Two free months, two different mechanisms
Search results tend to confuse these, which is why people end up waiting for a trial that was never going to arrive instead of using a code they already had.
| Tesla trial | Referral month | |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts it | Tesla | You |
| How you get it | Pushed to eligible vehicles | Subscribe with a referral code |
| Typical length | Around 30 days | One month credited |
| Can you request it | No | Yes |
| Availability | Periodic campaigns | While the referral program runs |
The important asymmetry: a trial is an event you wait for, a referral month is a step you take. If your goal is to try FSD this month, only one of them is reliable.
How Tesla's own trials work
Tesla periodically switches FSD on for eligible owners for around a month, usually announced in the app or by email. The pattern is familiar: the trial appears with no action required, the car gains the FSD features, and after the period ends they switch off unless you subscribe.
- Trials are targeted at vehicles with compatible hardware and an account that can subscribe.
- They are not guaranteed, not scheduled, and not something support can add on request.
- A trial is useful because it lets you decide without paying, but it arrives on Tesla's timetable rather than yours.
- After a trial ends, the FSD features disappear until you subscribe — and the current program is designed so that the subscription is the next step.
Get the first month free
Scan the code with your phone, or open the referral and subscribe to FSD in the same session. The code is
michael496060.
How the referral month works
Since 29 October 2026 Tesla's referral program has been built around FSD subscriptions rather than car sales. A driver who subscribes to FSD using a referral code gets the first month credited; the owner whose code was used also receives a free month, which is why you will find codes offered openly rather than grudgingly.
The mechanism is a credit on the subscription, not a coupon you redeem later. That is the detail that makes step order matter: the code has to be attached to the purchase of the subscription itself.
Who qualifies
- A Tesla with HW3 or newer — the FSD computer is a hard requirement, and a subscription will not retrofit one.
- A market where FSD is sold — availability is set per country, and the referral program itself is currently US-focused.
- A new FSD subscription — the credit applies to starting a subscription, not to a month you are already paying for.
- A referral code that has uses left — each code can be used 12 times per calendar year, resetting on 1 January.
If you bought a used Tesla that already has FSD purchased outright, you do not need a subscription at all. If it has only ever been subscribed, the features stopped when the previous owner cancelled.
The exact sequence
- Open the referral first Use the claim button or scan the QR code on this page so the code is attached to the visit.
- Subscribe in the same session Go to the FSD (Supervised) subscription in your Tesla account or the app and complete it.
- Check the confirmation Before paying anything else, confirm the code is shown on the subscription confirmation. If it is not, stop and re-enter it.
- Verify the first month The first billing line should show a credited month, or the renewal date should be a month later than you expected.
Disclosure
This is an independent page, not Tesla. I may receive a referral credit if you subscribe with the code here. Tesla — not this page — decides whether a subscription qualifies for the credit.
If the free month does not appear
- The code was added after subscribing. Nearly always fatal to the credit; Tesla ties the referral to the purchase event.
- You already had an active subscription. The credit is for starting one, so an existing subscriber generally does not qualify.
- The code hit its annual cap. Twelve uses per calendar year, resetting on 1 January.
- The vehicle is not eligible. Missing hardware, an unsupported region, or an account the vehicle is not properly attached to.
- A different account was used. The code and the subscription need to meet on the same Tesla account.
If you believe you did everything right, contact Tesla support with the subscription date and the code. Referral credits are administered by Tesla and this page cannot adjust them.
Before the month is over
A free month has one job: to tell you whether FSD is worth $99 to you. Give it a route you drive often, at least one unfamiliar journey, and one difficult condition, then decide with notes rather than impressions.
- If it clearly earns its keep, let it renew — the price can change, and your rate is the current one.
- If you are unsure, cancel before renewal and subscribe again for a specific trip. There is no penalty for that.
- If it is not for you, cancel in the app and keep standard Autopilot.
- Either way, do not let an auto-renewal decide for you.
Is FSD worth it has the four-week test plan if you want to be systematic about it.
Questions people actually ask
Is the Tesla FSD trial really free?
Yes. A Tesla-pushed trial costs nothing and expires on its own, and the referral month credits the first month of a new subscription. Neither requires a payment method to be charged for the free period, though the subscription auto-renews afterwards unless you cancel.
Can I get a free month if I already subscribe?
No. The referral credit applies when a new subscription is started. Existing subscribers are not eligible, which is also why cancelling first and resubscribing later is the only route for someone who wants to rejoin under a code.
How many times can a referral code be used?
Twelve times per calendar year, with the count resetting on 1 January. A single code therefore provides at most twelve free months to the owner who shared it.
What happens when the free month ends?
The subscription renews at the normal monthly price unless you cancel before the renewal date. Cancelling keeps standard Autopilot available and lets you resubscribe later without penalty.