Examined Sep 25, 2026 Program ended Nothing to claim Coursera ended its referral program on October 25, 2024, so the $1 first month is gone; what is left is a 7-day trial on the monthly plan and a 14-day refund window on the annual one.
Coursera still hosts the full terms under one line: “As of October 25, 2024, Coursera's Referral Program has been discontinued.” While it ran, a friend who subscribed through a link received their first month of Coursera Plus for $1. The program was due to run from April 15, 2024 to December 31, 2024 and was stopped early.
What pays what
| You, joining with a friend's referral link today | Nothing. The program ended |
|---|---|
| What a new subscriber got while it ran | A first month of Coursera Plus for $1, one per person |
| A new subscriber on the monthly plan | 7-day free trial, then $59 a month |
| A new subscriber on the annual plan | $399 a year, refund on request within 14 days of payment |
| An annual renewal charge | Never refunded |
By our arithmetic, twelve months at $59 is $708, against $399 for the annual plan paid at once. The annual plan is cheaper only if you would have stayed most of the year, and it is the one without a free trial.
Do this, in this order
- Do not sign up for a referral reward. There is none to collect. Judge Coursera Plus on its price, $59 a month or $399 a year on the page we read.
- On the monthly plan, cancel before day 7 if you are unsure. The plan page says: “you won't be charged until the end of your 7-day free trial”. Coursera takes your payment details at sign-up. The Terms of Use add that certificates cannot be earned during the free trial.
- On the annual plan, request the refund; canceling alone will not do it. Use your My Purchases page within 14 days of payment. The Terms of Use say: “Canceling your subscription will stop future billing but will not automatically issue a refund.” They also let Coursera deny a refund where a significant portion of the content has been accessed, or after repeated requests or a chargeback.
- Cancel any old Specialization subscription yourself. The plan page warns: “You must cancel your existing subscriptions to avoid being charged for both Coursera Plus and single Specialization subscriptions.”
- Decide before the annual plan renews. Subscriptions renew for periods of equal length until you cancel, and “Refunds will not be provided for renewal charges on annual subscription plans.” For US readers the terms add that the United States does not provide refund periods beyond Coursera's free trial period.
Please note that any certificates that you earn within your first 14 days will be revoked if you decide to get a refund within that period.
What the $1 month was, if you are reading an old post
Who could take part. The account sharing the link had to belong to a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec) or the United Kingdom, at least 18, with an active account in good standing. You had to live in the same country and must never have subscribed to Coursera Plus or used a Coursera Plus free trial. The terms say: “Limit: One (1) Reward redemption per person.”
Where it could be shared. Nowhere public. “An Advocate's Referral Link may not be shared, sold, or used in any way except to obtain Advocate Reward(s), and it must be used only for personal and non-commercial purposes and only to individuals with whom the Advocate has a personal or family relationship who would want to receive the Referral Link.” Some coupon and code sites still describe the $1 month as live. Coursera's own page says otherwise.
What Coursera lists instead. The Promotions and free trials section of its help center lists free trials, a Google scholarship for business, and the ended referral terms. Nothing we read offers a new-subscriber reward in its place. The terms page itself carries “Last Updated: June 13, 2024” and a page date of Jan 14, 2025.
Is it worth your time?
Chasing a Coursera referral is not: there is nothing to chase. If you want Coursera Plus for its courses, the monthly trial is the low-risk way in. Seven days is short, so start it when you have time to take a course, and cancel before it ends if you are not sure.
The annual plan is a bigger commitment than it looks. The 14-day refund is real, but it takes back any certificate you earned in that time, it can be refused if you have watched a lot, and it never applies to a renewal. If you want a learning subscription that still comes with a sign-up offer, the three below were live when we read them.
