21 Referral Card Examples To Inspire Business Growth

Referral cards are incredibly popular. In fact, you’ve probably received or given out a referral card at some point yourself. By including all the essential referral program information, these cards provide a simple and effective way to refer others to your business.

Below, we break down different types of referral cards and share tips for using referral cards to grow any business.

What is a referral card?

A referral card is a physical or digital card that encourages your customers or employees to share your brand with their friends and family. Often, the card offers an incentive for sharing your brand. Sometimes, the card itself is meant to be shared with the friend or family member, as a form of business card.

It’s easy for someone to scroll past a referral message or never make it to the bottom of a page to see your referral offer. This doesn’t mean they’re not interested in joining your program. By using a referral card, you can increase the odds of more people taking note of your program and incentives.

Physical referral cards are tactile and something people can save for later. But even digital referral cards can help promote your program, with visuals being more effective and memorable than plain text.

Take the time to design your referral card, and you can successfully catch people’s attention and help your business stand out.

Types of referral cards

There are several types of referral cards that work for getting your message out there. These are:

1. Business cards as referral cards (Referral business cards)

Business cards are typically used to help customers remember a store, phone number, address, or even an appointment. But business cards can also double as a referral card too.

Say, you’re venting to a friend about a problem you’re having or something you need. They hand you a business card. Not only that, they also share all the reasons why you should try that business or brand. Now that’s organic and free advertising.

Many businesses have started adding referral program information to their business cards to maximize their word-of-mouth marketing. Happy customers are always sharing a stand-out product or service with their friends and family – and that includes giving out your referral business cards.

“Here’s some business cards to help you earn some mu-lah!”

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“Refer your friends to earn $20”

“Tell your friends about me – you both get $”

Using your business card to promote your referral marketing program can be an easy way to gain new leads. Not only are you advertising the program to your customers, you’re also providing customers with something they can give to others. After all, someone is much more likely to remember a referred business if they have something tangible in hand.

For example, say you’re a car salesman who just gave your business card to a customer. That customer has a quick reference to your name and details, which means you’ll be first in mind whenever they go car shopping. And if any of their friends are in the market for a car, they’ll probably refer them to you, as well.

2. Employee referral forms

Your own employees can also be a surprisingly good source of referrals. It makes sense – employees already have insider info about your product and services, and are uniquely equipped to explain your business to a prospective customer (including all the reasons why you’re better than the competition!).

To boost your employee referrals, make sure they know about any program incentives (i.e., gift cards, cash back, points) and know where to find the forms. You can also try applying some behavioral design to your forms to motivate employees to share within their network.

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3. Referral postcards

Referral postcards are an interesting approach to marketing with a lot of opportunities. You can print out postcards and hand them out to customers, or you can ask referral program members to send a hand-written postcard to their friends.

The benefit of referral postcards is they offer a personalized experience, which makes members and referrals more likely to engage in your program.

“Don’t keep me a secret! Do you know someone who could benefit from my service?”

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4. Referral newsletters

You can also distribute your referral cards through a newsletter. Newsletters are a perfect avenue for promoting referral programs, as they are sent directly to the recipient and keep your brand on top of mind.

Aside from promoting your program, a newsletter needs to provide value to the reader and deliver content they’re interested in. For example, your newsletter could include industry insights and tips specific to your small business. You can also include a section recognizing customers with the most referrals or mentioned any seasonal promotions for your program.

A great example of sending something interesting (how to talk to family during the holidays), and then reminding readers to refer their friends and family in a fun way.

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5. Community referral cards

Why not use your referral cards to also support community or nonprofit causes? Ask your customers for a friend referral, with a promise to donate to a worthy cause for every successful referral.

Adding a humanitarian aspect to the referral can encourage customers to make more referrals, while also aiding a good cause. Include the organization’s brand and information in the referral card so recipients can easily see the cause you’re supporting.

6. Partner referral cards

Studies show referral leads that come from partners are typically higher in quality and likely to result in a sale. If you partner with other businesses, consider printing some referral cards to leave with them or send them digital versions they can include in their emails or websites. Here are some incentive ideas to use in your partner program.

How to create a great referral card

Aside from including program information and incentives, how you can create an effective referral card to keep customers engaged? Let’s dive deeper.

Step 1: Look at the referral card design

For an easy way to make your referral cards stand out, why not use a distinct size, shape, color, or font? The standard business card is 3.5 x 2 inches. You could go slightly bigger and use a referral business card that’s 3.5 x 4 inches. Or, if you’re handing out physical printed cards, consider using heavier card stock or one with a different texture and feel from your other collateral.

