Glossary/Mobile & App Marketing/Referral 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 Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated 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.