Tesla Referral Program — How Does A Referral Code Work; What Do I Get?
Last Update: April 2, 2024
Though Tesla has been making and selling purely electric cars since 2008, and delivered over 1.8 million electric cars in 2023 alone, the company still spends very little on marketing and advertising. Instead, Tesla relies mostly on word of mouth from existing owners and excitement from bloggers, YouTubers, social media influencers, and journalists to sell cars. To this end, the Tesla referral program has been an effective tool in bringing new customers to the brand. Over time, the Tesla referral program has been expanded to include the referral and purchase of Tesla solar panel systems, the Tesla solar roof and Tesla Powerwall.
Note: If you’ve come here looking for a referral code or referral link for a bonus on your own Tesla purchase, feel free to use mine:
What Is the Tesla Referral Program and What Benefits Does it Offer?
With the Tesla referral program, any owner of a Tesla vehicle or Tesla solar panel system can share a unique Tesla referral code or referral link with prospective Tesla buyers. If a buyer uses this referral link or code to purchase or lease a Tesla Model S, Model X, or Model Y, then both the buyer and the referrer get a reward or bonus. The same is true for buyers and referrers of Tesla solar power systems and Powerwall. The actual bonus has varied over time, but as of April, 2024, it comes in the form of Tesla Points or “Reward Credits” that you can use toward purchases in the Tesla online shop. Tesla also added an option for “demo drives.” If a prospective buyer uses your referral link to schedule a test drive, you’ll earn 100 Reward Credits even if they do not move forward with a purchase.
The points or rewards for the referrer and for the buyer vary, depending on which Tesla product is purchased. Note that with the launch of the refreshed “Highland” Model 3, the Model 3 is currently excluded from any referral bonus for referrers or buyers in North America. We expect this will change at some point once the new version has been out on the market for a while. Note that some of these details are specific to the North American market. In other areas, such as Europe, where the Model 3 refresh was introduced in 2023, the Model 3 is once again eligible for referral rewards (restored January, 2024).
As of Apeil, 2024, here are the current rewards for referrers and for buyers:
Referral Rewards values for referrers (as of April 2, 2024) are:
- Tesla “demo drive” (test drive) – 100 Reward Credits
- Tesla Model 3 – not currently eligible for reward credits
- Tesla Model Y: 7,500 Reward Credits
- Tesla Model S: 7,500 Reward Credits
- Tesla Model X: 7,500 Reward Credits
- Tesla Solar Panels: 9,000 Reward Credits
- Tesla Solar Roof: 9,000 Reward Credits
- Tesla PowerWall: 9,000 Reward Credits
Referral Rewards for buyers (as of April 2, 2024) are:
- Tesla Model 3 – no current referral bonus
- Tesla Model Y: 3 months free FSD
- Tesla Model S: 3 months free FSD
- Tesla Model X: 3 months free FSD
- Tesla Solar Panels: $500 Cash Discount
- Tesla Solar Roof: $500 Cash Discount
- Tesla Powerwall: $500 Cash Discount
Loyalty Credits for existing Tesla customers buying Tesla Cars or Solar Systems (as of April 2, 2024):
- Tesla Model 3: not currently eligible for reward credits
- Tesla Model Y: 7,500 Reward Credits plus 3-month trial of FSD
- Tesla Model S: 7,500 Reward Credits plus 3-month trial of FSD
- Tesla Model X: 7,500 Reward Credits plus 3-month trial of FSD
- Tesla Solar Panels: $500 Cash Discount
- Tesla Solar Roof: $500 Cash Discount
- Tesla Powerwall: $500 Cash Discount
If you have a friend, family member, or acquaintance who owns a Tesla and has influenced you in your decision to buy one, be sure to contact them for their referral link. If you’re looking for a referral link to get a bonus on your own Tesla car or Tesla solar system purchase, feel free to use mine (below), so we can both benefit from the referral bonus:
If you order over the phone or in a Tesla store, use the below code.
Tesla Referral Code: christopher55570
In September, 2019, Tesla added solar panels to the list of eligible purchases and in April 2020, they added the Tesla solar roof. Originally these were eligible for a cash bonus for both the referrer and the buyer, but the reward was changed to the Reward Credits system for referrers in September, 2022. In 2023, Tesla changed the program again so buyers of solar power systems can receive a cash bonus of $500 with the purchase of any solar power system or Powerwall when using a referral link or referral code. There were also periods of time when referrers were automatically entered into drawings for a Tesla Model Y or Tesla Roadster but these promotion periods have expired. As of April, 2024, eligible customers can enter into a drawing for a Tesla Cybertruck at the cost of 1000 Tesla Reward Points per entry.
How Do I Find My Tesla Referral Code?
