Referral links and promotional codes

Lightyear has two separate programs for new joiners: referral links and promotional codes. The referral program is person-to-person: share your link, and both you and your friend get a reward when they join. Promo codes are typically distributed through our partners and may offer different rewards depending on the promotion.

Both programs work differently and can't be combined, so here's everything you need to know about each one.

The referral program is designed to help grow a community of people who genuinely want to use our tools to invest and manage their money. We let our customers earn a reward by inviting friends to join Lightyear via a referral link. To find out what the current reward is, open your referral link or check our Refer a Friend Terms.

These links are for new customers only, they can't be applied to an existing account or added partway through sign-up. When a referral link is opened, it takes you to a personalised invitation page. From there, you can sign up in one of two ways: enter your email address on the invitation page to start creating your main account, or follow the link's prompt to sign up in the app – continue on the web if you're on a computer, or download the Lightyear app and register there if you're on your phone. Either way, the referral is only registered if the sign-up begins from the invitation page. Entering a friend's name, link, or any other details manually at any point during registration won't work.

Share your referral link with a friend – they need to open the link before they start creating their account, because it can't be added afterwards. Once your friend meets the reward conditions, you'll both receive a reward. You can see the exact reward and conditions in your app or by opening your referral link.

The referrer's rewards are paid into a personal account or a business account:

• If you only have a personal account, your reward goes to that account
• If you also have a business account, it may also become eligible for the referral program. You'll know it's eligible when your referral link appears on that account, even if it also remains visible on your personal account. From then on, your rewards go to your business account and can't be moved to your personal account.

Your friend's reward always goes to their personal account.

The referral program isn't a permanent feature. It runs in cycles and isn't available to everyone at the same time. The easiest way to check if it’s active for you is to check the app. If you can see the referral button, you’re in and can start sharing your link. If it's not there, it’s not available on your account.

On mobile, look for the button in the top right corner of any main screen. On the web, find it in the left sidebar under the gift icon. To keep the program fair and sustainable, we never share what makes someone eligible to get the link. But the app will let you know when it's your time, so just watch out for the button appearing!

Your referral link may move to your business account when it becomes eligible, and we’re not able to move it back to your personal account. This means any rewards you earn from friends accepting your invite will be credited to your business account, even though your friends will always receive their rewards in their personal accounts.

• Your friend must use your referral link to start the sign-up, it can't be applied afterwards
• For the stock reward, there is a monthly limit on how many referral rewards you can earn, and the reward amount cannot be withdrawn for 180 days from the date it was received
• The reward is subject to certain conditions and may be revoked if they are not met. See our terms for details.

Promotional codes give new customers a reward when they sign up and meet certain conditions. These are typically shared publicly by our partners. Typically, a promo code does not apply if you’ve already used a friend's referral link. Promo rewards vary, so check the details from where you got the code or see our Promotion Terms.

• Enter the code during sign-up when the app asks you, or add it afterwards through Profile → Settings → Promotions
• Deposit the qualifying amount stated in the promotion's terms within the app or by the partner you got the code from
• Your reward will be credited to your account once the conditions are met. The rewards may vary from fractional stock to free trades, depending on the promo code.

The promo code you entered at sign-up is fixed. Once it's applied, it can't be changed or replaced. Make sure you've got the right one before signing up.

• Promotional codes are time-limited and may have different rewards and conditions, so always check the terms of each promotion for the expiry date and qualifying conditions. This information is available in the app after you enter the promo code or from where you got the code.
• Typically, promo codes cannot be used if you have already signed up through a friend's referral link
• The reward amount cannot be withdrawn for 180 days from the date it was received

No, referral links and promo codes can't be combined. Whichever one you used when creating your account is the reward you'll get, and we don’t change or swap it afterwards. This means that if you signed up through a referral link, a referral reward will be yours – just complete the steps and the reward is on its way! And the same with a promotional code, so if you have already entered a code, you can only get a promo reward.

Both referral and promo rewards you have received are visible in the Transactions tab and in your Account statement. If you have a pending reward, you can claim it in the Portfolio tab.

You can view your referrals on the same page where you get your referral link. On mobile, look for the button in the top right corner. On web, navigate to the left sidebar and hit the gift icon.

You can view your active and past rewards anytime in Profile → Settings → Promotions.

Once you've placed a buy order through a reward you got, the order can't be changed or cancelled.

If you have a question about your reward, get in touch with our support team below this article and we'll be happy to help.

See also: I didn’t receive my reward