To understand why telecoms marketers have turned towards referral or member-get-member programs, we first need to look at the daunting challenges they face.
On the one hand, the demand for mobile, fixed-line and broadband services never cease to stop growing. Users now just expect the highest-possible quality streaming to their fixed and mobile devices, with all the huge capex requirements in fibre networks, 5G etc. that necessitates.
On the other hand, ARPUs are under constant pressure from fierce price competition. This is particularly true in saturated markets like India, Spain and Italy. But telecoms companies across the globe have seen disruption to traditional revenue streams, especially from players like Whatsapp, Viber, Zoom and Google Meet who monetise Internet traffic without having to pay for the costs of building and maintaining any infrastructure.
To top it all, customer acquisition costs (‘CAC’) – which were estimated a few years go to be as much as US$315 per new customer – keep growing, due to the spiraling costs of paid search and paid social media. Meanwhile, traditional advertising delivers increasingly slighter returns due to ad blockers, banner blindness, spam filters, widespread consumer distrust of advertising and societal changes, such as millennials often not owning terrestrial TVs.
Finally, customers are becoming less loyal and more willing to switch brands for a better deal, because, on the face of it, telecoms brands have become the nearest thing there is to a commodity in the technology space. Consumers can simply get the same data and voice services, as well as the same phones, routers, connectivity and coverage etc. from just about any of the players.
So, how can a commodity industry facing huge capex investment requirements, increasing customer acquisition costs, reduced customer loyalty and declining ARPUs hope to compete?
Well, the answer is to focus on service quality and customer satisfaction, and then use the positive word of mouth those things create as an acquisition tool by implementing referral programs. Which is not surprising given recent research that confirmed that referred-in customers are more valuable than those gained from any other channel, and Buyapowa’s own research which has shown how referral has become a commonplace customer behavior with eight out of ten customers expecting to be able to refer their favorite brands and 95% claiming to to have referred at least one friend in the past year.
To show just how referral or member-get-member marketing has become the go-to tool for the telecoms industry, we have compiled a list of 31 examples of referral programs across leading telecoms brands offering mobile (pre-paid and post-paid), fixed and broadband and streaming services for you to compare:
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- T-Mobile US
- VOXI
- Sky
- Giffgaff
- Bell Mobility
- Mint Mobile
- SMARTY
- Sky Mobile
- Visible
- Koodo
- Assurance Wireless
- BT Mobile
- 48
- Telus Mobility
- Plusnet
- Freedom Mobile
- Red Pocket Mobile
- Virgin Plus
- Mobile Vikings Poland
- Adamo
- TalkTalk Business
- CityFibre
- Lucky
- La Poste Mobile
- Hyperoptic
- Three IE Broadband
- Jazztel
- Tesco Mobile Ireland
- Boost Mobile
- Ziply Fiber
- Cogeco
- Telmax
1. T-Mobile US
Founded in 1999, T-Mobile is the US subsidiary of the German telecommunications company, Deutsche Telekom AG. In April 2020, T-Mobile acquired Sprint to become the third largest telecoms business in the United States by revenue. Positioning itself as an Uncarrier, in 2013 T-Mobile decided to re-invent the old, broken customer service model for good by listening to customers and fixing their pain points, which makes them a perfect candidate for referrals from satisfied customers.
The T-Mobile refer-a-friend program, which covers all its plans, currently offers referrers $50 for every friend who joins, up to a maximum of $500/year.
2. VOXI
VOXI was launched by its parent company, Vodafone, in August 2017 as the UK’s first dedicated youth offering, targeting people aged 25 and under, with 30-day 4G plans at £10, £15 and £20 per month.
VOXI’s friends with benefits program offers varying values of rewards worth up to £20 as Amazon or Just Eat gift cards or a cash payment via Paypal, depending on the plan each referred friend chooses. These are only paid out if the friend remains a customer for at least two months. At the end of that two month period, both the friend and the referrer get a gift card equal to the value of the plan chosen by the friend.
“Our referral program has played a key role in turning the high customer satisfaction of our VOXI customers into a valuable customer acquisition channel right from day one.”
3. Sky
Sky Group, part of Comcast, is Europe’s largest media company, and its UK arm offers services across television, broadband, and mobile to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom.
