Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception
What makes a referral a Qualified Referral
A referral only becomes a "Qualified Referral" if it meets all three conditions. The Referred Customer must be a first-time Surfshark customer who has not signed up before and is eligible to create an account. They must reach Surfshark and buy a subscription through the Referrer's referral link within thirty days of first clicking it, and the link must not have expired. They must also stay an active user and not get a refund during the thirty consecutive days after the first purchase, or during any other period in which an end user can terminate for convenience and get a full refund, as applicable at that time.
Supporting quotations
“Qualified Referral” is a referral that fulfills all conditions set below:
The Referred Customer must be a first-time customer to Surfshark (i.e., have not previously signed up for Surfshark account), and eligible to create a Surfshark account;
The Referred Customer must access and purchase Surfshark subscription through the Referrer’s referral link within thirty (30) days of first clicking the link, which is not expired;
The Referred Customer must remain an active user of our service and not refund within the thirty (30) consecutive days period following their initial purchase or any other period granting the end-user a right to terminate their agreement with Surfshark for convenience and receive a full refund, as may be applicable at that moment.
Qualifications & exceptions
All three conditions must be met; the text says "all conditions."
The refund-free period is thirty consecutive days after purchase, or a longer period if one applies at that moment that lets the user cancel for convenience and get a full refund.
Not stated here
The text does not say whether the Referrer is told when a Referred Customer's refund removes Qualified Referral status, or what happens to a Reward already given.
Charges & Financial Obligations · User right or choice
Referrer chooses between Commission and a month extension, with limits
Once a Qualified Referral is completed, Surfshark says the Reward is granted to both the Referrer and the Referred Customer. The Referrer picks one Reward. One option is Commission at the rate that applied when the Referred Customer bought through the link; it is available only to Referrers in the countries listed in the Restrictions section. The other is a one-month or three-month extension of the Referrer's own subscription: one month if the Referred Customer bought a monthly plan, three months for any plan longer than a month. The extension option is not available to a Referrer whose own subscription was bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The Referrer must also actively select and claim each Reward within 24 months of the referral being confirmed or the opportunity for that referral is forfeited.
Supporting quotations
After Qualified Referral is completed, the reward (“Reward”) will be granted to both the Referrer and the Referred Customer as indicated below:
The Referrer can choose one of the following Rewards:
Commission that was applicable on the moment when the Referred Customer has purchased Surfshark subscription using the referral link. IMPORTANT: the Commission is applicable only in the countries indicated in the Restrictions section.
One or three-month extension to the Referrer’s Surfshark subscription. The extension length will depend on the Surfshark subscription plan purchased by the Referred Customer: a one-month extension will be added if a monthly Surfshark subscription plan was purchased, while a three-month extension will be added if any other Surfshark subscription plan that is longer than a one month was bought. IMPORTANT: this Reward is not applicable to the Referrers if their Surfshark subscription was purchased via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The Referrer can choose between receiving a Commission Reward or additional months of Surfshark service, and this selection must be made within 24 months of the particular referral being confirmed as a Qualified Referral. If the Reward is not claimed within this period, the opportunity to receive it for that specific referral will be forfeited.
To be eligible for the Commission Reward as indicated below, the Referrer must reside in one of the countries specified in the Restrictions section;
Qualifications & exceptions
The Referrer receives one Reward of their choice per Qualified Referral, either Commission or a month extension.
Commission requires the Referrer to live in a country listed in the Restrictions section.
The month extension is unavailable to Referrers whose own subscription was bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Both the selection and the claim must happen within 24 months of the referral being confirmed as Qualified.
Not stated here
The Terms do not say how long a one- or three-month extension takes to appear on the Referrer's account.
The text calls the Reward "granted" after a Qualified Referral is completed but also requires the Referrer to claim it; it does not say how those two statements fit together.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Company commitment
Referred Customer gets a one- or three-month extension to the purchased plan
The Referred Customer receives a one-month or three-month extension to the Surfshark subscription they bought. They get one month if they bought a monthly plan and three months for any plan longer than one month.
Supporting quotations
The Referred Customer will receive one or three-month extension to the purchased Surfshark subscription. The extension length will depend on the Surfshark subscription plan purchased by the Referred Customer: a one-month extension will be added to a monthly Surfshark subscription plan, while a three-month extension will be added to any other Surfshark subscription plan that is longer than a one month.
Qualifications & exceptions
Extension length depends on the plan the Referred Customer bought: one month for a monthly plan, three months for a longer plan.
