Kalshi promo code and referral code: how Kalshi's offers work

Kalshi's sign-up bonus comes through a referral link or code that you must add within 72 hours of creating your account. Under the program Kalshi filed with the CFTC, you deposit at least $10, use the bonus within seven days, and trade an amount equal to the bonus before you can withdraw it.

There’s no secret Kalshi promo code. Kalshi’s new-user bonus comes through a referral link or referral code, which you must add within 72 hours of creating your account. Under the incentive program Kalshi filed with the CFTC, you then deposit at least $10, use the bonus within seven days, and trade an amount equal to the bonus before you can withdraw it. We don’t publish codes, and we have no deal with Kalshi. This page explains how the official offer works, as of October 2026.

How the Kalshi sign-up offer works

Kalshi describes its new-member and referral incentives in a CFTC filing, the “Spring 2026 Incentive Program,” which it began on or after February 20, 2026 and which runs until February 1, 2028 unless Kalshi ends or extends it. Its help centre covers the details:

The key rules, quoted from the filing and Kalshi’s help centre:

• Who qualifies: new members, or existing members who “[have] not transacted on the Exchange for thirty (30) days.”
• The deposit: “Deposit at least $10 for trading on the Exchange.”
• The bonus size: set per offer. The filing says it “will not be more than $500 or less than $5,” and the help centre warns that an amount shown as “‘up to’ is a maximum, not a guaranteed bonus.”
• Use it or lose it: “Bonus funds must be used for trading within seven calendar days of receipt… unused funds will be automatically forfeited.”
• Withdrawing: “Bonus funds may only be withdrawn by a participant after the participant has traded an amount equal to the funds.”

What we couldn’t verify: Kalshi’s live promo terms page blocks automated access, and its help centre doesn’t publish a fixed dollar amount, so we can’t confirm the exact bonus being offered today. Third-party sites quote different figures. Check the amount and terms shown in the app under Your rewards → Offers before you deposit.

How to add a Kalshi referral code

You can add a referral code yourself if you didn’t sign up through a link. Per Kalshi’s referral FAQ:

1. Open the Kalshi app and go to Explore → menu → Your rewards.
2. Tap Have a code?, enter the code and tap Apply.
3. Do it within 72 hours of creating your account. The clock starts at sign-up, not when your ID is verified. Depositing or trading doesn’t close the window, but you can only have one code attached.
4. Finish identity verification and any qualifying activity before the deadline on the offer card. Then open the bonus progress card and tap Unlock bonus amount when it becomes available.

Kalshi is explicit that “successfully applying a code does not guarantee a bonus”. You still need to meet the offer’s conditions.

How the Kalshi referral program works for referrers

Already have a Kalshi account? You’ll find your own referral link under Explore → menu → Your rewards → Offers. Pick the referral offer and use its share options. Under the filed program, a referrer generally needs to have traded at least $10 on Kalshi (or another amount Kalshi sets, from $0 to $500), and the friend has to use your unique link or code. Kalshi says referral amounts “vary by offer and may differ between the person referring a friend and the person signing up.” An offer can have a per-referral limit or an overall cap. Referral rewards may arrive as trading credits that you have to trade before you can withdraw them. Referral offers are “currently available only to eligible U.S. users.”

Our Kalshi offer checklist

Before you deposit, run through these five checks. Each one comes from Kalshi’s own rules:

Who can claim a Kalshi bonus

You must be 18 or older, pass ID verification (a driver’s licence or passport, photographed live in the app) and meet Kalshi’s location requirements. The minimum deposit is $10, or $1,000 for wires. Kalshi’s help centre says debit-card deposits “may incur a 2% processing fee,” while bank (ACH) deposits are free.

Sports contracts are where state law gets complicated. As of October 2026, a federal appeals court protected Kalshi in New Jersey (Third Circuit, April 6, 2026). Kalshi lost appeals over Nevada (Ninth Circuit, August 28, 2026) and Ohio and Tennessee (Sixth Circuit, September 25, 2026), and court orders now require it to block sports contracts in Nevada, Washington and Michigan. What you can trade depends on where you are, so check is Kalshi legal in your state first.

A note on incentive rules

Kalshi files each incentive program with the CFTC, which regulates it as an exchange. In August 2026 the CFTC issued an advisory saying it had found “procedural or substantive deficiencies” in some exchanges’ incentive filings, “particularly those relating to event contract products.” Offers can change with little notice. Always read the terms linked in the app.

Kalshi or Polymarket for a sign-up offer?

Polymarket US’s offer is simpler to compare: its referral code is a username, and both people get $25 in credits. See our Polymarket referral code guide. To compare the platforms themselves, read our Polymarket vs Kalshi comparison.

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18+ (21+ where required). Prediction markets involve risk of loss — only trade what you can afford to lose. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (National Problem Gambling Helpline, 24/7).