Free trial vs free month
Is there a Starlink free trial? Not quite. Here’s what there is.
People mix these up all the time. They protect different things, and you can only end up with one of them.
Short answer
There’s no free-trial plan. There are two separate things. The 30-day return window refunds the kit and your first month if you send it back. The referral free month is a credit on bill 2 for new customers who stay.
“You may return an undamaged, untampered and unmodified Starlink Kit and any accessories purchased on starlink.com within 30 days of the Payment Due Date for a full refund for any reason … Should you timely return your Starlink Kit, you will also be refunded for the first month's service fee or rental fee, as applicable.”
Side by side
| Question | 30-day return window | Referral free month |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A refund if you send the kit back | One month of service credited |
| Who gets it | Anyone who bought on starlink.com | New customers who order through a referral link |
| Do you pay up front? | Yes, then you’re refunded (except shipping) | Yes, bill 1 in full |
| When | Within 30 days of your Payment Due Date | Credited on bill 2 |
| You keep Starlink? | No, it ends the service | Yes, it rewards staying |
| Store kits | Store’s own policy | Not eligible |
Which one matters to you?
- Not sure Starlink will work at your place (trees, hills, a north view): the return window is your protection. Order on starlink.com so you have it. A link costs you nothing extra and keeps the free month open if it works out.
- Confident you’ll keep it the free month is the bonus. Follow the steps so it sticks.
- Only need it for a few weeks neither one fits well. A short need isn’t what either is for. Look at whether a pause-friendly plan or another option suits you better.
The fine print on returns
- The clock starts at your first charge, not at delivery: your first charge comes on the earliest of: the day you activate, 7 days after delivery, or 30 days after shipping if there's no delivery date (the 'Payment Due Date').
- Rented kits: a timely return refunds the activation price and the first month. After cancelling, a rented kit must go back in good condition within 30 days of cancelling, or you're charged the kit's full price.
- Store kits: kits bought from a store or reseller go back to that store, under its own policy.
- Shipping isn’t refunded: shipping and handling charges are non-refundable, even on a return. A “full refund” still leaves that cost with you.
Why we call it a “return window”, not a trial
Starlink’s own terms use the words “initial trial period”. But you pay for everything first, and you only get money back by ending the service. “Free trial” promises more than that. there is no free-trial plan; the 30-day return window is the 'initial trial period' in Starlink's terms.
Questions people ask
Does Starlink have a free trial?
Not a free one. You pay for the kit (or a rental activation) and month 1. What Starlink’s terms call the “initial trial period” is a 30-day window to return the kit for a full refund.
When does the 30-day return window start?
On your Payment Due Date, the day of your first charge. That’s the day you activate, 7 days after delivery, or 30 days after shipping if there’s no delivery date, whichever comes first.
Can I use the return window and still get the free month?
No. Returning the kit cancels the service, so there’s no bill 2 for the credit to come off. You get your first month back through the refund instead.
Does the return window cover a kit I bought at a store?
No. Starlink’s 30-day refund covers kits bought on starlink.com. Store and reseller kits go back under the store’s own policy.
Sources
Where to next
- When the free month shows upYou pay month 1. The credit comes off bill 2. Put in a date to see yours.
- Who qualifies for the free monthThe rules from Starlink’s terms, the edge cases, and a decision tree.
- How to get the free month, step by stepSeven short steps from opening the link to seeing month two at zero.
- GlossaryBilling cycle, service credit, Standby, Payment Due Date and more, in plain words.