If you're still waiting for your referral reward, don't worry — this article covers the most common reasons why you might not have received it yet, or why you don't see a reward in your advocate or affiliate portal, even if your referred friend has already made a purchase.
Merchant's referral terms & conditions
Your friend is already an existing customer.
Referral programs usually reward referrals of new customers only. Existing or returning customers are not counted as new referrals.The referred purchase is still in the review period.
Merchants often review referred purchases for fraud, cancellations, or returns before approving rewards.
➜ Review periods are set by the merchant — typically a few days to a few weeks, depending on the merchant's settings (the same review period applies regardless of reward type).
Once the review period ends and the purchase is approved, your reward will be issued.Your friend's purchase was below the minimum required for a reward. A merchant may set a minimum amount for a purchase to be rewardable, often communicated through their campaign emails and pages. Check the merchant's referral terms for details.
You haven't met the required number of referrals to qualify for a reward. This is determined by the merchant, often through campaign pages and emails. Log in to your rewards page to see when you'll get rewarded, or check directly with the merchant for details. You'll get an email once a reward is in progress.
You were banned. Merchants can ban advocates and affiliates at their discretion if they violated the terms & conditions, such as fraudulent referrals. If you were banned, any pending rewards will be cancelled.
Issues on the referred friend's side
Your friend didn't click your referral link before making a purchase. If your referred friend didn't click the referral link before they made a purchase, the purchase won't be attributed to you.
Your friend clicked someone else's referral link first before clicking your referral link. The referral is attributed to the first referral link your referred friend clicked before they made a purchase.
Your friend completed the purchase using a different device or browser than the one where they clicked your link. Referral tracking uses cookies. If your friend clicked your link on one device but completed their purchase on another (or in incognito mode), the referral might not be tracked.
Issues with cash rewards
Cash rewards are usually sent via PayPal, but some stores use a different method. The cause of a delay or missing payout depends on which method the store uses.
If your cash reward is via PayPal
💡 Note: PayPal cash rewards appear as payments from Anafore LLC (ReferralCandy's parent company).
Important: PayPal payouts are sent in USD equivalent, even if the campaign reward was shown in another currency such as EUR or GBP. This is expected behavior.
PayPal has restrictions on sending and receiving payments based on account type and location. If your PayPal account or country isn't eligible to receive funds, the payment may fail or remain unclaimed.
You don't have a PayPal account associated with your email address. ReferralCandy sends PayPal cash rewards to the same email address you used to sign up for the referral or affiliate campaign. This email should be registered with or linked to an active PayPal account.
If you don't have a PayPal account linked to that email, you must open a PayPal account with the same email to receive your cash reward.
If you wish to change the PayPal account where the reward will be sent, log into the advocate or affiliate portal and go to the Rewards page to update your PayPal account information.
Note: You can only update your PayPal email address via the portal after you've earned your first reward.
The cash reward was sent to a different PayPal account. If you changed or closed your PayPal account, the cash reward can be resent to a different email address if it's unclaimed, in pending status, or the transaction errored in PayPal.
Failed rewards can be resent to a different PayPal account immediately.
Pending rewards are automatically returned (to the sender) if left unclaimed for 30 days. Once the funds are returned, the cash reward can be sent again to a different email address.
To initiate this request, contact us and the ReferralCandy team will assist you in resending the cash reward.
If your cash reward is via Tremendous
Some stores use Tremendous instead of PayPal for cash rewards. With Tremendous, you receive an email from Tremendous with claim instructions, and you can typically choose how to receive the reward (Visa gift card, Amazon, PayPal, and other options the store has set up).
If you haven't received the Tremendous email, check your spam and promotions folders and search your inbox for "Tremendous".
If you can't claim the reward through Tremendous, contact the store directly.
If the store pays you directly
Some affiliate programs pay affiliates directly outside ReferralCandy (for example, via bank transfer or another payment method).
If that's how your store handles payouts and you haven't received your reward, contact the store directly — ReferralCandy doesn't process direct payouts.
Cash rewards can take up to a month
Stores are typically billed monthly for cash rewards before payouts are sent out. So there can be up to a month of delay between your friend's purchase being approved and your cash reward arriving.
Issues with a custom reward
Some merchants offer custom gifts such as merchandise, loyalty points, and gift cards as a reward that they need to fulfill themselves. If you are expecting a custom gift as a reward, contact the merchant.
Referral reward issues FAQ
Should I open a PayPal account to receive a cash reward?
Should I open a PayPal account to receive a cash reward?
If your store uses PayPal for cash rewards, yes — advocates and affiliates need a PayPal account to receive the reward. ReferralCandy sends PayPal cash rewards under Anafore LLC to the email address you used to sign up for the campaign.
I don't have a PayPal account
Open a PayPal account and register or link the same email address you used for the campaign. Once you get your first cash reward, you'll receive an email with instructions.
If you don't want to open an account and want to receive your cash reward in a different PayPal account, contact us so the team can resend the unclaimed cash reward.
I have a PayPal account
If you already have a PayPal account, you can link the email address you used for the campaign to your existing account. PayPal allows up to 8 linked email addresses per account.
If your store uses a different reward method (you'd receive an email from a different sender, like Tremendous), you don't need a PayPal account.
Can I receive the cash reward in my friend or family member's PayPal account?
Can I receive the cash reward in my friend or family member's PayPal account?
For security reasons, it's strongly recommended that you receive cash rewards in your own PayPal account. While you may use a trusted friend or family member's PayPal email address, you'll be solely responsible for claiming the reward from them after ReferralCandy has sent the payment.
Important: ReferralCandy is not responsible for any issues, delays, or losses that may occur once a cash reward has been successfully sent — including cases where the payment is received through another person's PayPal account.