Updated Rules checked 2026-10-16
A referral code is a string an exchange gives its users. When a new user enters it at sign-up, the new account is linked to that referrer. Invite code, invitation code, referral ID and referral link all describe the same thing; exchanges simply name it differently. In their Chinese interfaces, Binance says “referral code”, OKX, Bitget and KuCoin say “invitation code”, and the MEXC app says “promotion code”.
Entering a referral code costs you nothing extra. Every official fee schedule I’ve checked is tiered by VIP level, with no separate rate for users who entered a referral code. New users get one of two kinds of benefit: the exchange automatically refunds part of the fee after each trade (a rebate or fee discount), or there are beginner tasks and sign-up rewards. Which one you get depends on which of the exchange’s programs the referral code belongs to.
Timing is where people most often go wrong. A referral code can usually only be entered at sign-up. Comparing the official rules of 13 exchanges, I found only 6 that let you add one after signing up, and all of them have conditions.
Key points
Referral code, invite code and referral ID all mean the same thing: a code entered at sign-up that links the new account to a referrer.
An account can be linked to only one referrer. Binance states that new users can use only one referral mode, and Gate states that each user can register through only one referral method.
OKX’s affiliate FAQ states that the rebate share invitees receive is between 0% and 20%, set by the affiliate.
Of 13 exchanges, 6 officially allow adding a code after sign-up: Binance, MEXC, Bybit, BingX, Pionex and Ourbit. The other 7 accept it only at sign-up, or no process for adding one could be found.
Common reasons a referral code is invalid: a typo, an account that’s already registered, a region or site mismatch, a code from a different program, and downloading the app before signing up.
The information below was checked against official pages on 2026-10-16 (fact-check date) and is provided for reference.
What is a referral code? Are a referral code, invite code and referral ID the same thing?
Yes, they’re the same thing. A referral code does one job: at sign-up it connects “your account” with “the person who referred you”. From then on, the exchange uses that relationship to calculate the referrer’s commission and the rebate or rewards you can receive. A referral link puts the referral code into a URL: open the sign-up page from the link and the code fills in automatically, which works the same as typing it in.
| Common name (translated from Chinese) | English | Exchanges that use it officially (Chinese interface) |
|---|---|---|
| Referral code | referral code | Binance’s sign-up guide says “referral code”, and Bybit’s guide to adding a code later also uses “referral code” |
| Invitation code | invitation code, invite code | OKX “Invitation code (optional)”, Bitget “Enter invitation code (optional)”, KuCoin, Gate, MEXC, XT.COM, WEEX, Pionex |
| Promotion code | referral code | The share page in the MEXC app |
| Referrer ID, referral ID | referral ID, referrer ID | WEEX’s sign-up guide says “Referrer ID” |
| Agent invitation code, agent code | affiliate code | Bybit: the code of an affiliate (agent), separate from regular users’ referral codes |
| Referral link, invitation link | referral link | MEXC, XT.COM, Gate and HTX all offer links that fill in the referral code automatically when opened |
Sources: Binance sign-up guide, OKX referral program FAQ, Bitget app sign-up guide, KuCoin sign-up guide, MEXC guide to inviting friends, WEEX sign-up guide, Bybit guide to adding an affiliate code.
The names differ, but two distinctions matter. First, Bybit splits affiliates’ “agent invitation codes” and regular users’ “referral codes” into two programs, and adding a code after sign-up only accepts the former. Second, some exchanges run both a “referral program” and an “affiliate program”, and the two kinds of code give new users different benefits, as the next section explains. For other rebate terms, see the rebate glossary.
What does “referral code (optional)” mean? Do you have to fill it in?
“Referral code (optional)” is the field where you enter the code of the person or partner who invited you; because it’s optional, you can leave it blank and still finish signing up. On exchanges, though, the field can usually be filled in only at sign-up: of the 13 exchanges I compared, only 6 let you add a code afterward, and all of them have conditions. See can you add a referral code after sign-up.
