Kalshi Refer-a-Friend Promo: How to Earn Up to $500 Per Referal in August 2026

To successfully claim your Kalshi referral bonus, there are a few key details you should know first. Below, we've put together a quick overview of the Kalshi refer-a-friend bonus so you can review the important terms before getting started.

Here's how to refer a friend to Kalshi and claim your trading bonus:

1. Claim Your Signup Bonus: If you haven't created an account yet and claimed the signup bonus, do so using the Kalshi promo code ACTION.
2. Find Your Link: Open the Kalshi hamburger menu and tap Invite friends.
3. Copy the Link: Grab your unique referral link by tapping Invite friends. On mobile, you can copy the link or share it via text, social media, etc. There's also a QR code that your friend can scan.
4. Send the Link to Friends: Your friend must sign up using that link and make a $25 trade.
5. Get Paid: Once the requirements are met, the trading bonus will be deposited into both accounts automatically.

To qualify as a Referee (the new user), you must:

• Be a US person and brand new to Kalshi, no previous Kalshi account, ever
• Pass Kalshi's identity verification (KYC) process
• Trade at least $25 on Kalshi's Predictions product within 7 days of opening your account
• Not have a suspended account or be under any open compliance investigation

To qualify as a Referrer (the existing user), you must:

• Be a US person
• Be an existing Kalshi user in good standing, with no suspended account privileges and no open compliance investigation
• Have already transacted at least $25 on Kalshi's Predictions product

Anyone who doesn't meet these conditions isn't eligible, even if a Referee successfully signs up using the referral link.

Kalshi says it will award both the referrer and referee up to $500, making it a leading prediction market bonus.

The amount varies with each referral, and Kalshi admits that "most [referral amounts] land below the max [of $500]."

According to Reddit, most successful referrals result in a $15 bonus for both parties. But users have also seen as high as $75 rewards.

There's a lifetime cap on how much you can earn via referrals, check the app for details.

• The "up to $500" bonus is variable, most people get the low end. Roughly 70% receive $15, 24% receive $35, 5% receive $75, and less than 1% receive $100 or $500
• No specific bonus amount is guaranteed
• Limit one offer per account, once you redeem a promo code, it's permanently used for you, even if you never end up qualifying for the rewards.
• You can use a promo code or a referral link at signup, but not both, only one will count

To unlock the reward, you must actually trade $25 on the Predictions product, not just deposit money. You don't have to put it all on one market, the cleanest way to clear it is to spread $25 across a few of the deepest, tightest-spread contracts on Kalshi so every order fills instantly.

Here's a sample $25 game plan using markets that are live on Kalshi right now. Trade a few dollars here, a few dollars there:

• The daily MLB slate: Single-game baseball is Kalshi's most-traded sports market, with tight two-sided pricing up to first pitch, and there's a full slate of games most days of the week.
  • How to trade it: open the MLB section, pick a matchup, tap the team you like to buy Yes, and confirm. It fills in within a second.

• The 2027 NFL champion futures market: Next season's title is already one of the deepest futures on Kalshi, with $48+ million in volume logged and the Rams as the early favorite, so the contracts stay liquid until February 2027. How to trade it: open the Pro Football Championship market, pick the team you're backing, buy Yes, and confirm.
  • How to trade it: open the Pro Football Championship market, pick the team you're backing, buy Yes, and confirm. 

Tips to hit $25 quickly and cleanly:

• Pick markets priced near the middle (roughly from 40¢ to 60¢) with visible depth on both sides, your order fills immediately and you can exit near your entry if you just want to clear the requirement.
• Front-load it. Do your $25 early in the 7-day window so any processing delay on the bonus doesn't push you past the deadline.
• Check the order book before you trade. Liquidity thins out fast on niche or newly listed markets, where wider spreads make it harder to get filled.
• Keep it legitimate.Kalshi can deny, claw back, or debit a bonus if it suspects trades were manufactured purely to hit the $25 minimum. Trade real markets you'd actually take a position in, don't try to game the threshold with self-matching or wash trades.

You must trade your credit within 30 days. If you don't, it will expire.

If you're not sure how to use your bonus, you can refer to our guide on How Kalshi Works, and our Open Interest vs. Volume guide if you want help reading how active a market really is before you start trading.

If you’ve sent your referral link to a friend but don’t see the reward in your "Account Activity," don't panic.

Here are the most common reasons for a delay:

• The $25 Threshold: Your friend hasn't made their first $25 trade yet.
• The Tracking Link: If your friend didn't use your specific link, or if they navigated away from the page during sign-up, the system might not have linked them to you.
• Processing Time: It isn't always instantaneous. It can take a few days for the credit to hit your account after the trade requirement is met.
• KYC Status: Both you and your friend must have a fully verified account. If their identity verification is still pending, the bonus will stay in limbo.

What to do: If a couple of days have passed since your friend traded their first $25 and you still don't see the credit, reach out to support@kalshi.com. Include your friend's name and the email they used to sign up so the support team can track it down.

In most cases, the credit will automatically populate in your account after your friend meets the trading requirements. There is no manual action required.

You can refer several friends to Kalshi and earn rewards, if you're struggling to max out the referral program, here are some tips:

• Share your link with friends and family members
• Post your referral link to social media
• Highlight that anyone who uses your link is eligible for a reward

Looking for other ways to earn rewards? Check out our guide on the bet365 refer-a-friend program.

If you're the one being referred to one of the best prediction market apps, it's super easy to claim the refer-a-friend bonus via the Kalshi referral link your friend sent you:

1. Tap the link they sent to go to Kalshi or download the app.
2. Follow the prompts to create an account and complete verification.
3. Make a $25 deposit and trade.
4. Ensure the $25 reward hits your account.

If your friend signed up for Kalshi without using a code, you might be able to get credit for their signup.

Have them tap your referral link, which should take them to their account and populate it with the refer-a-friend offer.

If your referral link doesn't work, your friend can always use code ACTION.

Note that users have 72 hours after account creation to apply a referral link/code.

When you go to the refer-a-friend page in the Kalshi app, you'll notice two tabs, Predictions and Perpetuals.

Most users will refer their friends to Kalshi Predictions.

You must be approved for Perpetuals before you can start referring your friends to this product.

If your friend signs up for Kalshi using your invite link, your referral code should automatically populate for them on the registration form.

Your code is the text at the end of your referral link. For example, if your link ends in .../referral=sample-code, the code is sample-code.