Insurance, Thought Leadership

Examples of referral programs at leading insurance brands

Last Modified: 18/03/2026
15 min read

Author:
Alex Pandya - Marketing Manager

We’ve already explained in this article why referral marketing is made for insurance, and discussed wider strategic marketing options for insurers here, but here’s a quick reminder of the reasons.

Firstly, insurance marketers face all the same problems that marketers in any industry face such as:

The ever-increasing costs of paid marketing on Google and Paid Social
The death of Organic Social
Increased barriers to getting marketing messages in front of consumers: ad blockers, spam filters, banner blindness
Increased regulation around data use and storage: GDPR and CCPA etc.
Consumer distrust of ads and celebrity endorsements
Millennials and Generation Z increasingly not owning/watching terrestrial TV
The declining loyalty of customers

And that’s before considering the increasing evidence that much digital marketing might not even be working that well, as evidenced by so-called turn off experiments and Starling Bank reporting that boycotting Facebook and Instagram had no discernible effect on its business.

But insurance marketers also face many issues, in common with other regulated businesses like banking and utilities, that derive from being an insurer including:

Higher marketing costs in paid search, paid social and affiliates than seen in other industries, due to competition bidding up prices, for example with Wordstream reporting average costs per click in paid search at US$54.91 in 2022
Limitations on marketing as a result of being a regulated industry, obviously more so in health, life and pensions but, even in general insurance, the need for legal and compliance sign-off tends to lead to a more cautious approach than in non-regulated sectors
The capture of traffic by price comparison sites with huge above-the-line marketing budgets and highly effective SEO, which has the effect of turning free traffic into expensive paid leads and creates a ‘deal seeker’ attitude amongst customers always willing to switch provider for a lower premium
And finally, a perception that because insurance is not a passion product like fashion, music, holidays or interior design, that people don’t want to talk about it with friends and family – that is unless they want to complain.

But as we explained in our recent article, customers do talk to friends and family about insurance, because it’s an important decision, which can have serious consequences in the case of a wrong choice. And because it’s so hard for John Doe to tell one insurer or one policy from another, the advice of current and past customers is vital to understand the best choice to make.

As a result, insurers and brokers can and do get the same benefits from referral that helped unicorns like Uber, Tesla, Dropbox, and Airbnb grow and get better customers that cost less and stay for longer. And when you consider that referring friends has become commonplace with eight out of ten consumers expecting to be able to refer friends to their favorite brands and 95% of customers claiming to have referred at least one friend in the past year, this is a marketing tactic that insurers cannot afford to pass up on.

To show just how referral or member-get-member marketing has become the go-to tool for the insurance industry, we have compiled a list of 24 examples of referral programs across leading insurance brands for you to compare. As you will see, some of these programs are very basic and may not be that effective and perhaps may even infringe data protection laws. We’ll let you be the judge, but there’s definitely a case for moving away from manual or basic referral programs to state-of-the-art digital ones.

1. Vitality Health and Life

The Vitality brand, created 25 years ago, is now the world’s largest incentive-based health promotion program. In 2019 alone, its members saved £103m as a result of the Vitality Programme. In addition to helping members directly via rewards, Vitality is also committed to being carbon neutral by 2025 and reaching net zero by 2050.

Vitality is utilizing rewards marketing in various parts of its business. Through their well-thought-out and sophisticated Health and Life insurance referral program, customers earn a choice of either a £100 John Lewis or Amazon voucher for each referral. Once a policy is taken out, their referred-in friend will also receive a choice of a voucher worth £100 for John Lewis or Amazon.

2. Trupanion

Trupanion is a leading pet insurance provider based in Washington, that offers cat and dog insurance, in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Puerto Rico. The fastest-growing player in the pet medical insurance space, Trupanion provides comprehensive insurance plans that cover hereditary & congenital conditions.

