In brief: A referral code should help someone make an informed choice, not rush them into one. Say that you may benefit, describe only what you can support, put the important conditions next to the claim, and share only where the recipient would reasonably welcome it. If money, credit, insurance, investments or other regulated products are involved, stop and obtain the provider’s approved materials and compliance clearance before posting.
Referral schemes can be useful, but a reward does not remove the need for care. A code can create a commercial interest even in an informal message, and recipients need enough information to judge its relevance.
For UK-facing publishers, creators, community moderators and public sharers, the standard is simple: be recognisably promotional when there is a reward, be truthful about experience and terms, and respect people’s boundaries. The ASA treats affiliate marketing as performance-based marketing and can hold both the business and affiliate marketer responsible under the CAP Code. 1 The CMA says incentivised content, including affiliate programmes and discount codes, must be identifiable as advertising. 2
This is practical editorial guidance, not legal advice. The correct disclosure depends on the product, audience, platform and programme agreement. The verify-before-publishing steps are deliberate.
Start with a transparent recommendation
A fair referral post tells the reader what is recommended, why it may suit them, whether the sender benefits and what may limit the reward. The CAP Code prohibits material misleading omissions and requires support for objective claims before publication. 3
Do not turn a weak or untested recommendation into a strong one because there is a code. “I found the app easy to use” is a personal experience. “It is the best”, “guaranteed”, “free” or “everyone qualifies” can mislead if unsupported or unqualified. Never call a reward certain unless the live terms make it unconditional.
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| State your connection at the beginning: “I may receive a reward if you qualify.” | Hide the reward after a link, in a profile bio or among a long list of hashtags. |
| Separate experience from fact: “I found…” versus “The provider says…” | Claim results, savings, approval or eligibility for someone else. |
| Link to or name the current terms before a person signs up. | Paraphrase a reward from memory or rely on an old screenshot. |
| Explain the material catch in plain language. | Put a bold benefit in the headline and a contradictory condition in tiny text. |
| Let a person decline without pressure. | Create false urgency, tag people repeatedly or imply an obligation to use your code. |
The ASA assesses the overall consumer impression, not simply the author’s intention. Significant qualifications must be visible and clear. 3
A quick claim audit before sharing
Read it as a newcomer. Remove anything that is neither a verified term nor a genuine, clearly subjective experience. Check every factual statement against the provider’s current programme page and terms.
Verify before publishing: save the URL and date checked; confirm the code, recipient(s), qualifying action, time limit, exclusions, caps and eligibility. Describe a variable reward as variable.
Disclose rewards and conditions where people can see them
A disclosure tells the reader why a recommendation may not be independent. Incentives include money, commission, discounts, gifts and favourable products or loans; a brand tag, code or affiliate link is not an adequate label on its own. 2
Put it before or alongside the first promotional claim and before the link or code. Use “Ad”, “Advert” or “#Ad” for commercial content. The CMA says the label must be clear, prominent, easy to understand and obvious from the first interaction, rather than hidden in a bio or after a click. 2
| Item to make clear | Useful plain-English treatment | Verify-before-publishing prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Your benefit | “I may receive a referral reward if you complete the qualifying steps.” | What form does it take? |
| Their benefit | “New customers may be eligible for a reward.” | Who is eligible and when? |
| Trigger | “The reward is subject to the programme’s qualifying steps.” | What exact action is required? |
| Timing | “The provider sets the reward timing.” | When is it expected? |
| Limits | “Terms, exclusions and eligibility rules apply.” | What caps or restrictions apply? |
| Price or commitment | “Check the provider’s current price and terms before signing up.” | Are fees or commitments material? |
Avoid “free” if a person must pay, subscribe, deposit, trade, borrow, maintain a balance or take another material step. Do not state an amount, rate, saving or deadline unless verified in the live terms immediately before publication. A qualification must clarify a headline, not contradict it. 3
Illustrative disclosure wording
These adaptable examples do not replace the provider’s mandatory copy or an assessment of a particular promotion.
