Why are some referrals marked as ineligible for a referral bonus payout?
Last updated: July 18, 2026
When processing referral bonuses, certain referrals may be flagged as ineligible and should not be included in the payout report. This article explains the common reasons a referral may be deemed ineligible and how to handle these cases in Boon.
Answer
There are several criteria that can make a referral ineligible for a bonus payout. Common reasons include:
New hire is in a leadership position (E0 or above): If the referred candidate is hired into a leadership-level role (e.g., E0, E1, or higher), the referral is not eligible for a bonus.
Referrer is no longer actively employed: The referrer must be actively employed at the time of the payout. If the referring employee has left the company before the payout is processed, the referral is not eligible.
Incorrect referrer information: If the referrer listed in Boon does not match the referrer listed in your ATS (e.g., Greenhouse), the referral should be reviewed and corrected before processing.
To handle ineligible referrals, follow these steps:
Identify the ineligible referrals based on the criteria above.
Mark the ineligible referrals directly in Boon to ensure they are excluded from the payout report.
Do not process these referrals in your payroll system (e.g., Workday) until eligibility is confirmed.
Note on job profiles and referral type: Because not all job profiles are accessible in Boon, there is a manual step required upon hire. Recruiters must select the appropriate value from the Referral Type field dropdown to designate the correct referral bonus based on the role. Once this is completed, the remaining exclusion criteria can be validated.
If you are unsure about the eligibility of a specific referral or need assistance reviewing referral data, please reach out to your Boon support contact.