Many apps have this field on their sign-up page. Reward rules differ from platform to platform, and the platform’s official rules are what count. Here is what generally applies, followed by examples from exchanges:
- If you leave it blank, sign-up goes through as normal. Your account just isn’t linked to a referrer, so you don’t get the rewards a referral code carries. On an exchange, fees still follow the official fee schedule, and on exchanges such as OKX and XT.COM you can’t add a code later, while KuCoin requires a separate “Link Referrer” request that it reviews.
- If you enter one, your account is linked to that referrer, and what you get depends on the platform’s rules. On exchanges, for example, an invitee under Binance’s standard referral (Lite) who buys more than 50 USD of crypto can get a trading fee rebate voucher worth up to 100 USD, and an OKX affiliate’s invitee gets a rebate share between 0% and 20%, set by the affiliate. Entering a referral code doesn’t make your trading fees higher.
- Some apps say referral code, others say invite code, referral ID or referrer ID. Each platform just names it differently; it’s the same field. Among exchanges, OKX says “Invitation code (optional)”, Bitget says “Enter invitation code (optional)” and WEEX says “Referrer ID”.
- Only use a referral code from a source you trust, and before you submit, check that the field shows the code you want, because on an exchange one account can be linked to only one referrer. A referral code is meant to be shared, and entering one never requires your password. If anyone asks for your password, verification codes or API keys in the name of a referral code, don’t give them; see how to spot a rebate scam.
What do you get from a referral code? Will you pay higher fees?
You won’t pay more. Take Binance: on its official fee page, the spot rate for regular users (VIP 0) is 0.1% for both Maker and Taker, or 0.075% when paying with BNB (Binance trading fee page). The schedule is tiered by VIP level and BNB discount; there is no “with or without referral code” column. Depending on which program the referral code belongs to, new users get one of two kinds of benefit:
| Type of benefit | How you get it | Examples from official pages |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic rebate from the exchange (fee discount) | You pay the full fee on every trade and the exchange refunds a share of it afterward; it keeps being paid for as long as you trade | Binance Referral Pro: when the referrer chooses to share, the invitee receives a rebate. OKX affiliates: the invitee’s rebate share is between 0% and 20%. XT.COM: the invitee’s “Futures/Spot Cashback” is the fee saved on trades |
| Beginner tasks, sign-up rewards | Complete set tasks within a deadline after sign-up to claim a one-off reward or voucher | Binance standard referral (Lite): an invitee who buys more than 50 USD of crypto can get a trading fee rebate voucher worth up to 100 USD. OKX referral program: invitees are automatically enrolled in the new-user rewards program, and trading tasks must be completed within 14 days of sign-up |
Sources: Binance Referral Pro FAQ (updated 2026-08-05), Binance referral program guide (updated 2026-03-25), OKX affiliate FAQ (updated 2026-09-15), OKX referral program guide (updated 2026-10-05), XT.COM referral rebate guide.
You can’t necessarily get both. Binance states that new users can use only one referral mode: anyone who signed up through a standard referral can’t later register through Referral Pro. My view: for people who trade often, an ongoing automatic rebate usually works out better than a one-off voucher, because vouchers expire while a rebate refunds in proportion to however much you trade. For how the two compare, see fee vouchers vs referral code rebates; for how the referrer’s commission relates to your rebate, see referrer commission vs. invitee rebate.
How much does the automatic rebate actually refund?
The rebate is calculated on the fees you actually pay:
Amount refunded = trade value × fee rate × rebate percentage
Using Binance’s VIP 0 spot rate of 0.1%: buying 10,000 USDT of crypto costs 10,000 × 0.1% = 10 USDT in fees, and selling costs another 10 USDT. Multiply those 20 USDT by the rebate percentage and you get the amount the exchange refunds.