Their referral program is focused on supporting breeders. Trupanion customers receive US$25 for each successful referral and can earn up to US$600 a year. Their referrers will have a choice of voucher once their friend has qualified.

3. AXA Health

Founded in 1940, AXA is one of the world’s leading multinational private insurance companies. Operating primarily in Western Europe, North America, the Indian Pacific region, and the Middle East, AXA Group is a conglomerate of independently run businesses. In the UK, AXA has subsidiaries in the car, health, business, landlord, travel, and van insurance sectors. AXA Health offers private healthcare cover for individuals and businesses, with both health and dental insurance.

The AXA Health refer-a-friend program launched in December 2022 and offers rewards worth £100 to both parties in each successful referral. As long as the friend takes out an insurance policy and does not cancel during the cooling-off period. Their customers can refer multiple times, meaning their advocates can rack up a fair amount for their loyalty. Once the policy is set up, their rewards will be distributed within 70 days.

As of March 2026, AXA has extended its referral approach into its global healthcare offering with a program designed to sit seamlessly within the customer journey. The experience is fully embedded on AXA’s website, with participation limited to existing policyholders. To qualify, the referred customer must purchase a policy worth at least £130 and keep it active for a minimum of three months. On completion, both the referrer and the new customer receive a £100 reward, with a choice of Uber or PayPal vouchers, combining strong validation with a simple, appealing incentive structure.

4. The AA

The AA is one of the longest-standing and largest automotive services businesses in the UK. Their award-winning breakdown cover and signature branding have been pervasive in the UK’s motor insurance zeitgeist for decades. Their customers benefit from unlimited call-outs for no extra cost and cover on campervans and caravans.

A company with strong brand awareness and experience-based, word-of-mouth advocacy in its customer base, a referral is a key acquisition channel for The AA. Through their refer-a-friend program, their customers receive a choice of a £20 Amazon or M&S voucher for each successful referral. The referred-in customer need only buy AA breakdown cover on an annual basis online, and both parties will be rewarded within 6 weeks. Referrers can earn up to £240 per year.

5. Zego

Zego is a UK-based unicorn in commercial motor insurance for businesses, providing cover for everything from entire fleets of vehicles to self-employed drivers and riders. Zego, uniquely offers micro-insurance policies for self-employed couriers, delivery drivers, van drivers, and private hire vehicles. They have sold over 40 million policies so far and insured over 400,00 vehicles.

Zego’s referral program rewards their existing customers with choices worth £10 and £50 for referring a new customer for a monthly and annual policy, respectively. Zego has employed a ‘cash-is-king’ mentality and ensured there is a PayPal option among the reward choices.

6. Square One

Established in 2011 and based in Vancouver, Square One offers uniquely customizable property insurance for homeowners, landlords, and tenants. Square One customers, can personalize their limits, coverages, and deductibles. Put plainly, they can choose what to insure and how much to insure it for. Winner of the Best Home Insurance Agency – Canada at the Wealth and Finance International Global Insurance and Risk Management Awards 2022, Square One is a global leader in the NA region in the insurance sector.

Square One incentivizes referred-in customers to convert fully by offering rewards at different stages of the journey. Their customers receive a $25 account credit when their friend buys a policy. The new customer will also get a $10 Amazon gift card for getting a quote.

7. APRIL Insurance

APRIL is the leading wholesale insurance broker in France. Established in 1988, they have a network of 15,000 partner brokers, are operating in 16 countries, and had revenue of more than €544M in 2021. April strives to offer the best service in asset management, loan insurance, foreign health insurance, property and casualty niche insurance, and personal protection for individuals, professionals, and VSEs.

April’s customers can invite their friends and relatives to take out an April policy and both the existing client and their friend have the choice of a Cadhoc gift card or PayPal cash worth up to €50.

8. Allianz Insurance Malaysia

With around 155,000 employees worldwide, the Allianz Group serves 126 million customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz Insurance is the market leader in Germany and has a strong international presence. In the 2021 fiscal year, the Allianz Group achieved total revenues of approximately 149 billion euros.

