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12/22/25
RIP, RIPS!
A brand-new instant app promo went viral a couple of hours ago. And it left just as quickly. If you happened to catch it, the app was Rips by Triumph. For anyone who remembers Iconik app that came out a few years ago, this was sort of like that, where each party (referrer and referee) received a card pack. It was apparently supposed to be only worth $1-$15 (the basic pack), but it was awarding both parties up to $100.
I was finishing up my Featured Whales list (which will be in tomorrow's edition) when this went viral, and between that and moderating nearly 30 referral groups, I didn't jump on this one soon enough. But that's the way it goes with these new apps. You just don't know if it's even legit until they pay, and you also don't know how long it will last.
Congrats to everyone who jumped on this one and made bank. I was able to make $30 by the time it shut down. Huge thanks to the four of you who signed up through me while it was still running!
Hopefully, this promo will return, especially if it was taken down so they can fix the "bug", but time will tell.
For more instant apps, see my featured post here.
12/21/25
I Just Won Another $188 from GotGame! [Worldwide]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/gotgame
If you've been following RWN over the past couple of months, you already know that GotGame.AI has returned after an 8-month hiatus. They have been running games regularly on Sundays, and I was one of the 16 remaining players who split the $3,00 prize pool (taking home $188)! This is now my third win. If you missed it, you're in luck: they're holding another game on Sunday, 12/28 at 8 PM EST (5 PM PST). It's free to join. Simply click this link, enter your phone number, and be online and ready to play come Sunday! Congratulations to all RWN readers who won today as well!
Congratulations to Destiny Monae, the latest $50 Winner!
https://www.referralworldnews.com/giveaway
A huge congrats goes out to RWN supporter Destiny Monae, who won the $50 cash giveaway. Huge thanks to everyone who entered, and as a reminder, I'm holding two more $50 cash drawings, one for each group (Easy Paying Referral Apps 2 and Easy Paying Referral Apps 3). Entry is simple: Join, post any legitimate referral-related post, and invite/share with others. The person who invites the most members to each group will earn five extra drawing entries! Each drawing will be held once the group reaches 2,000 members. More info here.
12/20/25
Reminder: $50 "Easy Paying Referral Apps" Giveaway is Today!
https://www.referralworldnews.com/giveaway
Quick reminder that today is the $50 "Easy Paying Referral Apps" giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is join both Easy Paying Referral Apps 2 and Easy Paying Referral Apps 3. I'll be holding the random drawing and contacting the winner later today. Good luck! More info here.
50-Year Heavenly Reunion. Happy Birthday, Greg!
As you may know, my mom passed earlier this year, and 2025 has been a year of "firsts" (first birthdays/Mother's Day/Thanksgiving/etc.) without Mom (my biggest RWN supporter), and in five days, it'll be the first Christmas without her. Today, however, is a first of a different kind. Before I was born, my mom was the victim of domestic abuse and hospitalized. While in the hospital, her pride and joy, Greg, died tragically in a fire while under the care of others. He passed away two months shy of what would have been his 4th birthday. The tragedy haunted my mom for decades, and while I miss her terribly, Today would have been Greg's 53rd birthday, and I take comfort knowing they're reunited, and that it's their first time celebrating his birthday together since she lost him 50 years ago. Happy Heavenly birthday, Greg, and I hope you're both having a wonderful day today. RIP.
12/18/25
Fetch's Increased $3 Referral Bonuses! [Ends 12/23; US, PR]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/fetch (code XRGUGB)
The receipt-scanning/cashback app Fetch is offering an increased $3 referral bonus promotion, ending 12/23. Signup bonuses are $2 when you scan your first receipt.
Fetch is a great way to score gift cards and other cashback rewards by scanning your shopping receipts and connecting your Amazon, Walmart, and email accounts to the app. For more information about Fetch, see my featured post here. For similar receipt-scanning and cashback apps, see my Featured Cashback Bonuses post.
12/17/25
FREE Phone Plus up to $10 Signup, $25 Referrals From AirTalk Wireless! [US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/airtalk
A new opportunity has gone viral in Referral World. AirTalk Wireless gives you a free phone (multiple to choose from) and free monthly service if you qualify for their Lifeline program. You can get up to a $10 signup bonus when you join through a referral link and stay active for a month. It includes up to 16GB of data, free shipping, and international calling to over 200 countries. Eligible programs include SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, and several others, or if you meet Lifeline's income-based eligibility.
