Sending a referral is two jobs at once: getting the link out of the Tesla app, and making sure the buyer opens it before they place the order. The second job is the one that decides whether either of you gets anything.
Open the Tesla app and sign in.
Tap the menu, then Refer and Earn or Referrals.
Copy your personal referral link. The code is the short string at the end of it.
Send the link by text, email or chat to the person who is buying.
Tell them to open the link and start the configuration from the page it lands on.
Send the link rather than the bare code wherever you can. Opening the link attaches the referral to the session that starts the order, so there is usually no code box to fill in on the configurator at all.
The order is the deadline. Tesla does not attach a referral retroactively, so a link opened after the order is submitted earns nothing for either side.
Sending the code instead of the link
If all you have is the code, the buyer can still use it, but it is more fragile. They have to reach a page that accepts a code, and Tesla has changed where and whether that field appears. The full link removes that risk.
What not to do when you share it
Do not post the link in forums, comment sections, marketplace listings or reviews. Tesla treats that as spam and can disqualify the account.
Do not send the code alone if you are able to send the link.
Do not send it once the buyer has already placed the order, because it will not attach.
Referral terms are set by Tesla and change without notice, so check the current program in the app before you promise anyone a specific benefit.
Disclosure: I may earn Tesla Credits if you place an eligible order using this link. This page isn't affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Tesla, Inc. Tesla trademarks belong to their owners.