The Malaysian side of the business offers a referral program enabling members to earn cash rewards by referring. Upon a successful referral for personal insurance, customers will earn a referral fee equivalent to 50% of the policy’s First Year Commission (FYC).

9. Direct Assurance

Created in 1992, Direct Assurance is the French leader in online Auto insurance, Direct Assurance but also offers Home and Motorcycle policies. The company is a 100% subsidiary of the AXA group. Direct Assurance has been designing solutions adapted to the budget and needs of its customers for cars, homes, and motorcycles for more than twenty years. Offering two innovative products, the company is staying on the cutting edge of claim response. Their mobile service application allows customers to declare and follow the management of their claim, directly from their mobile. The YouDrive offer is the first connected car insurance in France. Principally, this can reduce the amount of the monthly insurance premium by up to 50%.

Through their very basic referral program, existing customers can earn €20 when their family and friends take out an auto insurance policy. The new customer is required to enter the referrer’s promo code and policy number of the referrer when requesting a quote. The new customer will, in turn, earn €20 as well. Rewards are delivered within 60 days of the first transaction.

10. Assurancevie.com

Assurancevie.com is an online independent insurance broker that offers life, pension, PEA insurance, and succession management in France. Their products are managed and purchased completely online: 0% entry and exit, and only 0.60% annual management fees.

Their referral program is aimed at promoting their life and pension cover. Their basic program offers €70 or €80 to the referrer depending on which policy the referred-in customer takes out. For the new customer, €200 is offered in a range of formats – an arbitration mandate, equivalent value of free management, or direct payment – depending on the product that is taken out.

As you can see, the referral process requires the completion of a long and detailed form.

11. Aréas Assurance

Aréas Assurance is an independent group of mutual insurance companies based in France. Aréas offers a complete range of products including health, life, property, car, home and inheritance, both for individuals and professionals.

Aréas’ referral program is very flexible and new customers can be referred to a multitude of products. When an individual takes out an eligible product, the referrer will receive a €30 gift voucher. They can refer up to 5 times, so the limit to their reward is €150.

When referring for a professional insurance policy, the referrer will earn €100 in vouchers, with a limit of €500. There is no reward for the new customer in either scenario and each new customer must have a minimum annual spend of €150 and €300 to qualify.

12. Marshmallow Insurance

An innovative insurtech company based in the United Kingdom, Marshmallow aims to make van and car insurance accessible and more affordable for as many people as possible. Founded in 2015, they are fairly new kids on the block but already boast a 4.5-star Trustpilot score.

When Marshmallow’s program was active, Marshmallow customers who had a policy for at least a month could find their share link in their account area. Through their referral program, their customers and the referred-in customers could receive a one-off £25 worth of gift vouchers for Amazon. The reward structure was very simple and did not account for the cost of different policies. As of March 2026, the program is not active.

13. BUPA Australia

Bupa is an international healthcare giant serving over 38 million customers worldwide, principally operating in the UK, Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico, the US, the Middle East, and Ireland.

While a huge international company with areas of the business dedicated to a number of sectors within healthcare, Bupa’s Australian health insurance branch offers cover for customers working, visiting, and studying in Australia. With accessible healthcare through a sophisticated app, Bupa AU makes it easy for customers to benefit from their cover while they’re in Australia.

Through their referral program, referred customers must purchase a combined hospital and extras package for 30 consecutive days before their referrer receives a AU$100 e-gift card. E-gift cards can be exchanged at hundreds of retailers – from large department stores to electronic stores to food delivery services. Though the referred-in customer will benefit from Bupa’s latest offers, there is no direct reward for them and only existing customers can refer their friends.

14. CNR Insurance

CNR is an independent insurance agency based in the United States and representing several highly rated insurers for Personal, Commercial, and Life-related insurance products. CNR aims to, not only sell insurance but work closely with clients to help them make important and informed decisions when it comes to protection and their future.

