Comparison · code vs link
Starlink referral code vs referral link: which one works
People say “code”, Starlink’s steps say “link”, and the two get mixed up all the time. They’re the same referral in two forms, but only one of them can reach checkout.
Checked against Starlink’s own pages US service addresses onlySources
The short answer
Use the link. The code is just the end of it.
Starlink's terms define the referral as a "Unique Referral Link": a personalized link or code made for one existing customer. Starlink's own steps never ask you to type a code. Every step starts with opening the link, so the code reaches checkout inside the web address Our reading. A bare code on its own has nowhere to go.
Side by side
| Compare | Referral link | Bare referral code | “Promo code” from a deals site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looks like | https://www.starlink.com/…?referral=RC-… | RC- + groups of digits | Words and numbers, like SAVE50 |
| Where it goes | You open it in your browser | Nowhere at checkout | Nowhere: there’s no promo box |
| Reaches checkout? | Yes, inside the address | No | No |
| Who gives it out | An existing customer, from their account | The same customer, copied short | Coupon sites, often automatically |
| What you get | One free month on bill 2, if you qualify | Nothing until it’s in a link | Nothing |
| How to check | “Referral Code Applied” before paying | Ask for the link | Read why |
Where the code sits inside the link
https://www.starlink.com1 · The website. Must be exactly starlink.com. Anything else is not where a code works./residential2 · The page. Home service (residential) or travel (roam). Sometimes missing.?referral=RC-XXXXXX-XXXXX-XX3 · The code. This is what people call “the referral code”. It travels to checkout inside the address.What Starlink’s terms say
The Referral Program Terms use one name for both forms: Starlink's terms define the referral as a "Unique Referral Link": a personalized link or code made for one existing customer. They then say the order has to be placed using that customer's link; no other referral method counts. So the referral that counts is the one tied to that customer, and the reliable way to carry it to checkout is their link.
You were sent only a code. Now what?
- Ask for the link. It takes the other person ten seconds: Account → Referrals on starlink.com or in the app, then copy and send.
- Why we don’t just build one for you: some people paste a code onto the end of a starlink.com address. Starlink doesn’t say whether a link you assemble by hand from a bare code counts the same as the link the customer copied from their account Not confirmed, so we can’t promise it works.
- Whatever you do, check before paying. The order page shows "Referral Code Applied" before you submit, and a banner at the top of starlink.com says you're using a referral link Third-party report.
Not sure what you’ve got?
Open it in the browser you’ll order in, keep that tab, and look for “Referral Code Applied” on the order page before paying. Check the link first if a stranger sent it.
There’s no box for a bare code at checkout. The simplest fix is to ask the person for the full link from their Starlink account (Account → Referrals). Starlink doesn’t say whether a link you put together yourself counts the same.
Starlink’s US checkout has no promo-code box, and the discounts it does offer appear on their own by address. What the real discounts are.
You can’t see where a short link goes or whether a code survives the redirect. Paste it into the checker to see why.
Customers find their link under Account → Referrals. Only use one from someone you trust, and only if you’ve never had Starlink and your service address is in the US.
If someone shows you a QR code, it’s just their link in picture form. Scan it, then check the address bar like any other link.
Sources and the date we read them
- Referral Program Terms, US (starlink.com legal document DOC-1882-84808-83) · Starlink’s own text, read
- How do I use a referral link? (Starlink help center) · Starlink’s own text, read
- Starlink referral page (Outcamp, an Australian retailer) showing the link format · third-party report, read
- How to Use Starlink's Referral Program (DISHYtech) · third-party report, read
- Promotional Service Pricing Terms of Service (Starlink help center) · Starlink’s own text, read
Show the exact wording behind each claim (7)
- Starlink’s own text
“Unique Referral Link” means the personalized hyperlink or code generated for a Referrer through the SpaceX Customer Portal or other authorized channel for the purpose of tracking referrals under the Program.
- Starlink’s own text
The Referred Subscriber places an order for a Starlink Kit using the Unique Referral Link provided by the Referrer. No other referral mechanism shall qualify as an Eligible Referral.
- Our reading
If you have not ordered yet: 1. Open the unique referral link you were sent.
- Third-party report
Example link shown by the retailer: starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-… (we don't reprint the customer's code).
- Third-party report
A banner at the top states that they are using your referral link. … double check that they see the 'Referral Code Applied' on the order page before submitting the order.
- Our reading
you will see the discount service price offering at the time you place your order on starlink.com.
- Starlink’s own text
1. Open the unique referral link you were sent. 2. Sign up for Residential or Roam service on starlink.com. 3. Activate your kit and stay subscribed for at least 2 months.
Something out of date? Report it. We re-read these pages at least every 30 days.