Image: Starlink
SpaceX is secretly expanding access to what might be one of the most appealing perks in Starlink’s revamped Residential plan lineup: a “free” Starlink Mini dish. If you’re a U.S.-based Starlink customer, it may be time to check your inbox.
According to a growing number of reports from Starlink users, SpaceX has begun sending out more email-only invites offering a complimentary Starlink Mini dish “rental” to customers who subscribe to the rebranded $120-per-month Residential Max plan. “You’re now eligible to redeem a free Mini Kit for travel, so you can take the same fast, reliable internet you use at home anywhere you go,” Starlink says in the email, which also informs customers that the top-tier home internet plan has been renamed Residential Max.
The Mini, which is designed for portable and travel use, is provided at no upfront cost and remains free as long as the subscriber stays on the Residential Max tier. The offer is tied closely to Starlink’s recent reorganization of its Residential plans, which now include Residential 100 Mbps ($50/month), Residential 200 Mbps ($80/month), and Residential Max ($120/month). While the Mini dish perk is exclusive to the top-tier plan, it adds tangible value for customers who travel frequently or want a backup internet option on the go.
There is, however, an important catch. To actually use the Starlink Mini, Residential Max subscribers must add a Starlink Roam plan to their account. Roam plans start at just $5 per month for Standby Mode and go up to $50 for the newly upgraded Roam 100GB plan or $165 for Roam Unlimited. As part of the Residential Max bundle, SpaceX is also offering a 50% discount on Roam plans, softening the blow of the extra requirement.
SpaceX first introduced these “free” Mini dish rentals back in October, initially positioning them as a loyalty perk for select customers in the U.S. and Canada. Now, the offer appears to be reaching a wider — but still somewhat limited — group of eligible users. SpaceX notes on its support pages that the deal is invite-only, adding that if you haven’t received the email, you’re “not yet eligible.”
New Residential Max customers qualify instantly, though. SpaceX says the Mini dish offer should arrive via email shortly after checkout. If a customer downgrades their Residential plan or cancels Roam service on the Mini, the dish must be returned or paid for.
This latest perk arrives as Starlink continues to scale aggressively. The company ended 2025 with more than 9.2 million users globally and recently received FCC approval to double its next-generation satellite constellation, laying the groundwork for even more capacity — and more incentives to lock customers into premium tiers.