After you are approved, AirTalk also pays up to $25 per referral for each active signup (unlimited referral bonuses) More info here.
I Received Another $100 Near-Instant From Lemon8! [US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/lemon8
Since signing up for and referring Lemon8 (a social media app similar to TikTok and owned by the same parent company), I have now received the $10, $25, and $100 cash bonuses! I cashed out each to Amazon gift cards (though you can choose from several). I'm now sharing RWN supporter Brett N.'s link who is just a few away from his $100 bonus.
If you haven't signed up yet, there's no signup bonus, but signing up lets you invite others and earn instant gift cards for new members (several to choose from, including Amazon). Refer one new person, get $10 instantly. Refer two more, get another $25. And refer 10 more, get another $100. The $25 and $100 bonuses are typically instant but may take a few days based on the current supply (my $10 and $25 were instant but the $100 took 3 days to receive).
Existing Lemon8 members can also use your link. You'll get surprise boxes from their signups that can get you any of several great prizes (like Nintendo Switch, iPad 11, Airpods Max and several others).
This makes Lemon8 one of my top earners for November, and I highly recommend it due to its instant/near-instant payout and no spend/deposit requirement. See my featured post here for step-by-step instructions on signing up and being counted as a new member.
Scrambly's New $5-$50 Cashout Bonus, $17-$50 Affiliate + Mystery Cash! [US, JP, KOR]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/scrambly
This one's exciting: Scrambly has launched a new short-term affiliate booster that pays $17 per referral for a limited time when you redeem affilate code SUGAR. The code is valid for five days, limited to the first 300 redemptions.
Scrambly is also running a "Mystery Referral Bonus" alongside this promo. On your referred user’s first cashout, both of you unlock a mystery bonus that can pay up to $50. The bonus amount remains hidden until the first cashout. Cashouts are available starting at $1, with instant payout options to PayPal and gift cards after ID verification.
In addition, Scrambly is running a Weekly Cash Challenge. Users who complete enough offer steps by Thursday can earn random cash prizes ranging from $0.50 up to $50, with rewards posting on Friday.
This cluster of promotions is available in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. More info here.
12/16/25
Joko's Increased Instant $5 Signup Bonus, $5 Referrals! [US, FR]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/joko
Joko has increased its sign-up bonus from $1 to an instant $5 for new users. The updated offer is now live in both the United States and France.
New users receive $5 after signing up and linking a bank account that shows recent shopping activity. Joko is also paying $5 per referral, capped at 20 referrals. Both signup and referral bonuses count toward the $10 minimum required to cash out.
Once the $10 threshold is reached, users can cash out to a bank account or select gift cards. Bonuses post instantly to the Joko account, and bank payouts typically process within 24 hours (gift card redemption is instant).
Joko earns cash back automatically by linking your credit or debit card and tracking purchases at supported retailers. There is no receipt scanning and no manual activation. Eligible stores include Walmart, Home Depot, CVS, Nike, Macy’s, Expedia, Booking.com, Kohl’s, Walgreens, and many others, with rates varying by merchant.
For screenshots, current retailer cashback rates, and full setup steps, see my featured post here.
Lemon8 Paying Instant (Mostly)! [US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/lemon8
Over the weekend, a new app promo went crazy viral in Referral World. Lemon8 is a social media app backed by TikTok's parent company.
There's no signup bonus, but doing so lets you invite others to earn instant gift cards (several to choose from, including Amazon). Refer one new person, get $10 instantly. Refer two more, get another $25 instantly. And refer 10 more, get another $100.
I've already earned and cashed out my $10 and $25 instant gift cards. I'm currently working towards receiving my $100 bonus. 
I've received a couple of reports of the $100 gift card redemption being delayed. I've reached out to Lemon8's support to find out whether this is across the board or if it's only in some instances. If you're referring Lemon8 and can shed light on this, please email me at [email protected]. Also, I couldn't help but notice that multiple referrers have been promoting Lemon8 as if there is a signup bonus. There's not. Hopefully, you weren't duped into signing up through someone who wasn't forthcoming with how this promotion actually works.
If you haven't signed up yet, here are a few tips to ensure your signup correctly registers as a new account:
Sign up. They give you a few options for the signup method. Don't choose TikTok, or it will consider you an existing user. And if possible, use a new/different email than you have associated with TikTok.
