Referral reward not received: diagnosis and remedies in 2026

In brief

• Check eligibility, attribution, the triggering action and the official time frame.
• Revolut states three to five working days after validation, while Bulk advises waiting 24 hours.
• Submit a written claim with evidence, then use SignalConso or the mediator if necessary.

What seven-step procedure should you follow?

Follow these seven steps in order to distinguish a normal delay, a missing condition and genuinely disputable attribution. Each step corresponds to the HowTo markup on this page and remains visible here, ensuring that the search engine, AI assistant and reader all have access to the same procedure.

1. Reread the offer that applied on the invitation date. Find the conditions, deadline and reward displayed when the referred customer began registering. Use a dated copy, email or screenshot, because the current campaign may differ from the one governing your case.
2. Check the eligibility of the referrer and referred customer. Confirm that the referrer was allowed to invite people, that the referred customer was genuinely a new customer and that both accounts complied with the programme's restrictions. A previous account, even if unused, may make the case ineligible.
3. Check attribution of the link or code. Check that the referred customer opened the unique link or entered the required identifier before creating their account. Record the name, email address or code used when a programme such as Bulk requests these details to locate the referral.
4. Audit the action that triggers the reward. Check that the order, payment or other required action is complete, has not been cancelled and has not been refunded. A payment that is still pending or a cancelled first order does not necessarily validate the reward.
5. Wait only for the official time frame. Calculate the time frame from the actual validation of the action, not from when the link was sent. Revolut states three to five working days after validation, while Bulk advises waiting 24 hours before contacting support.
6. Submit a written, documented claim. Contact customer service with a short timeline, the case reference, relevant evidence and the dated official condition. Request a specific status check and a written response, without sending a password or complete identity document.
7. Proceed to the next remedy without promising the outcome. If the response does not resolve the dispute, retain the prior complaint. You can then use SignalConso or refer the matter to the appropriate consumer mediator when the conditions are met. These steps facilitate handling of the case, but do not guarantee that the reward was contractually due.

What should you check before contacting customer service?

Start with six factual checks: applicable campaign, eligibility, link or code, triggering action, final status and time frame. The Revolut help page notably mentions the deadline, a pre-existing account, failure to use the link and incomplete payments. A single discrepancy can explain the missing reward.

This check avoids an overly vague complaint. "I haven't received anything" forces support to reconstruct the entire case. A precise timeline instead allows it to check an identifiable event. Record the date the invitation was shared, the account creation date, the required action, its validation and the date on which the time frame was due to expire.

The decisive point is not the registration date. It is the validation date specified by the programme. An incomplete payment may block a Revolut reward, while a cancelled or refunded order invalidates a Bulk reward. The guide to types of reward and their time frames helps distinguish between a cash reward, credit and a voucher.

How can you tell whether the referred customer was genuinely eligible?

An eligible referred customer must meet the programme's definition at the time of the invitation. Revolut states that a pre-existing account may prevent payment, even if the person no longer used the service. This check comes before the amount, because an attractive reward can never remedy an unmet entry condition.

Reread every specific term: "new customer", "first order", "personal account", minimum age, accepted country or campaign deadline. Do not replace these criteria with an assumption. Someone may be new to an app but already registered with the same company through another service or an old email address.

Then check the referrer. Some programmes require an active account, a prior first purchase or access to the invitation feature. Being able to copy a link does not always prove that all conditions have been met. If the account area displays a status, capture it before an update changes the screen.

Finally, distinguish eligibility from attribution. A referred customer may be eligible but have created their account without using the required link. In that case, the programme may have received no technical signal linking the two accounts. Choosing a reliable referral-code website reduces outdated information, but does not replace this check within the brand's account area.

Diagnosing attribution by link or code

Attribution must be demonstrated through the required process, not merely by the intentions of both people. Revolut mentions failure to use the unique link as a cause of non-reward. Bulk support also requests details such as the link, name and email address to locate a case. Sending a message is therefore not always sufficient.

Ask the referred customer how they began registering. Did they open the link before creating their account? Did they change browser, block cookies, install the app and then resume later? Did they enter the required code or identifier? The objective is not to assign blame, but to locate the step at which the link between the accounts may have been lost.

Checkpoint: never disclose a password, validation code or complete identity document to the referrer. The referred customer should provide only the information needed to investigate the case and only to the official service.

A screenshot of the invitation, the URL received without sensitive data, the welcome email and the account creation time form a more useful set of evidence than an isolated screenshot. If support requests the referrer's name or email address, send it through the official channel. Do not publish it in a public comment.

Is the triggering action genuinely complete?

A visible transaction is not necessarily a validated transaction. Revolut lists incomplete card payments among the possible reasons, while Bulk states that a cancellation or refund invalidates the reward. The diagnosis must therefore focus on the final status of the action, not merely its appearance in the transaction history.

Uber Eats support asks users to check that the referred customer has placed their first order and then review the Payments section. It also states that the benefit may vary by city. It would therefore be incorrect to demand a single nationwide amount without consulting the displayed local offer.

An action can have three useful states: started, authorised and definitively validated. Many disputes arise from confusion between the first two and the third. In your timeline, use the exact wording displayed by the brand. Avoid general statements such as "the payment was made" if the app still shows "pending".

Should you wait longer or make a claim now?

Wait only for the officially stated period following validation. Revolut states that payment takes place within three to five working days after the steps have been validated. Bulk advises waiting 24 hours before reporting a missing reward. Neither of these time frames should be applied to another brand without an official source.

