How to use the DigitalOcean referral code, step by step
- Open the sign-up linkIt lands on digitalocean.com with the referral code in the address. Click Sign up and create your account.
- Add a payment methodDigitalOcean needs a valid payment method before you can create Droplets or other resources. You're charged only after the credit is used up or expires.
- Build somethingThe $5 is in your balance and is spent first. It covers every product except SaaS Add-Ons.
- Use it within 90 daysSign-up credit expires 90 days after you join. Whatever is left then is gone.
What the DigitalOcean sign-up bonus pays
What the DigitalOcean credit covers
New DigitalOcean teams get a $5 sign-up credit, and DigitalOcean's referral help page confirms that people who arrive through a referral receive this standard credit.
It sits in your account balance and pays your bill before anything is charged to your card. It works on all products except SaaS Add-Ons and can't be moved to another team. DigitalOcean's pricing page gives the example of spending $3 in the 90 days: you pay nothing, and the remaining credit expires.
In practice, $5 runs a small Droplet for about a month, enough to test a web app or a VPN server. Droplets bill for as long as they exist, even powered off, so delete the ones you're done with, and set a spend alert under Billing.
Does the DigitalOcean referral code still work?
Yes. It was checked on 24 September 2026 against DigitalOcean's official referral and sign-up credit pages. The link is the site owner's own, from an active DigitalOcean account, and on that date it opened digitalocean.com with refcode b0673f31f8dd in the address.
The credit, its 90-day limit and the payment method step all come from DigitalOcean's own documentation.
DigitalOcean invite code, referral link or refcode?
DigitalOcean doesn't give you a field to type a code. The referral lives in the link as refcode, and DigitalOcean records it when the account is created, so you only have to sign up after opening the link.
What DigitalOcean is
DigitalOcean is a New York cloud provider founded in 2011. Developers and small companies like it for flat prices that are easy to read.
The core product is the Droplet, a virtual Linux server that starts in under a minute. Around it are managed databases, Kubernetes, App Platform for deploying code without running servers, Spaces object storage, GPU Droplets and tools for building AI agents. Data centres are spread across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
What the person who shared the link gets
After you've spent and paid $25 on DigitalOcean, the team that invited you gets $25 in credit. DigitalOcean pays it, and your prices stay the same.
DigitalOcean referral code questions
What is the DigitalOcean referral code?
It's b0673f31f8dd, inside the sign-up link on this page. You don't enter it anywhere: the link adds it to your registration.
Can I add the DigitalOcean referral code after signing up?
No. DigitalOcean records the referral when an account is created through the link.
Is this DigitalOcean referral legit?
It's a personal link from a real DigitalOcean account, and it opens DigitalOcean's own sign-up. The credit is issued by DigitalOcean. Nothing else is claimed.
Do I need a card?
Yes. A valid payment method is required before you can create Droplets or other resources. You're charged only once the credit runs out or expires.
What happens after 90 days?
Any unused credit expires, and normal billing applies to whatever you still have running.