Do you have to buy ships with real money?

No. One $45 game package is the only purchase Star Citizen ever requires. Every other ship in the game can be earned by playing, using aUECaUECAlpha UEC — the test-server currency used during Star Citizen alpha. It usually wipes when CIG resets the player database between major patches. — the in-game money.

The expensive ships you see on the RSIRSIRoberts Space Industries — both the in-fiction ship manufacturer and CIG's publishing label. The website you pledge through is rsi.com. store are optional pledgesPledgeWhat backers call buying a ship or game package. Star Citizen is crowdfunded, so you 'pledge' rather than 'purchase.' — a way to support development, not a paywall. Nothing in the game checks how much you spent.

The $45 Citizen Starter Pack is the cheapest game packageGame PackageThe minimum purchase to play Star Citizen permanently. Includes a starter ship, access to all current and future PU content, and 1,000 aUEC. Starter packages begin around $45 USD. Squadron 42 is sold separately. Once you own a package, there is no subscription fee — ever., and it is a complete way to play:

• Full access to the live Star Citizen alpha
• The Aurora Mk IIAuroraThe smallest, cheapest starter ship from RSI. Cramped but capable of light cargo, basic combat, and short hauls. A common first ship for new backers. starter ship with Lifetime InsuranceLTILifetime Insurance — a perk attached to certain ship pledges. It means if you lose the ship in-game, you can re-claim it indefinitely without paying an insurance premium.
• A starting armor set, undersuit, and weapon
• 10,000 starting aUECaUECAlpha UEC — the test-server currency used during Star Citizen alpha. It usually wipes when CIG resets the player database between major patches.

Every other package is a variation on that theme with a different ship. The full package comparison is here, and the buying walkthrough is in how to actually buy the game.

Playing the game pays you aUECaUECAlpha UEC — the test-server currency used during Star Citizen alpha. It usually wipes when CIG resets the player database between major patches.. Missions, cargoCargoBuying goods cheap at one station and selling them high at another. The classic trader loop. Hangar size and SCU capacity are your limits. hauling, miningMiningExtracting valuable rocks from asteroids or planet surfaces with a laser, then refining the ore for profit. Ships: Prospector (solo), MOLE (group), ROC (ground)., salvageSalvageStripping derelict ships for hull material (RMC) and components. Ships like the Vulture and Reclaimer are built for salvage gameplay., and bountyBountyA mission to hunt down and kill a specific NPC criminal for credits. Comes in tiers — VLRT for newbies, ERT for endgame. A reliable income loop. contracts all have real payouts. That money buys ships two ways:

• Rent — rental terminals let you fly a ship for a few in-game days at a fraction of its price. Perfect for testing a career before committing.
• Buy — in-game ship shops sell most flyable ships outright for aUEC. The shops directory lists which city sells what.

There is a head start, too. Creating your account with a referral codeReferral CodeA unique code another backer shares with you. Using one when you create your account gives you 50,000 UEC free, and the referrer earns a small bonus reward. credits you 50,000 UECUECUnited Earth Credits — the in-game currency used for buying ships, weapons, and gear in the live game. UEC carries between play sessions and patches. — no purchase required. That is five times the starting money of most packages, before you fly a single mission. How the bonus works is documented here.

One honest caveat: ships bought with aUEC are alpha progress. A future wipeWipeWhen CIG resets player progress — credits, aUEC, owned items — usually with a major patch. Pledged ships and UEC stay; everything earned in-game resets. can reset them, while anything bought with real money always survives. What survives a wipe is covered here.

The pledge storePledgeWhat backers call buying a ship or game package. Star Citizen is crowdfunded, so you 'pledge' rather than 'purchase.' sells standalone ships for real money, from about $50 to well over $1,000. Three things to understand about those listings:

• They are a crowdfunding mechanic. CIGCIGCloud Imperium Games — the studio building Star Citizen and Squadron 42. Founded by Chris Roberts in 2012. funds development by selling ships to backers who want to support the project.
• They do not include game access. A standalone ship without a game package is a hangar ornament.
• They buy convenience, not power. The same hulls are sold in-game for aUEC — spending real money just skips the earning.

A sensible path for a new player: buy the $45 package, play for a few weeks, and let aUEC pay for everything else. If you later decide to support development with a bigger pledge, do it because you love the game — not because you think you have to.

This site shares my referral code, so here is the other side of the deal, plainly. If you sign up with my code and later spend $40 on the RSI store, I — the referrer — receive one recruitment point toward RSI’s referral rewards.

You never need to do that. Your 50,000 UEC bonus lands at account creation, before any purchase. Nothing on this site requires you to spend a single dollar beyond the game package — and the game itself never requires more than that either. I am a named community member, not an anonymous referral farm, and the code is re-verified monthly with dated receipts.