Sky’s consumer referral program rewards customers with up to £125 in vouchers for every referred-in friend who takes out a contract with Sky. The value of the reward is dependent on the product the friend buys, for example £75 for Sky Stream, £60 for Broadband, and £100 for Sky Glass etc. The referred-in friend also receives the same reward, and there’s no limit to the number of referrals a customer can make.
4. Giffgaff
Giffgaff, wholly owned by Telefonica, was founded in 2009 as an MVNO on Telefonica’s UK Network, O2. A unique aspect of giffgaff is that it doesn’t consider itself as having customers as such, but only members who act as customer service representatives, marketers, advisers, and even salespeople. Because of this, referrals have been a key part of giffgaff’s growth strategy right from launch.
Referrers earn a £5 payback for each friend they introduce via the Share the love referral program. This can be converted to cash (via PayPal), used as a phone bill credit or donated to charity. Any customer who achieves 15 referrals becomes a Super Recruiter and is rewarded with up to £22 per new recruit, instead of £5.
5. Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a prominent wireless telecommunications company in Canada and a subsidiary of BCE Inc. It is one of the largest wireless service providers in the country, serving millions of customers. Bell Mobility, along with its parent company BCE Inc., is considered one of the “Big Three” telecommunications companies in Canada, alongside Rogers Communications and Telus. These three companies collectively dominate the Canadian telecoms market and have a significant market share. BCE Inc. operates various businesses in addition to telecommunications, including television, internet and media assets.
Bell’s consumer referral program launched in May 2023 and is open to anyone to refer their friends and family. Referrers can earn $50 bill credit for each successful referral to Bell mobility services. This reward comes in the form of a $5 discount on the monthly bill for 10 months. The referred in friend will get the same reward. There is a limit of 6 referral rewards to stack in any one month (total of ¢30 discount), there is a further limit of ¢300 earned in a ten month period.
6. Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is a US low-cost prepaid mobile phone service that T-Mobile US recently announced it would acquire for US$1.35bn. It offers unlimited international calling and text plans with data packages of three, six or 12 months paid upfront. Operating on T-Mobile’s network, it’s often associated with its part-owner, the Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.
The Mint Mobile refer-a-friend program offers a US$15 renewal credit to both the referrer and the friend, with rewards increasing with each additional friend referred – so anyone who refers five friends gets a US$240 renewal credit, which is the equivalent of a whole year of the 8GB/mo plan for free.
7. SMARTY
SMARTY, owned by Three UK, was launched in 2017 as a SIM-only network under the motto ‘simple, straightforward and honest’. The network offers six monthly data plans, with a provision that any unused data is bought back as a credit against future purchases, and support is provided online only. Targeting a mostly young and socially connected audience, SMARTY realized that referrals would be a key part of its customer acquisition strategy from day one.
SMARTY’s refer-a-friend programme offers both the referrer and the friend a £10 bill credit for each valid referral. So a customer who successfully refers 12 friends gets a whole year free.
“Successfully launching a brand like SMARTY relies on getting the basics right. In today’s market, a firstrate referral programme is one of those essential basics – and that’s exactly what we have thanks to the Buyapowa platform.”
8. Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile, is a mobile network operator owned by Sky, offering 4G and 5G service, sim, and device packages to customers in the UK. Sky have recently launched a number of referral programs that operate in conjunction with each other.
Sky Mobile’s referral program offers £15 if a referred-in customer takes out a SIM-only deal and £25 for a device plan. The rewards are claimable gift cards for a number of brands and are rewarded to both the referrer and the friend. There is no limit to the number of referrals a customer can make.
9. Visible
Visible is a US MVNO based in Denver, Colorado, that uses Verizon’s 4G LTE Network. It offers unlimited data, messages and minutes for one simple price of US$40 a month, with no annual contract or hidden fees.
Visible’s referral programme differs from a typical referral scheme. Called Party Pay, referrers can refer-a-friend to join their party and, after the first month, each member of that customer’s party will pay less each month thereafter. For example, a customers who adds three friends to his or her party will see the monthly cost for all four people drop by US$15 from US$40 to US$25 a month.
