Journal
The February 2026 Rulebook, Read for a UK Buyer
Tesla’s Refer and Earn terms carry a 24 February 2026 revision date. A clause-by-clause reading with the UK-specific consequences flagged.
A terms revision date is the date on which a programme's published rules were last rewritten. Tesla's Refer and Earn terms carry a revision date of 24 February 2026. This entry reads the clauses that matter and marks, for each one, what changes when the order is placed in the United Kingdom.
The attachment clause
A referral attaches to an order at the moment the order is placed, through the referral link, and cannot be added afterwards. There is no retroactive application by the buyer, by Tesla support, or by the owner of the code.
UK consequence: none — the clause is market-neutral, and it is the single most consequential sentence in the document. Everything practical about using a referral follows from it.
The benefit clause
The buyer's benefit is defined per market. In the United Kingdom it is approximately 650 miles of free Supercharging on a new Model 3 or Model Y. In North America it is a three-month Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial. In mainland Europe it is Supercharging distance, doubled to roughly 2,000 km in April 2026.
UK consequence: substantial, and the source of most inaccurate UK content. A page describing the benefit as free FSD is describing North America; a page quoting 2,000 km is describing the mainland. Both figures circulate widely on UK-facing pages.
The eligibility clause
Eligible vehicles are Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck in Premium AWD and Cyberbeast trims. Model S and Model X were removed from the programme in March 2026. Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD is excluded.
UK consequence: the Cybertruck rows are academic here, since the vehicle is not orderable in the UK. What remains for a UK buyer is Model 3 and Model Y — a shorter list than the terms imply, and shorter still than most UK pages state.
The expiry clauses
Two clocks are defined, both measured from the Grant Date — the date the benefit is posted to an account, not the order date. Tesla Credits expire 12 months from the Grant Date. Supercharging distance expires 6 months from the Grant Date. A warning email precedes expiry by 30 days, and an expired balance cannot be reissued.
UK consequence: a UK buyer's benefit runs on the shorter clock. Pages quoting a single twelve-month expiry are describing the credits half of the programme, which is the referrer's side rather than the UK buyer's.
The referrer clauses
The referrer is paid in Tesla Credits — a non-cash account balance — capped at the first 10 successful referrals per calendar year, with the counter resetting on 1 January. Credits are documented as non-transferable, non-reissuable, not redeemable for cash, and not valid for gift cards or alcohol. Redemption runs through the Loot Box in the Tesla app, and redemptions are final.
Contested: the credit amount. Public reporting states $250 in some places and $500 in others; both cannot be current, and this reference does not average contested figures. The authoritative amount appears in the referrer's own Tesla account. Whether Tesla Shop merchandise is redeemable is likewise disputed between otherwise reliable sources.
The transaction clause
One referral applies per transaction, and a vehicle order and an energy order are separate transactions. A buyer may therefore attach one referral to a car and another to a solar or Powerwall purchase.
UK consequence: verify the energy side against current UK terms before relying on it; a UK energy referral benefit should not be assumed from North American documentation.
Using the revision date as a filter
Four tests place any referral page relative to the current rulebook. Does it list Model S or Model X as earning a buyer benefit (predates March 2026)? Does it promise a flat cash discount rather than the market's actual reward (earlier programme)? Does it quote a UK figure in kilometres (wrong market)? Does it carry a date attached to the claim rather than a copyright year in the footer (unverifiable)?
A page failing those tests is not necessarily wrong. It simply offers no way to check, in a year when the programme moved at least five times. Confirm anything material against the Tesla UK Refer and Earn page, and treat the order summary before payment as the only live authority on what your own configuration will receive.
Keep reading
Pillar: The benefit: 650 free miles · Related: Which Teslas still qualify
Disclosure: the links above are referral links — using one credits the owner with Tesla Credits at no cost to you, and gives you the buyer benefit. The Emerald Mile is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tesla, Inc. “Tesla” and “Supercharger” are trademarks of Tesla, Inc., used here nominatively.