The Referred Customer must first be accepted as a Qualified Referral.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception
Rewards and Commission must be claimed within 24 months or are lost for that referral
The Referrer must actively select and claim a Reward for each Qualified Referral. That selection has to be made within 24 months of the referral being confirmed as Qualified, and a Reward not claimed in that period is forfeited for that referral. The Commission for a given Qualified Referral is likewise valid for 24 months from the date of the Qualified Referral, after which the Referrer can no longer claim it.
Supporting quotations
It is essential for the Referrer to actively select and claim their Reward for each Qualified Referral.
this selection must be made within 24 months of the particular referral being confirmed as a Qualified Referral. If the Reward is not claimed within this period, the opportunity to receive it for that specific referral will be forfeited.
Please note that the Commission for every particular Qualified Referral is valid for 24 months from the date of the Qualified Referral. After this period, the Referrer will no longer be able to claim the Commission for that specific Qualified Referral.
Qualifications & exceptions
The window runs per referral, not per account.
Selection and claim are both required; nothing is granted automatically to the Referrer.
Not stated here
One passage counts 24 months from the referral being "confirmed" as Qualified and the other from "the date of the Qualified Referral"; the text does not say whether these start on the same date.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Company commitment
Referred Customer receives the Reward immediately once the referral is recognized
The Referred Customer receives their Reward immediately once the referral is fully recognized as a Qualified Referral, with no claim step described for them. The Reward itself is the one- or three-month extension of the plan they bought.
Supporting quotations
As for the Referred Customer, they will receive their Reward immediately once the referral is fully recognized as a Qualified Referral.
The Referred Customer will receive one or three-month extension to the purchased Surfshark subscription.
Qualifications & exceptions
The timing depends on Surfshark recognizing the referral as a Qualified Referral, which it can refuse for any reason.
Not stated here
The text does not define when a referral is "fully recognized," beyond the Qualified Referral conditions.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception
The Referrer alone is responsible for reporting and paying taxes on a Reward
The Referrer is solely responsible for reporting the Reward to the responsible authorities and for paying any tax, levy or similar contribution that results from receiving the Reward, if one is needed.
Supporting quotations
The Referrer shall be solely responsible for reporting the Reward to responsible authorities and/or paying any associated tax, levy, or similar contribution that would result from the Reward payment in his/her favor based on these Terms (if needed).
Qualifications & exceptions
Responsibility applies "if needed"; the text does not say whether a Reward is taxable in any country.
Not stated here
The text does not say whether Surfshark reports Rewards to any tax authority.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Company practice
How Commission is calculated and when it can be paid out
A Referrer living in a country listed in the Restrictions section can earn Commission on each Qualified Referral. The amount is shown in the program dashboard in the Surfshark web application. It is calculated from the Commission rate in effect when the Referred Customer subscribes and is drawn from the amount the Referred Customer paid, excluding taxes. Earned Commission can be sent to the Referrer's personal PayPal account using the details given at payout, but only after the minimum Commission threshold is reached; that threshold is always shown in the dashboard. Commission is always earned in US dollars, and a purchase in another currency is converted to dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the time of purchase.
Supporting quotations
Under the Program, the Referrer residing in one of the countries specified in the Restrictions section has the opportunity to earn a commission from every Qualified Referral (“Commission”), as outlined in these Terms. The Commission amount earned by the Referrer will be displayed in the Program dashboard that can be accessed via the Surfshark web application. The Commission applicable to each Qualified Referral will be calculated based on the Commission rate in effect at the time the Referred Customer subscribes to Surfshark. Furthermore, the Commission will be derived from the amount paid by the Referred Customer, excluding any applicable taxes.
Earned Commissions can be transferred to the personal Referrer’s PayPal account, based on the details provided by the Referrer during payout process. Transfers to Referrer’s personal PayPal account will be possible only after the minimum Commission threshold amount is reached. The minimum Commission threshold will be always shown in the Program dashboard.
The Commission will always be earned in USD. Should the Referred Customer purchase a Surfshark subscription in a different currency, the Commission from that Qualified Referral will be converted to USD using the exchange rate in effect at the time of the purchase.
Commission that was applicable on the moment when the Referred Customer has purchased Surfshark subscription using the referral link.
Qualifications & exceptions
Commission requires the Referrer to live in a listed country.
Payout is only to a personal PayPal account and only after the minimum threshold is reached.
The Commission is based on the amount paid by the Referred Customer without taxes, at the rate in effect when they subscribed.