Once you've signed up and you see the "JOIN" pop-up, exit out of the app and use my link again (there's apparently a bug right now where you need to do this for the referral to credit correctly).
Once signed up, edit your profile, and at this point, you can tie Lemon8 to your TikTok profile if you choose.
To find the referral promotion, click your profile icon (bottom right of the app), then click the "Events and Campaigns" icon (2nd icon from the right at the top of the app, looks like stars), then click "Get Started" for the "Million-In-Air" campaign. Here, you'll find your link to share with others to earn the gift cards.
Existing members using your link will get you surprise boxes that, once opened, can award you with several prizes.
For more info and tips, see my featured post here.
MoneyLion Continues to Roar! [Ends 12/21; US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/moneylion - code $55BONUS
MoneyLion remains my top referral app, thanks to its EASY and NEAR-INSTANT $10 signup and referral bonuses running now through 12/21. I just received another $270 overnight, $3,250 since 12/1, and $28.6K this year (and counting)! Just open a free RoarMoney checking account if you haven't signed up for MoneyLion yet. No deposit or spending required. You can also unlock the $50 (optional) deposit bonus by making a $100 direct deposit or transferring $100 from Current or Found.
Additionally, MoneyLion is giving away $2K per day in its "Holiday Heist" sweepstakes. Daily entry is free and easy! The Holiday Referral Rush promotion remains active through 12/21. More info in my featured post here, and you can find more great banking bonuses in my list here.
FB Can't Rain on My $150 Cash Giveaway Parade!
It's been a rollercoaster ride with Facebook for sure, as they've shut down my popular Easy Paying Referral Apps group permanently twice in the past few weeks (and four times over the past year). If you've been following the events, I created two new sibling/replacement groups because I refuse to let the social media giant get away with shutting us down over bogus violations for legitimate posts. The new groups are Easy Paying Referral Apps 2 and Easy Paying Referral Apps 3, and I've been running cash giveaways to help grow the groups, hopefully reaching the 11K members the original had. 
Over the past few weeks, I've already given away $75, with two more $50 upcoming giveaways as each new group reaches 2K members! 
I was so excited when Facebook restored Easy Paying Referral Apps over the weekend that I offered ANOTHER $50 giveaway, which will be held on 12/20. The only requirement was to be a member of all three "Easy Paying" groups, but Facebook shut the original group down yesterday (again). They're not going to rain on our giveaway parade, though. I'm STILL holding the extra $50 giveaway on 12/20, and the only requirement is that you join both Easy Paying Referral Apps 2 and Easy Paying Referral Apps 3, and make one or more referral-related posts (this must be done by drawing time to be eligible). More info on the giveaways and terms here.
OnePay's Increased $50 Signup, $150 Referral Promo Ends Tonight! [Ends 12/16; US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/onepay
Reminder if you are referring OnePay (formerly One Finance) or haven't signed up yet: their increased $50 signup bonus and $150 referral bonus promo ends tonight (12/16). For the sign-up bonus, you'll need to open a new account and receive $500 or more in qualifying deposits in a calendar month (must be completed within 45 days). These include direct deposits from work, gig apps, Social Security, and unemployment benefits. Some users have also triggered it with ACH transfers from Current, Found, or Square Pay (YMMV).
During this promo, referrals are worth $150 each, capped at 10 ($1.5K total). Bonuses are usually posted within one to two business days, and sometimes on the same day.
The account comes with a virtual Mastercard you can add to Cash App, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. P2P payments are supported. SSN is required, but most users don’t need to upload ID (YMMV).
More info here, and find even more banking bonuses here (along with tips to trigger the bonuses easily).
SmartSteals Seemingly a Waste of Time [US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/smartsteals
Earlier this month, I shared a new TESTING app called SmartSteals. It sounded like it had potential, offering $5 instant signup bonus and passive referral earnings based on usage, up to $10 earnings per person per month. Admittedly, I haven't been actively featuring it since I first shared it, though it's been included in my featured lists. To date, I've referred 16 people.
Unfortunately, the app's usage rates don't appear to be published anywhere, and based on my experience, I can see why. Of the 16 people I referred, I've received a whopping $0.45 in referral earnings to date. SmartSteals requires $25 minimum to cash out, so the likelihood of anyone cashing out anytime soon isn't great.
At this point, I'm chalking SmartSteals up to being another junk app. I'll continue to monitor the bonuses to see if anything improves, but for now, I recommend not wasting time on SmartSteals, as there are far better-paying apps and promotions available in Referral World.