This site’s Binance referral code KEVINWU comes with the automatic fee rebate from the exchange, currently 20%, paid by Binance straight into your account. What you get back at different trade sizes:
| Monthly volume | Fees (0.1%) | Auto rebate (20%) | Net fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 USDT | 1 USDT | 0.2 USDT | 0.8 USDT |
| 10,000 USDT | 10 USDT | 2 USDT | 8 USDT |
| 100,000 USDT | 100 USDT | 20 USDT | 80 USDT |
Example at a spot fee rate of 0.1% and the current 20% automatic rebate (rate updated 2026-10-24). Your exchange statement prevails.
OKX: the automatic fee rebate from the exchange with this site’s referral code KEVINWU is 20%.
Bitget: the automatic fee rebate from the exchange with this site’s referral code KEVINWU is 20%.
MEXC: the automatic fee rebate from the exchange with this site’s referral code mexc-KEVINWU is 20%.
These percentages are synced daily with the settings in the exchanges’ dashboards. Monthly changes are collected in the monthly exchange rebate rate report, and the syncing method is explained in how we compile rebate data. Some exchanges’ referral code pages also include screenshots of rebates being credited. To see what you actually pay in fees after the refund, see actual fees after referral rebates.
Where do you enter a referral code? Can you add one after signing up?
You enter the referral code on the sign-up page, usually at the step where you set your password. It’s labeled “optional”, and on some exchanges you have to expand it before the field appears. If you open the sign-up page from a referral link, the code fills in automatically; just check that the field holds the code you want before submitting. Whether you can add one after signing up varies a lot by exchange:
| Exchange | Sign-up field (official Chinese label, translated) | Can you add one after sign-up? | Referral code page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binance | “Referral code”; once filled in, a green check and “Linked” appear | Within 30 days of sign-up, with no deposits or trades yet, you can add it yourself | Binance referral code |
| OKX | “Invitation code (optional)” | No, it must be entered before you finish signing up | OKX referral code |
| Bybit | Bybit’s official guide to adding a code says “agent invitation code”; regular users’ codes are called referral codes | Within 14 days of sign-up, and only an affiliate’s agent invitation code can be added | Bybit fee rebate (Fee Otter) |
| Bitget | “Enter invitation code (optional)” | No official process for adding one could be found; inviting users who are already registered isn’t recognized | Bitget referral code |
| Gate | Invitation code or invitation link | No official process for adding one could be found | Gate referral code |
| MEXC | “Invitation code” (called a promotion code on the app’s share page) | Self-service linking within 30 days of sign-up | MEXC referral code |
| BingX | Both “invitation code” and “referral code” are used | Under “My Inviter”, as long as you haven’t deposited (including buying crypto) or invited any friends yet | BingX referral code |
| KuCoin | “Invitation code”; if it isn’t filled in automatically, you can type the last 6 characters | You can submit a “Link Referrer” request, which KuCoin reviews; conditions not stated | KuCoin referral code |
| HTX | Invitation code, invitation link | No official process for adding one could be found | HTX referral code |
| XT.COM | Invitation code, invitation link | Only at sign-up | XT.COM referral code |
| WEEX | “Invitation code (optional, if any)” | Once sign-up succeeds, the referral can’t be changed | WEEX referral code |
| Pionex | “Invitation code”; the official sign-up guide states it’s optional | Within 14 days of sign-up; only 3 days if you’ve already placed a trade | Pionex referral code |
| Ourbit | “Invitation code”; the referral page has “Bind referrer” | Accounts with no referrer yet can add one; no deadline is stated officially | Ourbit referral code |
Sources for the rules on adding a code: Binance Referral Pro FAQ, OKX referral program FAQ, Bybit guide to adding a code, Bitget affiliate program announcement, MEXC self-service linking guide, BingX sign-up FAQ, Pionex guide to adding a referral code.
Of the 6 that allow it, Pionex has the shortest window: if you place a trade after signing up, the deadline shrinks from 14 days to 3. Binance and BingX both require that you haven’t deposited yet, so if you plan to add a code, add it before depositing. All 6 also state that once a referral is linked, it can’t be changed. The full rules are in can you add a referral code after sign-up, and what to do once the deadline has passed is in the guide to switching referral codes.