Not stated here
The Commission rate and the minimum payout threshold are not stated in these Terms; they appear in the program dashboard.
The text does not say whether Commission is paid on renewals or only on the first purchase.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure
Payout timing and what to do if PayPal does not deliver
After the Referrer starts a payout, Surfshark says the funds will be sent to their PayPal account within the first 10 business days of the following calendar month. PayPal may decline the payment for reasons such as regulatory compliance, risk concerns or an email address in a given country being unable to accept transactions. A Referrer who does not receive an eligible Commission should first check the PayPal details in the Surfshark web application, then contact Surfshark support, and may also need to contact PayPal support.
Supporting quotations
After the Referrer initiates a payout, the funds will be transferred to their PayPal account within the first 10 business days of the following calendar month. Please be aware that PayPal may decline the payment for various reasons, such as regulatory compliance issues, risk concerns, or if the recipient’s email address in a specific country is unable to accept transactions. If the Referrer does not receive an eligible Commission, they should first check their PayPal payment details indicated in the Surfshark web application. If the issue persists, they should contact our support team at support@surfshark.com. If necessary, the Referrer may also need to reach out to PayPal support for further assistance.
Qualifications & exceptions
The timing is counted from the Referrer starting the payout, with the transfer in the first 10 business days of the following calendar month.
Whether PayPal accepts the payment is outside Surfshark's stated control.
Not stated here
The text does not say what happens to Commission that PayPal declines.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception
No Commission or Reward is owed if the Referrer is found in breach, and accrued Commission is forfeited
The Referrer agrees that Surfshark is not liable to pay any Commission or other Reward if the Referrer is found to be in breach of these Terms, Surfshark's Terms of Service or Privacy Policy. A breach results in immediate forfeiture of any accrued but unpaid Commission. This applies despite anything to the contrary elsewhere in these Terms.
Supporting quotations
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Terms, the Referrer acknowledges and agrees that Surfshark shall not be liable to pay any Commission or other Reward if the Referrer is found to be in breach of these Terms, Surfshark’s Terms of Service and/or Privacy Policy. A breach of these Terms, Surfshark’s Terms of Service and/or Privacy Policy results in the immediate forfeiture of any accrued but unpaid Commission.
Qualifications & exceptions
Breach of the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy, not only these Terms, triggers this.
Forfeiture covers accrued but unpaid Commission; the text does not mention Commission already paid.
Not stated here
The text does not say who determines that the Referrer "is found to be" in breach or by what process.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Context
Surfshark may run testing campaigns with different Rewards and thresholds
The program may include testing campaigns that Surfshark uses to evaluate how well the program works and the nature and amount of the Reward. A Referrer in a testing campaign is still subject to these Terms, but the Reward and Commission, including the payout threshold, may differ. The Reward of a testing campaign is specified in the initial testing campaign offer.
Supporting quotations
Please note that the Program may include testing campaigns to help us evaluate the effectiveness of the Program, and/or the nature and amount of the Reward. If you are participating in such a testing campaign of the Program, your participation shall be subject to these Terms.
Please note that the Reward and Commission (including payout threshold) of the testing campaign may differ. The Reward of the testing campaign will be specified in the initial testing campaign offer.
Qualifications & exceptions
Differences apply only to people in a testing campaign.
Not stated here
The text does not say how a person is chosen for, or told about, a testing campaign beyond the initial offer.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception
Commission is only for Referrers living in a long list of listed countries, including the United States
The Commission Reward is only available to Referrers who live in the countries listed at the end of the Restrictions section. The list runs from Albania to Zimbabwe and includes the United States. Several earlier passages point to this list for the same condition. The Terms state this country limit only for Commission; the month-extension Reward text names no country limit.
Supporting quotations
Additionally, Commission Reward is only applicable for the Referrers residing in the following countries:
United States
To be eligible for the Commission Reward as indicated below, the Referrer must reside in one of the countries specified in the Restrictions section;
IMPORTANT: the Commission is applicable only in the countries indicated in the Restrictions section.
the Referrer residing in one of the countries specified in the Restrictions section has the opportunity to earn a commission from every Qualified Referral
Qualifications & exceptions
The list limits Commission only; the month-extension Reward wording does not mention a country list.
The Referrer's country of residence, not the Referred Customer's, is what the list is checked against.
Not stated here
The text does not say how a Referrer's country of residence is determined or what happens if it changes.
Some entries are written in a way that does not make clear whether they are one place or two (for example "Taiwan, China").