# Coinbase: refer a friend

Canonical: https://dealaka.com/referrals/coinbase-refer-a-friend

This is what an EXISTING customer earns for referring someone. For what a new customer gets for opening the account, see the offer entry linked below.

- Status: live
- Referrer earns: Not published per approved referral (targeted, not a fixed rate: Coinbase says it varies by country)
- Referred person earns: Not published
- Cap: none published
- Requirement: Buy crypto within 90 days of becoming trade eligible
- Tax form: None published
- Link sharing: Restricted, but not a public-posting ban
- Institution: Coinbase
- Verified: Jul 21, 2026 against coinbase.com
- Note: Dealaka links only the issuer's own program page and takes no share of any referral reward.

## Summary
Coinbase publishes the mechanics in detail and the money not at all. Its terms say the bonus varies by country without naming a US figure, and say limits on the number of referrals may apply without stating any. The most useful thing here is a trap most coverage misses: taking a referral makes the person you referred ineligible for Coinbase's own new-user promotions, so the referral can cost them more than it gives you.

## How the referrer gets their link
Open the referrals page on Coinbase.com or the Invite Friends tab in the mobile app.

- Email
- Text (consent required)
- Messaging apps

## When it pays
Eligible payouts are made within 5 to 15 days.

## Fine print that matters
- Accepting your referral disqualifies your friend from the Coinbase New User First Buy Spin The Wheel incentive and from First Trade and Trade Eligible promo codes.
- Coinbase states the bonus amount varies based on country and publishes no figure for the US.
- Coinbase says a maximum number of bonuses may apply, without stating one. That is not the same as an unlimited program.
- The purchase must be made through the ordinary trade flow with a bank transfer, debit card, or credit card. Purchases on Coinbase Advanced or Coinbase Prime do not count.
- Paid advertising on Coinbase or Coinbase-related keywords is prohibited, and doing it deactivates your referral code and voids the referrals it produced.
- You may only send your link to people who have consented to receive it, and you indemnify Coinbase against claims arising from the message.
- Residents of Washington state cannot participate by text message. Do not send a link to a resident of the United Kingdom or Turkey.
- The ten-referral cap that circulates for Coinbase is from the Canadian terms and does not govern US users.

## Sources
- coinbase.com referral program terms <https://help.coinbase.com/en/coinbase/getting-started/getting-started-with-coinbase/new-customer-incentive/simple-referral> (checked Jul 21, 2026)

_This entry is reference information, not financial or tax advice. Referral terms change without notice and the figure shown to you may differ from the one shown to someone else. Confirm on the issuer's own page._