The Referral System Explained: How to Get 500 Free Credits
MegaNova Studio has a referral program built into the signup flow. If you sign up using a referral link from another creator, you receive 500 credits added to your account. If you share your own link and someone signs up through it, you earn credits too.
This article explains how the system works from both sides — as someone receiving a referral and as someone sending one.
Signing Up With a Referral Link
When you follow a referral link to MegaNova Studio, the URL contains a ref parameter:
https://studio.meganova.ai/r/their-code
Clicking this link does two things automatically:
- The signup form opens (the site switches to registration mode when a referral code is detected)
- The referral code is pre-filled in the Referral Code field
- A banner appears at the top of the form: "Sign up now to receive your welcome bonus credits!"
The referral code field is optional — you can also enter it manually if someone shared their code without a direct link. The form validates the code in real time as you type: if the code is valid, it shows the referrer's name so you can confirm you are using the right one.
What You Receive
After creating your account and verifying your email, 500 credits are added to your account.
To put that in context — 500 credits is the same amount as the free tier. Signing up with a referral link effectively doubles your starting balance.
What those credits get you:
- 500 messages using Manta Mini (1 credit each)
- 166 messages using Manta Flash — the default model (3 credits each)
- 100 messages using Manta Pro (5 credits each)
- 8 standard image generations using FLUX.1-schnell (3 credits each), or a mix of chat and image generation
Sharing Your Own Link
Once you have an account, you have a referral link you can share. It is in the Creator Center under the Links tab.
Your link looks like:
https://studio.meganova.ai/r/your-code
The Creator Center also generates platform-specific versions for Reddit, YouTube, Discord, Twitter, and a generic option. These are the same destination — the source parameter just helps you track which channel is actually driving sign-ups.
What You Receive When Someone Signs Up Through Your Link
- 200 credits instantly — deposited the moment they create their account
- 300 credits as a bonus — deposited after the referred user completes activity verification (confirming they are genuinely using the platform, not just creating an account)
The 200 credits are unconditional. The 300 bonus credits require the referred user to actually engage with the platform.
What Happens in the Background
When someone clicks your link, the system records a fingerprint and stores the attribution. If they sign up within 30 days of clicking, their account is linked to your referral code. Email verification is required on their side before attribution activates — an unverified account does not trigger your credits.
Self-referral is blocked. The system detects and rejects attempts to refer yourself.
Referral Status Tracking
In the Creator Center, the Overview tab shows your referral statistics:
- Total referrals — everyone who signed up using your link
- Successful referrals — users who completed activity verification (your 300 bonus credited)
- Pending referrals — users who signed up but have not yet completed activity verification
- Pending bonuses — the 300-credit bonuses waiting on activity verification
- Total credits earned — cumulative referral credits across all time
Each individual referral in the history shows its status: pending, bonus_pending, completed, expired, or cancelled. If a referral shows bonus_pending, the 200 instant credits have been paid but the 300 bonus is waiting on the referred user's activity.
Referrals can expire if the referred user does not meet the activity threshold within the deadline window. The history shows the bonus_deadline for each pending referral.
Beyond Credits: Commission Earnings
The referral credit rewards are one-time. The ongoing benefit is commissions.
When someone you referred purchases a subscription or credits, you earn a percentage:
| Purchase type | Base rate |
|---|---|
| First subscription | 20% |
| Recurring subscription | 10% |
| Credit pack purchase | 15% |
Commissions are tracked in the Earnings and Sales tabs of the Creator Center. Your tier level applies a multiplier bonus on top of these base rates — up to +50% at the highest tier. Higher tiers unlock through consistent referral and sales volume.
Payouts are automatic on the 1st of each month once your balance reaches $25.
How to Share Effectively
The referral link works the same regardless of where you share it. The difference is in how well the destination audience converts to active users.
Where it works well:
- A YouTube tutorial about building AI characters — viewers are already interested in the tool and likely to sign up
- A Discord server focused on roleplay, AI companions, or character creation — the audience matches the platform
- A Reddit thread where someone asks for alternatives to Character.AI — you can share your link with context
Where it works less well:
- Generic social media posts with no context — the audience has no reason to click
- Spam — the system has anti-abuse tracking through monthly usage monitoring
The Creator Center tracks which platforms are generating sign-ups versus clicks, so you can see which channels are actually working rather than guessing.
Summary
| Action | Credits |
|---|---|
| Sign up using a referral link | +500 to your account |
| Someone signs up through your link | +200 to you instantly |
| That person completes activity verification | +300 to you as a bonus |
If you are new to MegaNova Studio, entering a referral code at signup is the fastest way to start with more credits. If you already have an account, sharing your link is the easiest way to earn credits without spending anything.
Open MegaNova Studio and find your referral link →
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