This page includes information about Discover products that are not currently available on CreditCards.com and may be out of date.

If you’re looking for alternative ways to earn rewards or bonuses from your credit card – and you’ve already exhausted your sign-up bonus, maximized your rewards earning potential and taken advantage of your card’s limited-time promotions – referral bonuses may be your answer.

Discover, Chase, Capital One and American Express all offer opportunities to earn cash and rewards bonuses when you refer a friend who is approved for one of their card products.

Read on to see what offers are currently available.

The American Express refer-a-friend program

If you currently have one of the following Amex cards, you may be eligible for the American Express referral program:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
• The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
• The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
• American Express® Business Gold Card
• The Plum Card® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

To see if you are eligible to participate in the American Express referral program, log in to your American Express account here. Note that referral bonuses are only available for the primary account holder and not additional card members.

The Capital One refer-a-friend program

With Capital One, you can get a personal referral link in your account if you’re eligible for the issuer’s referral program. When you share the link with a friend and they get approved, you’ll earn a bonus.

These Capital One cards are currently eligible for the bonus:

• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card
• Secured Mastercard® from Capital One

According to Capital One, the bonus you can get is based on the credit card you have. You can check your bonus by signing into your account or logging into your mobile app. For instance, our team has seen a 20,000 miles referral bonus (up to 50,000 miles per year) on the Venture card and a $100 bonus (up to $500 per year) on the Quicksilver.

You need to be in good standing to qualify for the referral program, meaning if you have any accounts that are closed or in default, you might not be eligible.

The Chase refer-a-friend program

Through the Chase referral program, cardholders have the potential to earn up to 100,000 bonus points or $500 cash back each year when they invite friends to carry a Chase card. If you have one of the following Chase cards, you can refer friends using a personalized referral link, or via Facebook, Twitter or email. Here are the details:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card– 15,000 points for each friend who is approved for a Sapphire Preferred card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 75,000 points.
• Chase Freedom Flex℠–  $100 for each friend who is approved for a Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of $500 cash back.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®â€“  $100 for each friend who is approved for a Freedom or Freedom Unlimited card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of $500 cash back.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card– 10,000 points for each friend who is approved for any personal or business Southwest card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 50,000 points.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card– 10,000 points for each friend who is approved for any personal or business Southwest card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 50,000 points.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card– 10,000 points for each friend who is approved for any personal or business Southwest card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 50,000 points.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card– 10,000 points for each friend who is approved for any personal or business Southwest card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 50,000 points.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card– 20,000 points for each friend who is approved for any Marriott Bonvoy card from Chase – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 100,000 points.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card– 20,000 points for each friend who is approved for any Marriott Bonvoy card from Chase – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 100,000 points.
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card – 20,000 points for each friend who is approved for any Chase Ink card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 100,000 points.
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card – 20,000 points for each friend who is approved for any Chase Ink card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 100,000 points.
• Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card – 20,000 points for each friend who is approved for any Chase Ink card – up to five referrals per year, for a total of 100,000 points.

To participate in the referral program, enter your last name, ZIP code and last four digits of your credit card on Chase’s Refer-a-Friend page. On the following page, you will enter the first name and email address of each person you wish to invite. You also have the option to post an invitation link to Facebook or Twitter or refer friends through the Chase app.

Discover account here. Note, the Discover it® Secured and Discover it® Business Card* are not eligible to participate in the referral program.

See related: Credit card special offers, limited-time promotions

Refer-a-friend etiquette tips

Shopping and applying for credit is a personal decision, so you might wonder if it’s possible to take advantage of a refer-a-friend for a credit card program without causing a situation in which your friend feels sold to, pressured or persuaded to get a card that could be a bad match.

However, if you take the right approach, your referral could end in a win-win with points for you and perks for your friend, too. Here are some tips for referring a friend for a credit card:

• Don’t corner a friend with an offer. It’s a bad idea to bring up a credit card offer out of the blue. Mention your referral link only if the topic of credit comes up naturally.
• Spread the word on social media to avoid singling out one friend and to cast a wider net for people who are in the market for a card. For example, you could start a conversation by posting about a benefit you get from your card.
• Don’t spam your friends. Card companies make it easy to hand over your friend’s email address, which could come off “spammy.” If you want to use email, it’s best to send the referral link yourself.
• Keep your friend’s interests at heart. Rather than focusing on the benefit to you, put yourself in your friend’s position. Consider the fact that your friend might not need a card or might have a low credit score and be unable to qualify.
• Refer your family members. If you prefer to sidestep the potential pitfalls of referring friends, you could “refer” your spouse instead and reap the rewards together. You might also make a well-timed suggestion to a close relative, such as a parent or sibling.
• Don’t pester your friend. If a friend says they’ll apply for a card, you might wonder when you’ll get your bonus. Avoid bugging your friend about the status of their application and don’t call the credit card company to check on it – chances are, they can’t reveal whether your friend has applied or been approved anyway.

When that reward does hit your account, if your friend didn’t receive a bonus from the card company, you might consider taking them to lunch or giving them a small gift to share the wealth.

*All information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and Discover it Business card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer. These cards are no longer available on our site.

Source: creditcards.com