Polymarket sign up bonus: what exists and how to spot scams

On the global Polymarket platform we found no welcome bonus and no deposit bonus in its help center or documentation. The one official promotion we found belongs to Polymarket US, a separate entity built for the US market: a 25 USD trading credit for a first deposit of at least 10 USD, and that credit cannot be withdrawn as cash. A Polymarket “referral code” does not give you anything: it pays a share of trading fees to the person who shares it.

The short version

• Global Polymarket (polymarket.com): no verifiable welcome bonus in the official sources we checked.
• Polymarket US (polymarket.us): a deposit incentive program, current according to its documentation, paid in credits that are not cash.
• Global referral program: 10% of net fees from direct referrals and 5% from indirect ones. The person who is referred gets no bonus, per the official article.
• Any “bonus” that asks you to connect your wallet or share your seed phrase is a scam signal.

Does Polymarket have a deposit bonus?

For the platform most readers outside the US use, the answer is that there is no verifiable bonus. The front page of Polymarket’s help center lists no article about welcome promotions, and the official referral program article mentions no benefit for someone who signs up through a link.

What does exist is a real saving: Polymarket charges nothing to deposit or withdraw, and trading fees depend on the market category. We cover both in Polymarket fees and how to deposit on Polymarket.

Polymarket US: the 25 USD credit

Polymarket US is the platform for the United States, a separate entity from the global one. Its documentation publishes a deposit incentive program. These are the conditions as written at the time of this guide:

Condition	Detail
Campaign	Campaign A, from October 16, 2026
Minimum deposit	10 USD
Time to deposit	7 days
Credit	25 USD
Who qualifies	New users; only the first deposit after onboarding counts
Limit	One credit per participant
Withdrawal	A promotional credit: it can open positions and pay fees, but it cannot be withdrawn as cash

The documentation adds that credits are applied within 24 hours after the deposit is confirmed, that Polymarket US can change, suspend or end programs, and that it can withhold or reverse credits in cases of fraud or self-referral. The page does not list eligible states or countries, and we found no end date.

There is also a refer-a-friend program: a 25 USD credit for each side when your friend signs up with your code and deposits at least 10 USD, open to users who are eligible to trade on Polymarket US. These are programs of that entity, not of the global platform.

Polymarket referral code: how it really works

On the global platform the referral program works the other way round from what the name suggests. According to the official article:

• Whoever shares the link earns 10% of net fees from direct referrals and 5% from indirect ones.
• To start earning, they need 10,000 USD in lifetime trading volume of their own.
• Rewards last 30 days from the referral’s sign-up, or until that user reaches the Platinum tier.
• They are based on net fees, meaning what Polymarket keeps after the referred user’s own rebate. Some markets have no fees, so they earn nothing.
• Payouts are daily, in pUSD.
• Polymarket can disqualify referrals or claw back rewards for self-referrals, linked accounts or inauthentic trading.

The article mentions no bonus or discount for the person who arrives through the link. If you see a “code” that promises free money on the global platform, it is not in this description.

Why do you see “deposit 10 get 50” everywhere?

Many US sports media and betting sites publish “promo codes” for Polymarket US with affiliate links, and their figures do not match. We do not link to them: they earn a commission when you sign up and repeat terms that change without notice.

These are offers from the American platform and they change without notice: the source for the conditions is Polymarket US’s documentation. None of them is a bonus on the global platform.

How to spot a fake Polymarket bonus

Fraud campaigns use Polymarket’s name as bait. These are the warning signs described by the sources we consulted:

1. A site that is not the official one. PCrisk describes a cloned site claiming to hand out 250 million “POLY” tokens to active traders. Its “check eligibility” button asked you to connect your wallet, and that kind of site drains funds once you do.
2. Promises that look too good. Hundreds of dollars or free tokens with no deposit.
3. Someone asks for your login code. If you sign in with email, Polymarket sends you a 6-digit code. Its help centre says never to share it with anyone, not even Polymarket staff: whoever has it can get into your account.
4. Links that arrive by email, social media or messaging apps. Type the address into your browser yourself.
5. Requests for your seed phrase or private key. MetaMask is explicit: they are never shared.

Polymarket’s help center also asks you never to share the 6-digit login code, not even with its staff. More on connecting wallets in Polymarket with MetaMask and Coinbase, on apps in Polymarket on Android and iOS and on trust in Is Polymarket legit?.

How to save money without a bonus

What you can control is the cost of trading. Makers never pay fees, and limit orders that rest on the book are how you act as a maker: we detail it in limit orders and zero fees. Before you sign up, also confirm that Polymarket works where you live in where Polymarket is legal.

Frequently asked questions

Does Polymarket give a sign-up bonus?

On the global platform we found none in the official help center or documentation. Polymarket US does publish a deposit program, paid in trading credits that cannot be withdrawn as cash.

What is the Polymarket referral code?

There is no code that gives free money. Whoever holds a referral link earns a percentage of their referrals’ fees if they meet the requirements; the referred user gets no bonus, per the official article.

What should I do if someone offers me a bonus on Telegram or by email?

Do not open the link or connect your wallet. Compare the offer with the official help center, type the address yourself and never share your seed phrase or login codes.