Google is trying something new to amp up the competition in the online office apps arena. It will pay Google Apps customers for roping in new accounts. The referral program could mean some easy money for the person who’s able to get a business with 100 or more users to sign up — and for Google, this is an essentially risk-free endeavor. If it works, the program will be well worth any money spent.
Google on Monday launched a referral program for its office apps. It will hand out $15 referral bonuses to Google Apps customers who convince new users to sign up for the service.
Word-of-mouth praise already has attracted many new users for services including Gmail for businesses, Google Calendar, Docs, Slides, Hangouts and Google Drive, Google said — and it wants to keep that spirit of sharing alive.
How It Works
Google therefore will award the $15 bonus for up to 100 new user referrals. A “user” refers to an individual account belonging in the customer domain. So, for example, if you were to convince a business with 125 users to sign up for a Google Apps account, you would be rewarded for 100 of those new users.
Referring customers also will be able to offer new account holders coupons to save $10 per user for the first year. The referrers will receive more of those coupons as they continue to refer, according to Google.
In order to participate, referrers must reside in the U.S. or Canada, and they must give Google a valid taxpayer ID and bank account information for a direct deposit. There is no limit to the number of people they can refer, but the bonus amount will be based on the number of users who have paid for the service for at least 120 days
