New US customers: Starlink adds $100 account credit after two months subscribed when you order through a referral link.$100 credit for new US customers. How it works

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Credit or cash

Credit or cash (Stripe): how to take the $100

Most people get the credit without doing anything. If your account offers cash, you can have the money sent to your bank instead, but only if you set it up in time.

Rules checked Against Starlink’s own pages. How we check

In brief

The $100 comes as account credit unless you choose otherwise, taken off your next Starlink invoice[1]. Instead, you can take cash to a linked bank account where your account offers it, switched on under Referrals in your Starlink account[1]; it’s paid through Stripe. Your cash-or-credit choice is locked in when the reward is paid out[1], so decide before then.

Credit or cash: the two ways the $100 can come

  • Starlink issues your $100

    • Service credit The default

      1. Nothing to do: Starlink says Amounts default to service credit, applied to your account and deducted from your next invoice.
      2. It pays monthly service only: Credits are only applied to monthly subscription charges.

    • Cash to your bank Where your account offers it

      1. In a web browser, not the app, open Referrals, then Reward Method.
      2. Select Cash.
      3. Finish Stripe’s setup: sign in to or create a Stripe account, verify your identity, link your bank account.
      4. The cash goes to that bank account through Stripe.

      Starlink: Cash is paid through Stripe. To set it up, go to Referrals > Reward Method on starlink.com in a web browser (not the app), select Cash, and complete the Stripe onboarding: sign in to or create a Stripe account, verify your identity, and link your bank account. Where cash is offered: Check Referral Reward Types in your account to see if cash is offered.

“Finish onboarding” on your Referrals page means the cash setup isn’t done: If you see "Finish onboarding," your Stripe setup isn't complete yet, and you can't receive cash until it is. Starlink also says If you'd rather not use Stripe, your reward is issued as service credit.

Locked at payout Your cash or credit choice is locked when the amount is paid out, based on the selection in that person’s account at that time. So finish the setup before the reward pays out, or it comes as credit (our reading).

Illustration The $100 comes as service credit for monthly service unless you switch to cash and finish Stripe’s setup in a web browser before it pays out; the choice locks at payout. Steps and rules: Starlink’s referral help and terms, read Nov 3, 2026

Side by side

Account credit and cash, compared
QuestionAccount creditCash
Is it the default?Yes: nothing to doNo: you switch it on
SetupNoneA Stripe account, an identity check and a linked bank account, done on starlink.com in a web browser
Where it goesYour Starlink account, off your next bill: your credits are listed at starlink.com/account/billing, in a credit table under the invoices, with the available balance and the total amount[6]Your bank account, through Stripe
What it can pay forMonthly service only: credits can be spent only on monthly service charges[5]Anything: it’s your money
If you cancel laterUnused credit is lost: credits are non-refundable and non-transferable, and aren’t paid back if you cancel service[6]Cash already paid is in your bank
Offered to everyone?YesOnly where your account offers it: in most countries either person can take cash or credit; in some countries it is credit only[1]

If you’re keeping Starlink, both come to the same $100. Credit needs nothing from you and comes off your monthly bills until it’s used up. Cash needs a Stripe account and an identity check, and lands in your bank, where it isn’t limited to service charges.

Setting up cash

The steps, as Starlink’s help center gives them (its exact words are in the figure above):

  1. Sign in on starlink.com in a web browser, not the app.
  2. Open Referrals, then Reward Method, and choose Cash. That screen is where credit or cash is set for your account (our reading of Starlink’s help text, until we can show the screen). If you don’t see Cash, check “Referral Reward Types”: it may not be offered to your account.
  3. Finish Stripe’s onboarding: sign in to or create a Stripe account, verify your identity, link your bank.
  4. Check your Referrals page afterwards. “Finish onboarding” in the Referrals tab means the Stripe setup for cash is not complete, and cash can't be paid until it is[1]. If you don't finish the Stripe setup, the reward comes as service credit[1].