For a public post:
Ad — referral link/code. I use this service and may receive a referral reward if you sign up and complete the provider’s qualifying steps. You may also be eligible for a reward. Please check the current terms, eligibility and any costs before deciding.
For a review-style article:
Advertising disclosure: This page includes a referral link. If you use it and meet the provider’s current qualifying conditions, Refer and Save may receive a reward. This does not change the editorial assessment. Rewards, availability and terms can change; check the provider’s terms before applying or purchasing.
For a personal one-to-one recommendation:
I thought this might be relevant because you mentioned [need]. I have a referral code and may get a reward if you use it and qualify. No pressure at all — please check the terms and compare alternatives first.
Use any provider-approved disclosure, prescribed wording, risk warning or platform label exactly as instructed. Generic wording must not displace it.
Know when a private recommendation becomes promotion
A reply to a person who asks for a recommendation is not the same as a paid campaign to strangers. However, a personal tone does not erase a commercial interest. Systematic, public or reward-driven activity should be treated as advertising and must follow the programme rules.
| Scenario | Sensible approach |
|---|---|
| A friend asks how you obtained a service. | Be candid, disclose the reward, send terms and do not pressure them. |
| You post publicly in social media, a group, forum, blog, video or newsletter. | Treat it as promotional content: label it upfront, disclose the relationship and verify claims. 1 |
| You run a comparison page, deals account or creator channel. | Use a standing and page/post-level disclosure; keep claim evidence. |
| You are paid, gifted, discounted, commissioned or connected to the provider. | Treat it as advertising and say so prominently. Do not pose as independent. 2 |
The ASA says content referring to a product for which an influencer has an affiliate link or code counts as an ad; this can remain so when the code appears elsewhere. 1 A bio disclosure is not a cure for an unlabelled post.
Email and direct messages: recommend, do not recruit
Do not treat a contact list as a referral audience. For organisations, businesses and structured campaigns, the ICO says PECR applies to anyone sending or instigating electronic direct marketing. Unsolicited messages to individual subscribers generally require consent unless a narrow soft opt-in applies; identity and a valid opt-out address must be provided. Public contact details are not consent. 5
The ICO gives an example of a retailer that generates referral emails for customers to send to friends. The retailer is the instigator and cannot usually use the soft opt-in because it cannot show the friends consented. 5
| Channel or tactic | Respectful, lower-risk behaviour | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Personal email | Reply to a genuine request; disclose the reward and make declining easy. | Bulk sends, harvested contacts and repeated follow-ups. |
| Business email / newsletter | Use a lawful route, identify the sender, provide unsubscribe and keep consent records. 5 | Treating an old list or public address as permission. |
| Direct message | Respond when asked; disclose before the code; respect “no” or silence. | Unsolicited copied pitches or mass DM automation. |
| Community group or forum | Follow rules, use any designated thread, label content and add useful context. | Off-topic codes, member tags and reposting after removal. |
There is no universally safe number of messages. If outreach is a business process rather than a genuine personal exchange, obtain privacy and legal review and check platform anti-spam rules.
Follow the programme rules, not just the general etiquette
A truthful post can still breach a referral agreement. Programmes may restrict public sharing, paid search, voucher sites, employee or self-referrals, household referrals, re-posting, incentive stacking and particular communities. Rewards can also change, be rejected, reversed or capped.
Before publishing, read the live terms and approved marketing guidance; confirm the channel is permitted; and use only approved assets and wording. Keep the dated terms, published copy and any approval. Remove, correct or relabel content when a code expires, terms change or a claim proves inaccurate. Never promise an outcome outside the written terms.
