Tesla’s popular Referral Program is back. According to reports from Tesla owners in the US, the automaker laid out a credit-based Referral Program that allows consumers to choose which rewards they want to obtain for their referrals. The rewards range from official Tesla merchandise to in-vehicle upgrades such as the Full Self-Driving suite, as per Teslarati.
The company’s referral program was a key marketing tool for the manufacturer in its early years, especially as it incentivized owners to encourage their acquaintances, family and friends to enter the Tesla ecosystem.
Tesla’s initial Referral Program resulted in some owners pushing the company and its products to the point that some ended up getting enough referrals to qualify for some free vehicles.
Revamped referral program
The carmaker later improved the referral program to include a more modest set of prizes, considering that it was laid out as the Model 3/Y gained popularity.
This program, providing free Supercharging miles and some free items, was formally discontinued by Tesla in 2021.
Signs that the program is making a comeback were initially reported in October by Tesla software tracker Teslascope as the Tesla mobile app presented new text strings referring to redeeming referrals.
The text strings referred to official merchandise, vehicle accessories, and free Supercharging miles. It turned out these reports were right, as the company’s revamped referral program features these exact incentives.
The current referral program shows that owners can receive credits for every referral. Up to now, only Tesla’s Solar Roof and Solar Panels are listed with referral credits.
However, it wouldn’t be surprising if an update gets laid out to include the manufacturer’s vehicle lineup. The credits earned from each Solar Roof and Solar Panel referral (6,000 credits each) could then be used to redeem items or services through Tesla mobile app’s Loot Box.
In addition, videos and photos posted by Tesla owners online showed that some items in the Tesla Shop could be redeemed through the Referral Program’s credits.
Several items redeemed in the Tesla Shop
For instance, Tesla’s “Let the Sun Shine” tee is worth 700 credits, whereas novelty items such as the Tesla Sipping Glasses cost 1,750 credits. Larger items like a Wall Connector are for 6,000 credits, while a J1772 Wall Connector is for 11,000 credits.
Credits expiration
The automaker’s support page for the new referral program noted that while there’s no limit to the number of credits someone can gain, the credits expire 12 months from their respective grant dates.
Furthermore, a no-return, no-exchange policy is implemented for redeemed items. Tesla owners in the US who wish to start earning credits for their referrals are also advised to ensure that their mobile app is updated to the latest version, v4.14.4, to access the new Loot Box.