Their refer-a-friend program offers US$25 to referrers for each new customer acquired, no matter if the person referring is a customer or not. The new customer does not appear to get a reward.

While we have no insights as to how well this program performs, we think this is a classic example of a very basic program that could drive more if upgraded. For example, while the copy explains how it works, it’s just a form asking who referred you and doesn’t really grab a visitor’s attention or showcase the rewards.

15. Assurpeople

Assurpeople.com is one of the commercial brands of LSA Courtage, a leader in property and casualty insurance brokerage (auto and home) for individuals in France. Assurpeople offers customers tailor-made products, partnering with AXA, GENERALI, Allianz, and SwissLife. Though they specialize in cover for damaged, canceled, and young driver car insurance, their cover options range from home to, pet and funeral. With a 100% online journey, their focus is on speed and simplicity for their over 200,000 customers.

Their referral program has a tiered structure, whereby customers are rewarded depending on the policy the referred-in friend takes out using a tiered structure. While a typical tiered reward structure will pay out rewards in accordance with the value of the policies taken out, it’s hard to see the logic behind the structure here: for a car insurance referral the referrer will receive €25 and the new customer, €20 via cheque; for home, both parties get €15; and for health, both parties get €20.

16. Excalibur Insurance

With a fundamental and overt ethical mission statement, Excalibur Insurance is an insurance company based in Ontario, Canada. Though specializing in home and motor insurance, they also offer health, farm, business, recreation, and other – more niche – cover.

Their referral program provides three types of reward when a referred-in friend asks for a quote and both the referrers and friend: (i) receive a C$20 Tim Hortons voucher; (ii) are entered into a monthly draw with a prize of C$100; and (iii) are also entered into an annual draw to win a prize worth $2500. While the rewards are enticing, the referral process is very simple and requires that the referred-in friend either ring for a quote and name the referrer or fill in a very short form with contact details and the name of the referrer.

17. By Miles

By Miles is the UK’s leading pay-by-mile auto insurance provider, making car insurance more cost-effective and easier to manage for people who drive less. Voted UK’s best car insurance provider & best insurance app at the Insurance Choice Awards 2020 and 2019, By Miles capitalized on the change in status quo of the pandemic.

With a significant proportion of the UK workforce now working from home, motorists consider on-demand cover when shopping around for car insurance at renewal.

Through their referral program, both parties receive a £100 credit for free miles for each new customer who purchases a policy.

18. Euro Assurance

The Euro Assurance brokerage firm is a member of the french Assu 2000 group. Founded in 1968, it offers insurance products for individuals, vehicles, cars, two-wheelers, home, and health. Euro Assurance also offers car insurance solutions for professionals, motorhomes, and cars that don’t require a license.

Their referral program allows their policyholders to refer someone to auto and motorcycle cover. As soon as the new customer’s contract is validated the referrer receives a bonus of €40 (by bank transfer) and the new customer will benefit from a €30 reduction on their next monthly payment.

19. Protect Line

Established in 2010, Protect Line is one of the UK’s leading fee-free Life Insurance Brokers with over 30,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot and multiple consumer awards. Specializing in life insurance, they have protected over 200,000 families with unexpected emergencies.

Their referral program is only available for existing customers to refer their friends and family to a life insurance policy or critical illness Cover with Protect Line. The process is fairly simple – refer friends or family, they take out a policy, and after they’ve held the policy for a minimum of 3 months the reward is sent. There is no limit to the number of referrals one can have and, if they choose to take out a policy, the existing customer will be eligible for a £40 high street (by lifestyle) voucher each time. There is no reward for the referred-in customer.

20. L’Olivier Assurance

Founded in 2010, L’Olivier Assurance is a key player in the motor and home insurance industry in France. A subsidiary of the Admiral Group, L’Olivier has over 10,000 employees and have been voted among the top workplaces in France for 7 years running. They offer a 100% digital service, very competitive prices, and flexible cover. With 6 million policyholders in Europe and the backing of Admiral Group, L’Olivier is set up for success.