Bybit has no automatic fee rebate from the exchange that applies to this site, so the table links to a different way of getting Bybit rebates. Since 2024-09-03 Ourbit has charged 0 fees on all spot trading, with futures at 0.02% Maker and 0.04% Taker (Ourbit zero spot fee announcement). With no spot fees to refund, rebates there only come from futures trading.
Referral code invalid or showing an error? What to do
First work out which case you’re in. I’ve collected the reasons mentioned in each exchange’s official pages in the table below:
| Reason | What the official pages say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A typo, or the link didn’t fill it in | Binance: if the referral code is invalid, you can edit it or enter a different code. XT.COM: entering the wrong invitation code at sign-up is a common cause. KuCoin: if the invitation link didn’t fill in the code automatically, the link may have expired | Copy and paste the code instead of typing it; on KuCoin you can enter the last 6 characters of the invitation code manually |
| The account is already registered, or already has a referrer | Bitget: inviting users who are already registered isn’t recognized. OKX: the account isn’t an eligible new account. Bybit: adding a code is only open to accounts that don’t yet have an affiliate code or referral code | Check whether that exchange lets you add a code later; if you already have a referrer, your only option is its switching rules |
| Region or site mismatch | Gate: cross-site invitations aren’t supported, so if the invitee is moved to another site by the region they pick, the referral doesn’t count; the referral program isn’t open to users in Belgium, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Austria and South Korea | Check the region and site you chose at sign-up; see exchange restricted countries first |
| The code belongs to a different program | Bybit: adding a code doesn’t support referral codes that other users provide through the referral program. Binance: new users can use only one referral mode. Gate: each user can register through only one referral method | Ask your referrer which kind of code they gave you |
| Downloading the app before signing up | OKX: if you download the app separately and sign up there, the referral code from the link may not be applied; a referral link clicked within the past 30 days may be tied to the device. XT.COM: if you first downloaded the app through an ad or another channel, the referral may be attributed to that original channel | Finish signing up on the web page opened from the referral link, then download the app and log in |
| Browser issues | OKX: incognito mode or the cache may affect whether the code is applied | OKX recommends reopening the referral link in an incognito window and checking the field again before submitting |
Sources: Binance sign-up guide (updated 2025-11-24), XT.COM referral rebate guide (updated 2026-06-13), KuCoin sign-up guide, Bitget affiliate program announcement, OKX referral program FAQ (updated 2026-09-17), OKX referral program guide, Gate referral rules, Bybit guide to adding an affiliate code (updated 2026-06-05).
No exchange states officially whether referral codes are case-sensitive, so copying and pasting is the safest option. If you see “invalid”, don’t submit the sign-up yet: on most exchanges, once you submit you can’t add a code later, so fix the field first. App sign-ups are covered in will a referral code bind if you sign up in the app?
How do you check which referral code you’re linked to?
The best time to check is on the sign-up page: on Binance, once a referral code is filled in, a green check and “Linked” appear next to the field; on other exchanges, check that the code in the field is right. After sign-up, the exchanges that officially let invitees see their linked referral code or referrer are OKX, Bybit, MEXC, Pionex and Ourbit. On the others you have to tell from rebates credited after you trade, or give your UID to support so they can check. Give only your UID, never your password, verification codes or API keys. Where to look on each exchange is in how to check whether your referral code is bound.
How is a referral code different from a rebate site?
The difference is who pays and where the money goes. With a referral code that carries the automatic fee rebate from the exchange, the exchange refunds the rebate straight into your exchange account, and you don’t need to sign up for any other website. A third-party rebate site usually works like this: you sign up at the exchange with its referral code, then bind your UID on its website; the extra rebate is paid by the rebate site itself and credited to your account on the rebate site.
