A method of improving a network-based marketplace system with referral-service functionality is disclosed. One or more notifications are received from a client device of a first user of a plurality of users. The one or more notifications include an authorization from the first user to make a payment to complete a purchase of an item included in a listing posted on the network-based publication system. The one or more notifications also include a referral code associated with the authorization. The payment is received from the first user into a holding account. Based on the referral code, a second user of the plurality of users is identified as a referrer of the purchase. The payment is divided into a plurality of payments to be made to a seller of the item as a purchase fee and to be made to the referrer of the purchase as a referral fee.