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Tesla Roadster deposit in 2026: $50,000 up front, labelled refundable, and no promo code
Event date The day Tesla North reported the reopened reservation page. US
What happened
Tesla North reported on September 18, 2026 that Tesla had reopened Roadster reservations with a $50,000 deposit: "$5,000 due today by credit card" and a "$45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days". Tesla labels the deposit fully refundable, but the reservation page showed no retail price and no delivery date. No promo code or discount applies to it.
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Referral link: Tesla applies the benefit when you order through it; we may earn Tesla credits.
What the reservation page showed
| Item | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Deposit | $50,000 in total |
| How it is paid | $5,000 by credit card at reservation; $45,000 by wire transfer within 10 days |
| Refundable? | "Tesla labels the deposit fully refundable" |
| When the reservation counts | "Reservations are not final until the wire clears" |
| Price of the car | Not shown on the reservation page |
| Production or delivery date | Not listed |
Tesla North described the quoted performance figures as "promotional specs until the company shows a production-intent car". A deposit on a car without a price is a place in a queue, not a purchase price.
The demo moved to October 15
Electrek reported on September 28, 2026 that Tesla had moved its Roadster demo event from October 1 to October 15, quoting Tesla: "given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we've made the difficult decision to reschedule." If Tesla announced a price or a delivery date at that event, the reservation page is where it should show up first. This item records what the page showed before the event.
The $45,000 wire is the risk
A large wire transfer, a ten-day deadline and an excited buyer is the pattern payment scammers look for. A wire is hard to recall once sent. The $5,000 card payment happens on Tesla's site; the wire instructions are where a fake email, text or look-alike page can step in. For cars, Tesla's US ordering page (archived April 19, 2026) lists final payment by electronic check in the Tesla app, wire transfer, or certified check at delivery. Treat any wire instruction that reaches you by email, text or phone as suspect until you have matched it inside your Tesla Account. Our payment-scam note lists the warning signs.
Who it affects
US buyers deciding whether to reserve a Roadster, and anyone who gets a message about a Roadster "allocation", "early slot" or "discounted deposit".
What has not changed
- No discount or promo code. Tesla's order flow has no code field (why), and nothing reported suggests any reduction on the deposit.
- No referral benefit listed. The Roadster is not among the qualifying products in Tesla's US Refer and Earn terms (archived June 15, 2026), which name Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and solar panels. A "Roadster referral code" offer is not something Tesla's terms describe.
- The price. Still not shown, as of the reports above.
What to do
- Reserve only on tesla.com, signed in to your own Tesla Account.
- Get the wire instructions from inside your Tesla Account, and confirm them by calling Tesla on a number from tesla.com, never from an email or text.
- Read the refund terms on the reservation page before you send the $45,000 wire, and keep a copy.
- Ignore anyone offering a discount, code or earlier slot on a Roadster for a fee.
Sources
- Tesla Reopens Roadster Reservations With $50,000 Deposit Tesla North, September 18, 2026
- Tesla delays Roadster demo two weeks to October 15, blames weather Electrek, September 28, 2026
- tesla.com/support/refer-and-earn — qualifying products Tesla US, Refer and Earn terms (Internet Archive capture), June 15, 2026