One of the perks of being a Tesla owner is the ability to earn free rewards through the referral program. Owners have been able to earn everything from free Supercharging to multiple free Founder Series Roadsters.
There have been signs over the last few months that Tesla was going to be making some significant changes to the program.
In May we reported that the automaker was going to get rid of the current referral links and instead incentivize in-person referrals, mostly to reduce the costs of the program which had grown to over $23 million in Q1 2021.
With the release of the new mobile app this week, the source code reveals some of the potential changes that could be coming soon.
According to information uncovered in the Android version of the app by u/mishengda on Reddit, owners may soon be earning credits that can be redeemed for Supercharger miles, as well as merchandise and accessories from the Tesla Shop.
"referral_share_sheet_refer_text": "Use my referral link to purchase a Tesla product and get free credits you can redeem for awards like Supercharging miles, merchandise and accessories."
Digging a little deeper it was also discovered that the credits could used to purchase software upgrades like Acceleration Boost, heated rear seats, or potentially even Full Self-Driving (FSD).
"referral_upgrade_item_text": "Your car will upgrade while it is in park and on Wi-Fi.",
"referral_upgrade_item_title": "Upgrade Received",
The Reddit user was also able to find more code indicating owners may still be able to use their own referral codes when purchasing to earn what are referred to as “Loyalty credits”.
None of these changes are live as of yet, but based on the code it appears as though they could be imminent.
What do you think of earning credits that can be redeemed for products? Let us know in the comments below.
