Tesla Referral Program — How Does A Referral Code Work; What Do I Get?





Last Updated on: 3rd February 2025, 04:34 pm

UPDATE (February 1, 2025): Tesla has upped the referral discount to $2500 for buyers of a Model 3 from inventory or special order. Tesla Model Y, Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, Solar Power systems and PowerWall are also eligible for referral discounts of up to $1,000. See details and links below.

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 car purchase, feel free to use any of our referral links. Some may have reached the annual referral cap so if the first one doesn’t work, try one of the other links below:

2025 Tesla Referral Links:

What Is the Tesla Referral Program and What Benefits Does it Offer?

With the Tesla referral program, any owner of a Tesla vehicle 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 a Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, Model 3, Model X, or Model Y, then both the buyer and the referrer get a reward or bonus. The actual bonus for the buyer has varied over time, but as of February, 2025, it comes in the form of a cash discount off the purchase of a Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, Model X, Model 3 or Model Y for the buyer. There is also a cash discount available for purchase of a Tesla solar power system. The referrer receives a credit (currently $500 for cars or $250 for solar power systems) for each referred purchase. The referral credit for the referrer can be used toward Tesla merchandise, upgrades, new car purchases or even maintenance or service performed at any Tesla service center.

As of February 1, 2025 here are the current rewards for referrers and for buyers:

Referral Rewards values for referrers (as of February 1, 2025):

  • Tesla Model 3: $500 Credit
  • Tesla Model Y: $500 Credit
  • Tesla Model S: $500 Credit
  • Tesla Model X: $500 Credit
  • Tesla Cybertruck: $500 Credit
  • Tesla Solar Panels 0r PowerWall: $250 Credit

Referral Rewards for buyers (as of February 1, 2025):

  • Tesla Model 3: $2,500 Discount
  • Tesla Model Y: $500 Discount
  • Tesla Model S: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Model X: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Cybertruck: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Solar Panels 0r PowerWall: $400 Credit

Loyalty Credits for existing Tesla customers buying New Cars or Solar Power Systems (as of February 1, 2025):

  • Tesla Model 3: $2,500 Discount
  • Tesla Model Y: $500 Discount
  • Tesla Model S: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Model X: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Cybertruck: $1,000 Discount
  • Tesla Solar Panels 0r PowerWall: $400 Credit

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:

NOTE: If the below referral code or link is already maxed out for the year, please see additional referral codes at the bottom of this article. 

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 could receive a cash bonus of $500 with the purchase of any solar power system or Powerwall when using a referral link or referral code. Tesla suspended the referral program in April, 2024 and when they brought it back in August, solar products and PowerWall batteries were no longer eligible for referral rewards. However, referral incentives for Tesla solar products were restored in late 2024. 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.

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, 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 on the Tesla web site, once you have logged into your Tesla account online. Here’s the link for that: tesla.com/teslaaccount/lootbox

You can also see in the Tesla app how many referrals you have and you can see the balance of any Tesla Reward Credits in your account.

Tesla Referral Program update in August 2024 offers cash discounts to new Tesla buyers.
In August, 2024, Tesla reinstated the Tesla Referral Program with cash incentives to new Tesla car buyers and credits for referrers. Referral details are available in the Tesla mobile app.

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 November, 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 bonus. In 2023, Tesla started referring to this aspect of the referral program as their “Loyalty Program.” As of November, 2024, Tesla customers who use their own referral code to buy a new Tesla car will get an instant discount on a Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, Model 3 or Model Y. The amount of the discount has varied over time but the current discount is available in the Tesla app “refer and Earn” section. Buyers who use their own referral link do not earn additional referrer rewards for that purchase. Also, as of September, 2024, there is a lifetime cap of 10 referrals for loyalty referral purchases.

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 different 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 August, 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 3, 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 February, 2025, a referral code can used to order a Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X or Cybertruck or a Tesla solar panel system. As Tesla’s other models make it into general production, we expect that the referral program will be expanded to include these new cars. Tesla normally excludes new models from the program at first, while demand is high, but adds them to the program later. Currently, you cannot get the referral bonus when ordering a Tesla Roadster 2.0.

What Can I Buy with Tesla Credits or Reward Points?