Acorns 'Refer 4, Get $900' Promo! [Ends 12/21; US]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/acorns
Acorns just started a great new promotion: $5 signup bonus when you sign up for Acorns and invest $5 by 12/21. $5 referral bonuses as well, and if you refer four others by 12/21 who complete these same steps, you'll earn another $900 ($925 in total).
Note that Acorns charges a monthly $3 fee after your first 30 days. Should you choose to, you can cancel once you withdraw your bonuses; however, I recommend keeping them, as they frequently offer generous referral bonuses. I've earned thousands from Acorns from promotions just like this one.
Please ensure you complete all steps when signing up. Each week, I'll get at least one person who signs up but doesn't invest the $5 to trigger the signup and referral bonuses. The steps are simple: Sign up, verify your identity, invest $5, and leave it in until you receive your bonus from Acorns. 
Varo Spinelessly Shuts Down Accounts Without Explanation [US]
Have you checked your Varo account lately? Multiple users reported discovering that Varo shut down their accounts without justification and without options for recourse over the past week. Upon finding this out, I checked my account, as did my fiancé, and both of our accounts were among the closures. The in-app popup and vague email only state that the accounts have been shut down, that the decision is final (but doesn't state any specific violation/reason), and state that any funds in the account will be snail-mailed out within 14 business days.
I've used Varo for years, and suspect they may be closing accounts that aren't super active. And this doesn't appear to be a new thing for Varo. Multiple Reddit posts reveal that Varo has been pulling this on folks for at least the last few years.
This move by Varo reminds me of Oxygen and other now-extinct banking apps. If you're using Varo as your primary banking app, I strongly recommend looking to more stable, transparent companies, such as Moneylion, Current, Future, and Chime, or to any of the several banks and credit unions in my featured banks list here (all with great signup and referral bonuses).
Benjamin and Drumo: Withholding Owed Bonuses?
Benjamin and Drumo are two GPT apps that were once popular but appear to have run into financial troubles. You can read my original articles in last week's issue, but the tl;dr version is that Benjamin has been actively trying to persuade members NOT to cash out (offering sweepstakes entries based on account balances), delaying what are supposed to be instant payouts for several days/weeks. They did this last month as well and even blocked members from making any withdrawal requests for a few weeks. 
And Drumo, which announced on their site that they're shutting down on 12/31, also doesn't appear to be processing withdrawal requests. I made two requests over the past few days but haven't received them yet (they're supposed to be instant), and Drumo hasn't responded to my email, either.
If you have one or both of these accounts, I highly recommend withdrawing your balances before either app shuts down. You will likely need to reach out to support, and I think it would be wise to do so to apply pressure, persuading them to do the right thing by their members and pay owed bonuses.
Support emails:
Benjamin: [email protected]
Drumo: [email protected]
Holiday Shopping CrunchTime and Bonus Opportunities!
With Hannukkah ending in SIX days, Christmas only NINE days away, and Kwanzaa only TEN days away, RWN wishes you all the best if you're working to finish holiday shopping, and you're in luck because, like a fine wine to a Michelin-star dish, Referral World pairs perfectly with holiday shopping! Check out these opportunities to save and earn over the next few weeks:
RebatesMe Quietly Tightens Referral Rules, Referrers Now Face a 90-Day Clock [Worldwide]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/go/rebatesme
RebatesMe has been around for years and has long been a reliable cashback portal in Referral World. Historically, their signup and referral bonuses were simple. A new user just needed to earn $10 in cashback within 365 days, and both the new member and the referrer received bonuses.
A few months ago, RebatesMe introduced a stricter two-part requirement. New users now had to meet a spend requirement within a shorter window, usually $10 or more within 90 days, and still earn $10 in cashback within a longer window, sometimes six months, sometimes a year. The timeframes varied by promotion, but at least the rules applied equally to both sides.
That appears to have changed. For the most recent $30 signup and $30 referral promotion that ended yesterday, RebatesMe quietly split the requirements between the referee and the referrer.
The new user earned their signup bonus if they earn $10 in cashback within 365 days.
The referrer earned a referral bonus only if the same $10 in cashback was earned within 90 days.
This created a mismatch in which the referee can qualify for the bonus over a whole year, but the referrer loses their bonus if the earnings occur on day 91 or later.
