If you’ve ever shared your points and miles redemptions with friends and family, chances are they’ve asked for advice on what card to apply for. If they take your advice, you can benefit by sending them your referral link to earn bonus points.
But what if your friend is a business owner and wants a business card, and you only have personal cards?
Great news: Depending on the bank, you may still be able to refer them and earn a bonus. Here’s what you need to know.
American Express
American Express is the most versatile issuer for earning referral bonuses from different cards. You can earn a referral bonus when someone gets a business card from your personal referral link or vice versa.
You can send a referral link from any of your Amex cards and get a bonus when the person you refer is approved for another Amex card. This works whether you’re referring to a personal or business card.
To do this, log in to your Amex account, scroll to the bottom of your account homepage and click the “Refer Now” button.
From the drop-down menu, you can send an email to your friend or family member or copy and paste a referral link.
When your recipient opens the link, the pop-up window will indicate the card you used to refer them. But they’re not limited to this card. Using the navigation buttons at the top of the screen, they can select “Business Cards” to view all available Amex business cards. If the person you refer applies through this page, you’ll earn a referral bonus regardless of which Amex card they are approved for.
For cobranded Amex cards from Marriott, Hilton and other brands, you can generally only refer within that card family. This means you can only refer your friend or family member to Marriott cards (business or personal) by sending them a Marriott referral link. This restriction does not apply to Amex-branded cards, such as the American Express® Gold Card.
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Chase
Generally, Chase only lets you earn a referral bonus when you refer someone to a card within the same family as the one you have.
For example, if you have the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees), you can refer someone for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees).
To refer someone for an Ink Business card, you must hold an Ink card yourself. The same applies to the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) — you’ll need either that card or an Ink card to generate a referral link.
However, there is more flexibility for cobranded credit cards from IHG, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. For example, if you have the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees), you can refer someone to any card within that family, including the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees).
Related: Earn rewards with Chase’s Refer-A-Friend program
Capital One
Capital One’s refer-a-friend program appears to be targeted rather than widely available. If you’re eligible, you’ll find your referral link on your card’s page on the Capital One website by hovering over “Rewards & benefits” and selecting “Refer a friend” or “Refer a business” from the drop-down menu.
Generally, personal card referral links can only be used for personal cards, and business card links can only be used for business cards. The person you’re referring may see multiple card options, but not all cards will be available. For example, a referral link generated from the Capital One Venture X Business only showed Spark family cards on the landing page.
Also worth noting: You may not receive a bonus if the person you’re referring already has an existing Capital One account.
Citi
Citi occasionally offers referral bonuses, but they’re targeted. In our experience, you cannot refer across card families or types, meaning you can’t refer someone to a business credit card if you have a personal credit card.
Bottom line
Referring friends and family to your favorite credit cards is one of the easiest ways to earn extra points and miles. In some cases, you can even refer people to cards you don’t currently hold — including business cards. Keep these rules in mind to maximize every referral opportunity.
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
