By PredictQ Team // Updated: July 2026
Kalshi’s standing new-user offer is Trade $10, Get $10. Small number, clean structure. No massive deposit requirement, no playthrough multiples to grind out, credit triggered by activity rather than losses. Sportsbooks spend hundreds of dollars in marketing credit per customer because they expect to make it all back on your vig. A regulated exchange doesn’t run that playbook.
One update for 2026: the base offer is still $10, but some media partner codes now pay more, with $15 and $20 versions floating around depending on the code. The structure is identical either way. Here’s how it works and what to actually do with the bonus.
The Current Offer
As of July 2026, the standard Kalshi sign-up bonus works like this:
Sign up for a new Kalshi account with a valid promo code
Verify your identity (regulated platform, KYC required)
Make an initial deposit
Place $10 in cumulative trades on any market
Kalshi credits the bonus to your account once you cross the threshold
The qualifying $10 in trades doesn’t need to be a single position. Spread it across multiple trades and multiple markets. Cross $10 in cumulative volume within the promo window and the bonus hits. Exact deposit minimums and settlement requirements vary a bit by code, so read the terms on the offer page before you count on a specific trigger.
Compare that to a sportsbook bonus where you deposit $200 and grind through a 1x or 5x playthrough on bad lines. The Kalshi offer is designed to get you trading, and most users clear it in their first session.
To claim it, sign up HERE and the promo code applies automatically when you register through the link.
What the Bonus Is Actually Worth
$10 won’t change your life. Here’s the honest framing: at Kalshi’s fee rates, $10 in bonus funds covers 10-15 real trades on mid-priced contracts before fees matter. That’s free reps to figure out which market categories fit your edge, on someone else’s money.
The offer is built for activity, and the threshold is low. Most people will deposit $20-50 to fund their first trades, but you don’t need to go big to qualify. The bonus rewards showing up, and the platform is betting you’ll stick around once you see how an order book beats a betting slip.
How to Claim It, Step by Step
Click HERE to start sign-up with the promo code pre-applied.
Enter your email, create a password, and provide the basics Kalshi needs for KYC: legal name, date of birth, home address, and Social Security Number. The SSN throws people, but Kalshi is a federally regulated exchange and verifies identity the same way a brokerage does.
Verify your email with the six-digit code, then your phone with the SMS code.
Upload a photo of a government-issued ID. Driver’s license or passport. Some flows also ask for a selfie holding the ID. Standard fraud prevention.
Wait for verification. Most users clear in minutes to a couple of hours. Flagged accounts take longer, but the system moves fast for the vast majority.
Deposit. ACH is free. Debit card is instant with up to a 2% fee. Apple Pay and Google Pay work if you have a linked card.
Place $10 in cumulative trades on any market or combination. The bonus triggers on activity, so you don’t need to win anything to qualify.
The bonus credits once you cross the threshold. It’s usable for trades, and bonus funds typically need to be traded before they can be withdrawn.
Using the Bonus Well
Once the credit lands, you have a small pile of house money to learn the platform with. Spend it deliberately.
Pick markets where you understand the resolution rule. Every Kalshi market has a written rulebook, and the most common new-user mistake is buying a contract based on the headline instead of the actual settlement criteria. Read the rule first.
Check the order book before you enter. If the gap between best bid and best ask is wide, you’re paying a real implicit cost just to get in. Tight spreads mean liquidity and competition. Trade those.
Use limit orders. Quick orders fill instantly but pay the full taker fee. Limit orders let you name your price and qualify for the maker fee, a quarter of the taker rate, if they rest on the book before filling. On $10 the savings are pocket change. The habit is worth building anyway, because on real volume it compounds.
And treat the whole thing as tuition. Some people have an edge on Fed decisions, some on sports, some on entertainment markets. Ten free dollars is the cheapest possible way to find out which one you are.
Other Kalshi Promotions
Beyond the new-user bonus, Kalshi runs a referral program that pays both sides. After your first trade you get a personal referral code, and both you and the friend who signs up earn a bonus once they complete their qualifying trades. Amounts have shifted over time, but referrals are an underrated way to build trading capital if your group chat is getting curious about prediction markets.
Kalshi has also been building out perks for its highest-volume traders. Details shift, so treat anything beyond the standard offer as a bonus rather than a reason to sign up.
A Note on Affiliate Codes
Search “Kalshi promo code” and you’ll find dozens of codes from media partners (CBSSPORTS, COVERS, ACTION, LABS, and so on). They all ride the same underlying structure: trade a qualifying amount, get a credit. The difference used to be purely which affiliate got paid. In 2026 the bonus amounts themselves vary by code, with some partners offering $15 or $20 versions of the standard $10 deal. Check the number attached to whatever code you use, then verify it against the terms on Kalshi’s offer page.
Bottom Line
The Kalshi promo is a small, legitimate on-ramp. It funds enough trades to show you where your interests and your edge actually live, and it costs you nothing beyond the sign-up you were going to do anyway. Free money is rare in this business. Take it. Sign up HERE and the code applies automatically.
Disclosures: PredictQ may receive compensation when readers sign up for platforms through links on this page. Bonus terms are accurate as of July 2026 and subject to change at Kalshi’s discretion; amounts and requirements vary by promo code, so confirm current terms on the offer page. Event contract trading involves substantial risk and is not appropriate for all participants. Bonus funds typically must be traded before withdrawal. This content is for informational purposes only. Must be 18 or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.