Claude Referral Link: How to Send and Get 7 Days of Pro Free

A Claude referral link (guest pass) is an invite link sent by a paid Claude subscriber. Someone who signs up for the first time through it gets Claude Pro free for 7 days. To receive one, you must have no paid subscription history, and you must enter a payment method at signup. If you do not cancel within 7 days, the trial switches automatically to the Pro plan (as of October 19, 2026).

What a Claude referral link actually is

A friend sends you a link and says, "Try Claude." You open it and cannot tell whether it is a free trial or a purchase. Think of a cinema invitation ticket. An existing member hands out a one-week ticket, only first-time visitors can use it, and after a week the regular ticket price is charged. A Claude referral link has the same structure. The receiver gets to try it free, but must stop the charge themselves after a week. The company can change the number of tickets and the conditions, so the notice shown on screen when you open the link is the final word.

According to Anthropic's help pages, Claude Code and Cowork guest passes can currently be sent only by eligible Pro and Max subscribers. The receiver gets a free 7-day Claude Pro pass. It includes Claude Code (a tool that lets AI do work for you in the terminal), Cowork, and Claude Design. Each sender has a limited number of guest passes.

Steps to start the 7-day free trial with a referral link

The receiver opens the unique link from the sender and signs up. The help page describes this as a simple signup with setup instructions attached. Each link is issued uniquely per subscriber, so use the link you received from the sender.

The help page sets three conditions. First, the receiver must be new to paid Claude subscriptions. The Claude Code guest pass help page says you must have no paid subscription history on any Claude product. Second, you must enter a payment method at signup. Third, if you do not keep using Claude after the 7-day trial ends, you are not charged.

Before you enter a payment method, read the signup screen to check that it shows the 7-day free trial and when the first charge starts. After signup, check that your account plan has changed to Pro. An open link is not the same as an active trial.

Item	Sender	Receiver
Eligibility	Eligible Pro or Max subscriber	Someone new to paid Claude subscriptions
What you need	Your own unique link (you must have passes left)	A payment method entered at signup
What you get	For some passes, extra usage credit when the receiver converts to paid	Claude Pro free for 7 days

The trial converts to a paid plan automatically after 7 days

The help page says that if you do not cancel the trial, it switches automatically to the Pro plan. Pro is listed at 20 dollars per month in our Claude plan price comparison. You must decide whether to keep using it before day 7 ends. Set a calendar reminder for day 6 on the day you sign up, and you will have time to cancel before you are billed.

Choosing the Max plan changes things. The Claude Code guest pass help page warns that if the receiver picks Max instead of Pro, the guest pass is not activated and the Max price is charged right away. To use the free trial, choose Pro.

How to check if you can send a pass and how to send the link

You can find out whether you can send a pass from the notice that appears when you start a Claude Code session or a Cowork task. The help page uses this notice to show eligibility. You can check in these places:

• Claude Code: type /passes in the input box
• The "Claude Code" section in Claude settings
• The "Cowork" tab in Claude desktop settings
• Claude Design settings

On that screen, copy your unique link and send it by email or messenger. You can also see your remaining and used passes in the same place. If more people join than you have passes, passes apply in the order people signed up. Once passes are used up or expired, you cannot send more. Passes have no cash value and cannot be transferred to someone else.

For some passes, the sender receives extra usage credit when the receiver converts to a paid plan. This credit expires one year after it is issued. It becomes void if the sender drops to the free plan.

Common mistakes

• Opening the link with an account that has paid history: If you have paid even once before, you are not eligible. The help page says you must have no paid subscription history on any Claude product, so the trial will not open even if you receive a link.
• Upgrading to Max during the trial: As covered above, the pass is not applied and you are billed immediately.
• Expired passes: The help page says passes can expire or be revoked. Use a link you receive as soon as you can.
• Mixing up who can send: The Claude Code-only guide (March 2026) says only Max subscribers can send passes. The latest guide that also covers Cowork (September 16, 2026) widens this to Pro and Max. Judge by the notice in your own account.

If you are not using Claude for coding, first check whether you need Claude Code in Claude Code installation and plans, then start the trial.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Claude for free without a referral link?

You can use the free plan just by signing up. A referral link is an invitation that opens the paid Pro features for 7 days.

Am I charged if I cancel during the 7-day trial?

The help page says you are not charged if you do not keep using Claude after the 7-day trial ends. Cancel before the trial ends.

Where can I see how many passes I have left to send to friends?

In Claude Code, use /passes or the matching section in settings. Remaining and used passes appear together.