Applying and joining Referna are free, and no credit card is required to get started. Pricing is set by circle size, not by seat or feature, and it only kicks in once a circle grows past four members. There's also a combined plan — a full circle plus a Guaranteed Cohort seat, currently discounted — covered further down. Here's exactly how the mechanics work, since this is the question that comes up most before someone applies.
Pricing is set by circle size, not per member fees or feature tiers
There's no per-seat charge and no premium tier to unlock more features — everyone in a circle sees the same price, and that price is set entirely by how many people are in the circle. A circle of one to four people is free. Once it reaches five, the whole circle moves to a paid tier, and the price steps up again at six and at eight. The circle you're in determines the price, not anything you individually choose or pay for.
The tiers
| Circle size | Price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 members | $0/month | The circle is still forming — free with no time limit until it reaches five. |
| 5 members | $20/month | First 30 days free, then billing starts if the circle stays at five or more. |
| 6–7 members | $50/month | Same 30-day free trial applies the first time a circle crosses into a paid tier. |
| 8+ members | $100/month | A full circle — Referna's typical circle size is 8 to 12 members. |
These prices are per circle, and every member in that circle pays the same amount — not a per-seat multiple of it.
When billing actually starts
A circle of up to four members stays free indefinitely — there's no trial clock running and no payment method needed at that stage. The moment a circle reaches five members, it starts a 30-day free trial. If the circle is still at five or more members when the 30 days end, billing begins at that tier's price. If the circle drops back below five before the trial ends, billing simply doesn't start — you're never charged for a circle that isn't at five or more.
Does a free circle automatically convert to paid?
Yes, but only once it actually reaches five members, and only after the 30-day free trial runs its course. It's not an opt-in upgrade you have to remember to trigger, and it's not a surprise charge either — the trial period is the buffer, and cancelling or the circle shrinking back down before the trial ends stops billing from ever starting.
What if your circle shrinks later
Your price moves with the circle. You can cancel anytime, and if a paid circle's membership drops into a lower size band, the price adjusts down to match — there's no penalty, no lock-in period, and no minimum commitment tied to the circle's peak size.
Being in more than one circle
Most members are in a single circle, but if you're in more than one, the pricing carries a premium: you pay $20 times the total number of members across all your circles, rather than each circle's tier price stacking independently.
Circle of 8+ and a Cohort Seat: a discounted combined plan
Referna also offers a combined plan for members at a full circle: an 8+ member circle plus a Guaranteed Cohort seat together, normally $100/month, currently offered at $60/month. A Guaranteed Cohort needs at least 10 members pledged before it runs. Right now only the cohort side is billed — the circle-tier portion of this combined plan isn't charged separately on top. As with a standalone Guaranteed Cohort, nothing is charged up front: a payment method is saved when you pledge a seat, and billing starts once the cohort's first session actually happens.