The Gusto Retirement Pro accountant rewards program lets you earn referral rewards when you refer clients to a Gusto 401(k), and gives your clients free months with no employer fees when they enroll. This article covers how the program works, who is eligible, the rewards schedule, and how discounts apply.
When you refer a client to a Gusto 401(k), you earn a one-time referral reward based on their employee count — up to $5,000. Your clients also get free months with no employer fees when they enroll.
Why it works for accountants:
Pass discounts along to your clients
No waiting on perpetual revenue share
The process is simple — refer, your client enrolls, you get paid
Eligible:
Partners who are not acting as a fiduciary for the referred plan
New plan referrals — clients without a current 401(k) plan
Conversion plan referrals — clients moving from another 401(k) provider to Gusto
Not eligible:
Partners who are acting as a fiduciary for the referred plan
Clients already enrolled in a Gusto 401(k) plan
Important: If you are acting as a fiduciary — someone responsible for making investment and financial decisions for a client’s 401(k) plan — you cannot earn a referral fee for that plan due to a regulatory conflict of interest.
Why fiduciaries are not eligible for referral fees
If you are acting as a fiduciary for a plan, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) prohibits you from personally profiting from that relationship. Doing so may be considered a conflict of interest.
If you are a fiduciary for only some plans
You can still earn referral fees — just not for the plans where you are acting as a fiduciary. Your other referrals are unaffected.
Your reward — and your client’s free months — depends on their employee count at enrollment.
Employee count
Your referral reward
Client’s free months¹
0 – 4
$500
3 months
5 – 9
$750
4 months
10 – 24
$1,000
4 months
25 – 49
$2,000
5 months
50 – 99
$3,500
6 months
100+
$5,000
6 months
The discount only applies to new plans as of April 22, 2026. Any clients who were enrolled in the legacy rewards program will continue to get any discount based on your prior tier category.
Your clients will see the discount automatically applied when they set up their plan. The discount starts with your client’s first invoice.
If your firm has a Gusto 401(k), you qualify for a six-month offer. Once you sign up for Gusto Retirement Pro, reach out to your partner manager, and we will waive your firm’s employer fees for the next six months.
If you are opening a new Gusto 401(k) plan, you will get your discount when you start your plan.
We do not combine discounts. We will honor the higher value discount for you and your clients.
Any clients added before this discount was in place will not qualify for the referral bonus or employer fee discount. However, you can add existing customers through your Gusto Retirement dashboard. To do so, enter your clients' Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), then ask them to give you access from their administrator dashboard.
To show that you are a Gusto Retirement Pro partner, reach out to your dedicated partner manager. They will provide you with your partner badge.
¹ Employer fees include Gusto Retirement Services' monthly base fee and a monthly participant fee after the new plan begins. Other participant-paid fees will apply. See the pricing page for more information about our fees. This offer cannot be combined with other offers. Gusto reserves the right to modify or discontinue this promotion at any time without prior notice.