Where to buy Starlink: what a store or a used kit changes

Buying from Starlink: the order the referral credit and the 30-day return belong to

Starlink sells its kits itself. Starlink's help page on its authorized retailers, checked November 2026, says "Starlink can be purchased from starlink.com or from Starlink-authorized retailers." Three things in Starlink's own documents are written for an order on starlink.com: the 30-day return, the referral credit and one offer. The warranty period counts from that order's date.

The 30-day return comes first. Starlink's Terms of Service, in the version published August 2026, say under "Kit Return and Full Refund": "You may return an undamaged, untampered and unmodified Starlink Kit and any accessories purchased on starlink.com within 30 days of the Payment Due Date for a full refund for any reason, including the inability to receive Services due to field-of-view issues." Under "Shipping & Handling" they say "Shipping and handling charges will apply and are non-refundable." Starlink's help page on returning a kit, checked November 2026, gives both sides of the deadline: "If you cancelled within the 30-day return period, you will be eligible for a full refund on the hardware." and "Starlink kits returned outside of the 30-day window will result in no refund." What those 30 days cost you is on the 30-day trial page, and the clause is read in full on the contract and returns page.

Starlink's referral credit is the second. Starlink's help page on its referral program, checked November 2026, says "Amounts are only issued for sign-ups on starlink.com. Kits from resellers, retailers, or account transfers are not eligible." The link has to be in the order itself: "If they ordered without your link, used someone else's link, or bought from a retailer or marketplace store, the referral won't appear and can't be added later." So the order goes through an existing customer's referral link, and a referral that isn't in the order can't be put there afterwards. The reward is a service credit and does not change what the kit costs. The help page says "Amounts default to service credit, applied to your account and deducted from your next invoice." and gives the amount by example, "(for example, $100 in the US)". That page speaks to the customer who shares the link as well as to the new customer. Who counts as a new customer, which plans qualify and when a new customer's credit arrives are on the offers and credits page, and how the referral code travels in the link is on the referral code page.

The offer is the Activation Benefit. Starlink's help page on it, checked November 2026, says "The Activation Benefit is currently available for new Mini kits purchased on starlink.com in the United States and Canada." What Starlink ties to it is on the activation fee page.

The warranty's clock starts at the purchase. Starlink's Limited Warranty, in the version published October 2026, sets its period "depending on Kit model, Service location and the equipment seller", and Starlink's help page on warranty coverage, checked November 2026, says the same: "The Limited Warranty is dependent on the Kit model, Service location and the equipment seller." For a Standard or Mini kit outside the EU and UK, the period is "12 months from the date of the original purchase on starlink.com; or 12 months from the date purchased from an authorized retailer." What the warranty covers is on the contract and returns page.

Authorized retailers in the US: Starlink's list, and what a store kit changes

Starlink's help page on its authorized retailers lists 16 for the United States (checked November 2026). In that page's order and spelling, they are Amazon, Best Buy, Bass Pro Shops, Boost Mobile, Cabela's, Cost U Less, Home Depot, Microcom, Nebraska Furniture Mart, PC Richards, Sam's Club, Thor Industries, Tractor Supply, Walmart, West Marine and Winegard Company. This is the list as read in November 2026 and Starlink can change it, so check its page before you buy. The page lists retailers country by country, and a store that isn't on the US list may be on another country's.

The same page carries cautions that apply to every name on it. It says "Authorized retailers may sell Starlink products only in locations where Starlink is licensed and certified." It says "Buy only through the retailer’s official Starlink shop. Starlink is not responsible for purchases made outside official channels." One retailer gets a line of its own: "If purchasing from Walmart, buy only through the Starlink Store on Walmart. Starlink is not responsible for purchases made outside that store." Which store has a kit, and when it is open, is the retailer's to say: "Retailer locations, hours, and stock can change. Visit the retailer’s website or contact them directly for current details."

Buying at one of these stores changes the following, each in Starlink's words.

