Referral fee disclosure letter template: tell clients how you are paid, in writing

A referral fee disclosure letter tells a client, in writing and before they decide, that you may be paid for an introduction. For a SourceX referral, it states that you may receive 25% of SourceX's collected fees, capped at $100,000 per company, paid by SourceX, never deducted from the client's proceeds, and not guaranteed.

When to send a referral fee disclosure letter

Send it before the client decides whether to be introduced, ideally the same week as the permission conversation, and have it acknowledged before you submit the company. A disclosure that arrives after the introduction does little to protect the client's choice, or you.

It matters most when you already hold a professional relationship with the company: CPA or client accounting services, legal counsel, wealth or exit planning, commercial banking, a fractional executive seat or a consulting engagement. Some professions require written disclosure of referral compensation; for others it is the standard a careful adviser keeps anyway. The letter below works for both, with an optional paragraph for your profession.

The disclosure letter template

Replace every {placeholder} and send it on your own letterhead as a PDF.

{firm_name} {date} {client_contact_name}, {client_contact_title}, {company_name} Re: How I may be compensated if {company_name} works with SourceX Dear {first_name}, You have agreed that I may introduce {company_name} to SourceX, which manages data licensing between established companies and AI developers. Before anything goes further, I want you to know how I could be paid. I am a registered referral partner of SourceX. If {company_name} licenses data through SourceX, SourceX may pay me 25% of the eligible platform fees it actually collects from {company_name}'s licensing deals, up to $100,000 in total for {company_name}. SourceX pays this from its own fee. It is not an extra charge to you, and it is never deducted from what {company_name} receives. I would be paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. An introduction, a meeting or a signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. My role is limited to the introduction. I will not receive or handle {company_name}'s records, and I do not negotiate price or terms for either side. You are free not to proceed, or to approach SourceX directly, and neither choice will affect our {engagement_type} relationship. {optional_professional_paragraph} Please sign and return a copy to confirm you have read this letter, and ask me any questions before you decide. {your_name}, {your_title} Acknowledged for {company_name}: {signatory_name}, {signatory_title}, {signature_date}

Optional paragraphs by profession

Add the paragraph that fits your situation, and confirm the underlying rule before you rely on it.

Your profession	Paragraph to add	Rule to check
CPA in public practice	Our firm does not perform attest services, such as an audit or review, for {company_name}.	The AICPA commissions and referral fees rule and your state board's version
Lawyer	You may wish to consult independent counsel about this introduction and my interest in it.	Your state's version of the ABA Model Rules on conflicts and business transactions with clients
Registered representative or adviser staff	My firm has been told about this outside activity in line with its policies.	Your firm's compliance manual and outside activity procedures
Consultant, fractional executive or banker	This introduction falls outside the scope of our engagement letter dated {engagement_date}.	Your engagement letter, any client NDA and firm policy

For CPAs, the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct bars a member in public practice from accepting a commission for recommending a product or service to a client when the member or firm also performs an audit, review, certain compilations or an examination of prospective financial information for that client, and it requires permitted commissions and referral fees to be disclosed. State law can add its own layer: Florida, for example, regulates CPA commissions and referral fees by statute, including written disclosure of commissions (section 473.3205, 2017 text; check the current version). Whether a particular reward counts as a commission or a referral fee under the Code is a question for your firm's ethics resources or your state board.

For lawyers, Model Rule 1.8(a) permits a business transaction with a client only if the terms are fair and reasonable and disclosed in writing, the client is advised in writing to seek independent counsel, and the client gives informed consent in a signed writing (ABA chart of state variations). Whether that rule or another applies to a third-party referral reward depends on your state and the facts.

If you also recommend SourceX publicly

A letter covers one client. If you mention SourceX on LinkedIn, in a newsletter or from a conference stage while earning referral rewards, FTC staff guidance says a connection the audience would not expect, and that would affect how they weigh the recommendation, should be disclosed clearly and close to the recommendation. A plain statement that you are paid for referrals works better than a bare label such as affiliate link (FTC: What People Are Asking).

