EditionRummy & Skill-Game Reader ·Vol. I, No. 01 ·Updated Aug 2026 ·Adult audience, 18+

Referral Code

How Cricplay referral codes actually work.

What the inviter shares, what the invitee enters, what each side receives, how the bonus credits, and the rules around multi-account behaviour. Editorial guidance, not marketing copy.

Read the mechanics Read the rules

Section One

The mechanics: what each side shares and receives.

Every Indian rummy platform runs a referral programme. The inviter (you, the existing player) shares a referral code or a referral link. The invitee (your friend or family member who has not played on the platform before) enters the code at registration or first deposit. Both sides receive a bonus once the invitee has completed KYC and played their first cash hand.

What the inviter receives

The inviter bonus is typically a cash credit (between 50 and 200 rupees on most platforms) plus occasional tournament tickets. The credit is added to the wallet, not the cash balance. The wallet credit can be used to enter cash tables but cannot be withdrawn directly; the winnings from wallet-credit play can be withdrawn.

What the invitee receives

The invitee bonus is typically a larger cash credit (between 100 and 500 rupees) plus occasional tournament tickets. The invitee bonus is also wallet credit. The same withdrawal rules apply: wallet credit cannot be withdrawn directly; only the winnings from wallet-credit play can be withdrawn.

When the bonus credits

Both bonuses credit once the invitee has completed KYC and played their first cash hand. The credit typically appears inside 24 hours of the first hand. Some platforms credit after a minimum wager threshold rather than after a single hand; read the platform’s referral terms before you refer.

Section Two

The rules, in plain language.

The referral programme has three rules that every inviter and invitee should read. The rules vary slightly across platforms; the language below is editorial and may not match any specific platform’s exact terms. Always read the platform’s referral terms before you refer.

Rule one: one bonus per invitee

An invitee can use one referral code at registration. The code is locked to that invitee’s account. A second referral code entered after registration is not honoured. The platform does not retroactively apply a missed referral code.

Rule two: no multi-account

The invitee must be a new player on the platform. A second account created by an existing player is a multi-account and is closed by the platform’s fraud team. The inviter bonus is reversed. The invitee’s winnings are forfeited. The platforms that enforce multi-account detection rigorously are the platforms whose referral bonuses are actually worth collecting.

Rule three: no self-referral

An inviter cannot refer themselves, even across different mobile numbers. The platform’s fraud team flags self-referral based on KYC name match, device fingerprint, and IP address. Self-referral closes both accounts.

Section Three

The responsible-player stack for referrals.

Refer-a-friend programmes work because they tap into genuine social networks. The honest inviter refers people who would have played on the platform anyway. The dishonest inviter refers strangers to harvest the bonus; the platforms that detect this behaviour cancel the bonus and close the accounts.

Refer friends, not strangers

Refer the people in your life who would play rummy regardless of the bonus: a sibling, a college friend, a colleague from a different city. The referral bonus is a small extra on a deposit they would have made anyway. Do not refer strangers for the bonus; the platform’s fraud team will catch it.

Do not let the bonus drive the deposit

The invitee bonus is not free money. It is wallet credit that converts to winnings only after the invitee has played enough hands to clear the wagering requirement (where applicable). The honest reading is: refer a friend because you would recommend the platform to them anyway, not because the bonus makes the platform more attractive.

If you find yourself referring people for the bonus alone, the responsible-play chapter is the right next read.

Open the responsible-play chapter Bonus code explainer

Section Four

Finding your own referral code.

Your referral code lives in the Refer-a-Friend section of the app. Open the lobby, tap the menu icon (usually top-left), tap “Refer & Earn” or “Invite Friends”. The screen shows your unique code, your shareable link, and a summary of how many friends have signed up using your code so far.

You can share the code as plain text (so a friend can paste it at registration), as a deep link (which opens the app or the app-store listing directly), or as a QR code (for in-person sharing). All three routes credit to the same inviter account.

The platforms that publish the bonus terms clearly are the platforms whose referral programmes are trustworthy. If the bonus terms are buried or contradictory, the platform is treating the referral programme as marketing copy rather than as a player benefit.

Section Five

Common mistakes when referring friends.

