Examined Sep 25, 2026 Paid in service, not cash Lands on the second bill A Starlink referral link gives you one free month on your second invoice, and a free kit at checkout turns into a 12- or 24-month commitment with a $249 to $325 exit fee.
The free month is not a discount at checkout. Starlink's own steps: “First month: You pay for the first month. Activation is part of confirming the referral is legitimate. Second month: A service credit is applied to your account and deducted from your next invoice.” Starlink emails you when the month is confirmed, and your second invoice shows as free in the account portal.
What pays what
| You, a new customer ordering Residential or Roam on starlink.com through a link | 1 month free, on invoice two |
|---|---|
| An existing or returning Starlink customer | Nothing |
| A kit bought from a reseller or retailer, or an account transfer | Nothing |
| A plan outside the eligible Residential and Roam list | Nothing |
| Leaving a 12- or 24-month commitment early | $249 or $325 change fee |
Your actions that change the Services include but are not limited to cancelling a service plan, changing to a different service plan, changing your service address, and transferring the Services or Kit to another person.
Eligible plans, in Starlink's words: Residential Lite, Residential, Residential 100 Mbps, Residential 200 Mbps and Residential Max; Roam 100GB, Roam 300GB and Roam Unlimited.
Do this, in this order
- Confirm you are new. “You must be a new Starlink customer. Existing or returning customers are not eligible.” The link has to come from someone on an active Residential or Roam plan, in an area where the program is offered; Starlink says that is most places it serves. You must be at least 18, or the age of majority where you live.
- Open the unique link and order on starlink.com, not in a shop. “Credits are only issued when you sign up on starlink.com. Kits purchased from resellers, retailers, or account transfer are not eligible.” The link is tied to the account that shared it, not to your address.
- Decide about the kit before checkout. Buy it and you can return it within 30 days of the payment due date for a full refund for any reason, including a blocked view of the sky, and the first month's fee comes back with it. Take the free kit and you have signed the 12- or 24-month commitment above. Rent it and it must go back in good condition within 30 days of cancelling or you are charged the full retail price.
- Pay the first month, activate, stay two months. The first charge lands on the earlier of activation, 7 days after delivery, or 30 days after shipment if no delivery date exists. The credit then comes off the next invoice. Starlink's own instruction is to activate the kit and stay subscribed for at least 2 months.
- Keep any discount you were given. The terms say you must maintain eligibility for a discount offered at sale, or Starlink may remove it or charge your payment method for its value. Regional savings work the same way: change address or plan, or fail to activate within 30 days of shipment, and the original savings can be charged back.
- If you leave, cancel before the invoice generates. “To avoid being billed for the following month of Services you must cancel Services prior to your invoice statement being generated.” The monthly fee is due each month whether or not you use the service, and the terms say you are not entitled to refunds beyond the deposit and the 30-day kit return.
What Starlink does not publish
A referral terms document. The rules on this page come from two help-center articles and the referrals landing page. The article on using a link points to starlink.com/legal for the full terms, and we found no referral-specific document there in what we read. The Terms of Service do not mention the referral program.
A date on the contract, or an end date. The Terms of Service show no last-updated line. They say Starlink may change them at any time on notice, will notify you before a material change, and gives at least one month's notice before materially adverse changes to plans, prices or terms. No end date is printed for the referral program.
Which fee is $249 and which is $325. The terms say the change fee is $249 or $325, as applicable, without saying which commitment carries which. They also let Starlink terminate service at its convenience after proper notice, and settle disputes by binding arbitration with no class actions.
Is it worth your time?
If you had already decided on Starlink, use a link. It costs nothing, ordering without one gets you no free month, and one month of service is a real amount off your second bill. Then make the kit decision on its own terms: a bought kit keeps the 30-day return and leaves you free to cancel, while the free kit is a 12- or 24-month promise with a $249 or $325 price on breaking it, which is larger than the month you were given.
If you later share your own link, Starlink states no cap on how many people you can refer; its $100 US example is paid as credit by default, switchable to cash where offered, and only after your friend has stayed two months.