This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own counsel, tax adviser or professional body before acting.

How to personalize the letter

Field	What to write	Watch out for
{client_contact_name}	The person who agreed to the introduction and can decide for the company	Addressing it only to a junior contact
{engagement_type}	The relationship as it actually is, such as outsourced accounting, legal counsel or exit planning	Vague wording that obscures an attest relationship
{optional_professional_paragraph}	One paragraph from the table above, confirmed with compliance	Saying a rule permits the fee when nobody has checked
Signature block	The client's signatory and the date	An unsigned letter sent by text message
Delivery	Email with a PDF, filed in the client record	Disclosure buried in a newsletter footer

How to deliver it and keep a record

Raise the referral in conversation and get the owner's permission to introduce, using the double opt-in introduction emails.
Send the letter the same week, before you submit the company or share your referral link.
Wait for the signed acknowledgment, or a written reply confirming it was read.
Submit the company through the referral form or send your link.
File the letter in the client record and diary a review for whenever the program terms change.

If the owner raises concerns at step 3, the objection handling scripts give accurate answers. Advisers who plan introductions across a whole client book can build the letter into a quarterly referral planning process.

What never to include

A dollar estimate of your reward or of the company's license price. The rate and cap are the facts; any amount depends on the fees SourceX actually collects. The rewards page explains the formula.
Statements that the company will qualify, that a buyer is waiting or that the reward is certain.
A claim that your professional rules allow the fee, unless you have confirmed it in writing.
Details of the company's records, or of other clients you have introduced.

If a client asks whether a finder-style fee is lawful at all, the explainer on whether a finder's fee is legal separates securities finders from commercial referrals.

Next step

Read the program terms so your letter matches them, register as a partner, and send the disclosure before your first introduction.

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 referral fee disclosure letter legally required?

It depends on your profession and state. The AICPA Code requires CPAs to disclose permitted commissions and referral fees, some states add written-disclosure rules, and lawyers face state conflict rules. Many other advisers have no specific requirement but follow firm policy. A written letter meets the strictest common standard, so it is a sensible default; confirm your own obligations with your professional body or counsel.

Do I have to state my exact reward amount?

The amount cannot be known in advance, because it depends on the platform fees SourceX actually collects. The letter therefore states the basis: 25% of eligible collected fees, capped at $100,000 per referred company, paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. If your rules require an amount or a range, ask your compliance team how to describe it.

Should the client sign the disclosure letter?

A signed acknowledgment is the clearest record that the client read the disclosure before deciding. Some rules go further: lawyers entering business transactions with clients may need informed consent in a signed writing under their state's version of the conflict rules. Where no signature is required, a written reply confirming receipt is still far better than silence.

What if the program terms change after I send the letter?

Send an updated letter before any further introduction for that client and note the change in your file. The letter should always match the published program terms on the day the client decides. If a change affects a company already in process, tell the client in writing and keep a copy of what you sent.

Does the disclosure letter replace the referral program terms?

No. The letter is your communication with your client; the program terms are the agreement between you and SourceX. They should say the same thing about how you are paid, but the terms govern eligibility, attribution and payment. Read the terms first and draft the letter from them rather than from memory.

Free resources

Business DSCR calculator — Debt service coverage from cash flow and loan terms.
MCP ROI calculator — Estimate hours saved, implied savings and first-year ROI from MCP.
Business exit readiness assessment — A preliminary exit readiness score and checklist for advisors.
All free tools · MCP resource center

By SourceX Partnerships Team · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09

Know a US company with valuable proprietary data?

Become a referral partner from anywhere we support, get your link and introduce an owner or authorized decision-maker.

Refer a company →

I own a business

Explore licensing your company's data to AI developers worldwide. Start a short assessment; no uploads needed.

Start an assessment