Most people sign up for an exchange in four steps: open the site, enter an email, set a password, done. Six months later they realise they have been paying full trading fees the whole time and quietly overpaid by half.

On Bybit, the rebate relationship is created at the exact moment of registration. Adding a code afterwards is not possible. This guide follows the real onboarding order and explains why each step matters — especially the referral-code timing, the KYC details that cause rejections, and the C2C pitfalls that cost beginners money.

1. Before You Start: Three Things to Prepare

2. Registration (Step 3 Is the One That Matters)

Step 1 — Open the sign-up page

Go to: https://partner.bybit.com/b/BYOFFICIAL

Step 2 — Enter your account details

Register with email or phone, then enter the verification code (email codes can land in spam — wait 1–2 minutes and check).

Step 3 — Enter the referral code

The form has a "Referral Code (optional)" field. It says optional, but you must enter BYOFFICIAL.

Referral code field: BYOFFICIAL

Three facts to remember:

1. When you open the page through a partner link the code is usually pre-filled, but always confirm with your own eyes that BYOFFICIAL is in the box — never assume it auto-applied.
2. Leaving it blank means you pay the standard rate and the rebate is lost permanently.
3. It cannot be added after registration. Anyone offering to "add a code on the backend" for a fee is running a scam.

Step 4 — Set your password and finish

Use 8–32 characters with upper case, lower case and numbers.

3. KYC Identity Verification

An unverified account can log in and view markets, but cannot buy via C2C, cannot withdraw, and has limited derivatives access. KYC is mandatory.

3.1 Where to find it

• App: Assets → settings icon (top right) → Identity Verification
• Web: Avatar → Account & Security → Identity Verification

3.2 Two levels

For spot and futures trading, Level 1 is enough.

3.3 Five reasons KYC gets rejected

1. Glare or blur on the document photo — lay it flat on a dark surface, shoot in natural light, keep all four corners visible.
2. Name order reversed — match your document exactly; don't reorder to Western convention.
3. Mismatched details — one wrong character in name, ID number or date of birth means rejection.
4. Face scan failure — remove glasses and hats, face the light source, avoid backlight or darkness.
5. Document near expiry — keep at least 3 months of validity.

Review usually takes a few minutes to one business day. If rejected, resubmit using the on-screen reason; you do not need a new account.

4. Security Setup: Do This on Day One

5. C2C Purchase: The Most Common Way to Fund an Account

C2C (fiat) works like this: the platform holds the crypto in escrow, you pay the merchant in fiat, and the merchant releases the crypto to you. The platform charges no fee; the merchant sets the price.

5.1 Full flow

1. App home → Buy Crypto → C2C / P2P Trading
2. Switch to Buy, select USDT, enter the fiat amount
3. Filter payment method: bank transfer / e-wallet / local options
4. Pick a merchant — check completion rate (95%+ recommended), number of trades, account age, order limits
5. Tap Buy → open the order page showing the merchant's payment details
6. Pay from your own account in your own name, using the exact amount shown
7. Tap "Transferred, notify seller"
8. Wait for release (usually 1–10 minutes) → USDT lands in your Funding Account

5.2 Six rules that protect your money

• Never click "Paid" before you actually paid — it counts as confirmation and the money is gone.
• Never trade off-platform — if a merchant offers a better price on WhatsApp/Telegram, refuse. Escrow disappears off-platform.
• Leave transfer notes blank — avoid words that trigger bank risk controls.
• Split large amounts — one oversized transfer is more likely to be frozen; split across several orders and days.
• Pay from an account in your own name — third-party payment lets the merchant cancel and file a dispute.
• Appeal if the merchant stalls — the order page has an appeal button; the platform decides using chat logs and payment proof.

5.3 Don't forget the internal transfer

C2C purchases land in the Funding Account and cannot be used for derivatives directly.
Go to: Assets → Transfer → Funding Account → Unified Trading Account (UTA), asset USDT, amount = all.

6. Four Deposit Methods Compared

Typical choice: beginners start with C2C; users who already hold crypto deposit on-chain (USDT via TRC-20 is cheapest).

7. Fees and Rebate: What BYOFFICIAL Actually Saves You

Standard Bybit rates for regular users (VIP0):

How the rebate arrives:

• Rebates are settled daily and credited to your Funding Account automatically — no claiming needed.
• Check it under: Assets → Rebate Account, or the Referral Program / Rewards Hub page.
• The rebate is not taken from your profit and not taken from the person who invited you — it comes out of the platform's own marketing budget. It is pure incremental savings.

8. Troubleshooting

9. Day-One Checklist

• Registered through the partner link and confirmed BYOFFICIAL is in the code field
• Email/phone verified, strong password set
• Standard KYC completed (document + face scan)
• Google Authenticator 2FA enabled
• Fund password set (different from login password)
• Anti-phishing code set
• First USDT purchased via C2C
• Transferred to the Unified Trading Account
• Rebate entry visible in the Rebate Account