Tesla's Loot Box Program Explained: How It Works, And What Awards You Can Get

Loot boxes are a well-known mechanic in the video game space wherein players can gain access to a host of in-game perks which often can't be accessed by any other means.

Traditional loot boxes generally contain random in-game items (loot) ranging from cosmetic items like skins to "pay-to-win" items such as weapons or other in-game abilities. When a player buys a loot box, they don't know the contents, though they may know what types of items could be inside, only finding out once the box has been opened. Due to their randomized nature, loot boxes have earned their fair share of negative attention for promoting gambling and microtransactions. The fact that minors can access them has also been a cause for concern.

As for Tesla's Loot Box program, it isn't what most people would know as a loot box in that it is a rewards program, is only accessible to adults, and has no gambling involved — you know what you are getting when you redeem your points. We suspect Tesla went with the name "Loot Box" because it sounds better than "Loyalty Program" or "Rewards Program," and the term is more familiar to a younger demographic. On top of that, this is Tesla, the company that named its models S, 3, X, and Y and introduced multiple features named after Spaceballs references.

Loot Box's value proposition is pretty simple — buy Tesla products or refer new customers to collect credits, which can then be redeemed for other Tesla products. Under both systems, your points are made active upon the delivery of the ordered product, regardless of whether it was your own order or a referral. Buying more Tesla products will net you more credits than referring another buyer. For instance, referring someone for a Model Y will only get you 2,000 points, though buying a new one will get you 3,500 points.

At the time of the program's US relaunch in late 2022, users could only accrue points by bringing in new customers for Tesla's solar solutions. This has since expanded with the return of vehicle referrals and purchases. However, Tesla is still pushing their solar solutions (the solar roof and panels), with 9000 points on offer for each new referral or purchase.

Earning points via referrals happens within the Tesla app — tap Refer and select a contact to send a referral message. You can also generate a referral link for anyone to use. When earning points as a Loyalty member, you have to buy a new Tesla product using the same account you used for your previous Tesla purchase(s), and the points will be added to your account upon delivery of your new vehicle or solar system.

In earlier iterations of the Loot Box loyalty program, prizes ranged from a brand new Model X and Space X tour to a Tesla Roadster (80 of them, in fact). While these offers were canceled for obvious cost-related reasons, users can now redeem points for a whole host of Tesla products—these range from perks such as free Supercharger miles to Tesla merch such as sipping glasses and clothing. Points can also be redeemed for vehicle-related products such as wall connectors, charging adapters, pet liners, roof racks, and illuminated door sills.

As worthy of your attention as those products may be, the big attraction in the latest iteration of the app has been the free Cybertruck. Registered users can enter a raffle for 500 credits per entry without limits on how many entries a user can submit. For instance, if you successfully referred someone for a solar roof, you can use the 9,000 points you would have received to buy up to 18 entries for the Tesla Cybertruck raffle draw. With the vehicle currently set to be released in the latter half of 2023, users should have plenty of time to rack up the points for raffle entries.

It is worth noting that, unlike the products you can buy with credits, Tesla hasn't had the best record for honoring the terms of its promotional giveaways.

Unfortunately, if you happen to live in the states of Ohio or Virginia, you will not be able to take part in the Loot Box program, and though the Tesla website does not give a reason why, it is likely due to a regulatory limitation of some sort.

Other limitations and rules apply to all members of the program. For instance, your credits will expire 12 months from the date they were activated, while Supercharging miles purchased with credits are only valid for six months. That being said, if you earn new credits, either by buying a new product or having a contact purchase one through a referral, the expiry date of all of your points will be reset to 12 months from when the latest set of credits was activated.

Furthermore, your credits are non-transferable and linked to the specific account you purchased with, even if you own multiple accounts. Also, the products you buy with credits can't be returned or exchanged, much like those in video game loot boxes. However, unlike those loot boxes, minors are not eligible for Tesla Loot Box credits.