I’ve reached out to RebatesMe directly to raise concerns about this structure and am waiting for a response.
To be clear, RebatesMe is not the first cashback portal to use multi-part bonus requirements. I first saw it in early 2025 from ShopBack. A few others have since followed suit in requiring both a spend and an earned cashback threshold. However, this is the strictest setup I’ve seen so far, especially because the tighter deadline only applies to the referrer.
If this becomes a long-term pattern, it puts referrers at a disadvantage. It makes it much harder to confidently recommend RebatesMe, even when they occasionally run higher $30 or $40 signup and referral promos.
For now, RebatesMe is only offering its standard bonuses ($5 signup with $15 spend in 30 days; $10 referral bonus when the referee earns $10 in cashback within 90 days). Promo ends 12/31. This is a great example of why referrers should check the terms each time a promotion changes, even for apps that have been offering the same promos/terms for years. Had I not read the fine print of these promos, I would've assumed the same 365-day timeframe applied to both the referrer and the referee.
I'll provide an update once I hear back from RebatesMe. Until then, referrers should be aware that the clock is much tighter than it used to be. More info here.
Promos Ending Soon! [Multiple Countries]
https://www.referralworldnews.com/endingsoon
As you may know, many of these signup and referral bonuses are limited-time offers (like the ones mentioned above). You can find more limited-time offers along with new and renewed promos in my featured post here.
Recap of Last Week's RWN:
I've already received $35 INSTANT, Earned 17 Gifts From Lemon8! [US]
Lemon8 Launches New INSTANT Referral Bonuses + Sweepstakes [US]
Easy Paying Referral Apps Is Back, $150 in Cash Giveaways! [US]
Kraken Bonus Capital One Shopping Stack! [Ends 12/16; US, CAN]
My All-Time Top-Earning App: Now $40K Received (and Counting)! [US]
Kraken: Stack the Bonuses to Earn up to $300! [US, CAN]
Split Drop's Extra $1 Besitos Promo! [Limited-Time; Worldwide]
Benjamin App – What You Need to Know! [US]
Capital One Shopping's $80 EASY Signup Bonus is Back! [Targeted; US]
Hot Takes to Remove Cash Payouts on 1/1, Lower Coin Value for Gift Card Redemption [US, CAN]
OKX’s $300 Referral Bonus Promo! [Ends 12/23; US]
Featured Gift Card Bonuses! [Multiple Countries]
Drumo to Shut Down 12/30. Cash Out Your Earnings Before They're Gone!
Bigcash's $1–$100 Signup, $25–$125 Referrals Promo! [US]
Amazon Extends Generous, Instant $250 Signup Bonus! No Spend Requirement! [US]
Increased $10–$60 MoneyLion Bonuses are Back, Ends 12/21! PLUS $2K Giveaway to 50 Winners! [US]
Congratulations to RWN's Latest Cash Giveaway Winner!
Amazon Visa's Instant $250 Signup Promo Ends Tonight! No Spend Requirement! [US]
Rakuten’s New Instant Gift Card Cash Out Option! [US, CAN]
Set Your Clocks: Increased $10–$60 MoneyLion Bonuses Return Tonight! [US]
WinZO App Down. US Users on Hold as Overseas Case Unfolds!
Ten-Level-Deep Passive Earnings From Split Drop, Contest Winners TBD! [Worldwide]
New: SmartSteals $5 Welcome, up to $10/Referral/Month! [US]
Score Free Walmart Stock from Stash! [Ends 12/14; US]
Acorns “Refer 3, Get $725” Promo! [Ends 12/14; US]
Stretch Your Holiday Budget: Use Cashback Portals While You Shop! [Multiple Countries]
Promos Ending Soon [Multiple Countries]
Did You Know?
Did you know that while I publish a new issue of Referral World News each week, I update each weekly post daily? Bookmark https://www.referralworldnews.com and check back throughout the week for the latest articles and updates!
Have a Referral News Tip?
Please email me at [email protected] if there's any new app or referral news you think I should know about and/or would like to see featured in Referral World News! If you're a subscriber and I haven't included the app yet, I might surprise you by featuring your link in the article!
Check out my profile, where you can follow me and find my latest posts! You can also follow me on FB (#1 and #2) Find more of my referrals at https://www.referralworldnews.com/referrals.
RWN's FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/referralworldnews/
RWN's Bluesky Page: https://bsky.app/profile/referralworldnews.com