Their referral program – or offre-parrainage – is extremely visible on their website navigation, situated just below the fold on their homepage. The program is behind a customer login but is advertised to all website traffic, “earn up €400 through sponsorship”. Existing customers can earn €80 or €40 for each successful car or home insurance, respectively. The referred-in friend will receive €20, across all products, paid via bank transfer.

21. iSalud

iSalud is a Spanish health insurance comparison platform that helps customers find and purchase policies from a wide range of providers, making it easier to navigate a complex and competitive market.

Their referral program is designed to drive new customer acquisition by encouraging existing users to recommend the platform to friends and family. To qualify, the referred-in customer must purchase a health insurance policy and retain it beyond a 75-day cooling-off period. Once validated, both the referrer and the new customer receive a €50 reward, with a choice of Amazon or El Corte Inglés vouchers.

22. Faye

Faye, a rising star in the travel insurance market, is distinguished by its user-friendly mobile first approach, whole-trip coverage and quick reimbursements for travelers. As a reflection of their innovative approach, Faye has implemented a referral program designed to enhance their community engagement and reward their users effectively.

Existing customers have the opportunity to participate in the referral program by sharing a unique link from their Faye app. When someone purchases a Faye Travel Insurance policy using this link, the referrer is credited with $10 directly into their Faye Wallet. This program is capped at $50 per calendar year, rewarding up to five successful referrals.

The Faye Wallet is a digital card that can be added to mobile payment systems like Apple Pay or Google Pay, allowing for immediate access to the funds. Referrers can use their referral earnings for seamless transactions anywhere these payment methods are accepted or transfer the funds to their bank account for other uses.

23. RAC

RAC is one of the UK’s most established breakdown cover providers, offering roadside assistance and vehicle recovery services to millions of drivers. Known for its 24/7 support and industry expertise, RAC has been a trusted name in motoring for over a century, helping drivers stay on the road with a range of insurance and breakdown policies.

To encourage customers to share its services, RAC introduced a refer-a-friend program in early 2025 that rewards both existing members and new customers. Policyholders can refer friends through a dedicated referral page. If the referred friend purchases breakdown cover, both will receive a £25 Amazon gift card. Only RAC customers are eligible to earn referral rewards, ensuring the program benefits genuine members. A 45-day cooling-off period applies before rewards are issued.

This referral program gives RAC customers a simple way to introduce friends and family to a service they rely on while earning a reward in return.

In March 2026, RAC extended its referral approach into its RAC Car Insurance offering. As a regulated insurance product, rewards are only offered to the referrer. Customers receive a £25 voucher for each successful referral, with a choice of Amazon, M&S, or John Lewis. To qualify, the referred-in customer must purchase car insurance and retain their policy for at least 60 days, with both parties maintaining active cover and no missed payments.

24. ManyPets

ManyPets is a leading pet insurance provider operating across the UK, US, and Europe, offering flexible cover for cats and dogs with a strong focus on transparency and customer experience.

Their referral program is designed to turn satisfied pet owners into advocates by rewarding them for recommending the brand. Existing customers can refer friends and family, and when a referred-in customer purchases a policy and passes the required validation period, both parties receive a reward. Typically, this takes the form of a £20–£30 voucher, creating a simple and accessible incentive that encourages sharing while keeping the proposition easy to understand.

Hopefully, the above summary of insurance referral programs has convinced you how many leading insurers and brokers are already looking at referral marketing to drive customer acquisition. If you’re thinking of starting a program yourself or looking at how you can improve the performance of your existing program, we’d love to talk. And if you work at one of the companies mentioned above and your program is not already powered by Buyapowa, we’ve got plenty of ideas as to how you could improve the performance of your current program, so feel free to reach out.