List of internet provider referral programs: Refer a friend & save!
Looking for an easy way to cut down your internet bill? Many Canadian internet service providers — including Fizz, Telus, Altima, TekSavvy, and oxio — offer referral programs with rewards ranging from $25 to $50 when you refer a friend or family member.
We break down referral program details for 15 popular service providers below. Plus, find out what a referral code is and how to use referral codes with your internet provider.
Internet provider referral program list
| Provider | Referral Program | Reward Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Altima Telecom | Get a $35 credit per referral. | None |
| Eastlink | Get a $50 credit per referral. | Max. 5 referrals per account ($250 total) |
| EBOX | Get a $25 credit when your friend's service is installed. They get a $25 credit on their second invoice. | None |
| Fizz | Get a $25 credit per referral. | None |
| Gemstelecom | Get a $25 credit per referral. | Max. $300 per year |
| GETUS | Get a $25 credit per referral. | None |
| Novus Entertainment | Get 1 free month of service per referral. | None |
| oxio | Get 1 free month of service per referral. | None |
| Rally | Get 1 free month of service per referral. | None |
| TekSavvy | Get a $25 monthly credit for 2 months ($50 total) per referral. | Max. $25 monthly account credit (1 friend at once), but credits can accumulate and be redeemed in subsequent months. |
| Telcan | You get a $30 credit per referral, and the referee gets a $10 credit. | None |
| Telus | Get a $50 Amazon.ca gift card for each eligible service your friend activates. Your friend gets a $50 credit for each eligible, activated service. Alberta & BC only: Get 50 TELUS Rewards points for each eligible service your friend activates. Your friend gets a $50 credit for each eligible, activated service. | Max. $200 per year or 200 TELUS Rewards points. |
| Virgin Plus | Get a $5 monthly credit for 10 months ($50 total) per referral. | Max. 6 referral credits per account at once ($300 over 10 months) |
| VMedia | Get a $25 credit per referral. | None |
| Xplore | Get a $50 credit per referral. | None |
Altima Telecom
Altima Telecom customers get a $35 credit for each friend or family member they refer. There are no limits to the number of times you can use your Altima Telecom referral code, but you won’t get credited until your friend’s third month of service.
Eastlink
Through the Eastlink Refer a Friend program, you can get up to $250. Earn a one-time $50 account credit for each friend up to a maximum of 5 referrals. You can use anyone to get the credit as long as they successfully activate their subscription and haven’t been subscribed within the past 6 months.
EBOX
Earn unlimited rewards when you get friends, family — or anyone — to sign up for EBOX internet. Through the EBOX referral program, you get a $25 account credit every time a new, referred service is installed. The referred person gets a $25 credit on their second invoice.
EBOX used to offer a $1 credit per referral, but this program has been discontinued. Old credits will remain on customers’ accounts, but new credits can’t be earned.
Fizz
Save $25 on your Fizz internet subscription (and give your friend a $25 credit towards their bill) with your unique Fizz referral code. There are no limits to the number of referrals you make, but credits won’t be awarded until your friend pays their second bill.
Feeling a little generous? Fizz lets you give the gift of data, a perfect idea for the streaming addict in your life!
Gemstelecom
When you refer a friend to Gemstelecom and their service gets installed, you get a $25 credit to your account. You’re limited to a maximum of $300 per year (or 12 referrals). Only one credit can be applied to your account per month.
GETUS
Unlike some of its competitors, GETUS Communications doesn’t make you wait for rewards. When you use your referral code and your friend activates their GETUS internet subscription, a $25 credit is instantly applied to your account.
Don’t worry if your friends are a little forgetful. Referral claims can be submitted for up to 60 days after activation.
Novus Entertainment
The Novus referral program runs a little differently. Instead of awarding a fixed account credit, you and your friend get 1 free month of service. The value of the reward depends on the subscription plans you each choose. To get your free month, your friend must be subscribed for at least 60 days.
oxio
Like Novus, oxio offers 1 free month of service for you and your friend. It doesn’t matter who signs up with your oxio referral code, and there are no limits to how often the code can be used. Your friend gets their account credit right away, but you’ll get your credit on their third month of oxio internet service.
Rally
Condominium internet service provider, Rally, offers 1 free month of service when you refer a friend. Forget about referral codes! When signing up for Rally internet, all your friend has to do is mention your name. After their first billing cycle, a $50 credit will be applied to both of your accounts.
TekSavvy
TekSavvy internet customers can refer a friend and get a $25 credit for, not just 1, but 2 months in a row. That’s $50 each. The TekSavvy referral bonus is available for new business and residential plans that have been active for at least 2 consecutive months.
But make sure your friend uses your referral code when they sign up, or you can kiss that credit goodbye. There’s no retroactive referral bonus here.
Telcan
Most internet referral programs give you and your friend equal benefits, but the Telcan internet referral bonus tilts the reward in your favour. When your friend signs up using your referral code, they get a $10 credit but you get a $30 credit. You can refer as many people as you want, but referred subscriptions must be active for at least 3 months or the credit will be taken back.
Telus
The Telus internet referral program is one of the most generous programs on this list. Not only will your friend get a $50 credit within 1-2 billing cycles of activating their account, but you’ll walk away with a $50 Amazon.ca gift card (or 200 TELUS Rewards points, if you live in Alberta or British Columbia) within 4-6 weeks of installation.
Is your friend already a Telus customer? No problem. The Telus refer-a-friend deal is open to existing customers as long as they aren’t signing up for a product they already have and aren’t listed on your account.
Virgin Plus
The Virgin Refer a Friend program gives you and your friend a $50 credit broken up into 10 monthly credits of $5 each. To be eligible, you and your friend must have a 2-year or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mobile phone plan or internet plan.
