Magazine and newspaper deals

Free magazine subscription with Lloyds bank

You can get a year’s subscription to a number of titles if you open a Club Lloyds current account. I use this to get a year of Empire, though you might be better off with the alternative freebies such as 6 cinema tickets or a year of Disney+ Standard with Ads.

Here’s more information in our review.

Which? Magazine: deal stack (ended)

You can combine up to three different deals to bring down the price of an annual subscription to Which? magazine.

• 50% off via Which? (ends 31 January 2024) – this takes the price to £49.50
• Up to £32.45 cashback from Quidco or TopCashback
• 55% back when you spend £45 or more via American Express

Not everyone will be able to get the Amex offer (you need to check your card offers and add it to the card if it’s showing), but the other two options are there for all.

It means you’ll pay Which? £49.50 for a full access subscription, and then get between £10 and £32.45 back from the cashback site (the rate varies so check both). Remember to apply via the cashback site and close any Which? tabs that are open.

If you have Amex you’ll save an extra £27.23, meaning all in you could make a profit. There’s a chance this last part is dependent on clicking through from the Amex app, but it wasn’t when Andy did this in December 2022, so it should be fine this time too.

Bear in mind you’ll be charged the full £99 after 12 months if you don’t cancel.

And if you’ve not used Quidco or TopCashback there’s a new welcome bonus worth up to £18 you can nab on top.

Free digital magazines from your library

Most libraries have a way to get free access to dozens of titles via your phone or computer. I’ve written here about how you can get a load of digital magazines via your local library.

The Athletic: £1 per month for a year 

The Athletic is offering access to the site for £1 per month for a year.

After the year ends, you’ll be charged £7.99 per month, so make sure you cancel beforehand if you don’t want to pay full price. 

Magzter: One year for £19.95 or less

Magzter is an online digital subscription where you can access more than 8,000 magazines. You can read the magazines on any iOS or Android device via the Magzter app.

This offer on Groupon gives you access for £19.95 rather than £99.99. And if you combine it with a code you might be able to save more.

There are plenty of UK titles such as Total Film, Reader’s Digest, BBC Good Food, Marie Claire and Woman & Home, as well as international faves such as Entertainment Weekly. There’s also randomly Spurs and Everton match programmes!

You can have five separate accounts with the subscription so it’s a good option for a family. 

It does auto-renew after the year so be sure to cancel it before the year is up.

Readly: Two-month free trial

This subscription service costs £7.99 a month. You can currently get a month for free. Or sign up for the free Lidl Plus app and you can access a two-month free trial.