The fine print
Ten lines that decide whether the reward shows up.
They're all in the program terms, usually behind a link that says “terms apply.” Here's what each one means and what the catch looks like.
The terms, one row each
| Term | What it means | What to check | The catch looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| New customers only | The reward is only for people who've never had an account. | Whether an old account, even one closed years ago, counts against you. | “New” judged by household or address, not by person. |
| The qualifying action | What you have to do to trigger the reward. | The spend amount, the number of orders or the direct deposit size. | A spending target higher than you'd reach on your own. |
| Deadline | How long you have to qualify. | Whether the clock starts at signup or at your first order. | A short window that starts before your account is even open. |
| Holding period | How long before the reward lands or unlocks. | Whether you have to keep the account or plan active until then. | The reward disappears if you cancel a day early. |
| Reward type | Cash, store credit, points or a discount. | Whether credit expires, or only works on some items. | Credit that expires before you'd ever use it. |
| Cap | The most one person can earn from referrals. | The yearly limit for whoever shares the link. | A cap reached quietly, so later referrals earn nothing. |
| Clawback | A reward taken back after it posts. | What triggers it: a return, closing the account, a missed payment. | Money taken back months later. |
| Credit check | Whether applying pulls your credit report. | Whether it's a hard pull or a soft one. | A hard pull on your credit for a small reward. |
| Auto-renew | A plan that keeps charging until you stop it. | When the first renewal hits and how you cancel. | Cancelling only by phone, or only before a date that's easy to miss. |
| Tax form | Whether the company reports the reward as income. | Cash bonuses, especially from banks and brokerages. | A tax form in January for a bonus you'd forgotten about. |
Screenshot the terms the day you sign up
Offers change, sometimes within the week. A dated screenshot is the easiest way to show what you were promised if the reward never arrives.
Then work out what it's worth
Once you know the reward, the fees and the spending target, put them into the worksheet and see what's left.