Star Citizen’s referral program gives a new player 50,000 UEC of in-game credits for entering an existing player’s code when they create an account, and gives the existing player progress toward rewards once the newcomer buys a game package. Cloud Imperium Games rebuilt the program in July 2025, and most guides online still describe the old version.
This is the current version: what you get as a new player, when you have to enter the code, what turns you into a recruit for the person who referred you, and what they receive. Nothing here requires spending anything beyond a game package you would buy anyway.
What a new player gets
Register with any valid referral code and your account is credited with 50,000 UEC. Before July 2025 the bonus was 5,000 credits, one tenth of today’s amount, so a page quoting the smaller number is out of date. UEC is the in-game currency used for ships, gear and services; the bonus does not expire and is not tied to a particular ship or package.
Every valid code pays the same amount. There is no higher-paying code and no code that unlocks extra items on its own, so the only thing that matters is entering one at all.
When you have to enter the code
The code goes into the Referral Code field on the RSI account signup form. Since the 2025 overhaul there is also a 24-hour grace period after account creation during which you can add a code retroactively. After that window closes the bonus is gone for good, and there is no support ticket that restores it.
That timing catches people out during Free Fly events, when they create an account to try the game and only think about a code later. Create the account with the code, or add it the same day.
What makes you a recruit
Entering a code makes you a prospect for the player who referred you. You become a recruit, which is what triggers their reward, once you buy a game package and have spent at least $40 USD in the pledge store. The game package itself counts toward that total, so buying a normal starter meets the bar.
What the referrer earns
Each recruit gives the referrer one recruitment point, and points move them up a ladder of standard rewards that are always available. CIG described the 2025 rebuild as adding a new interface, more frequent rewards and fresh incentives for both new and veteran players. Your own bonus is never reduced by anything the referrer receives.
- Standard rewards: permanent ladder tiers unlocked by recruitment points
- Time-limited rewards: extra items during an event; the recruit has to buy their game package while the event is running, whatever date the account was created
- Special incentive events: a ship or similar item awarded to both the new player and the referrer
The Legacy Ladder for long-time referrers
The old reward ladder was retired on July 2, 2025, but anyone who had referred at least one player who bought a game package before that date keeps access to it under Account Settings. New referrals count on both the legacy and the current ladders at the same time, so veteran referrers earn on two tracks.
How to find your own code
Once you have an account, sign in on the RSI website, open the account menu in the top-right corner, and your referral code is listed there in the STAR-XXXX-XXXX format. From then on you can refer friends yourself.
What this means for new players
If you have not made an account yet, the order of operations is simple: pick a referral code, create the account with it, then decide whether to wait for a Free Fly or buy a starter package. The 50,000 UEC lands either way, and the person who referred you only benefits once you choose to buy, so there is no pressure attached to using a code. Our Star Citizen referral code guide explains how the 50,000 UEC signup bonus works and how to apply code STAR-6WPK-3K56 before you enlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
50,000 UEC, credited to the new account when it is created with a code or when a code is added within 24 hours. The bonus was raised tenfold in the July 2025 overhaul of the program.
Only within 24 hours of creating the account. CIG added that grace period in 2025; after it passes the code cannot be applied.
The 50,000 UEC is yours regardless. The referrer only earns a recruitment point once you buy a game package and have spent at least $40 USD in the pledge store, which a standard starter package satisfies.
No. The code adds credits to your account and changes nothing about package prices. It does not reduce what you get, and using someone’s code creates no obligation.
Sign in on the RSI website and open the account menu in the top-right corner. Your code is shown in the STAR-XXXX-XXXX format along with your referral progress.
Source: Referral program (Star Citizen Wiki). Program details come from the Star Citizen Wiki’s referral program page, which tracks CIG’s July 2025 changes and the 24-hour grace period.
