What you need to order Starlink: the prep list

Does the referral credit apply to your order?

It applies only if every rule below holds, going by Starlink’s US referral terms and help center as read Nov 3, 2026. In short: no Starlink account in your past, a dish used at a US address, the kit and plan ordered by you on starlink.com via the link, a Residential or Roam plan, and two complete billing cycles on a full-speed plan. Starlink makes the final call.

• First Starlink account: anyone who has held a Starlink account before, current or past, is excluded[H].
• US service address: the referrer’s country must also be where the dish is used, so this link needs a US service address[T]. Stay within the 50 states plus DC; US territories remain unconfirmed.
• Bought on starlink.com via the link: the reward attaches to sign-ups made on starlink.com, not to retail or reseller kits or transferred accounts[H]. Starlink’s retailer list for the US names 16 US retailers, from big-box chains such as Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy and Amazon to outdoor, marine and RV sellers such as Cabela’s, West Marine and Winegard[H]; a kit from any of them carries no reward.
• Eligible plan: all three Roam plans (100GB, 300GB, Unlimited) and the Residential tiers (100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, Max), plus legacy Residential and Residential Lite[H].
• Two full cycles: the account needs two complete monthly billing cycles, paid up and on a full-speed plan, before the referral matures; months in Standby Mode don’t count[T].
• Individual account: the account holder must be an individual: Business, Enterprise and Priority accounts earn no referral reward[T].
• Long-term use: Starlink wants referred customers to use the service and plan to keep it, and it checks how long they stay against the national norm[T].

SpaceX has the final say on whether a referral qualifies and may withhold, delay or take back a reward[T]. Quicker route: the fit check turns these rules into seven taps.

Which plan type do you need: Residential or Roam?

Residential suits a fixed home address; Roam suits travel, RVs and camping. For monthly prices, with no address typed in, Starlink’s national US order list read Nov 3, 2026 had Residential 100 Mbps at $49.50, 200 Mbps at $76.50 and Max at $143 a month; your address may price differently[S]; the same list had Roam 100GB at $55, Roam 300GB at $80 and Roam Unlimited at $175 a month[S].

The exact plan is picked on the order page itself. Residential plans and your own price appear on starlink.com once a service address is typed in, and prices vary by address[S]. Each of these plans carries the same $100 referral credit; on a cheaper plan it covers a larger share of an invoice.

Should you buy or rent the kit?

Buying the hardware costs $349 for a Standard kit or $149 for a Mini; where an address is offered a rental instead, the one-time activation fee on that list was $0, $99 or $199[S]. Your order page shows which options your address gets.

Is the sky clear above the mounting spot?

The dish needs an open view of the sky. If it won’t sit above everything nearby (trees, a taller roofline, a hill), stand where you would mount it and run the Starlink app’s “Check for Obstructions” tool before ordering. A blocked view brings dropouts, and returning the kit or cancelling early ends the referral too.

Which device and browser should you order on?

Order in a web browser on a computer or phone, the same one you’ll pay in; leave the Starlink app for after delivery. From the page code, read Oct 21, 2026: that one tab’s session storage holds the referral, and closing the tab wipes itour reading[S], so it won’t follow you to the app, another browser or another device. One-tab checkout, in detail.

When should you place the order?

Place it when you can set the dish up soon after it arrives, because under Starlink’s US terms of service, as read Nov 3, 2026, billing for service starts on whichever comes first: activation day, one week after delivery, or 30 days from shipping when no delivery date is on record[ToS]. Ordering weeks before you need service just starts the bill early.

Check the one-time charges in the summary as well: busy coverage areas can add a one-time demand surcharge, which shows up in the order summary[H].

Who should hold off on the referral link?

The reward assumes you keep Starlink on a full-speed plan. Skip the link for now if:

• A Starlink account was ever in your name: anyone who has held a Starlink account before, current or past, is excluded[H].
• You plan to pause it between seasons, or need it for one trip, one job or one storm season.
• A fiber or cable line is due on your road soon and you’d move to it.
• The order is for a company, or the kit comes from a shop.

Everyone else is ready for step 3: open the link below and pay in the tab it opens.