Polymarket referral code: what new users actually get
Polymarket gives referred users no bonus or fee discount. What the referral link does, how referrers earn 10% of net fees, and how to actually cut your fees.
3 min read
Disclosure: Some links in this article are referral links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't affect what we write. How we make money.
Key takeaways
- Polymarket does not use typed referral codes. Referrals work through share links, and a new user must sign up within 30 days of clicking one.
- As of September 2026, Polymarket's docs list no bonus or fee discount for the referred user. You pay the same fees either way.
- Referrers earn 10% of net fees from direct referrals and 5% from indirect ones, for 30 days per referral, once they have $10,000 in lifetime volume.
- The real ways to cut your fees are limit orders (makers pay zero) and the Taker Rebate tiers, which start at 3% back.
Polymarket’s referral link gives you no sign-up bonus and no fee discount. According to Polymarket’s own referral terms (updated May 28, 2026), rewards go only to the person who referred you. Signing up through a link costs you nothing, and there is nothing extra to claim.
That makes this page different from most “referral code” pages. Below is how the link works, what actually lowers your costs on Polymarket, and what referrers earn.
How do you use a Polymarket referral link?
There is no code box. Polymarket attributes referrals through share links.
- Open the link above (or any user’s shared market or profile link).
- Create your account on polymarket.com within 30 days of that click. Polymarket’s terms say a sign-up after 30 days is not attributed.
- Deposit and trade as usual. Nothing changes on your side.
Already have an account? There is no way to attach a referrer later. Attribution only happens at sign-up. Creating a second account to get attributed is pointless (there is no reward for you) and breaks the terms, which ban linked accounts.
In the US? The international site blocks US residents. The Polymarket US iOS app is a separate product with separate accounts, according to Polymarket’s help center, and this referral program applies to polymarket.com.
What lowers your Polymarket fees instead?
Since the referral does nothing for your fees, these two things matter more. Both are covered in depth in our Polymarket fees guide.
Limit orders that rest on the book pay zero. Polymarket’s fee page is explicit: makers are never charged fees, only takers.
Taker Rebate tiers. Takers earn a rebate once their 30-day “weighted volume” passes a threshold. The first tier, Bronze, starts at $2,000 of weighted volume, pays 3% back and includes a one-time $10 bonus.
Worked example
Say you buy $1,000 of “Yes” in a Politics market at 50¢ with a market order. That is 2,000 shares. Using the published formula (shares × 0.04 × price × (1 − price)):
- As a taker: 2,000 × 0.04 × 0.5 × 0.5 = $20 fee (2% of the trade).
- As a maker (limit order at 50¢ that someone fills later): $0.
- Toward Bronze: that trade earns $1,000 × 0.5 × 1.3 (Politics weight) = $650 of weighted volume. About $3,100 of similar trades in 30 days gets you to Bronze, where 3% of future taker fees comes back to you.
In this example, a limit order saves you $20, and a referral link saves you nothing.
How does the Polymarket referral program work for referrers?
According to the referral program page, as of September 2026:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | $10,000 lifetime trading volume (you can share links before, but earn only after) |
| Direct referral | 10% of net trading fees |
| Indirect referral | 5% of net fees (people your referrals bring in) |
| Duration | First 30 days after the referral signs up |
| Tier cap | Rewards stop once the referral reaches Platinum tier |
| Payout | Daily at midnight UTC, in pUSD |
| Excluded | Fee-free markets (Geopolitics), omnibus-wallet integrations, self-referrals |
“Net” means what Polymarket keeps after the referred user’s own tier rebate. A referral on Gold tier gets 18% of their fees back, so the referrer’s 10% applies to the remaining 82%.
Example: a friend takes $5,000 of crypto-market trades at 50¢ in their first month. That is 10,000 shares × 0.07 × 0.25 = $175 in fees. Before tier rebates, the direct referrer earns about $17.50 and an indirect referrer about $8.75. Once the friend’s volume puts them in Bronze (3% rebate), later trades pay the referrer slightly less.
Limits worth knowing
- The window is short. Some older guides mention a 180-day window. The current terms say 30 days.
- Only fees count. A referral who trades only with limit orders, or only in Geopolitics markets, earns the referrer nothing.
- Terms can change without notice, and Polymarket can claw back rewards for self-referrals or inauthentic trading.
If you want a referral program where the referrer’s share is larger and permanent, Limitless pays 10–40% of taker fees with no time limit. See our Limitless referral code page and the full Polymarket vs Limitless comparison.
New to the platform? Start with how to use Polymarket, which covers deposits on Polygon and your first order.
Frequently asked questions
Does Polymarket have a referral code?
Not in the classic sense. Polymarket referrals run through share links on market and profile pages. There is no code field to type into at sign-up.
Do I get a bonus for signing up with a Polymarket referral link?
No. As of September 2026, Polymarket's referral terms describe rewards only for the referrer. The referred user pays standard fees.
How much do Polymarket referrers earn?
10% of net trading fees from direct referrals and 5% from indirect referrals, paid daily in pUSD. Rewards stop after 30 days or when the referral reaches Platinum tier, whichever comes first.
Can I add a Polymarket referral to an existing account?
No. Attribution happens when a new user signs up through a link. An existing account cannot be linked to a referrer afterwards.
Can US residents use a Polymarket referral link?
The international site at polymarket.com blocks the United States. US residents use the separate Polymarket US app, which has its own accounts.
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