• The return goes to the store. Starlink's help page on returning a kit, checked November 2026, says "If you purchased your Starlink from an authorized retailer or reseller, contact them directly to return your Starlink." The full refund within 30 days in Starlink's Terms is written for a kit "purchased on starlink.com" (above). What the store gives back, and for how long, is in the store's own terms, which this page does not read. The 30-day trial page has more on returning a store kit.
• There is no referral credit. Starlink's help page on its referral program says "Kits from resellers, retailers, or account transfers are not eligible." If you "bought from a retailer or marketplace store", it says, "the referral won't appear and can't be added later" (checked November 2026).
• You activate the kit yourself. Starlink's help page on activating a kit, checked November 2026, says "Already purchased Starlink from a retailer? Activate it now via starlink.com/activate." It adds "When you purchase a new retail kit, you’ll receive one hour of internet access upon first plugging in your Starlink."
• Service is charged when you activate. Starlink's help page on its service activation charge, checked November 2026, says "If you purchased a Starlink Kit through a retailer or third-party, and you activate service as a new account via starlink.com/activate, you will be charged for the upcoming month of service immediately." On an account you already have, the same page says "If you are reactivating service or adding a purchased Starlink through a retailer or third-party on your existing account, you will be charged a pro-rated cost dependent on the plan's monthly cost and time remaining on your existing billing cycle."
• Starlink's one-time charge is separate from the store's price. Starlink's help page on its activation charge, checked November 2026, says "There is an additional one-time charge to purchase Starlink services. The additional charge depends on the service plan you choose and/or the Starlink kit you select. This charge will only apply if you are purchasing or activating a new service plan." That page gives no amount; the activation fee page has what Starlink's pages say about it.
• A store kit bought to replace one you already have starts a new service line. Starlink's help page on the demand surcharge, checked November 2026, says "If you purchase a new kit via retail instead of going through Support, this creates a new service line. As a result, you will be subject to the demand surcharge if your service address is in a high-demand area at the time of activation." The surcharge itself is on the sold-out page.
• A Service Commitment can come with a store kit. The Terms' section on Service Commitments, in the version published August 2026, applies "if you selected a service commitment at checkout at starlink.com or through an authorized retail channel, or have otherwise selected a service commitment." What a commitment holds you to is on the contract and returns page.
• The warranty runs from the date you bought the kit at the store. For a Standard or Mini kit outside the EU and UK, the Limited Warranty (October 2026) gives "12 months from the date purchased from an authorized retailer." A line of the warranty on a retailer's work concerns kits used in motion: "To maintain the Limited Warranty, all modifications made by authorized retailers to the Starlink Kit must be approved by Starlink in writing".
• Passing the kit on later has its own wait. Starlink's help page on transferring ownership, checked November 2026, says "For a retail activation, a transfer isn't allowed until 90 days from the activation date." Keep the store's receipt, because the same page says "If you're having issues transferring your Starlink 120 days after purchase from an authorized retailer, please contact Starlink support with your proof of purchase." The rest of the transfer rules are below.
• After activation, Starlink runs the service. The retailer page says "After activation, Starlink manages the service, account, orders, and support directly." That sentence names no return; the returns page's line, the first item in this list, is the one that does.

Authorized resellers: a separate program with its own account and billing

A reseller is a different kind of seller from a retailer. Starlink's help page on its authorized resellers, checked November 2026, says "A Starlink authorized reseller is an independent company that has been officially approved by Starlink to sell Starlink products and services." The difference is who you deal with afterwards: "When you purchase Starlink from an authorized reseller, you manage your account, service, billing, and support exclusively through the reseller". A return goes the same way, since the returns help page's line covers "an authorized retailer or reseller", and the referral help page's line leaves out "Kits from resellers" as it does kits from retailers.

The reseller page says "Starlink's reseller program is currently invite-only." It sends readers to a directory: "Visit the Authorized Reseller Directory to find your nearest reseller." This page read no directory and names no reseller.

Starlink's Terms of Service, in the version published August 2026, have the buyer state how they bought. Under "No Unauthorized Transfers; Assignments, or Acts of Agency" they say "You warrant that you have not purchased Starlink via a commercial third-party, are not acquiring the Service as part of bundled service offering provided by a commercial third-party, and have not and will not make payment to any commercial third-party in connection with the Services, except where expressly authorized by Starlink." The same clause says "A list of Authorized Starlink Resellers can be found in the FAQs at" Starlink's support site. It ends "Failure to follow the terms of this Section is a breach of this Agreement that may result in the termination of the Agreement for non-compliance."