The honest inviter refers friends who would have played on the platform anyway. The dishonest inviter chases the bonus. The mistakes below are the ones the honest inviter sometimes makes by accident, and the dishonest inviter makes by design.

Code typo

A single-character typo in the referral code means the inviter does not receive the bonus. The platform’s system treats the invalid code as if no code was entered, and the invitee registers with no inviter. Always copy the code from the in-app share link rather than typing it manually.

Sharing after registration

If the invitee has already registered without entering a referral code, the platform cannot retroactively apply your code. The platform’s referral attribution is locked at registration. Encourage friends to enter the code before they sign up, not after.

Self-referral

An inviter cannot refer themselves, even across different mobile numbers. The platform’s fraud team flags self-referral based on KYC name match, device fingerprint and IP address. Self-referral closes both accounts and forfeits the bonus.

Chasing the bonus

The biggest mistake is referring people for the bonus alone. The bonus is small; the cumulative losses of chasing it are not. Refer friends because you would recommend the platform to them anyway, not because the bonus makes the platform more attractive.

Section Six

Tax implications of referral bonuses.

The referral bonus is wallet credit, not cash. Wallet credit cannot be withdrawn directly; only the winnings from wallet-credit play can be withdrawn. The tax implications depend on whether the winnings cross the platform’s TDS threshold (currently INR 10,000 in a single hand).

TDS on winnings

Winnings above the TDS threshold are subject to 30% TDS plus applicable surcharge and cess. The platform deducts the TDS at the time of withdrawal. The platform issues a TDS certificate (Form 16A) for the deducted amount; the certificate can be claimed as a credit against total tax liability.

How to declare

Bonus-derived winnings count as part of your total winnings from the platform. Declare the total winnings under “Income from Other Sources” in your ITR. The TDS certificate from the platform is the proof of tax already paid.

Records to keep

Keep the platform’s deposit, withdrawal, and winnings records for at least 8 years from the date of the last transaction. The income-tax department can request records going back 8 years.

Section Seven

Sharing your code: templates and tone.

The way you share your referral code sets the tone for the friendship. A casual share (“hey, I play rummy, here’s a code if you want to try it”) is honest; an aggressive pitch (“sign up with my code and we both get 500 rupees”) is not. The templates below are examples of the casual-share tone.

Text message template

“Hey [name], I’ve been playing rummy on [platform] lately. If you want to try it, here’s my referral code: [code]. The bonus credits to your wallet after you complete KYC and play your first hand. No pressure.”

In-person template

“I’ve been playing rummy on [platform]. If you want to try it, I can send you my referral code. The signup is on the website or in the app, and the bonus is wallet credit that converts to winnings after you play a few hands.”

Group chat template

For a group chat with friends who already play rummy: “Quick FYI, [platform] is running a welcome bonus this month. My code is [code] if anyone wants to claim it. Otherwise, no worries.”

Bonus code explainer Responsible play

Referral economics

Why the referral bonus is the bonus to read carefully

The referral bonus is the bonus most likely to be misunderstood, because the bonus depends on two accounts instead of one. The inviter gets a credit when the invitee registers and meets the qualifying action. The invitee gets a credit at the same moment. Both sides have to clear a wagering requirement before the credit is withdrawable.

The mechanics are built so the inviter cannot self-refer, cannot create a second account to claim the bonus, and cannot invite the same person twice. The platform enforces the rules with device fingerprinting, with PAN deduplication, and with the same KYC stack the reader has already used for their own account. The rules are not arbitrary; they are how the platform keeps the bonus pool funded.

The responsible-player stack for referrals is the most important paragraph on the page. The reader who is healthy enough to refer a friend is the reader who has decided the platform is healthy for them. The reader who is referred by a stranger, or who is referred through a forwarded link in a chat group, is the reader who has been recruited into a deposit they may not have made on their own. The page distinguishes the two.

The bonus credit is the smallest part of the referral economics. The larger part is the long-term relationship the invitee enters with the platform. A reader who is referred by a friend who has used the platform for two years is a reader who has more context than a reader who clicked an affiliate link. The page recommends the first kind of referral.

Before you sit at the next table

Rummy is a skill game. Skill games still deserve a sober frame.

The responsible-play chapter collects the verified helpline numbers, self-exclusion guidance and state-wise advisories. Read it before your first deposit, not after your first loss.

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