10. Koodo
Koodo is a Canadian mobile brand, launched by Telus in 2009, that targets younger customers with lower cost offers for postpaid, prepaid, and wireless home phone services. Unlike its parent company, Koodo does not require a fixed term contract.
When a customer refers a friend to Koodo, both the friend and referrer receive a C$25 credit towards their bills, up to a maximum of C$300 each year.
11. Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless, now part of the T-Mobile family after its acquisition of Sprint, is a subsidized telephone service set up by the federal Lifeline Assistance program – a government benefit program supported by the federal Universal Service Fund. Eligible low-income customers are able to access a free phone, including free monthly data, unlimited texting and free monthly minutes.
Assurance Wireless’s referral program is only available in the United States, but offers referrers a US$10 Amazon gift card for every household that referrers successfully introduce.
12. BT Mobile
BT Mobile was launched in March 2015 by BT Consumer as an MVNO on the EE network. Since then, BT acquired EE – which became a sister company. In 2021, BT decided to retire the BT Mobile brand and focus on EE as its consumer mobile offering.
The BT Mobile’s refer-a-friend programme, when active, offered rewards worth £25 to both referrer and friend for valid referrals. The gift card was sent 45 days after the friend joined BT, provided that both the referrer and the friend had paid at least one bill in that period and the cooling off period had passed.
“The Buyapowa platform made it really easy for us to launch a successful referral scheme that’s flexible and delivers a great experience for our customers.”
13. 48
48 was launched in 2012 by Three Ireland, part of the CK Hutchison Group, as Ireland’s first youth-focused digital mobile brand. Offering SIM-only plans, it principally targets generation Z, but accepts customers in any demographic group, and allows customers to “Carry, Save, Swap, Donate or Borrow” data. In other words, unused data can be rolled over into the next month, saved for later, or donated to charity. Unused calling minutes can be swapped for data, and customers can even borrow data from the next month. All of these actions are managed directly via the 48 app.
New joiners to the 48 fam get 1GB free data plus, if they’ve been referred by a friend, an additional €10 Just Eat gift card. Referrers also get a €10 Just Eat gift card for every friend they introduce.
14. Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility, a division of Telus Communications, is Canada’s third-largest wireless largest cellphone provider. In 2019, Telus Mobility was reported to have 9.9m subscribers.
The Telus Mobility refer-a-friend program allows customers to invite friends, and receive a C$50 or C$75 bill credit for each successful referral. Referrers can earn up to C$300 or C$450 in credit in any year. At the time of updating this blog, Telus is also offering to plant a tree for each successful referral.
15. Plusnet
Founded in 1997, Plusnet is a British quad-play internet service provider that offers broadband, landline, IPTV and mobile services. In 2007, Plusnet was acquired by BT, but it continues to be run as a separate business. Since 2018, it’s been part of BT’s Consumer Division.
Plusnet’s recommend a friend programme gives both friends and referrers £1.25 off their monthly payments for each successful referral. There’s no limit to the number of referrers a customer can make and, if a customer earns more credits than his or her monthly bill, Plusnet pays them the difference.
16. Freedom Mobile
Freedom Mobile is a Canadian wireless telecoms company owned by Shaw Communications, whose licenses will be transferred to Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron as part of Rogers acquisition of Shaw. Headquartered in Toronto, it has 1.8 million active subscribers in urban areas of Toronto, Alberta and British Columbia, making it Canada’s fourth largest mobile network operator.
Freedom Mobile’s referral programme provides a C$25 service credit to both the referrer and the friend when the friend signs up. A customer can earn up to C$250 in service credits per year.
17. Red Pocket Mobile
Red Pocket Mobile is a United States MVNO set up in 2006 that uses the networks of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to provide low-cost text, talk and data contracts that start from US$10 a month.
Red Pocket Mobile’s referral program can only be accessed by customers from their Red Pocket Mobile account area. For every successful introduction, referrers can earn up to US$25 in credit towards their next plan payment, with a maximum of US$500 per year. Referred-in friends, meanwhile, receive US $25 off of their first month of service for any plan that is US$30 or more, and US$7.50 off for any plan below US$30.
18. Virgin Plus
Virgin Plus, Bell Canada’s wholly owned youth-focused brand, offers value-packed mobile plans with tons of data, member benefits, phones, and customer service across Canada.
