Most tutorials stop at "sign up and deposit." But a referral code only pays off the moment the rebate actually lands in your balance. This guide walks the entire chain in one pass: sign-up → verification → security → deposit → first trade → rebate confirmed — with a rough time estimate for every step.

The Full Chain at a Glance

Step 1: Sign Up (3 Minutes, But One Detail Can't Go Wrong)

App route: open https://partner.bybit.com/b/BYOFFICIAL on your phone browser → it redirects to the app download → register.

Web route: open the same link on desktop → click "Sign Up."

1. Register with an email or phone number. Email is safer: changing phone numbers later won't lock you out.
2. The critical move: on the sign-up page, find the "Referral ID" field and confirm it shows BYOFFICIAL. Arriving via the link usually auto-fills the code, but a page refresh can drop it; if blank, type BYOFFICIAL in manually; if the field is greyed out or already shows another ID, stop — you clicked someone else's promo link before, and their cookie took the attribution. Clear cache or reopen in incognito.
3. Set a password + complete email/SMS verification.

Step 2: KYC Verification (The Step That Sets Your Limits)

Bybit verification comes in tiers — higher tiers unlock higher fiat deposit and withdrawal limits:

1. App: avatar → Account & Security → Identity Verification.
2. Select country/region and document type (ID card / passport).
3. Upload document photos: all four corners visible, no glare, nothing covering it.
4. Facial verification: good lighting, follow the on-screen motions.
5. Some cases require proof of address (a bill from the last 3 months, name matching your ID).

Review usually takes minutes to a few hours. Don't stop at Level 1 — many people only discover their deposit limit is capped when they try to fund the account, then wait for review all over again.

Step 3: Security Settings (5 Minutes — Nobody With Funds Skips This)

1. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): bind Google Authenticator, write the backup key on paper. SMS is backup only.
2. Anti-phishing code: set a personal phrase; every genuine Bybit email will carry it. Any "Bybit email" without it goes straight to trash.
3. Withdrawal address whitelist: withdrawals only to whitelisted addresses. The first added address locks for 24 hours — which conveniently blocks account thieves too.

Step 4: Deposit (Three Routes — Pick Yours)

Route A: One-Click Buy (fastest, best for total beginners)

Home → One-Click Buy → pick your fiat and USDT → pay with a supported method → USDT lands directly in your account. Convenient, but the rate is usually slightly worse than P2P — fine for a small first purchase.

Route B: P2P Trading (better rates, more details)

1. Buy Crypto → P2P Trading, select USDT and your payment method.
2. Choose sellers by three metrics: completion rate, number of orders, online time. Don't chase a 0.1% price edge into an unreliable seller.
3. Transfer per the seller's instructions, and leave the transfer note/memo completely empty — not a single word.
4. After paying, tap "Transferred," then wait for the release (usually minutes; open an appeal if it stalls).

Route C: On-Chain Deposit (if you already hold crypto)

Assets → Deposit → select the coin → check the network:

Step 5: Your First Trade (Spot + Futures, How to Choose)

Spot: Trade → Spot → pick a pair like BTC/USDT → beginners should use limit orders — set your price and wait for the fill. Use 5%–10% of your capital on the first order.

Futures (USDT Perpetual): Bybit's flagship product, and the bigger rebate source — futures fees run higher than spot's, so the same 50% rebate saves more there. But set three rules first:

1. Start leverage at 3–5x. 50x is not for your first order.
2. Set the stop-loss with the order — Bybit's order panel supports TP/SL directly.
3. Use Isolated margin to start: liquidation only burns that position's margin, not the whole account.

Step 6: Confirm the Rebate Actually Landed (Check the Next Day)

1. The day after trading (rebates are usually settled T+1).
2. Open Assets → Transaction History / rebate records and look for a "referral rebate / commission" entry.
3. Cross-check: rebate ≈ that order's fee × your rebate rate (the actual rate is whatever your account's fee and rebate pages display).
4. The rebate lands as real balance — tradeable and withdrawable.

The Five High-Frequency Pitfalls (Sharper Than a List of Ten)

1. The referral field is already taken: you clicked another promo link earlier and their cookie claimed the attribution. Incognito window + cleared cache is the only fix.
2. Stopping at basic KYC: deposit limits stay crippled even though rebates flow — everything else is a grind.
3. Ignoring the deposit network: 99% of "my coins vanished" cases are a network mismatch, not Bybit eating them.
4. Writing crypto-related words in the P2P transfer note: leave it empty. At best it breaks reconciliation; at worst your bank flags the transfer.
5. Assuming 50% is a flat rate: "up to 50%" is the top tier of the program — your actual rate is whatever your account's fee page shows. Every number in this article defers to the official pages in real time.

FAQ (6 Questions)