A seller Starlink hasn't authorized: the kit can't be activated

Two of Starlink's help pages say this, each in its own words (both checked November 2026). The authorized-retailer page says "Hardware from unauthorized retailers cannot be activated. This violates our terms and conditions and may result in immediate suspension of service." Starlink's help page on reactivating service says "We are unable to activate service for a Starlink that has been purchased from an unauthorized retailer or reseller."

A name on the list is half of the test. The retailer page also says "Buy only through the retailer’s official Starlink shop. Starlink is not responsible for purchases made outside official channels." Before you pay, find the seller on Starlink's list for your country, and buy from Starlink's shop at that retailer.

The Terms' clause in the section above applies here as well. A purchase "via a commercial third-party" is one you warrant you haven't made "except where expressly authorized by Starlink", and a breach "may result in the termination of the Agreement for non-compliance".

A used kit: the transfer has to happen first

A kit someone else owned can be activated on your account only after that owner transfers it. Starlink's help page on transferring ownership, checked November 2026, has the steps for both sides. This page gives the conditions and leaves the steps there.

Four conditions on that page fall on the seller, so ask about each before you pay.

• The seller has had the kit long enough: "For an online kit purchase, a transfer isn't allowed until 120 days after the purchase or 90 days after the kit activates, whichever comes first. For a retail activation, a transfer isn't allowed until 90 days from the activation date. Keep service active until the transfer is allowed."
• The seller's account owes nothing: "Transfers are not allowed if the account has an outstanding balance."
• The kit is bought and not rented: "You cannot transfer a rental service line to another person or location."
• The seller changes the plan first: "To transfer, you must first change your service plan." The page's next line is "This may require a kit buyout or change fee."

The Terms of Service, in the version published August 2026, cover the same ground under "Transferring Services and Kits". They give the wait as "the earlier of (i) 120 days after you purchased your Starlink Kit, or (ii) 90 days after you activated your Starlink Kit", and they add conditions of their own: "Customers who have purchased their Starlink Kits may have the option to transfer or assign your Services to another responsible party if the account is paid-in-full, in good standing, and there is network capacity under the requested Service Plan." Another clause says "You may not assign, sell, or transfer this Agreement, software installed on the Starlink Kit, or access to Services without Starlink’s consent". If the seller is inside a Service Commitment, the Terms count "transferring the Services or Kit to another person" among the changes that bring its Change Fee, which is on the contract and returns page.

The rest is on your side as the buyer.

• Check your address first. The transfer page says "Check that Starlink services are available in your area before transfer via the order flow."
• You activate it as a transferred kit. Starlink's help page on activating a kit lists the case as "You are activating an unlocked kit from a transfer of service." As a new account you pay for service at once: the service activation charge page's line on a kit bought "through a retailer or third-party" says "you will be charged for the upcoming month of service immediately" (both checked November 2026).
• There is no referral credit and no Activation Benefit. The referral help page says "Kits from resellers, retailers, or account transfers are not eligible." The Activation Benefit page says "Note: Transferred kits are not eligible for an activation benefit."
• The warranty does not start again. The transfer page says "The warranty is based on the original purchase date, even if sold or transferred by a third party. Verify the kit's condition before purchasing from third parties." Ask the seller for that date and set it against the 12 months above.

Which to choose

Each cell below is a line from the sections above, from Starlink's help pages checked in November 2026, its Terms in the version published August 2026 and its Limited Warranty of October 2026. Where none of them says, the cell reads "not stated on the pages read". The warranty row's 12 months are for a Standard or Mini kit outside the EU and UK.

A store on the list can be the better choice if you want the kit in your hands today, or on the store's own price and return terms, which this page does not read. Starlink's site is the better choice for the referral credit and for the 30-day return written into its Terms.

What this page doesn't cover

• Any store's price, sale, stock, hours or return terms. For stock and hours, and so for "near me", Starlink's page sends you to the retailer: "Visit the retailer’s website or contact them directly for current details."
• Retailer lists for other countries. The 16 names above are the US list as checked in November 2026.
• Resellers by name. This page read no reseller directory.
• Which kit to buy.
• Buying for a business or an enterprise account.
• The steps of a transfer, which stay on Starlink's page.