Recommend a mobile network to a friend and most UK providers will thank you with something — credit, vouchers, a free month. The problem is that "something" varies enormously: one network runs a permanent, dependable scheme while most of the rest rotate promotions that pause and restart with little warning.
This guide compares the refer-a-friend offers across the major UK networks and the cheap SIM brands. Rewards change regularly, so treat the figures as typical and check each network's current terms before banking on one.
The short answer
Giffgaff's is the standout: permanently on, roughly £5 in credit to you and £5 bonus credit to your friend, no real cap on how many people you refer. Everyone else's scheme is intermittent — worthwhile when a promotion is live, useless when it is not.
UK network refer-a-friend schemes compared
| Network | You get | Friend gets | Paid as | Always on? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giffgaff | ~£5 | ~£5 bonus | Airtime credit | Yes — permanent |
| Lebara | Varies by promo | Varies | Vouchers / account credit | Intermittent |
| Smarty | Free-month offers when live | Free or discounted month | Plan credit | Intermittent |
| VOXI | Gift-card promos | Voucher | Gift cards (e.g. Amazon) | Intermittent |
| O2, Vodafone, Three | Occasional promos | Varies | Bill credit / gift cards | Occasional |
| Tesco Mobile | Clubcard/points promos | Varies | Points or credit | Occasional |
The pattern: the smaller value networks lean on referrals hardest — they have no shops and small ad budgets, so customers are the marketing. Giffgaff built its entire growth on this model, which is why its scheme never switches off.
How giffgaff's referral works
- Get your referral link from your giffgaff account once you are a member — or order a SIM through an existing member's link.
- Share it. Your friend orders a free SIM through the link — nothing arrives by post that costs anyone anything.
- They activate it with a qualifying first plan or top-up (typically around £10).
- Both sides get credit — roughly £5 each, landing automatically within days. No claims, no codes to type.
The credit is airtime credit, not cash — it pays for goodybags and pay-as-you-go usage. For a regular user that is functionally identical to money off; a handful of referrals a year can cover a month or two of your bill. See our giffgaff review for the full picture of what you are recommending.
Start with a free giffgaff SIM
Ordering through a referral link bags the joining bonus — and once you are in, your own link earns on every friend who follows.
Why the other schemes are harder to rely on
Voucher promotions are marketing campaigns, not products — they launch for a quarter, pause, and return with different terms. VOXI and Smarty have both run attractive offers (gift cards, free months) that simply were not available months later. Lebara's referral offers have shifted between account credit and vouchers over time. If a promo happens to be live when you are recommending, great — just do not choose a network for a promotion that may not exist next month.
The catches in the small print
- Activation is required. A friend ordering a SIM earns nothing — the payout triggers on activation with a qualifying top-up or first plan.
- Credit, not cash. Almost every scheme pays in airtime, plan credit or vouchers. None of it reaches your bank account.
- New customers only. Referring an existing customer — or a second SIM for yourself — earns nothing and can flag your account.
- Caps on promos. Giffgaff is effectively unlimited, but promotional schemes commonly cap at five to ten referrals.
- Terms move. Reward amounts and qualifying spend change; screenshot the offer when you share it.
Making referrals actually pay
The people who earn real money from referrals share their link where switching decisions actually happen — family group chats, student and expat forums, community groups — at the moment someone complains about their bill. A friend mid-contract is a referral for later; a friend whose contract just ended is a referral now. Our PAC switching guide is the link to send alongside yours — it answers every "but isn't it a hassle?" objection before it lands.
One honest caveat: communities ban link-dumpers fast. A genuine recommendation after someone asks beats a spray of links — both for conversion and for not getting banned from the groups where referrals live. And if you are weighing up which network to recommend in the first place, giffgaff vs Smarty and our free Lebara SIM guide cover the two best referral-friendly options.
Free SIM, £5 bonus, no contract
Order through a referral link, activate a plan, and the credit lands on both sides. That is the whole trick.