Share your unique referral link with other government agencies to earn free message credits in eCourtDate. Referrals reward you for helping other agencies discover the platform while adding credits to your account.

### Overview

The eCourtDate referral program lets you earn message credits by referring other agencies to the platform. Every agency receives a unique referral link that can be shared with colleagues at other courts, law enforcement offices, or government organizations. When a referred agency activates a trial, you earn 1,000 credits. When that agency upgrades to a paid plan, you earn an additional 10,000 credits.

Referral credits work exactly like purchased credits. They apply to your agency's message balance and can be used for text messages, emails, and voice calls. The program has no cap on the number of agencies you can refer, so your earning potential grows with every successful referral.

### Prerequisites

Before sharing your referral link, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate user account
- Access to the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com) as an authorized billing contact
- Your agency must be on an active plan (trial or paid)

### How-To Steps

#### Finding Your Referral Link

1. Log in to the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com) using your eCourtDate credentials.
2. Click **Referrals** in the top navigation bar.
3. Locate your unique referral link displayed on the page.
4. Click the **Copy** button next to the link to copy it to your clipboard.

#### Sharing Your Referral Link

1. After copying your referral link, share it with contacts at other government agencies who may benefit from eCourtDate.
2. You can share the link through:
   - Email to colleagues at other courts or agencies
   - Professional networking events and conferences
   - Government association meetings or listservs
   - Direct conversations with peers at other jurisdictions
3. When the recipient clicks your link, they are directed to the eCourtDate sign-up page with your referral automatically tracked.

#### Tracking Your Referral Activity

1. Log in to the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com).
2. Click **Referrals** in the top navigation bar.
3. Review your referral activity, including:
   - The number of agencies that signed up through your link
   - The status of each referral (trial activated, upgraded to paid)
   - The total credits earned from referrals
4. Click **Credits** in the top navigation bar to see referral credits reflected in your overall credit balance. Referral credits are labeled separately from purchased credits.

#### Understanding Credit Rewards

The referral program offers two tiers of rewards:

| Referral Milestone | Credits Earned | When Credits Are Applied |
|-------------------|---------------|------------------------|
| Referred agency activates a trial | 1,000 credits | Upon trial activation |
| Referred agency upgrades to a paid plan | 10,000 credits | Upon plan upgrade |

Credits are applied automatically to your agency's balance. No action is required on your part after the referred agency reaches each milestone.

### What to Expect

After sharing your referral link, credits are applied to your account automatically when the referred agency takes action. You receive 1,000 credits when they activate their trial, and you receive an additional 10,000 credits if they upgrade to a paid plan.

Credits appear in your balance on the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com) **Dashboard** and are also visible under the **Credits** section with a "Referral" label. There is no expiration date on referral credits. They remain in your account until used.

### Best Practices

- **Share with agencies that have a genuine need.** Focus your referrals on agencies that would benefit from court reminders, client communication, or case management. A targeted recommendation carries more weight than a generic one.
- **Explain the value from your experience.** When sharing your link, briefly describe how eCourtDate has helped your agency. Real-world results (like reduced failure-to-appear rates or improved client engagement) are the most persuasive.
- **Follow up after sharing.** If you share your link at a conference or meeting, follow up with the contact a week later to answer any questions and encourage them to start their trial.
- **Track your referrals regularly.** Check the **Referrals** page in the billing portal to see which referrals are in trial and which have upgraded. This helps you understand the impact of your outreach.
- **Combine referral credits with purchased credits.** Use referral credits to supplement your regular message credits. This can help your agency stay within budget while increasing message volume.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Is there a limit to how many agencies I can refer?**
A: No. There is no cap on the number of referrals you can make. You earn credits for every agency that activates a trial or upgrades to a paid plan through your link.

**Q: Do referral credits expire?**
A: No. Referral credits do not have an expiration date. They remain in your agency's balance until used for messages.

**Q: Can I refer an agency that already has an eCourtDate account?**
A: Referral credits are only awarded for new agencies that sign up through your unique referral link. Agencies that already have an account are not eligible for the referral program.

**Q: Who in my agency can access and share the referral link?**
A: Any authorized billing contact can access the referral link through the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com). If you are not a billing contact, ask one of your agency's authorized billing contacts to share the link with you.

**Q: Do both agencies earn credits, or just the referring agency?**
A: The referral credit program rewards the referring agency. The referred agency benefits from the trial and any promotional offers available at the time they sign up.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Referral credits are not showing in your balance after a referred agency signs up.
**Symptoms:** A colleague confirmed they signed up using your link, but no credits appear on your **Credits** page or **Dashboard** balance.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the referred agency used your unique referral link when signing up. If they navigated directly to the eCourtDate website without using the link, the referral may not have been tracked.
2. Confirm the referred agency has activated their trial. Credits are not awarded until the trial is active.
3. Check the **Referrals** page in the billing portal to see if the referral appears in your activity list.
4. If the referral is not listed and you believe the link was used, contact billing@ecourtdate.com with the referred agency's name and the approximate sign-up date.

**Issue:** Cannot find the referral link in the billing portal.
**Symptoms:** The **Referrals** page does not show a referral link, or the page is not accessible.
**Solution:**

1. Confirm you are logged in to the [Billing Portal](https://billing.ecourtdate.com) (not the main eCourtDate app).
2. Verify you are an authorized billing contact. If you are not, ask an existing billing contact to add you. See [How to Manage Billing](/how-to-manage-billing) for instructions.
3. If you are a billing contact and still cannot see the referral link, contact billing@ecourtdate.com for assistance.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Billing](/how-to-manage-billing)