Reviews, ratings and testimonials must remain genuine
A referral reward does not authorise a glowing review. The CMA defines a fake review as one that appears to be based on a genuine experience when it is not. A commissioned review that does not reveal its incentive is concealed; incentives include money, commission, discounts, vouchers, gifts and favourable loans. 6
Where permitted, an incentivised review must be clearly identifiable, normally with a prominent, unambiguous advert label. If the platform prohibits such reviews, do not post one. 6
Describe only what you used and experienced, including material limitations and the reward relationship. Do not request five-star, positive-only or reward-tied reviews, or filter dissatisfaction from a round-up.
Illustrative review disclosure:
Ad / incentivised review: I received [describe the benefit] and may receive a referral reward if a reader qualifies through my link. This review reflects my own experience of [specific feature] on [date]. Your eligibility, price and experience may differ; check the current provider terms.
Take extra care with financial and regulated referrals
A financial referral can be more than a consumer deal. A post that invites or induces UK consumers to engage with regulated financial products or services may be a financial promotion. The FCA’s rules are technology-neutral, apply across social media and expect each promotion to be compliant on its own. 7
A short caption, disappearing story, closed group or “not financial advice” does not make a promotion acceptable. The FCA expects a balanced view of benefits and risks, information supporting informed decisions and prominent required warnings. Firms should oversee affiliates; an unauthorised person communicating a regulated promotion without approval may commit a criminal offence. 7
Do not publish personal versions of credit, insurance, investment, cryptoasset or other potentially regulated referral promotions unless the provider confirms in writing what may be said, which warning and approval process applies, and which audiences and channels are permitted. Do not make claims about returns, acceptance, affordability, tax, protection, risk or suitability, or urge someone to borrow, invest or switch for your reward.
General information, not personal advice: Information in this article is general UK guidance and is not legal, financial, investment, credit or tax advice. A reader should consider their own circumstances, read the provider’s current documents and, where appropriate, seek regulated or professional advice before making a financial decision.
A safer response is: “I can share the provider’s official terms, but I cannot tell you whether this product is right for you. Please consider the costs, risks and alternatives.” Use approved copy without changing risk information.
A final pre-publication checklist
Before every post, message, page or review, confirm: the reward relationship is immediately clear; current terms support every benefit, eligibility, deadline and price statement; material limits are visible; the programme and platform permit the channel; and the recipient can decline or unsubscribe. Confirm a review is genuine and its incentive prominent. For finance or another regulated area, obtain provider/compliance approval for the exact communication.
If an answer is “no” or “not sure”, do not publish.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to say that I benefit from a referral code?
Yes. If a code, link, commission, discount, gift or other incentive could benefit you, disclose it before a reader engages. “#Ad” or “Ad” at the start is a clear label for commercial social content; add a short reward explanation where useful. 2
Is a referral code in my Instagram bio enough disclosure?
No. People should not need to open a bio, scroll or know your relationship to recognise advertising. Label each promotional post, story, video or carousel item clearly and promptly. 2
Can I email a referral code to friends and family?
A personal reply differs from a business referral campaign, but still needs honesty and restraint. Do not give a business friends’ contacts or use an automated refer-a-friend email tool without checking compliance. A business creating or encouraging the emails can be instigating direct marketing and usually cannot use the soft opt-in for friends’ consent. 5
Can I post a referral link as a review?
Only if the review is genuine, accurate and the commercial connection is prominent. Do not imply personal use you did not have. If there is an incentive, disclose it; if the review platform bans incentivised reviews, do not submit one. 6
Can I describe a referral as “free money” or “guaranteed”?
Usually not. A reward can depend on eligibility, qualifying action, timing, caps, price, risk or provider discretion. State only verified terms and important conditions. 3
What should I do with an expired code or changed terms?
Update or remove it promptly, including its benefit, deadline and disclosure. Do not assume a once-accurate post remains accurate.
Conclusion
Good referral etiquette preserves trust. Share because a product may suit someone, not because a reward makes every contact a prospect. State the commercial context upfront, rely on live terms and support every claim. For regulated categories, use approved information or do not promote.
