Public.com referral code (2026): free stock & 1% transfer match

Public.com free stock terms

Public.com transfer bonus terms

Other free stock promotions

Public.com free stock bonus

Public’s referral program works the same way on both sides:

1. Existing members: share your referral link from the Rewards section of the app with friends and family. When a friend opens an account and makes a first deposit of at least $1,000, you get $100 in a stock or ETF of your choice.
2. New members: sign up through a referral link, get approved and make a first one-time deposit of $1,000 or more. You get the same $100 in a stock or ETF of your choice.

The reward is a fractional share of a stock or ETF you pick from a list chosen by Public. You have 30 days to claim it, and its cash value cannot be withdrawn for 12 months (Public may charge an early withdrawal fee of up to $100). Rewards are capped at $500 per member across all Public promotions, you can only enroll in one promotion as a new sign-up, and Public reports the reward as “Other Income” on a 1099-MISC.

What changed: until 2025, Public gave new members a random free stock worth between $3 and $300 for a $20 deposit (about 90% of people got the $3 slice). That lottery-style offer is over. The current reward is a fixed amount, but Public adjusts it from time to time: it was $20 for part of 2026 before going back to $100. Whatever it is when you sign up, the app shows it in the Rewards section.

Public.com transfer bonus

The transfer bonus is a separate program for investors who move an existing account to Public: a brokerage account (via ACAT transfer), an IRA, a business account or a 401(k) rollover. First launched in September 2025 and re-launched on September 14, 2026, it is a 1% match with no cap, based on the value of the cash and securities you bring over on the day the transfer settles.

Some examples:

The catch is how it is paid: in up to 60 equal monthly payments over five years, starting about a month after the transfer settles. Each payment is yours once it lands (no clawbacks), but if you withdraw or transfer out part of the money, your remaining payments shrink dollar for dollar, and closing the account stops them. You can trade freely inside the account without affecting the match.

Public does not charge for incoming transfers and reimburses up to $100 of your old broker’s transfer-out fee when you move $5,000 or more. The match is treated as interest for tax purposes and cannot be combined with other Public promotions.

The previous tiered cash bonus (from $150 to $10,000) expired on September 9, 2025. Want the full terms? Check the official FAQ page and the ACATS & IRA Match Program terms.

Public.com referral code

There are two ways to use a Public.com referral code:

• Referral link: click a referral link and the code is applied for you.
• Type the code in manually: after you open the account, go to the Rewards section (top right of the Portfolio page, or in the sidebar menu), tap Redeem a code and enter it. Your reward shows up there once you meet the deposit condition.

Codes you will find online: the ones listed on coupon sites (JOINPUBLIC, STOCK50) have expired. There is no “better” code: whichever valid code you use, you get the reward Public is running at the time.

Public.com pros and cons

Any time you sign up with an online broker, you’re forming a financial relationship with a service provider. Here is what stands out about Public in 2026, good and bad.

Public.com pros

• ✅ Fractional shares: invest in dollar amounts, from $1, in stocks and ETFs (and even fractional bonds).
• ✅ Commission-free stocks and ETFs, now also in extended hours and on OTC stocks. Public pays you a rebate of $0.06 to $0.18 per contract when you trade options.
• ✅ Multi-asset: stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, Treasuries and crypto, plus a high-yield cash account.
• ✅ 24/5 trading: buy and sell thousands of stocks and ETFs from Sunday 8 PM to Friday 8 PM ET, with no fees.
• ✅ Prediction markets (new): trade event contracts on Fed rate decisions or commodity prices 24/7 and set AI agents to act on them.
• ✅ Retirement accounts: Traditional and Roth IRAs with a 1% match on contributions, transfers and rollovers.
• ✅ AI tools: Alpha (AI research assistant), AI agents, Generated Assets and a trading API.
• ✅ Premium is now free: the advanced data and research that used to cost $8/month are open to every member.
• ✅ Transfer match: 1% with no cap if you bring an account from another broker.

Public.com cons

• ❌ US residents only. If you live in Europe or elsewhere, you cannot open an account or use a referral code.
• ❌ The best rates cost $20/month: the Reserve membership lifts the cash APY from 3.30% to 3.75% and the IRA contribution match from 1% to 4%.
• ❌ No mutual funds and no custodial accounts.
• ❌ Crypto has a markup (1% to 2% per trade) and is provided by a third party, Zero Hash.
• ❌ The transfer match is slow money: paid over five years, and leaving early cuts it.

Bottom line

Public’s sign-up reward is smaller than it used to be, but it is still free money on top of a solid multi-asset app, and the 1% transfer match is one of the few uncapped offers around if you are consolidating a bigger portfolio.

Ready to start? Signup to Public.com (US residents only). Not eligible? Have a look at the other free stock promotions above.

Once you’re set up, share your own referral link from the app to earn $100 for every friend who joins and deposits $1,000.