Once you own a Tesla vehicle or Tesla solar power system, you’re eligible for the referral program and can begin referring new Tesla sales. If you haven’t received an email from Tesla with your Tesla referral code yet, you can email the company at referralprogram@tesla.com (note: Tesla seems to have stopped monitoring this e-mail address as of September, 2021). But first check in your Tesla app. As a Tesla owner, your referral code appears in the Tesla mobile app in the “Refer and Earn” link on the Tesla app’s home page.
From the Referral Awards section of the app, click the “Refer New” button to share your code with your contacts. Pro tip: if you click the little “upload” link on the top right of the referral screen (next to the “X”) you can cut and paste your link URL from there to social media apps, e-mail or blog posts. You can also access your link code here, once you have logged into your Tesla account online: tesla.com/teslaaccount/lootbox
You can also see in the Loot Box in the Tesla app how many referrals you have and you can see the balance of any Tesla Reward Credits in your account.
Can I Refer a Sale to Myself?
Tesla has always allowed owners to purchase a new Tesla using their own referral link and this is still the case as of April, 2024. I used my own referral link when upgrading from a Model 3 to a Model 3 Performance. So if you’re already a Tesla owner, you can click on your own link and complete the purchase in order to get the referral bonuses. In 2023, Tesla started referring to this aspect of the referral program as their “Loyalty Program.” As of April, 2024, Tesla customers who use their own referral code to buy a new Tesla car or solar power system can expect to earn 7,500 Points with purchase of a Model Y, Model S or Model X and 9,000 points for a Tesla Solar Roof, solar panels or Powerwall.
Is the Referral Bonus the Same for Everyone?
Although you may see different referral offers on various web sites and in social media, the referral bonus is the same for all owners and referrers. No Tesla referral code is better than any other Tesla referral code. If you see other offers such as unlimited Supercharging, or cash bonuses with purchase, you may be seeing outdated referral offers which are no longer valid. When you click through on any of these referral links to the Tesla web site, you will see the same current referral offer. We do our best to keep this article updated so it always reflects the current, active referral code offer. This article was last updated in Jan uary, 2024 with the latest offers and details.
Can I Use a Referral Code to Order an In-Stock (Inventory) Tesla Car?
Yes, you can. If you don’t want to wait for a custom Tesla car, built with your specific options, you can take immediate delivery of a Model Y, Model S or Model X from a local Tesla store’s in-stock inventory and still get Reward Credits. In most cases, you can get a discount off the price of a custom order by buying a car from inventory. Here’s a link you can use with our referral code embedded so you will get the referral bonus for any new Tesla car purchase. Note: You can filter results for specific models and your geographic location:
> Tesla car inventory in stock near you
Can I Use a Referral Code to Order a Tesla Roadster or Cybertruck?
As of April, 2024, a referral code can used to order a Model Y, Model S, Model X or a Tesla solar panel system, Solar Roof or Powerwall. Tesla’s Model 3 was previously eligible for referral rewards, but as of January 10, 2024 with the launch of the “Highland” refresh of the Model 3 in the United States, that car is no longer eligible for referral rewards in the North American markets. If and when this changes, we will update this article. In Europe the refreshed Model 3 was restored to the referral program about four months after its launch in that market, so we expect something similar will happen in North America. As Tesla’s other models make it into general production (or further along in their production ramp, as with the CyberTruck), we expect that the referral program will be expanded to include these new cars. But currently, you cannot get the referral bonus when ordering a Tesla Cybertruck, Model 3 or Roadster.
What Can I Buy with Tesla Credits or Reward Points?
Tesla Reward Credits or Tesla Points can currently be used for a wide variety of Tesla merchandise, from T-Shirts to tequila glasses to wall chargers to roof racks. Points can also be used to purchase Supercharger credits that you can use when charging your Tesla vehicle at any Tesla Supercharger worldwide. Also, Reward Points can be used to purchase upgrades including the Acceleration Boost upgrade (9,500 Credits), Premium Connectivity or even a trial of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving beta software. In the Tesla app Loot Box, click the “Redeem” link to see everything that is currently available to buy using points. Note that certain options (like the Acceleration Boost) may not appear to you if your car is not eligible for this upgrade or if you have already purchased it.
Where Can I Find a Supercharger and How Do I Use It?
Tesla’s Supercharger system is a global network of high-speed EV chargers that are currently designed for Tesla cars (though Tesla has begun expanding access to other car brands). Every Tesla made — other than the original Tesla Roadster — is capable of using the Tesla Supercharger network. Tesla continues to add more Supercharger stations every month and has even delivered improved charging speeds to owners via a combination of upgrades to the chargers themselves, hardware improvements to the cars, and software updates delivered over the air to Tesla vehicles. To use a Supercharger, you simply pull up to the charging stall, open your charge port and plug in the charging cable. The car’s display and Tesla mobile app show you charging rate and estimated time to a full charge.