Their refer-a-friend program, is available in both English and French, offering C$25 in bill credits (C$5/mo. for 5 months) for both the referrer and the friend. To receive the rewards, the friend had to be eligible to switch to a 2-year or BYOP plan.
19. Mobile Vikings Poland
Mobile Vikings Poland is an MVNO running on the PLAY network. Vikings differentiate themselves by treating their customers like a community that can co-create the features and contribute to the product offering. At the time of writing, Vikings has 85K+ subscribers, mostly digital-oriented young adults.
The referral program they offer has simple rules. You create a clan and get a permanent 10% discount for each new Viking you bring to your clan, i.e. refer a friend to become a Viking. If you bring 5 people to Mobile Vikings, you can have #ZaDarmo (#ForFree) – and your monthly plan is free of charge.
“MGM program drives about 70% of all new customer acquisition each month. Getting recommendations from existing customers is easily our most scalable growth engine”
Maciej Grzelak – Business Development Manager
Mobile Vikings prices for prepaid phones and mobile internet start from 20 PLN and customers are not required to sign a contract — top-up payments work on a prepaid basis but include subscription options for automated payment. To get started, all a new customer needs to do is download the mobile application and connect a credit card. Mobile Vikings also offers a three-month trial period at half price for new customers.
20. Adamo
Adamo, founded in 2004, is the fastest growing Spanish telecoms brand, providing consumer internet, fibre broadband, landline and mobile services to more than 1.8 million homes across Spain.
Adamo’s referral program provides the referrer with a €40 cash reward paid into the referrer’s bank account for each successful referral and the referred-in friend receives a great new phone or internet plan! At the time of updating this blog Adamo is offering a €160 cash reward if a referrer successfully brings two new customers in the month of May.
21. TalkTalk Business
TalkTalk Business, founded in 2011, is a B2B broadband, telephone, and mobile phone provider owned by TalkTalk Group that provides communications services to 180,000 UK businesses and 350 resellers.
The TalkTalk Business referral program provides both the referrer and referred-in friend with an Amazon voucher for each successful referral. Rewards vary between £50, £100 and £200 depending on the product chosen by the friend.
22. CityFibre
CityFibre is an independent Full Fibre infrastructure platform that allows their wholesale customers to provide broadband, ethernet and 5G services to homes and businesses across the United Kingdom. They’re on track to represent 8 million homes, 800k businesses and 650k other sites, and work with providers and mobile operators such as TalkTalk, Three, and Vodafone.
Anyone can sign up for CityFibre’s Connect and Earn referral program, check if their address is covered by CityFibre’s network using the website’s postcode checker, and transact with one of CityFibre’s partners (Vodafone, TalkTalk, Three, etc) and receive a £50 in cash via Paypal or an equivalent value Amazon voucher.
23. Lucky
Lucky Mobile, founded in 2017 and owned by Bell, is a Canadian prepaid mobile virtual network operator. They offer plans from $15 a month to $50 a month, with no credit check, no long-term commitment, and no data overage charges.
Lucky customers can refer their friends and they each receive a $50 credit ($5/month for 10 months).
24. La Poste Mobile
La Poste Mobile is one of France’s leading MVNOs and operates as part of the La Poste Groupe, the country’s postal service. La Poste Mobile offers a range of mobile and internet services to individuals, families, and businesses across France with a focus on affordable and reliable connectivity.
By referring a friend or family member, customers can receive €30 credit on their account, and the referred-in customer will get their first month free. The referrer can refer up to a maximum of four times a year and earn up to €120 annually.
25. Hyperoptic
Hyperoptic is a UK-based broadband provider that offers superfast and reliable fiber-optic broadband services to residential and business customers. In April 2022, Hyperoptic reported they have now passed 825,000 homes and businesses, and also announced plans to pass an additional 400,000 by the end of 2022. They were awarded with the Gold Digital Inclusion award in the Choose Broadband Awards 2022 for their Fair Fibre social broadband tariffs.
Through Hyperoptic’s referral campaign customers can save money on their broadband bills while also recommending a reliable and high-speed internet service to their friends and family. The reward for both the new and referring customer is a choice of £25 worth of Amazon, Just Eat, or John Lewis. Friends can purchase a broadband package either online or through offline channels to be eligible for the reward.
