Starter Guide

Best Beginner Mission to Earn Credits in Star Citizen

You do not need a special ship or advanced setup to start earning. This page gives you one simple first mission plan you can repeat right away.

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Use referral code to start with 50,000.

Use it during signup. No price change — just the starter bonus.

Where to paste it New accounts only

Quick answer

Quick take

Best first money loop: one simple delivery/entry contract you can complete reliably.

If one mission pays and you land safely, that already counts as a good first money run.
Best first money loop: one simple delivery/entry contract you can complete reliably.
The goal is not max profit — it’s repeatability (finish → payout → repeat).
Once you can repeat a loop, scaling becomes easy (better ship/tools later).

Pick a simple contract — Choose something you can finish in one trip without combat.
Fly one clean run — Take off → objective → return → payout.
Repeat once — Two successful runs teach more than one risky “big” run.
Scale only after consistency — Once you can repeat it comfortably, move to the make-money-fast guide for faster options.

Mistake	What happens	Fix (exact)
Chasing the highest payout immediately	You fail more often and earn less.	Pick reliability first.
Buying lots of gear early	You lose money to deaths and rebuys.	Run light; buy only what you need.
Switching activity every 10 minutes	You never build a repeatable loop.	Commit to one loop for one session.

Is delivery really good money?

It’s good starter money because it’s reliable and teaches core flow.

What if I want combat money?

Start with easier bounties after you have finished one clean loop.

Do I need a big ship to earn credits?

No. Consistency matters more than cargo size early.

How do I scale faster?

Once you can repeat a loop, use the make-money-fast page to choose the next best path.

Where does the referral bonus help?

It’s a small starting boost if you enter it during signup — useful but not required.