How the FreePayroll Referral Program Works

Collegia FreePayroll includes a referral program that rewards both the company sharing FreePayroll and the company being referred.

Overview

When you refer another company to FreePayroll and they complete signup and successfully run their first payroll through HMRC, both of you receive 1 month of FreePayroll Pro free.

How it works

1. An existing FreePayroll employer shares their unique referral link or sends an invite by email.
2. The new company signs up using that referral link.
3. The new company runs their first payroll.
4. Once that first payroll is successfully accepted by HMRC, the referral qualifies.
5. A 1 month Pro reward becomes available for both the referrer and the referred company.
6. Each company must claim its own reward inside FreePayroll.

Ways to refer another company

Share your referral link

You can copy your personal referral link and send it to another business owner by email, chat, or social media.

Invite by email

You can also invite companies directly by email from the referral page.

Important email invite rules:

• You can invite up to 5 email addresses at a time.
• Duplicate email addresses in the same invite batch are not allowed.
• If an email address has already been invited and has not yet completed signup, it may be skipped instead of creating a second open invite.

When a referral qualifies

A referral does not qualify as soon as someone signs up.

A referral only qualifies when the referred company:

• signs up using the referral link, and
• has its first payroll submission successfully accepted by HMRC

In the app, this is shown as HMRC accepted.

What reward each company gets

Both sides receive:

• 1 month of FreePayroll Pro free
• their own reward to claim separately

This means:

• the company who made the referral gets 1 month free
• the company who signed up through the referral also gets 1 month free

How claiming works

Rewards do not apply automatically. Once a referral qualifies, the reward appears as Ready to claim and must be claimed in the app.

What happens after you claim depends on your account:

If you do not already have an active Pro subscription

Claiming the reward starts a Pro trial immediately for the reward period.

If you already have an active Pro trial

Claiming the reward extends your trial time.

If you already have an active Pro subscription

Claiming the reward applies the benefit to your Stripe subscription as a free month-style discount.

If a reward is already active on your subscription, the system combines the remaining time with the new reward rather than replacing it.

Referral statuses you may see

On the referral progress screen, statuses move through these stages:

• Invited: the referral link was shared or an invite was sent
• Signed up: the new company created their account
• HMRC accepted: their first payroll was accepted by HMRC and the reward is now available
• Claimed: the reward has been claimed

Important rules

• A company must use the referral link during signup for the referral to be tracked correctly.
• A referral is tied to a single referred employer.
• Self-referrals are not supported.
• Rewards become available only after the referred company’s first successful FPS/HMRC-accepted payroll submission.
• Both companies claim their rewards separately.

FAQ

Do we both get the reward?

Yes. The referrer and the referred company each get 1 month of FreePayroll Pro.

Do I need to be on Pro already to benefit?

No. If you are not already on Pro, claiming the reward starts your Pro trial immediately.

Is signing up enough to earn the reward?

No. Signup alone is not enough. The referred company must also run its first payroll successfully through HMRC.

Can I refer someone without sending an email invite?

Yes. Sharing your unique referral link works even if you do not send an email invite through the platform.

Where do I see my rewards?

In the Refer & Earn area of FreePayroll, under:

• Referrals to track progress
• Rewards to view and claim available rewards

Updated on: 10/03/2026