Catch your customer’s attention with a one-of-a-kind referral card design

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Step 2: Craft your referral messaging

There are several aspects of referral messaging to consider when creating your referral card:

Referral card quotes or slogans

A referral card quote or slogan is a catchy phrase intended to attract people to your program. It’s typically used as a headline in your referral program material. While the referral quote doesn’t need to give all the details, it should grab attention and get the reader interested your referral program.

Here’s a list of some good quotes to use on your referral card:

“Share the love”

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The referral call to action

A persuasive call to action will make your referral card infinitely more effective. Call-to-action buttons or links are used to quickly tell customers what you want them to do – which is to refer a friend. It’s also best to include what reward the customer will receive for completing that action.

Here are some call-to-action examples:

“You and your friend will receive 20% off the standard membership rate for the life of your memberships.”

If you’re using a referral card to get sign-ups for your referral program, simply adjust the call to action to fit your needs. In this case, your call to action might be:

• Sign up for our referral program and earn $10
• For every friend that signs up, you earn $20 each

The referral value proposition

Your referral card needs to have a strong referral proposition – the reason why your customers should actually give the referral card to someone else. This is more than just the offered reward, although that definitely helps.

But it’s hard to get referrals unless your business has a unique value proposition. How do you solve a customer’s problem? What makes you different from the competition? Adding some information about the value you provide greatly increases the chances of your customer giving the card to others.

“Best doughnuts in town!”

Step 3: Consider other program requirements

If your referral program requires people to fill out a form or sign up, remember to include the site URL on your referral card. You may even consider using a specific email address to easily track any incoming referrals. Some businesses also include a space for the customer to fill in their details.

A business card/referral card hybrid from a dentist, which also features an appointment tracker.

Referral card ideas and examples

After seeing the referral quotes, calls to action, and other elements listed above, you’re probably starting to get an idea of what your referral card will look like. While referral cards come in a wide variety, the key is to design a card that customers want to share.

Get your creative juices flowing with some referral card examples:

Standard referral cards

Employee application referral card from SoftwareAdvice

A spa referral card with $50 rewards for both referrer and friend

Two hair stylist / hair salon referral cards that each offer a 10% discount to the member and friend

A referral card for flooring services, with two different reward levels

A barbershop referral card example, with a $10 appointment credit as the reward

Referral cards with sign-up forms

A home renovation referral card form, with a $50 reward for referrer and friend

A hearing specialist referral card, including heartfelt thanks for referrals

A car dealership referral card form, including simple terms and conditions

A refer-a-friend card for a veterinarian or pet grooming service

If you need other ideas when designing your referral card, there are many sites you can visit. Creative Market has some good referral card inspiration, while other businesses like Canva, Moo, and GotPrint offer many customizable card options and an easy-to-use print service.

Referral card template

The best referral cards are convenient and contain everything a customer needs to know to join your program. Here’s a basic refer-a-friend card template you can use to successfully invite customers to join your program.

3 parts of a refer-a-friend card template

1. Business info: Name, phone, address, email
2. Referral info (the person being referred): Name, phone, address, email
3. About the referral program: Incentives, how to earn incentives

Tips for using your referral cards

We’ve examined the different types of referral cards and provided some useful examples your business can draw from. Before you start giving out your referral cards, here are some basic tips to remember:

1. Give your referral card to customers only after you’ve established a relationship with them.
2. Timing is everything when handing out referral cards. Look for the right moment when the customer is most engaged and happy with your product or service (i.e., after they’ve made a purchase, after customer support has solved an issue). Mailing out referral cards is also a great way to engage with your market. Whenever you send physical mail or packages to customers, throw in one or two referral cards into the delivery.
3. Make it easy for your customers to give your referral card to others. For example, if you’re using a referral card mailer, make sure the postage is paid so all they have to do it write their name and drop it in the mailbox.
4. Track the effectiveness of referral cards and keep making improvements. For example, you can run an A/B test to see whether the printed cards or online cards have a higher conversion rate.
5. Be sure to thank anyone who sends you a new customer or business referral. A simple thank you card or email can go a long way in making your loyal customers feel appreciated.

Ready to create your refer-a-friend card?

One of the easiest ways to promote a referral program is to mention it in relevant channels. Referral quotes and messaging should be on your website, email newsletters, social media profiles, and even on your business card. The more a referral program is seen, the more likely it will succeed.

Referral cards combine two powerful marketing approaches: referral marketing and broader word of mouth. As you can see from the range of examples in this article, referral cards are the perfect chance reward your customers and show your personality in the process.

Use the tips above to make your own distinct referral card, or simply add a referral slogan to your existing business card or newsletter. Either way, referral cards are a great opportunity to promote your program and increase the chances of growing your market.