Tesla Referral Credits were previously only redeemable for select Tesla merchandise, upgrades or Supercharging miles. Credits from the previous (2023/2024) referral program may still be redeemed within the Tesla app, until these Reward Credits expire. Referral Credits in the new version of the Tesla referral program, which launched in August, 2024, can be used on a wide variety of merchandise, accessories, software upgrades, car purchases and even service and maintenance fees. If you have earned Reward Credits in the referral program, these will appear as a payment method in the Tesla Shop or when buying a new Tesla car. Tesla Credits will also appear as a method of payment in the “Wallet” in the Tesla mobile app and can be used to pay for Supercharging, a software upgrade like the Acceleration Boost for AWD Tesla vehicles or when paying for Tesla service or maintenance.

How to Redeem Tesla Reward Credits.
In the new Tesla Referral Program, launched on August 24, 2024, you can now redeem referral rewards for Tesla merch and accessories, software upgrades, Supercharging, new vehicle purchases or service.

Where Can I Find a Supercharger and How Do I Use It?

One nice thing you can trade your Tesla Reward credits for is Tesla Supercharging. Tesla’s Supercharger system is a global network of high-speed EV chargers that are currently designed for Tesla cars as well as select EVs from other 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.

Tesla Superchargers in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Tesla’s worldwide network of high-speed Superchargers enables Tesla drivers to go on road trips without worrying about running out of juice. Pictured is the Tesla Supercharger in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

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?

In the current version of the Tesla Referral program (launched August 24, 2024, updated November 26, 2024), each referred sale earns you $500 which you can use toward purchases in the Tesla shop, Supercharging, new car purchases, software upgrades or service. Referral credits can not be transferred and have no value outside the Tesla ecosystem.

In the previous version of the program (active in 2023 and early 2024), the value of Referral Reward Credits or Points could 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 could 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 August, 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. In previous versions of the Referral Program, referring additional friends or family or purchasing additional qualifying products on your own existing Tesla account extended 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 preceded the previous credit expiration date. In the current version of the referral program, launched August 24, 2024, this expiration date extension option no longer seems to be available.

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 using Reward Credits, 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 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. In the version of the referral program launched on August 24, 2024, the limit for referrals from a Tesla account is 10 referrals per year. After 10, neither the buyer nor seller will receive referral benefits. The referral clock resets on January 1 of each year. So starting each January, buyers can use your links to earn referral bonuses, up to ten times. The Terms and Conditions of the referral program as published on August 24th state that there is a 10 referral cap for loyalty rewards per the life of the referring account.

Are there Secret Levels to the Referral Program?

In Tesla’s earliest 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)
  • Referral Program benefits will be suspended after April 30, 2024 with a new version of the program possibly coming in the future (April, 2024)
  • Referral program reactivated for Tesla cars only (Model S, 3, X and Y) with $1,000 cash bonus for buyers and $500 cash credits for referrers. Solar products are not currently elegible for referrals. Referrals are capped at ten per year (for buyer and referrer) and 10 per lifetime for loyalty program purchases. (August, 2024)
  • Cybertruck added to referral program eligibility ($1,000 discount for buyer, $500 credit for referrer). Model 3 and Model Y referral discount lowered to $500 (November, 2024)
  • Referral rewards and discounts increased to $1,000 for the referrer and a buyer discount of $1,000 on the Model 3 or Model Y, or a discount of $2,000 on the Model S, Model X or Cybertruck (November, 2024)
  • Tesla increased the referral discount to $2,500 Tesla bucks for buyers of a Model 3 from inventory or special order. Tesla Model Y, Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, Solar Power systems and PowerWall are also eligible for referral discounts of up to $1,000 (February, 2025).

Additional Referral codes for new buyer discounts (Use any link for current referral discount):

Where Can I Find Out More?

Tesla maintains a page with details about the referral program at tesla.com/support/loot-box

Last Updated: February, 2025

See the latest Tesla referral offer via my referral link: https://ts.la/christopher55570Follow me on X: @MrBoylan
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Chris Boylan

is an EV and alternative fuel enthusiast who has been writing about technology since 2003.

Chris Boylan has 75 posts and counting. See all posts by Chris Boylan