For internet customers, Virgin Plus Refer a Friend bonuses are only available in Ontario and Quebec. But keep in mind that Virgin referral offers expire if customers don’t sign up within 45 days of receiving an invitation.
Vmedia
If you’re a Vmedia internet customer, you and your buddy can earn a $25 credit if they sign up using your referral code. You can earn an unlimited number of Vmedia referral bonuses, but the credit won’t come through until after your friend’s first billing cycle.
Xplore
Competing with referral programs offered by major players like Telus, Xplore offers a $50 account credit for customers and their friends. There are no maximums to the Xplore internet referral program, so the sky’s the limit! Send out referral invitation online yourself, or reach out and get a company rep to do the work for you.
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What is a referral code?
Referral codes mean more money in your pocket.
A referral code is a unique string of letters and/or numbers assigned to a customer’s account. Companies across many industries including telecommunications, banking, insurance, and software (to name a few) use referral codes to identify people who buy a product or service based on word-of-mouth recommendations.
Where do I find my referral code?
Typically, companies give referral codes to new customers when they open an account or buy a subscription. You may also be able to view your referral code on your account statements or by logging into your online account.
How does a referral code work?
When you get someone to subscribe to a service using your referral code, companies will give you (and often your friend too!) a special incentive or reward, usually a credit towards your next bill. This works like a gift card that’s automatically applied to your next payment.
Not sure how to use your referral code? The exact steps vary between providers, but here’s how it generally works:
If you’re referring someone…
- 1. Get your referral code. Login to your account or view your account statement to find your unique code.
- 2. Give the code to your friends. No need to be shy. Most service providers don’t require that you personally know the people you refer (but some do, so check with your provider to be sure).
- 3. Make sure they subscribe using your code. When signing up, your friend must provide your referral code —verbally, if dealing with a company rep, or online — or else you won’t get a bonus.
- 4. Receive your referral bonus! Depending on your provider, you might have to wait a month or two for those sweet, sweet rewards. But some providers will credit your account as soon as your friend activates their service.
If you’re being referred…
- 1. Get a referral code. Track down someone who already subscribes to the service you want, and see if they’re willing to give you a referral code.
- 2. Subscribe. Sign up for the service you want. (Double check that the referral program is still active!)
- 3. Input your referral code. If subscribing online, there will be a field to input the referral code. If subscribing in person or over the phone, you’ll have to verbally give your provider rep the code.
- 4. Activate your service. Make sure the service and any related hardware are installed correctly.
- 5. Receive your referral bonus! Your account will be credited within the timeframe specified by your provider, often after 1-3 billing cycles.
Not sure which referral deal is right for you? Check out our guide on the best internet and mobile plan referral programs in Canada.
Internet referral program limits
Referral programs offered by Canadian internet service providers tend to be very similar. Actual rules and limits might vary between providers, but here are some of the limits you’re likely to encounter when cashing in on a refer-a-friend deal:
- New customers only. You’ll have to dig into fine print of referral programs to find out what qualifies as a “new customer.” Usually this is someone who hasn’t been a subscriber for the past 3-6 months or more. Telus is a rare exception, allowing you to refer existing customers as long as they aren’t listed on your account and aren’t signing up for a product they already have.
- Maximum reward limits. Some internet service providers like Altima, Fizz, and oxio don’t place a cap on the number of referrals you can make. Others like TekSavvy and Telus limit you to a certain number of referrals per month or year.
- Expiring offers. Referral codes don’t expire, but referrals offers might. As long as you have an active account, you can always invite a friend to sign up for internet service and score a bonus using your referral code. But they might have a limited amount of time to jump on the offer before it expires, in which case, you’ll have to resend it.
FAQs
We’re rounded up a list of frequently asked questions about internet referral programs. Find out which popular service providers don’t offer referral bonuses, who can use your referral code and more.
Which internet service providers do not have referral programs?
Many internet service providers in Canada have refer-a-friend programs, but some have opted to stay out of the mix including Cogeco, Oricom, Primus, Shaw and Videotron. The Shaw referral program only applies to satellite TV subscriptions, not internet subscriptions.
But that doesn’t mean these providers will never have refer-a-friend programs. Primus used to offer referral bonuses but has since stopped its program. If you’re a Cogeco, Oricom, Primus, Shaw or Videotron customer, keep an eye out for any refer-a-friend promotions that may roll out in the future!
Can I refer someone who isn’t a friend or family member?
Most of the time, yes. Internet service providers want more subscribers, so few will limit you to sharing your referral code only with people you personally know. But you should check with your provider to be sure.
Who gets the referral bonus: Me, my friend, or both?
When your friend uses your referral code, most service providers will reward both of you. But the odd one pays the referrer more than than referee or only pays the referrer. For instance, Telcan gives you a $30 credit for referring a friend, but your friend only gets a $10 credit.
Do referral credits expire?
Referral codes exist as long as your account is active and don’t expire. Most internet service providers automatically apply credits earned from referrals to your next payment, so referral credits don’t typically expire.
Referral invitations are a different matter. Some companies limit the amount of time your friend has to accept a referral offer before it expires. For Virgin Plus, this is 45 days.
Conclusion
You don’t have to drop or downgrade your internet plan to save on fees. Get friends and family to sign up for your internet service provider using your referral code, and let the rewards start rolling in! Most providers don’t limit who can use your code, although there may be limits to how many referral bonuses you can earn in a given month or year.
Referral codes are easy to use. Find your code online or on your account statement, and make sure your friend provides the code when they subscribe. Then it’s just a matter of time before your account credit comes through and you can begin pocketing the savings.