Over $10,000? Starlink's Referral Program Offers Cash and a Catch

A select few Starlink subscribers are logging in to find huge referral bonuses of over $10,000 in their accounts. But there's a catch: They can't cash out the funds. 

The balances stem from SpaceX's change to its voluntary Starlink referral program, which rewards existing subscribers for introducing new customers to the satellite internet service. The program previously offered "service credits" that could be applied to a Starlink subscription, giving customers an extra free month of service for each successful referral.

But last week, SpaceX quietly revamped the program to feature both service credits and cash payments, pegging the value at $100 per referral in the US. The cash rewards are also supported in dozens of markets, including the UK, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. 

It's why a few subscribers noticed eye-popping balances exceeding $10,000 in their accounts, including James Leroy in North Carolina, who runs a business installing Starlink dishes at people's homes. He's referred 97 people to Starlink, resulting in $10,890 in lifetime earnings. The only problem is that SpaceX's new policy applies to "future referrals," rather than old ones, according to a support page. 

"Sure would be nice if I [could] convince Starlink to cash me out," Leroy posted on a Facebook group for Starlink professional installers, which prompted a few others to share similar images of their own balances. Brent Fick at  Alltec Services  in New Zealand showed a balance of $22,143 in New Zealand dollars, or what amounts to $13,234 in USD, for 148 referrals. Another custom Starlink installer in the US, James Sayre, said his balance has reached $10,500 for 84 referrals.

However, Sayre said he doesn't mind not being able to cash out the earnings. Thanks to the service credits, he'll be able to use the satellite internet service for free over the next several years across his three Starlink plans. 

Still, the cash rewards may entice others at a time when SpaceX has been aggressive in trying to attract more users to the satellite internet service. Recommended customers who use a referral link also benefit by getting "one month of free service applied to their second month when they sign up for Residential or Roam" plan.

As for Leroy, he's already set up his account to switch from service credits to cash payments, and told PCMag he currently has "three or four referrals set for deposit into my bank account."

"And in my opinion, I think it's a great program to be given the option, especially for customers that have a hard time paying their bill, whether it's a referral for a bill credit or cash in your pocket," he added. "Everybody always says cash is king." Leroy also said he'd like to put the money toward a Tesla Cybertruck. "How cool would that be. Roll up to a Starlink installation in a cyber beast," he said.

Despite the potential payouts, SpaceX has imposed restrictions on the referral program, which is only open to active customers on the existing Residential and Roam plans. "Rewards are issued after your referee (the recommended customer) subscribes for two months," an increase from one month, the company notes. In addition, referrals can only be made by people within the same country. 

SpaceX is also warning it can crack down on potential abuse. "You may only contact people who have consented to hear from you. Unsolicited marketing is not allowed and may result in removal from the program," the company wrote in the support page. The terms of the program also say that SpaceX "will review Referred Subscriber retention patterns for deviations from the applicable country Starlink subscriber average to identify violations of this condition."

"Rewards are only issued when the referee is a new customer who signs up on starlink.com. Kits from resellers, retailers, or account transfer are not eligible," SpaceX adds. 

The $100 set value can also be bad if you're on a more expensive plan since you're technically losing some value if you prefer service credits, according to the YouTube channel DISHYTech. That's because the referral program could offer one month of free service for subscribers on the Residential Max plan, which currently costs $130 per month.

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