How to refer friends to Claude: your referral link, guest passes and what you get

You refer people to Claude by sending them a guest pass: type /passes in Claude Code to get your referral links, each worth a free week of Claude Code for a friend. If they subscribe afterwards, you get $10 of extra usage. Anthropic hasn’t published full terms, so here’s what we know from its documentation and from people using the program, plus fixes for the most common problems.

How to get your Claude referral link

1. Open Claude Code (in your terminal, the desktop app or your code editor) and sign in with your Claude account.
2. Type /passes and press Enter.
3. You’ll see your guest passes, each with a link that looks like claude.ai/referral/….
4. Copy a link and send it to one friend.

Claude Code’s command list describes /passes as a way to “share a free week of Claude Code with friends” and says it’s “only visible if your account is eligible.” If the command doesn’t appear, your account can’t send passes yet.

What you get, and what your friend gets

• Your friend: one free week of Claude Code, with the same models a paying subscriber gets.
• You: the message in Claude Code says, “If they love it and subscribe, you’ll get $10 of extra usage to keep building,” as GrowSurf and others have reported. You get nothing if they don’t subscribe.
• How many: three passes, so up to $30 of extra usage. Users report the passes don’t refill once they’re used.

The reward is extra usage on your Claude account, not cash, and it stacks on top of your plan’s normal limits. If you want more ways to stretch your usage, see our guides to claiming up to $250 of free Claude Code credit and using Claude’s “Reset for free” button.

Who can send Claude guest passes?

Anthropic doesn’t say exactly who’s eligible. So far, guest passes have mostly been offered to subscribers on the Max plan ($100 or $200 a month), according to user reports. If you’re on the free plan or Pro and /passes doesn’t show up, that’s probably why.

Who can use a Claude referral link?

Guest passes are meant for people who are new to Claude’s paid plans. People who have paid for Claude Pro or Max before report they can’t redeem them, and some say they were asked to add a card when signing up, even though the week itself is free. If you add a card, check when the trial ends so you aren’t charged if you don’t want to continue.

“Guest passes are not currently available”: what it means

This message appears when you type /passes but your account can’t send passes at the moment. Some Max subscribers have seen it too, according to a bug report on Claude Code’s GitHub page. There’s no setting to switch passes on, so the only option is to check again later, or give Claude as a gift instead (see below).

Claude referral link not working or “no longer valid”?

• It’s already been used. Each link is for one person. Links posted on Reddit, X or YouTube are usually claimed within minutes.
• Your friend isn’t eligible. If they’ve had a paid Claude plan before, the pass won’t work for them.
• A glitch. Links have occasionally shown as invalid even with passes left, one user reported. Try running /passes again and sending a fresh link.

Be careful with sites offering Claude “referral code generators” or long lists of codes. Codes can’t be generated, most listed links are already used, and some of these sites exist to collect clicks or logins.

Other ways to share Claude

Gift a subscription. If you’re on Pro or Max, you can buy someone a Claude subscription at claude.ai/gift: Pro or Max, for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Anthropic says gifts are available globally, the recipient doesn’t need a credit card, and an unredeemed gift expires after a year.

Cowork invites. In May, TestingCatalog spotted a similar “gift a week of Cowork” scheme, with three invites and €10 of usage for each friend who subscribes. If you see that option in the Claude app, it works the same way as guest passes.

For businesses. Anthropic has a separate referral form for partners introducing companies to Claude. It isn’t an affiliate program for individuals.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my Claude referral link?

Open Claude Code and type /passes. If your account is eligible, you’ll see your guest passes, each with its own claude.ai/referral link to copy and send to a friend.

What do I get for referring someone to Claude?

Your friend gets a free week of Claude Code. If they then subscribe, you get $10 of extra usage on your account, according to the message Claude Code shows. You get three passes, so up to $30.

How many Claude guest passes do you get?

Three, as reported by users who have them. They don’t appear to refill once used.

Can Claude Pro users refer friends?

Anthropic only says the /passes command appears if your account is eligible. So far, guest passes have mostly been offered to Max subscribers, so Pro users may not see them.

Can I use a Claude referral link if I’ve paid for Claude before?

Generally no. Guest passes are aimed at new users, and people who have had a paid Claude plan before report they can’t redeem them.

What does “Guest passes are not currently available” mean?

It means your account can’t send passes right now, either because it isn’t eligible or because Anthropic has paused them. Some Max subscribers have seen it too. There’s nothing you can do to force it, so check back later.

Why does my Claude referral link say it’s invalid or no longer valid?

Usually because it has already been redeemed, or the person using it isn’t eligible, for example because they’ve had a paid plan before. Links shared publicly on Reddit or X are often used up within minutes.

Does Claude have an affiliate program?

Not for individuals, as far as Anthropic has published. It has a referral form for partners who want to introduce businesses to Anthropic, which is separate from guest passes.

Is there another way to give someone Claude?

Yes. Pro and Max subscribers can buy a Claude gift subscription at claude.ai/gift for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Gifts are available globally and the recipient doesn’t need a credit card.

Sources: Claude Code docs, Anthropic Support, Claude Code on GitHub, GrowSurf, TestingCatalog.