What to Bring to CSL Plasma (First Visit Checklist)

CSL Plasma asks for a valid, current, government-issued photo ID. Examples commonly listed on CSL’s documentation page include:

• Valid driver’s license
• Valid photo ID card issued by a federal, state, or local agency (or other listed entities)
• University student ID with photo
• U.S. military card or draft record
• Valid military dependent ID
• Valid U.S. passport

CSL’s first-time donor blog notes that if you use a passport, you may also need a secondary ID (for example, a birth certificate or Social Security card). Border centers have additional options (including certain foreign-government IDs)—ask that center if you’re donating near a border location.

Bring the physical ID (or whatever format your center accepts). Expired IDs are a common reason people get sent home.

You’ll also need proof of your Social Security / unique identification number. CSL’s documentation page lists examples such as:

• Social Security card
• Voter registration card showing your SSN
• W-2
• Form 1099 from a bank or financial institution
• Bank statement from an interest-bearing account
• Certain government assistance documentation that shows the number

The FAQ often highlights a Social Security card as the straightforward example. If you’re unsure whether a substitute document will work at your center, call ahead.

CSL needs proof of your current address / residency. Commonly accepted examples (digital copies are often OK per CSL’s FAQ and documentation page):

• Valid picture ID that already shows your current address
• Piece of mail postmarked within the past 60 days with your name and address
• Current lease
• Current utility bill (CSL’s documentation table notes dated within the past 60 days for utility bills)
• Current paycheck stub with address

Date-window hedge: CSL’s dedicated documentation page and FAQ emphasize mail postmarked within ~60 days (and list utility bills in a 60-day context). Some CSL blog/prep pages describe address proof dated within the past 90 days. Those windows are not identical across every CSL page—confirm with your local center which date range they will accept the day you visit. Puerto Rico donors may have extra postal-address requirements.

If your photo ID already shows your current address, that can sometimes cover the residency piece—but bring backup mail or a bill if you’ve moved recently.

Bring a written (or phone) list of everything you’re taking, including:

• Prescription medications (with dosages when possible)
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Supplements
• Birth control
• Hormone replacement medications

CSL’s first-time guide treats a current medication list as required for new-donor screening. Staff use it to assess eligibility—don’t leave something off because you’re unsure it “counts.” Questions about a specific drug or condition belong with a Medical Staff Associate at the center, not a random internet list. See also eligibility and common deferrals.

Wear

• Short sleeves, or sleeves you can push above the elbow (staff need arm access)
• Comfortable closed-toe shoes
• Layers—centers can feel cool during donation

Eat and hydrate

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Drink plenty of water / non-caffeinated fluids before you go
• Eat a healthy meal; avoid heavy, greasy, or high-fat foods right before donation
• Avoid alcohol before (and after) donation
• CSL prep guidance also advises against smoking within about an hour before/after, and notes aspirin/ibuprofen within 24 hours can be an issue—confirm current advice with your center

Bring a snack and drink for afterward if you can; CSL recommends rehydrating after donation. Pack a phone, book, or headphones—first visits take longer, and centers typically offer free Wi-Fi.

Before (or shortly after) your first successful donation, set up the CSL Plasma app:

1. Download the CSL Plasma donor app.
2. Create / log into your account.
3. After you receive your donor number at the center, activate iGive Rewards® (CSL states pre-donor accounts must convert once you have a donor number—iGive activation requires it).
4. Know where Referrals lives in the app so you can enter a code on time.

iGive is required for referral qualification. More detail: iGive Rewards overview and the referral program guide.

If you’re a true new donor (no prior CSL Plasma donation history at any center), enter referral code Q6MT7GL0XU in the app’s Referrals / referral dashboard.

Per CSL’s published referral terms (confirm in-app—terms can change):

• Apply the code within 7 days of your first donation, or
• If you apply the code first, complete your first donation within 7 days of applying it
• Complete 2 successful donations within 30 days of the first donation
• Keep iGive Rewards® active

Missing the 7-day window is one of the most common ways a referral fails. Full walkthrough: CSL Plasma referral code Q6MT7GL0XU.

CSL notes that your first donation isn’t fully usable until a second donation is complete (quality/safety process). For referral qualification, that second successful donation also needs to land within 30 days of your first.

Plan ahead:

• FDA rules allow plasma donation no more than once in a two-day period and no more than twice in seven days—so you can usually return after the minimum wait if you feel well and pass screening.
• Set a reminder in the CSL app before you leave the center.
• Keep hydrating and avoid feeling sick on return day so you’re less likely to get deferred mid-window.

Extra cash-back from Emiliano: When CSL’s referral fully qualifies (typically after those 2 donations in 30 days, when the referrer’s ~$100 referral reward posts—amounts vary; check the app), Emiliano sends an additional $50 via Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or Apple Pay. Details live on plasmareferralcode.com and the referral code page.

Always double-check the CSL Plasma app and your local center for current docs, pay, and promo rules.