26. Three IE Broadband
Three Ireland is the Irish brand of the powerhouse network, Three. A leading telecommunications company in Ireland, that provides mobile, broadband, and other related services to consumers and businesses. With a customer base of over 2 million people, Three Ireland has established itself as one of the most trusted and reliable providers in this region, and their referral program is aimed to boost their broadband package.
Their program is open to the public and they’re offering the referrer a €50 Amazon voucher for referring, up to a maximum of €500 a year, and the new customer will get 6 months of free home broadband.
27. Jazztel
Jazztel is a Spanish telecommunications company that provides fixed-line and mobile services. The company was founded in 1998 and is part of the Orange Group. Jazztel aims to provide customers with high-quality services at affordable prices.
Jazztel’s referral program rewards existing customers with different amounts depending on the product contracted by the new customer. For Fiber + Mobile, both parties will receive a €40 discount on their bill. For Fiber only, both parties will be rewarded with €20. There is a limit of 5 referrals that any customer can make.
28. Tesco Mobile Ireland
Tesco Mobile launched in Ireland in 2013 and has since become one of the country’s largest MVNOs, with over 1 million customers and a network covering 99% of the population. Tesco Mobile is a well-established and respected brand in the Irish mobile market, known for its customer service, value for money, and various accolades, including the Uswitch Customer Choice Award for Mobile Network Provider.
Their referral program launched in November 2023 and rewards both referrers and new customers with a €10 Tesco voucher for a successful referral. The referrer can earn up to €100 from referrals. The new customer would need to switch to Tesco Mobile Prepay and top up €15 or more twice to qualify. You can find the referral program in the main website navigation.
29. Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile, a prominent American wireless service provider, is part of Dish Wireless. Using networks from Dish, AT&T, and T-Mobile, Boost Mobile provides extensive wireless services. As of the third quarter of 2023, the company, along with its sister brands Boost Infinite, Gen Mobile, and Ting Mobile, serves 7.50 million customers. Boost Mobile is based in California serving the US market.
Boost Mobile’s referral program launched in December 2023 and stands as a lucrative opportunity for its existing customers. In this program, both the referrer and the new customer receive a $25 account credit, distributed as $12.50 per month over a period of two months. This reward is contingent upon the friend subscribing to a minimum service plan of $40 (prepaid only). Open to all existing customers, this program is designed to foster a community of satisfied users who can benefit mutually from recommending Boost Mobile’s reliable services.
30. Ziply Fiber
Ziply Fiber, an fast growing US-based home internet provider, focuses on crafting the top-tier and swiftest network in the Northwest. Their internet packages begin at just $20 per month, boasting speeds of up to 10 Gig, with a strong emphasis on both speed and reliability.
Their referral program rewards current customers with a $50 bill credit for every successful referral. Likewise, the new customer also enjoys a $50 credit. This reward is issued 30 days post the installation of the referred friend’s service.
31. Cogeco
Cogeco is a Canadian telecommunications and media company that began in 1957 and has expanded to include operations in the United States. It offers a variety of services, such as internet, television, and telephone to residential and business customers.
The partnership between Cogeco and Buyapowa started strong in the spring of 2024. This Canadian telecommunications and media company introduced a referral program shortly thereafter. Cogeco’s program rewards each eligible existing customer with a $50 bill credit for every successful referral, and the referred friend also gets a $50 credit once they meet the eligibility criteria. Referrers can bring up to 5 friends, meaning there’s a potential of $250 up for grabs.
32. Telmax
TelMax is a growing fibre internet provider based in Canada, delivering high-speed connectivity and exceptional service to residential and business customers. While not yet a household name across the country, TelMax has built a strong reputation in Ontario, especially in communities like Brooklin, by combining reliable infrastructure with a customer-first approach.
To accelerate word-of-mouth growth, TelMax launched a referral program that rewards both existing and new customers with a $50 bill credit once the referee signs up and shares their account number. The program includes a generous $200 reward for referrers in the Brooklin area. With a one-month cooling-off period and easy tracking, it’s a simple, effective program built to scale with the business.
If you have a referral program or are thinking of launching one, then we would be happy to talk with you. Of course, if you think your program should be on this list, let us know and we can add it to the article.