Weekends and public holidays are treated differently when a period is expressed in working days. Record the actual validation date, then calculate the stated deadline. If the programme provides no time frame, contact support as soon as the action appears final and simply ask what schedule applies.

What evidence should you gather and how should you write the claim?

A useful claim consists of a timeline, no more than six pieces of evidence and a specific request. The DGCCRF recommends beginning with an attempt to resolve the issue amicably with the professional and retaining proof of it. The objective is to obtain a reasoned review, not to accumulate screenshots without context.

Prepare the following items: applicable conditions, invitation, account creation date, proof of the action, final status and support history. Redact transactions unrelated to the dispute. A complete bank statement or complete identity document is generally unnecessary to explain the discrepancy.

You can use this format:

Subject: review of a missing referral reward. The link was sent on [date], the account was created on [date] and the required action was validated on [date]. The stated time frame expired on [date]. The relevant evidence is attached. Please confirm in writing the referral status, any condition that remains unmet and the applicable decision.

The request must not contain any unsubstantiated amount. If the offer depended on a city, campaign or the referrer's account, attach the corresponding screen. If you did not retain it, ask support to retrieve the offer linked to the invitation rather than repeating a figure seen on a third-party website.

What remedies remain available after an inadequate response?

After a written complaint has failed to produce a solution, you can submit a report through SignalConso or refer the matter to the appropriate consumer mediator when the admissibility conditions are met. SignalConso is not a mandatory prerequisite for mediation. Mediation does, however, require proof of your prior attempt to resolve the matter with the professional. Neither route guarantees that the reward was due.

SignalConso is used to report a difficulty encountered with a company and encourage a response. Present dated facts, the process followed and the response received. Avoid accusing the company of fraud when all you can demonstrate is a disagreement over eligibility or attribution.

The professional must identify the appropriate mediator in its documents or on its website. Referral is free for the consumer, subject to the applicable criteria. Attach the prior complaint and the response, if one exists. The mediator examines the dispute, but does not automatically turn an incorrectly attributed invitation into a payable reward.

To understand whether the benefit is a cash reward, discount or another advantage, also reread referral or promo code. This distinction prevents you from claiming a payment when the programme promised only a discount on a subsequent purchase.

How was this guide verified?

The method cross-references four official sources checked on 16 August 2026: Revolut, Bulk and Uber Eats support for operational causes, followed by the DGCCRF guidance for the dispute-resolution procedure. The guide never states that a reward is due without examining the conditions specific to the case.

This protocol separates three questions that quick answers often confuse. Did the programme exist? Did the process attribute the referred customer? Did the action definitively trigger the reward? This breakdown provides a reusable diagnosis without inventing a common rule for very different programmes.

The transparency page distinguishes verified facts, limitations and commercial links. This guide remains a documentary method: only the brand's conditions and the facts of the case determine eligibility.

Frequently asked questions about a referral reward not received

The answer always depends on the programme, but four questions cover the essential diagnosis. The official time frames here range from 24 hours at Bulk to three to five working days at Revolut. The DGCCRF also requires a documented prior complaint before mediation. These reference points were verified on 16 August 2026.

How long should you wait before claiming a referral reward?

Wait for the period announced by the programme, then add only the stated processing time. Revolut allows three to five working days after validation. Bulk recommends waiting 24 hours before reporting a missing reward. These time frames do not apply to other brands: their conditions and the referred customer's status take priority.

What evidence should you send to customer service?

Send the invitation date, only the strictly necessary account identifier without any sensitive document, proof that the link or code was used, confirmation of the required action and a screenshot of the status. Add the dated official condition and the case reference. An account statement can be redacted to show only the relevant transaction.

Is a reward due if the referred customer did not use the referral link?

Not necessarily. Revolut lists failure to use the unique link as one of the reasons for non-payment. Other programmes require a specific code, name or email address. Check the applicable rule before making a claim: customer service cannot always retrospectively link a registration completed outside the required process.

What should you do if customer service refuses or does not respond?

First submit a written attempt to resolve the complaint amicably and retain evidence of it. You can then use SignalConso or refer the matter free of charge to the appropriate consumer mediator when the admissibility conditions are met. These routes provide a framework for the remedy, but do not guarantee payment of the reward.

Summary

A missing reward should be handled in a precise order: six checks, the official time frame, a documented claim and then the appropriate remedies. Revolut allows three to five working days after validation, while Bulk advises waiting 24 hours. These figures illustrate a simple rule: always start with the conditions specific to the programme, never a generic time frame.

Keep a short timeline and request a written response. If the dispute persists, SignalConso or the appropriate mediator can provide structure for the next steps without guaranteeing the outcome. To avoid the same problem during a future registration, browse offers with documented conditions and archive the campaign before acting.

Official sources

Four official sources underpin the diagnosis published on 16 August 2026, supplemented by the SignalConso portal cited by the DGCCRF. Revolut, Bulk and Uber Eats describe the operational causes specific to their programmes. No third-party source was used to infer an amount or entitlement to payment.

• Revolut, possible reasons for a missing referral reward, checked on 16 August 2026.
• Bulk, referral programme and support, checked on 16 August 2026.
• Uber Eats, referral credit not received, checked on 16 August 2026.
• DGCCRF, resolving a consumer dispute, checked on 16 August 2026.
• SignalConso, public reporting service, cited by the DGCCRF guidance checked on 16 August 2026.