Is the Wealthsimple Referral Bonus Worth It?

Yes—it’s free money with zero downside. The Wealthsimple referral bonus gives you $25 for opening an account and funding it. There’s no catch, no hidden fees, and no commitment to stay.

What exactly do you get?

$25 cash bonus deposited into your account after you fund it
Commission-free trading on all Canadian and US stocks and ETFs
No minimum balance required to keep the account open
No subscription fee on the basic plan

The referral bonus is on top of Wealthsimple’s already-free platform. You’re not paying anything extra to get it.

What it costs you

Nothing. Literally nothing.

No sign-up fee
No monthly fee (on the basic plan)
No trading commissions on stocks and ETFs
No minimum deposit requirement beyond what triggers the bonus

The only “cost” is the 5 minutes it takes to open the account.

Is $25 even meaningful?

On its own, $25 isn’t life-changing. But think of it this way:

$25 invested in XEQT today, growing at 8% annually, becomes ~$54 in 10 years and ~$117 in 20 years
It’s enough to buy a fractional share of XEQT and start your portfolio
It removes the psychological barrier of “losing your own money” on your first trade
If your partner also signs up through your referral link, that’s another $25—$50 total for your household

The real value isn’t the $25. It’s the nudge that gets you investing.

Who should use it?

The referral bonus makes sense if you:

Are opening a Wealthsimple account anyway
Are new to investing and want a risk-free way to start
Want to try the platform before transferring larger amounts
Are helping a partner, friend, or family member start investing

Who should skip it?

There’s almost no reason to skip it. The only scenario where it doesn’t matter is if you already have a Wealthsimple account (existing clients aren’t eligible for the new-client referral bonus).

How to claim it correctly

Use this referral link to open your account
Complete identity verification
Fund your account (any amount)
The $25 bonus appears in your account after processing

Common mistakes that void the bonus:

Opening the account without using the referral link first
Using an expired or invalid promo code instead
Not completing the funding step

For detailed troubleshooting, see Referral Link Not Working or the Referral Tracking Checklist.

Claim Your Free $25

Open a commission-free account and get $25 towards your first XEQT purchase. Takes 5 minutes.

Get Your $25 Bonus