Finding a Supercharger is easy, as their locations are built into every Tesla car’s on-board navigation. If you want to find one nearby while driving in your Tesla, just press the right button on your steering wheel and say, “Navigate to Supercharger.” This will present you with a list of the closest Superchargers. Pick one and the navigation system will take you there. If you plot a long-distance trip using Tesla’s on-board navigation, the car will include Supercharger stops along the way automatically, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of juice. You can also find current and planned Supercharger locations here on the Tesla website: www.tesla.com/supercharger
Is the Referral Program Available Worldwide?
The referral program and its benefits are currently available in several countries worldwide, however the program is subject to state, local and national restrictions. So you may or may not be eligible for the program, depending on where you live. In the United States, residents of Ohio and Virginia are ineligible to receive benefits of the referral program, due to local laws. The offer details in different countries may differ from those in the United States. If you have any questions as to the availability of the referral program in your state or country, you can contact a a local Tesla rep at your closest Tesla sales office or e-mail a Tesla referral program rep via e-mail at referralprogram@tesla.com (note: Tesla seems to have stopped monitoring this e-mail address as of September, 2021).
How Much Are These Tesla Reward Credits Really Worth?
Though Tesla Referral Reward Credits or Points have no actual cash value (and cannot be sold or transferred), the value of the points can be estimated based on what the merchandise or upgrades available in the program would cost if purchased outright. As an example, Tesla’s wall connector currently sells for $475 in the Tesla shop (pricing as of January, 2024). This same wall connector can be redeemed for 9,000 Tesla Reward Credits. So this puts the value of a single Tesla Reward Credit at about 5.3 cents (US). Or you could say that 1,000 Tesla Points are worth about $53 and 10,000 Reward Credits are worth around $530.
But this value varies based on what you exchange your points for. For a Model 3 roof rack ($400 in the online shop or 8,500 Reward Points), you’re getting about 4.7 cents in value for each Reward Point. If you want to give your Model 3 AWD or Model Y AWD an instant acceleration upgrade, you can trade 9,500 Reward Credits for the Acceleration Boost. This cuts about a half second off your 0-60 times and makes a quick car even quicker. So this is one of the best “values” in the referral program as each Reward Credit is worth about 21 cents in this specific case. But the bottom line is that the actual value or each Reward Credit varies, depending on what you’re cashing the points in for.
It might be more helpful to estimate the value of Supercharger miles as you can also exchange Tesla Reward Credits for Supercharger miles. As of April, 2024, you can exchange 4,800 reward points for 2,000 miles of free Supercharging. And although Tesla says that the bonus is “2,000 miles of charging,” what you actually get is a credit of 800 kWh (kiloWatt hours) of free charging added to your Tesla account.
Depending which Tesla you own, this credit may actually get you much further than 2,000 miles down the road. On Tesla’s least efficient vehicle, the Model X P100D, with an EPA rating of 40 kWh/100 miles, that 800 kWh credit should allow you to travel just about 2,000 miles for free. But on a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus (SR+), with an EPA rating of 24 kWh/100 miles, that 800 kWh credit will allow you to travel over 3,200 miles (based on the EPA rating).
The actual cash value of this 800 kWh of “free Supercharging” is the same, no matter which Tesla you own, but that value does vary depending on the cost of Supercharging at the stations you choose to charge at. In most parts of the United States, Tesla charges a flat rate per kWh of charge, though some areas charge per minute. As of April 2024, the national average cost per kWh for Supercharging is currently around $0.30 (30 cents) per kWh. So we can estimate the average value of this bonus by multiplying 800 kWh x $0.30 = $240. So for this particular perk, you can say that each Reward Credit is worth about 5 cents ($0.05). Certain areas of the country (like California) have higher rates for Supercharging – as much as 50 cents ($0.50)/ kWh or even higher. This makes this bonus worth even more in those locations.
Do Tesla Reward Credits or Points Expire?
According to Tesla’s updated referral program terms (last reviewed by CleanTechnica in April, 2024), Tesla Reward Credits expire 12 months after the “Grant Date.” The Grant Date is the date the referred car is delivered or the referred solar power system is activated. Referring additional friends or family or purchasing additional qualifying products on your own existing Tesla account extends the expiration date for all of the credits by 12 months from the most recent Grant Date, as long as the Tesla vehicle delivery or solar activation date precedes the previous credit expiration date. So that means that, based on the current terms, you can continue accumulating points without fear of them expiring, so long as you keep referring new customers to Tesla.
Supercharging miles purchased with Reward Credits expire six months after they appear in your account. However, as with the Reward Credits, the expiration date for Supercharger miles can be extended by an additional six months if you buy more Supercharger miles, up to a maximum of 36 months (three years). Expiration terms have been modified more than once since the referral program first went live. Check the current terms of the “Tesla Loot Box” referral program (including expiration dates), on Tesla’s web site.
