Reviewed guide | 2026-10-16
Referral links from friends: what to read before you accept one
A friend in Germany sends you a referral link for Binance, OKX, Bybit or Bitget. What the referral actually changes, which terms page to read, and why the code should never come with strings attached.
Multiple exchanges | Germany | EUR | fees, access and account safety
Referral links are everywhere: in group chats, under videos, in a colleague's message after lunch. Accepting one usually costs you nothing and may give you a small welcome reward, but the details live on a terms page that few people open. It is also a favourite tool of scammers, who wrap a normal referral link inside a story about can-not-lose signals or managed accounts. This guide separates the harmless part from the part that deserves suspicion.
What a referral changes on your account
In most cases a referral connects your new account to the person who invited you. They may receive a share of your trading fees for a period, and you may receive a welcome reward or a fee discount if you meet certain conditions. The referral does not give the other person any access to your account, your balance or your trades. If anybody claims that using their link means they can manage your funds, that is not a referral, it is a request to hand over control.
Find the terms on the exchange, not in the message
Open the exchange's own referral or rewards page from the app or the website you typed yourself. Read the conditions: which actions qualify, how long you have to complete them, which regions are excluded and when a reward expires. Rewards and percentages change often, so the figure in your friend's message may already be out of date. Only the terms page on your account tells you what applies to you today.
Where to enter the code and when it is too late
The referral code is normally entered during registration, on the sign-up form or in a field that appears right after it. Many exchanges do not let you add a code once the account exists. If you are not sure, take a screenshot of the sign-up screen with the code visible before you submit. That makes it easier to raise a question with support later if the reward does not appear.
Red flags that have nothing to do with referrals
Be careful when the link arrives with extra requests: share your login so someone can set up the account for you, send a deposit to a person rather than to your own account, install a special app from a link, or join a private group that promises returns. None of that is part of a referral programme. Keep your account under your own control from the first minute and turn on two-factor authentication before you deposit anything.
Risk boundary: Germany Crypto Guide
Digital assets are volatile and derivatives can amplify losses. This website has no login, wallet connection, deposit form or customer-support chat. A referral link only records attribution; it does not guarantee access, pricing, rewards, approval or investment results. Availability can differ by residence, legal entity and product, so no regional access is assumed from language or branding alone.
Scenario checkpoint
- Remember that a referral link gives the inviter no access to your account or funds.
- Read the referral terms on the exchange's own page before relying on any reward.
- Enter the code during sign-up and keep a screenshot of the form.
- Refuse any request to share logins, send funds to a person or install apps from links.
Digital assets are volatile and derivatives can amplify losses. This website has no login, wallet connection, deposit form or customer-support chat.