Timing matters

Starlink’s terms say the $100 is credited to your second monthly subscription invoice[2]; its help center says it comes once you’ve had service for two months[1], 60 days after activation at the earliest, subject to your account settings and an identity check[1]. The first credits under the current terms can’t appear before Dec 6, 2026, so treat both readings as possible. Finish the cash setup well before then: the choice locks at payout.

Starlink added the Stripe steps to its help article in October 2026: the dated news item.

No, neither as credit nor as cash. At sign-up the first month is paid in full and the kit activated as usual; the checkout total has no referral deduction[1]. The reward comes after two months subscribed, by the timing above.

The wording that makes it sound immediate is in the share message itself. Reported The message people paste when they share a referral link says you get the amount “when you sign up through this link”. That means: use the link when you sign up. It doesn’t mean the money comes then. The banner on the order page reads the same way: on Oct 30, 2026, a working referral link showed “By signing up with this code, you and your friend will get $100 each—cash or service credit.” in a green banner on the landing page and under “Referral Code Applied” on the order page[4].

If you chose cash, the terms have one more timeline: for referrers, cash can be paid up to 30 days after a referral matures; the terms do not give a separate cash timeline for the new customer[2]. Reading that limit as yours too is our reading.

Is it taxable?

The terms’ tax section (§4.2) is written for the person who shared the link: rewards are issued before tax, and Starlink isn't responsible for any tax on them[2]. Their definitions add that Starlink calls referral rewards promotional incentives, not wages or commissions[2]. How these lines apply to your own $100 is our reading, and how the IRS treats it isn’t in the terms: that’s a question for a tax professional, not for us.

Still unsure? Questions, answered

Is cash offered in the US?
Yes, by Starlink’s wording, though your account has the final say. Starlink's own referral page says both people can get cash to a bank account or service credit[3], and its help center adds that in most countries either person can take cash or credit; in some countries it is credit only[1], without naming those countries. To see whether yours has it, Starlink says to check “Referral Reward Types” in your account.
Can I switch to cash after the credit lands?
No: your cash-or-credit choice is locked in when the reward is paid out[1]. Pick cash and finish Stripe’s setup before the reward is issued.
Can I set up cash in the Starlink app?
No. Cash goes through Stripe: in a web browser (not the app) you pick Cash under Referrals > Reward Method, then sign in to or create a Stripe account, verify your identity and link a bank account[1].
What does “Finish onboarding” mean?
“Finish onboarding” in the Referrals tab means the Stripe setup for cash is not complete, and cash can't be paid until it is[1]. And if you don't finish the Stripe setup, the reward comes as service credit[1].
How long does cash take to arrive?
For referrers, cash can be paid up to 30 days after a referral matures; the terms do not give a separate cash timeline for the new customer[2]. Reading that limit as yours too is our reading, not Starlink’s word.
Does my choice change what the person who referred me gets?
No: your choice of cash or credit and the referrer's choice are separate[1]. You each get the same amount, as cash or credit, as each account is set.
Is the cash taxable?
Starlink’s terms say rewards are issued before tax, and Starlink isn't responsible for any tax on them[2], and Starlink calls referral rewards promotional incentives, not wages or commissions[2]. They don’t say how the IRS treats your reward: that’s a question for a tax professional, not for us.

Where these facts come from

  1. Does Starlink have a referral program? · support article on starlink.com Starlinkas of
  2. Referral Program Terms, US · starlink.com legal doc DOC-1882-84808-83 Starlinkas of · published
  3. starlink.com Referrals page (rendered text) Starlinkas of
  4. Order-page prices for the Texas State Capitol in Austin, used as a public test address; our read-only check, no order placed Starlinkas of
  5. How does a service credit get applied to my account for a promotion? · support article on starlink.com Starlinkas of · page last changed
  6. Billing - Credits · support article on starlink.com Starlinkas of · page last changed

Every change we make is dated in the corrections log.

Where to next

First Starlink order · US

Ordering Starlink for the first time? $100 credit is available

Our referral link: first-time US customers who buy the kit and plan on starlink.com through it get $100 in credit after two months; the site owner earns a reward as well. Independent site.

Get the $100 credit