What is a qualified referral? Definitions to check in a referral agreement
A qualified referral is an introduction that meets the conditions in a referral agreement for credit or payment. At SourceX, credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application, and a reward becomes payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee.
What is a qualified referral?
A qualified referral is an introduction that meets the conditions written into a referral agreement for credit or payment. The conditions differ from contract to contract, so the words "qualified" and "valid" mean nothing until you read the definition clause.
In the SourceX program, credit and payment are separate gates. Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window. Payment follows later: a reward becomes payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. A lead, a meeting or a signed agreement alone does not trigger payment.
The three definitions people confuse
Most disputes over referral fees come from two parties using one word for three different events. Check which one your agreement uses.
| Term | What it usually means | Who decides | Does it pay a reward? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | A name and basic contact details submitted by the referrer | The referrer | No |
| Accepted or verified application | The company applied and the program confirmed it is real, in scope and attributable to you | The program | Creates credit, not payment |
| Completed and paid deal | The company licensed its data, the buyer paid and the fee was received | The company and the buyer | Yes, if the agreement ties the reward to collected fees |
A definition that stops at "lead" rewards volume and invites low-quality submissions. A definition that jumps straight to "paid deal" is cleaner for the program but should say who gets credit if several people introduce the same company. The sensible middle is credit at verified application and payment at collected fees, which is how SourceX is structured.
How SourceX ties credit and payment together
SourceX moves from introduction to payment in four stages. They are described on the program terms page, which controls over any summary here.
- Introduction. You send the company through your referral link or the referral form, or the owner applies directly at sourcex.si/apply with your referral code attached.
- Verified application. The company submits an application that SourceX confirms as genuine and in scope. First valid referrer inside the attribution window gets credit.
- Qualification and deal. SourceX qualifies the company, it completes a data inventory, price and terms are agreed, buyers review, and the company signs only if it chooses to.
- Collected fee. The buyer pays, SourceX receives its fee, and the partner reward is calculated on eligible platform fees actually collected.
Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. No reward is guaranteed, and the reward is a share of SourceX's fee, never deducted from what the company receives.
Clauses to check beside the definition
The definition rarely stands alone. These neighboring clauses decide what it is worth.
| Clause | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Submission method | Does a referral link, a form or an email count? | An unrecorded verbal introduction is hard to prove later |
| Duplicates | Who wins if two people introduce the same company? | Prevents arguments after a deal is won |
| Attribution window | How long does your credit last after the introduction? | A slow-moving owner can outlast a short window |
| Eligibility of the company | What size, history and rights are required? | A company that fails the baseline cannot become qualified |
| Payment trigger | Cash received, or contract signed? | Decides when you can expect money |
| Cap and basis | Percent of what, and capped at what? | Fee collected and deal value are very different bases |
| Disclosure | Who tells the company about your reward? | Your professional rules may require it |
For the full set of questions, read what a referral fee agreement is and whether you need a written referral agreement.
What makes a company qualified in this program
Credit assumes the company can actually be assessed, so the company baseline is part of the picture. It means a US company with 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the data, and an authorized sponsor such as an owner, CEO, CFO or authorized representative. The who qualifies page has the detail.
Illustrative example: a partner introduces a 120-person logistics company. The owner applies through the partner's link, SourceX verifies the application and the partner has credit. Six months later the owner declines an exclusive license. The introduction was valid and credited, but no fee was collected, so no reward is payable.
How to make a referral easy to prove
- Use your referral link or the referral form so the introduction is recorded with a date.
- Tell the owner in writing that you are introducing them and that you may receive a reward if they license through the program.
- Keep the permissioned introduction, not the company's records. Partners never export, upload or describe confidential records.
- Write down who else, if anyone, already spoke to the company about data licensing.
- Where the owner's data touches client contracts, point them to the DPA checklist before any inventory begins.
Advisors who mention the program publicly should also read the FTC disclosure examples.
Next step
Read the attribution and payment terms once before you introduce anyone. Then register as a partner to get your referral link, and use the introduction email builder to prepare an owner-approved message.
- Step 1Share your linkSend your personal link to a company you know.
- Step 2Company appliesThe company applies itself at /apply.
- Step 3Buyer selects and paysThe buyer selects and pays for the data and SourceX receives its fee.
- Step 4You get your rewardYour share of SourceX fees becomes payable.
Common questions
Is a lead the same as a qualified referral?
No. A lead is a name and contact details a referrer submits. A qualified referral has passed the agreement's tests, such as a verified company application and eligibility checks. In SourceX's program, even a verified application only creates credit; the reward is payable after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee.
What happens if two partners introduce the same company?
Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window. That is why a dated record of your introduction matters. Read the program terms for the exact duplicate and window rules before you introduce anyone.
Does a signed licensing agreement make the referral payable?
Not by itself. A reward becomes payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. A meeting, a lead or a signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and rewards are not guaranteed because the company chooses whether to sign.
Can a referral be valid if the company later fails the size baseline?
An introduction can be valid and still lead nowhere. The company baseline is 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), documented history, licensing rights and an authorized sponsor. If the company does not meet it, SourceX cannot qualify it, and no fee is collected.
Should I ask for the definition in writing?
Yes. Ask for the definition of a qualified referral, the attribution window, the duplicate rule and the payment trigger in the signed agreement or published terms, not a verbal summary. If you are a licensed professional, also check your own rules on referral fees and disclosure.
Related pages
- What is a referral fee agreement?
- Do you need a written referral agreement for a paid introduction?
- Which US businesses are a fit for a SourceX data licensing introduction
- Data processing agreement checklist: do your customer contracts restrict licensing records?
- FTC disclosure examples for advisors who mention a referral program
- Prepare an owner-approved company introduction email
Free resources
- PDF bank statement to CSV converter — Turn Chase, Bank of America or Wells Fargo PDF statements into CSV, privately in your browser.
- Client data licensing eligibility checker — A transparent preliminary screen for one company.
- Enterprise value calculator — Enterprise value from equity value, debt and cash.
- All free tools · MCP resource center
By SourceX Partnerships Team · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09
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