Referral rewards explained: how introducers are paid, and why nothing is guaranteed

Some AI data buyers run referral programmes. If someone introduces a company that goes on to license data, the buyer may pay that person a referral reward. For accountants, lawyers and other advisers, this can look like an attractive sideline. It is worth understanding exactly how these programmes work before you rely on one, because the rules are strict, the conditions are many and nothing is guaranteed.

Who pays, and to whom

Referral rewards are paid by the buyer, under the buyer’s own programme terms, to the person or business the buyer credits with the introduction. ADP does not pay referral rewards, and neither does the company that licenses its data. In one published programme the reward is paid on top of what the company receives and does not reduce the company’s payment.

At ADP, approved partners on the Direct track use their own buyer referral link, so any reward goes from the buyer straight to them. ADP does not offer a managed arrangement for sharing rewards, because that would need the buyer’s written permission and a signed agreement.

How published rewards are structured

Buyers publish their programmes in different forms. When we checked them on 25 October 2026, the two programmes we have reviewed described:

• A fixed fee per deal. One buyer lists $50,000 for enterprise deals worth up to $700,000 and $75,000 for deals with defunct companies worth up to $1 million, with 7.5% on larger deals.
• A share of the payout. Another buyer lists 25% of the compensation it actually pays the referred company, capped at $100,000 per company.

These are the buyers’ own programme descriptions. They are not typical outcomes and they are not ADP’s figures. Buyers can change them at any time. An introduction may never reach a completed deal, and one that does not complete earns nothing.

What has to happen before anything is paid

The programmes we reviewed set out long lists of conditions. Typically:

1. The introducer has an approved account and, for some buyers, a signed partner agreement.
2. An authorised representative of the company consents to the referral.
3. The company registers through the introducer’s official link, and the buyer accepts the introducer as the source.
4. The buyer assesses the company and its data, and both sides sign a licence.
5. The company transfers the data and the buyer approves it.
6. Payments flow as the programme requires, which can include the buyer being paid by its own customer and paying the company first.
7. The buyer confirms the reward is payable, and the introducer supplies any tax and payment details it needs.

Under these programmes, a registration, a meeting, an application or a signed licence does not on its own make a reward payable. One programme also says that if the company’s payment is reduced or reversed, the related reward can be reduced too.

Attribution: who gets the credit

Only one introducer is credited for each company. Buyers keep dated records and check for earlier applications, introductions and contacts. In the programmes we reviewed:

• an existing registration, or another partner’s link, cannot be reassigned later;
• credit goes to the first valid introduction within a set window, and a link click alone does not decide it;
• companies the buyer already knows about may be excluded.

Agree the route with the client before they register, and never register a client without their authority.

Why nothing is guaranteed

There are many points at which an introduction can stop. The company may not qualify, may decide not to proceed, may not agree terms, or may not deliver data the buyer accepts. The buyer may decide that someone else introduced the company first. Programmes change, and buyers keep discretion over attribution and qualification. Treat any reward as possible, never as expected, and never let the prospect of one shape the advice you give.

Read the current terms yourself

Programme pages and terms change. Before you introduce anyone, read the buyer’s current referral terms and any terms you accept in its portal, and keep a dated copy. Check in particular:

• who can be credited, and whether you need an approved account or a signed partner agreement first;
• how attribution works, and how long an introduction stays valid;
• which deals qualify and how the reward is calculated;
• when the reward becomes payable, and what can reduce or reverse it;
• what the terms say about sharing rewards and about how you may describe yourself.

If anything is unclear, ask the buyer in writing before you rely on it.

Staying compliant

A referral reward is a personal financial interest in your client’s decision. Handle it openly:

• Disclose it first. Tell the client about any referral interest before they decide, and record that you did. ADP records the disclosure before the client’s written consent.
• Follow your professional rules. The SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors requires solicitors to tell clients about any financial interest in a referral. Accountants should check how the ICAEW Code of Ethics, or their own body’s rules, treats referral fees and commissions.
• Do not share rewards with the client’s people. Some buyer terms prohibit sharing any part of a referral payout with the referred company, its owners, employees or representatives.
• Do not present yourself as the buyer. Buyer terms can prohibit referrers from claiming to be the buyer’s employee, agent or representative.
• Keep records and take tax advice. Keep evidence of each introduction and any payment, and ask your tax adviser how rewards should be treated.

For the client-facing side, read how to introduce clients responsibly.

Where to learn more

Our page for advisers summarises how ADP works with trusted advisers, and our questions page answers common queries. The ADP info pack is a paid course that explains the buyer programmes in detail, including how to qualify a business and handle consent. Buying it does not guarantee any reward. To see whether a client might fit before you raise it, use the business check.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays a referral reward?

The buyer, under its own programme terms. ADP does not pay referral rewards, and the referred company does not pay them either.

When is a reward paid?

Only after the conditions in the buyer’s programme are met. In the programmes we reviewed, that means at least a completed deal with accepted data, and the buyer confirming that the reward is payable.

Can I be sure of earning a reward?

No. A company may not qualify or proceed, another introducer may be credited, or the programme may change. Any reward is possible, never guaranteed.

Does ADP share rewards with advisers?

No. Managed reward sharing is not offered, because it would need the buyer’s written permission and a signed agreement. On the Direct track, any reward goes from the buyer to the adviser.