News · Ordering
Starlink dropped the monthly kit fee on new Residential rentals in July 2026
About a month after adding it, Starlink removed the $10 monthly kit fee on new Residential rentals, per a 2026-07-20 report. Rentals are back to $0 a month.
OrderingReported by press, not confirmed on Starlink’s pages
- Event
- Reported 2026-07-20 (removal date not given)
- Published
The short answer
- What changed?
- The $10 a month kit fee added to new Residential rentals in June 2026 was removed "from new purchases of residential Starlink" after just over a month, SatelliteInternet.com reported on 2026-07-20. Rentals are $0 a month, with a $20 shipping fee, in areas where the rental is offered.
- When?
- Reported 2026-07-20. The report does not give the exact day the fee came off. iPhone in Canada also described the fee as dropped in its 2026-08-07 report.
- Who is affected?
- New Residential customers ordering on starlink.com. The report says the free rental is only offered in designated regions with spare capacity.
- What should you do now?
- At checkout, read the kit line: it should show the rental cost and any shipping charge. Screenshot the order summary before you pay.
- What stays the same?
- Starlink's Referral Program Terms, as we read them on 2026-10-05, still give a new customer one free month on the eligible plan they pick, credited to the second monthly bill. You still pay month one, still need to order the kit and plan on starlink.com through a current customer's link, and still need two full billing cycles on a high-speed plan (Standby doesn't count). New Residential orders are still rentals, so a rented kit still has to go back if you cancel.
Source
- Starlink Changes Course With Rentals Going Back to $0 Press
only available in designated regions with excess capacity
- SpaceX Revives Starlink Mini Hardware Bonus for Top-Tier Subscribers Press
What the report says
SatelliteInternet.com said Starlink briefly charged a $10 monthly rental fee and then removed it from new Residential orders after just over a month. Its summary of the current rental: $0 a month, a $20 shipping fee, you don't own the kit, you can buy it from Starlink for $349 at any time, and you pay the full kit price if it isn't returned in acceptable condition after cancelling.
The report says the rental is "only available in designated regions with excess capacity" and that you enter your address at checkout to see whether you get it.
Why it matters for the free month
While the fee was in place, it was an open question whether the free month would also cover the kit fee line. Starlink's pages call the benefit "one month of free service" and don't mention equipment fees. With the fee gone for new orders, a new Residential customer's second bill should just show the service charge and the credit.
Our When the free month shows up page still says we don't know whether the credit covers a rental fee line. That remains accurate for anyone who ordered during the fee period, and we'll update it when we can confirm the current checkout ourselves.
Returns are unchanged: the 30-day window runs from your Payment Due Date (see Is there a Starlink free trial?). Store-bought kits still don't qualify for the free month (see Bought the kit in a store).
What we don’t know yet
- The exact day the fee was removed.
- Whether customers who ordered during the fee period still pay it. The report talks about new purchases only.
- We have not yet observed the current starlink.com checkout ourselves for this post.
Corrections
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.
- Is there a Starlink free trial?No trial plan. A 30-day return window, and a free month that works differently.
- Bought the kit in a store or ordered by phoneWhy there’s no free month on those orders, and your honest options now.