Because an account can be linked to only one referral code, you need to decide which route to take before you sign up. When comparing them, I look at three things: who pays the rebate, how often it’s settled, and whether you can see the details. The rebate sites compared so far are covered in how to choose a rebate site; how to break down the percentages they advertise is in how to read rebate percentage claims; and how influencer referral codes differ from regular ones is in KOL referral codes vs regular referral codes. For “rebate services” that ask you to pay upfront or hand over your password, see how to spot a rebate scam.
FAQ
What does referral code mean?
A referral code is a code you enter when signing up at an exchange to link the new account to a referrer; exchanges also often call it an invitation code. Once it’s linked, the exchange uses that relationship to calculate the referrer’s commission and the rebate or new-user rewards the new user can receive.
What does referral ID mean?
A referral ID is another name for a referral code: the referrer’s code that you enter at sign-up so the new account is linked to that referrer. WEEX’s sign-up guide says “Referrer ID”, and English interfaces often say referral ID or referrer ID. As with referral codes, every such field mentioned in official sign-up guides is marked optional, and one account can be linked to only one referrer.
Can I sign up without a referral code?
Yes. Every referral code field mentioned in the official sign-up guides is marked optional, and you can sign up and trade without one. The difference is that there’s no referral relationship, so you don’t get the rebate or rewards a referral code carries; on exchanges such as OKX and XT.COM you also can’t add one later, and KuCoin requires a separate “Link Referrer” request that it reviews.
Will a referral code make my trading fees higher?
No. Official fee schedules are tiered by VIP level; for example, Binance VIP 0 spot is 0.1% whether or not you used a referral code. A referral code with an automatic rebate also refunds part of the fee after you trade.
How many referral codes can one account use?
One. Binance states that new users can use only one referral mode, Gate states that each user can register through only one referral method, and most exchanges also state that a referral can’t be changed once linked. If you want a different referrer, your only option is each exchange’s switching rules.
Do referral codes expire?
Most exchanges don’t state whether the referral code itself expires; what usually has a time limit is the commission or rebate that comes from the referral relationship. KuCoin mentions that invitation links may expire, in which case you can enter the last 6 characters of the invitation code manually. Binance states that the referrer’s futures commission lasts 1 year, and when it ends the invitee’s futures rebate stops too, unless the referrer’s futures commission rate is 30% or higher. Futures are leveraged, and a price move against you can get your position forcibly liquidated.
Can my referrer see my personal information?
In the official pages I found, what referrers can see is mainly UIDs and referral and trading data; none mention names or identity documents. Binance states that referrers can see invitees’ UIDs under “My Referrals”. OKX affiliates can look up trading records by trader UID, while referrers in the referral program can see each invitee’s task progress and status, and OKX support won’t disclose invitees’ trading or reward details to referrers. Bitget states that affiliates can view referred users, trading activity and rewards in their dashboard (Binance Referral Pro FAQ, OKX affiliate FAQ, OKX referral program FAQ, Bitget affiliate policy).
Can I refer myself with my own referral code?
No. Several exchanges explicitly prohibit it. MEXC states that self-referral is strictly forbidden and the related commission will be cancelled. BingX’s referral agreement prohibits self-referral arbitrage. Pionex states that if rebates are obtained by registering new accounts yourself or by self-referral, Pionex has the right to recover rebates already paid. Bitget states that referrals from the same IP address or device are treated as self-referrals and lose eligibility for past, present and future rewards. Binance also states that if you delete your account and sign up again with the same identity details, rebates will be terminated.
Sources: MEXC referral rules, BingX referral agreement, Pionex rebate rules, Bitget affiliate program announcement (2026-10-08). Other violations that can get rebates cancelled are covered in can rebates be cancelled?
If you haven’t signed up yet, start with the exchange referral code overview to compare each exchange’s referral code and automatic rebate percentage. If you used a referral code but haven’t received a rebate, see what to do if your referral rebate hasn’t arrived. Among Taiwan’s exchanges that trade in New Taiwan dollars (TWD), MAX and BitoPro also have referral codes.