Glossary: Lead Requests, Submissions, Scores & Temperatures

Last updated: 8 September 2026

Glossary: Lead Requests, Submissions, Scores & Temperatures

New to Referr? This glossary explains the key terms you'll encounter on the platform.


Core Concepts

Lead

A lead is a potential customer or client—someone who has expressed interest in a product or service. On Referr, leads are contact details (name, email, phone, location) of people who need specific services.

Lead Request

A lead request is a posting created by a buyer that describes the type of leads they want to receive. It includes:

  • The service category
  • Price they'll pay per lead
  • Location requirements (if any)
  • Monthly budget
  • Description of ideal leads

Example: A plumber creates a lead request for "emergency plumbing leads in Manchester, paying £25 per lead."

Lead Submission

A lead submission is when a seller submits a lead to a buyer's lead request. The seller provides the contact details of someone who needs the buyer's services.

Inbound Lead

An inbound lead is a lead that has been submitted to a buyer's request but hasn't been purchased yet. Buyers review inbound leads before deciding to purchase.


Lead Quality Indicators

Lead Score

A number from 0 to 100 that indicates the quality of a submitted lead. Higher scores suggest better quality.

How it's calculated:

  • Completeness of information provided
  • Validity of email and phone number
  • Matching to the lead request requirements
  • Historical seller performance

Score ranges:

Score Quality
80-100 Excellent
60-79 Good
40-59 Average
0-39 Low

Lead Temperature

An urgency indicator based on how recently the lead was submitted:

Temperature Meaning
🔥 Hot Just submitted—fresh and likely to convert
☀️ Warm A few days old—still good potential
❄️ Cold Getting stale—act quickly or it may go cold

Why it matters: Leads are most valuable when they're fresh. A hot lead is more likely to respond than one that's been sitting for days.


User Types

Buyer

A user who creates lead requests and purchases leads. Buyers are typically businesses or professionals looking for new customers.

Seller

A user who submits leads to earn money. Sellers generate or collect leads through various channels and sell them to buyers.

Both

A user who can both buy and sell leads on the platform.


Lead Statuses

For Sellers (Lead Submission Status)

Status Meaning
Submitted Lead sent to buyer, awaiting their review
Purchased Buyer has paid for the lead—you've earned!
Rejected Buyer declined the lead (with optional reason)

For Buyers (Lead Management Status)

After purchasing, buyers can track leads through their sales pipeline:

Status Meaning
New Just purchased, not yet contacted
Contact Attempted You've tried reaching out
Connected You've made contact with the lead
Open Deal Discussing a potential project/sale
Closed-Win Successfully converted to a customer
Closed-Lost Lead didn't convert
Unqualified Lead wasn't a good fit

Categories

L1 Category (Level 1)

The top-level category—the broadest classification.

Examples: Home Services, Professional Services, Health & Wellness

L2 Category (Level 2)

A subcategory within an L1 category.

Examples: Cleaning (under Home Services), Legal (under Professional Services)

L3 Category (Level 3)

The most specific category, used when creating lead requests.

Examples: House Cleaning, End of Tenancy Cleaning, Office Cleaning (all under Cleaning)


Payments & Billing

Price Per Lead

The amount a buyer pays for each lead they purchase. Set by the buyer when creating a lead request. Minimum is £5.

Monthly Budget

The maximum amount a buyer is willing to spend per month on a lead request. Must be at least 2x the price per lead.

Auto-Pay

A feature that automatically purchases leads when they meet the buyer's criteria. Requires a saved payment method.

Payout

Money transferred to a seller's bank account after their leads are purchased. Sellers receive the lead price less the payout fee, which is taken at the point of sale.

Service Fee

The fee paid by the buyer at the point of purchase, on top of the lead price: 20% of the lead price (15% on premium lead requests), with a minimum of £1. Sellers are not charged a Service Fee.

Payout Fee

The fee paid by the seller: 3% of the lead price, with a minimum of £3, deducted from each lead sale. This is the only platform charge sellers pay.


Listing Types

Basic Listing

A standard lead request—free to create with all core features.

Premium Listing

An enhanced lead request with improved visibility in search results and the Explore page. Requires a one-time payment.


Other Terms

Stripe Connect

The payment system used to send payouts to sellers. Sellers connect their bank account through Stripe to receive payments.

Duplicate Lead

A lead that has already been submitted—either to the same lead request or elsewhere on the platform. Duplicates to the same request are blocked.

Money-Back Guarantee

Buyer protection policy. If a lead is invalid or doesn't meet the stated requirements, buyers can request a refund within 7 days.


Next Steps


Still Confused?

If you encounter a term that's not explained here, let us know and we'll add it!

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