Referral program terms that match how your offer actually works

Referral campaigns often run into trouble when the reward logic is not spelled out clearly enough. Common flashpoints include whether self-referrals count, when a reward is actually earned, what happens if an order is cancelled, whether multiple rewards can stack and how suspected misuse is handled. If those points are vague, customers may challenge the outcome or claim they were promised more than you intended. Clear referral terms help set the rules around participation, reward timing, exclusions and your rights to suspend or end the offer.

It will usually cover who can take part, what steps create a valid referral, what reward is offered, when that reward becomes available, any caps or exclusions, how fraud or abuse is treated, how long the program runs and whether you can amend or withdraw it. If the referral offer is linked to an app, online account or subscription, the terms may also need to align with those systems. The wording should reflect the actual mechanics of your campaign, not just the headline promotion.

Helpful details include who the referrer and referred person are, what action triggers the reward, whether there is a waiting period, what happens with refunds or cancelled orders, whether rewards are cash, credits, discounts or perks, and any limits on geography, customer type or campaign period. We also look at how referrals are tracked, such as codes, links or account matching. Those mechanics matter because the legal wording needs to match the real offer and the way participants interact with it.

It can be. Referral offers often sound simple in marketing copy but have a lot of edge cases once people start using them. A generic template may not deal well with duplicate accounts, employee participation, cancelled purchases, delayed rewards, campaign changes or anti-abuse rules. It may also fail to line up with your checkout flow, app journey or membership settings. A tailored document is usually more useful when the referral offer is part of an ongoing acquisition strategy rather than a short one-off promotion.

After you provide the key details of the campaign, we assess the referral mechanics and prepare the terms or review an existing draft. If the campaign has unusual features, such as tiered rewards or multiple participant groups, we may need extra information before finalising the wording. The fixed-fee covers the referral terms service described on this page. It does not include tax advice, ongoing representation, technical build work or wider review of all marketing materials unless that is separately agreed.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Referral Program Terms service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.