> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.2/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.2/rewards-and-programs/referral-program.md).

# Referral Program

The ZeroTick referral program accrues you a share of the ZeroTick trading fees paid by people you invite, across three layers of your network. This page explains how a referral is attributed, how commission is calculated, and where to find, share, and rename your link.

### How referrals work

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Share your referral link

Every account has a unique referral link. It is the ZeroTick app address with a `?ref=` code that identifies you. Share it anywhere: social media, Discord, Telegram, or a direct message.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### They sign up through your link

When someone opens ZeroTick through your link and creates an account, they become your Layer 1 referral. Attribution is first-touch and is set once, at sign-up. It is not overwritten afterward, and each person is only ever attributed to one referrer.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### You accrue commission as they trade

On each confirmed trade your referrals make, a share of the ZeroTick trading fee they pay accrues to you. Your network reaches three layers deep, so you also accrue a smaller share from the people your referrals invite, and from the layer below that.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Commission rates

Your commission is a percentage of the ZeroTick trading fee your referral pays, set by how far they sit from you in your network.

| Layer   | Who they are                         | Commission              |
| ------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------- |
| Layer 1 | People you invite directly           | 35% of the fee they pay |
| Layer 2 | People your Layer 1 referrals invite | 5% of the fee they pay  |
| Layer 3 | People your Layer 2 referrals invite | 3% of the fee they pay  |

Commission is calculated on the ZeroTick trading fee, not on the size of the trade. The fee itself is shown in the trade breakdown before a trade is confirmed, and is explained on the [Fees & Pricing](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/fees-and-pricing) page.

<details>

<summary>See a worked example</summary>

Say a Layer 1 referral pays $12.50 in ZeroTick trading fees on a trade. Your Layer 1 commission is 35% of that fee, so $4.38 accrues to you. The same trade also accrues 5% to their Layer 2 referrer and 3% to their Layer 3 referrer, when they have them.

</details>

### Waitlist multipliers

Early waitlist members earn a permanent multiplier on top of their base commission. The earliest members receive the highest multiplier, up to 1.5x, and members without a waitlist tier use a multiplier of 1.0.

{% hint style="info" %}
Like referral payouts, the waitlist multiplier is being switched on as part of the full program. Commission currently accrues at the base rate, and the multiplier is applied to your accrued balance once the program is fully live.
{% endhint %}

Once it is applied, the multiplier lifts every layer of your commission. A Tier 1 member's base 35% Layer 1 rate, for example, becomes 52.5% (35% times 1.5).

### Accruing and claiming

{% hint style="info" %}
Referral commission accrues to your account now, but referral payouts are not switched on yet. Your balance is recorded and preserved, and it becomes claimable when ZeroTick turns on payouts. See the [Claiming](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/claiming) guide.
{% endhint %}

* Commission accrues automatically as your network trades. There is nothing you need to do to start accruing it.
* There is no cap on how much you can accrue.
* Your accrued referral fees appear in the **Referral Fees** card on the Rewards page, alongside your other reward balances.

### Finding and sharing your link

Your referral link lives in two places. There is no separate Referral tab.

* On the **Rewards** page, open the **Rewards** tab (the points and claims view). The summary bar at the top has an **Edit** button and a **Share referral** button. **Share referral** copies the link to your clipboard.
* In **Account & Security** (opened from the profile menu), the profile card has a pencil (**Edit referral link**) and a copy (**Copy referral link**) button.

Your link uses this format:

{% code title="Referral link format" %}

```
https://app.zerotick.trade/?ref=your-referral-name
```

{% endcode %}

You can rename the part after `?ref=`. Select **Edit** to open the **Edit referral link** window, then choose a name that is 3 to 30 characters long, using lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens, with no hyphen at the start or end. ZeroTick checks the name as you type and shows whether it is available before you save. Your original code keeps working, and once you set a name, that name always maps back to you.

For the step-by-step version, see the [Referrals](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/referrals) guide.

<details>

<summary>Do I accrue commission on my own trades?</summary>

No. You are never counted as your own referrer, so your own trades never accrue commission to you.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I change my referral name after I set it?</summary>

Yes. You can rename it whenever you like. Links that used a previous name, or your original code, still point to you.

</details>

Nothing on this page is financial advice or a promise of earnings. See the [Risk & Legal Disclaimer](https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/risk-and-legal-disclaimer).

### Related pages

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Referrals</strong></td><td>Find, share, and rename your referral link.</td><td><a href="https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/referrals">https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/referrals</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Claiming</strong></td><td>Where you claim points and reward balances.</td><td><a href="https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/claiming">https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/user-guides/claiming</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Fees &#x26; Pricing</strong></td><td>The trading fees your commission is based on.</td><td><a href="https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/fees-and-pricing">https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/fees-and-pricing</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Rewards &#x26; Quests</strong></td><td>Points, tasks, and quests across the rewards area.</td><td><a href="https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/rewards-and-programs/rewards-and-quests">https://zerotick-trade.gitbook.io/documentation.v1.1/rewards-and-programs/rewards-and-quests</a></td></tr></tbody></table>