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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMobile & App MarketingReferral Program

Mobile & App Marketing

Referral Program

An incentive program rewarding users for inviting friends who sign up or install, driving low-cost acquisition.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

A referral program is an incentive scheme that rewards existing users for inviting friends who sign up or install. Rewards may go to the referrer, the new user, or both, such as credit or free features. Referral programs drive low-cost acquisition and tend to bring in users with higher trust and retention.