Are There Limits on the Number of Referrals?
When Tesla originally launched the referral program, there were no caps or limits on the number of referrals. However, shortly after the program was re-launched in 2023, Tesla instituted a cap of 5 referrals per year per participant. A little while later, in July of 2023, they raised the referral cap to 12 referrals per year. If you are a buyer using a referral link, any valid referral code or link will get you the current referral program bonus. However, as a referrer, any referral you send Tesla after #12 in a calendar year will not gain you any additional Reward Credits. Also, referrals after the twelfth one in a year do not extend the expiration date of your Reward Credits. So there is currently no incentive for a Tesla customer to refer new buyers to Tesla after they have referred twelve buyers to the brand in a calendar year. The referral clock resets on January 1 of each year. So starting each January, you can resume earning referral credits and extend the expiration of any existing credits in your account.
Are there Secret Levels to the Referral Program?
In Tesla’s earlier version of the referral program, there was a secret bonus level. For every referral purchase that was made using an owner’s referral code, after the first five referrals, that owner would get a 2% discount toward the purchase of the upcoming new version of the Tesla Roadster Founders Series. Two percent may not seem like much, but considering the Founders Series Roadster is expected to sell for $250,000, this little bonus was actually quite substantial. Once the owner reached 55 referrals, they earned a free Roadster. There are some active bloggers, journalists, and YouTubers who exceeded this referral cap and will be able to take home a free Roadster once it’s available. Unfortunately, that initial referral program was discontinued, and, according to the Tesla reps with whom we spoke, the current referral program does not include any secret levels. Of course, Tesla could change this at some point, but the “official” Tesla word is that there are no longer any secret referral bonuses.
Previous Referral Bonuses and Updates to Referral Program Since March, 2019:
- 1,000 Free Supercharger Miles (March 22, 2019 – April 27, 2019)
- 5,000 Free Supercharger Miles (April 28, 2019 – May 29, 2019)
- 1,000 Free Supercharger Miles (May 30th, 2019 – September 9, 2019)
- 2,000 Free Supercharging Miles for Tesla Solar referrals (started September 10, 2019, changed to $100 cash reward on or around September 19, 2019)
- 2,000 Free Supercharging Miles with Delivery before October 1, 2019 (September 10, 2019 – September 30, 2019)
- Cash bonus for solar referrals increased from $100 to $250 in January, 2020
- Model Y added to Tesla referral program in June, 2020
- Cash bonus for solar referrals increased from $250 to $400 for referrer and decreased from $250 to $100 for buyer in July, 2020
- Referrers of Tesla solar panels or solar roof can earn a Tesla Powerwall home battery storage unit when they refer 10 customers (as of July 15, 2020)
- Expiration of bonus miles section updated in Summer 2020
- Monthly Model Y and quarterly Roadster raffles for Tesla referral program was discontinued on June 1, 2021.
- Tesla removed vehicle purchase bonuses from the referral program (September, 2021).
- Referral bounty for Tesla solar power systems increased from $100 to $500 for buyers and from $400 to $500 for referrers (September, 2021)
- Tesla removed solar panel systems from referral program; only Solar Roof qualified for referral (September, 2021)
- Solar panel system referral bonus restored – $300 for buyer and referrer (October, 2021)
- Referral bonus for solar roof lowered to $300 for buyer and referrer (Summer, 2022)
- Referral bonus for Tesla solar system purchases changed from cash to Points (November, 2022).
- Referral bonus for solar power systems raised from 6,000 points to 9,000 points (December, 2022)
- Tesla Cars (Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X) were added back to the referral program (May 12, 2023)
- Referral incentive for Model S and X buyers raised to $1,000 cash with 3 months free FSD until June 30, 2023 (updated June 4, 2023)
- Referral bonus for Solar Roof/Solar Panel buyers changed to $500 (updated June 9, 2023)
- Max number of referrals capped at 12 referrals per year (June, 2023)
- Referral credit for Tesla Cars changed to 10,000 Reward Credits for any model (June, 2023)
- Referal incentive for car buyers changed to 3 months of Full Self-Driving for free (January 1, 2024)
- Model 3 removed from the referral program with launch of the “Highland” refresh (January 11, 2024)
- Referral bonus for car purchases changed to 3 Months FSD and One Year of Premium Connectivity (March, 2024)
- Referral bonus for car purchases changed to 3 Months three FSD (dropping Premium Connectivity bonus) (April, 2024)
- Referal Reward for Referrers and Loyalty Bonus dropped from 10,000 Reward Credits to 7,500 Reward Credits for car purchases (April, 2024)
Where Can I Find Out More?
Tesla maintains a page with details about the referral program at tesla.com/support/loot-box
Last Updated: April 2, 2024
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