Guides · Being found and remembered
Should you pay for referrals?
Usually not in cash. Paying a client to refer changes why they do it, and some professions forbid it outright. A thank-you note, a session on you for the referrer, or looking after the person they sent does more. Paying a business partner a referral fee is a different decision, made in writing.
Why cash backfires
A client who recommends you because the work helped is telling a friend the truth. A client paid to recommend you is selling, and the friend can tell. Cash also makes a referral a transaction, and transactions get compared.
Check your profession first
Therapists, counselors and other licensed practitioners often work under codes of ethics that restrict paying or receiving referral fees. Read yours before offering anything.
What to offer instead
- A handwritten thank-you, by name, once the person has booked.
- Looking after the person they sent, which is what they wanted.
- An occasional extra session or an extended package for a client who has sent several.
Partners are different
An accountant who sends you clients, or a designer you send work to, may agree a fee with you. Write it down, tell clients when it applies, and keep it small enough that it never decides who gets recommended.
Checked 2026-10-11.