 bonus miles or $500 in cash per year, depending on the card(s) you have. TPG . value 100,000 One Mile Capital at $1,850, which means it can be a very lucrative annual program.
Related: Tips and tricks to get the most out of your One Mile Capital
