7 min read
Why referral software should not be priced per referral
A plain-language note on flat fees, gifts and what this product will not do.
The fee should not cheer when volume goes up
If a vendor's invoice grows because you received more referrals, the invoice is participating in the referral. CareLoop's plans are a workspace price and a seat count. Annual billing is two months free. There is no meter on referral count or referral value, in the product or in the agency add-on.
That is a product rule. It is not a legal opinion about your contracts. Your counsel still has to read the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark, and the private-pay arrangements you actually use.
Do not hide incentives in the workflow
The partner portal does not offer points, gift cards or a leaderboard of referrers that you then reward. Relationship health is an internal management score. It is not a prize.
Meals and small gifts, where your policy allows them at all, get a log with an amount and a warning. The warning tells you the entry is above a threshold you chose. It does not bless the gift.