System, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for providing referrals

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• prompting a user to access, by a hosting unit, a referral service website associated with a referral service;
• prompting the user to create, by a profile management unit, a user account;
• verifying, by an authentication unit, that the user is eligible to create the user account by comparing information provided by the user with user information stored in the database;
• receiving, by a communications unit, the verification from the authentication unit;
• sending, by the communications unit, a message to the user requesting the user complete a single step to provide a referral for a business for a category of goods or services, wherein the single step comprises providing a response selected from not more than two available response options;
• receiving, by the hosting unit, the new referral from the user;
• and
• sending, from the hosting unit, the new referral to the profile management unit.

A system comprising:

• a database stored on a server;
• a referral application associated with a referral service and installed on a user device accessible to a user, wherein the user device includes a user interface;
• and
• a processing device of the server, wherein the processing device is in communication with the user device, the processing device including:
• a hosting unit configured to prompt a user to access the application,
• a profile management unit configured to prompt the user to create a user account,
• an authentication unit configured to verify that the user is eligible to create the user account by comparing information provided by the user with user information stored in the database;
• a communications unit configured to:
• receive the verification from the authentication unit, and
• send a message to the user requesting the user complete a single step to provide a new referral for a business for a category of goods or services, wherein the single step comprises providing a response selected from not more than two available response options;
• the hosting unit further configured to:
• receive the new referral from the user,
• send the new referral to the profile management unit;
• and
• the profile management unit further configured to:
• determine whether there the user has an existing referral for the category,
• where the user has an existing referral for the category, remove the existing referral, and
• update the user account to include the new referral;
• the hosting unit further configured to prompt a business user to access the application;
• the profile management unit further configured to prompt the business user to create a business account;
• the authentication unit further configured to verify that the business user is eligible to accept referrals by comparing information provided by the business user with business information stored in the database;
• and
• the profile management unit is further configured to update the business account to include the referral from the user.