The best refer-a-friend offers

Make money when you sign up, and make more if you get others to use your link.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Are refer-a-friend offers worth it?

From banks to broadband, there are hundreds of ways you can earn money, credit or vouchers through refer-a-friend links. Most of the time both the referer and the new customer will benefit, often making it a win-win

But you’ve got to be careful if you’re given a link though. They won’t always be the best offer out there so always to some quick research to check you can’t save more via the likes of cashback sites, voucher codes or flash offers.

And I’d also be wary of any mate (or online influencer) saying you should sign up for something if they’re getting a kickback themselves. Shop around to make sure the service or product is the best fit for you. It could be better to go elsewhere even if it means you miss out on a discount.

It’s also worth avoiding most schemes that require a minimum payout before you can claim your freebie – unless you think you’ll use the service anyway.

Saying that, I’ve compiled a list of some referral link offers which are usually decent ways to save on these brands, or just represent free cash! It’s also a page I can add to when these offers appear.

Just be aware that amounts can change, so check the terms and conditions when you click through to ensure you’re getting the deal you expect.

The best refer-a-friend deals

Banking refer-a-friend deals

You might be able to beat some of these so do check.

• American Express: Amount varies by card (more here)
• Freetrade: Free share worth £3 to £200 (more here)
• Monzo: £5 (more here)
• Paypal: £5 (more here)
• Snoop: £5 Amazon voucher (more here)

Food & drink refer-a-friend offers

It’s always worth checking there aren’t better flash offers when signing up to a food or drink site.

• Brewdog: £5 off your first order (more here)
• Costa: 5 “beans” (you need eight for a free coffee or four with a reusable cup) with code BPO1P (more here)
• Deliveroo: £10 off first four orders at £2.50 per order (more here)
• Franco Manca: Free stamp with code 98B357
• Ocado: Free selection of food & drink (more here)
• Pasta Evangelists: £10 off first order (more here)
• Shopmium: Free pack of Dairy Milk Buttons (more here)

Shop refer-a-friend offers

• Bloom & Wild: £10 off (more here)
• Emma Bridgewater: Free 1/2 pint mug with order (more here)
• Harvey Nicholls: 15% off your first order over £350 (more here)
• Music Magpie: Up to £10 bonus with your first sale (more here)
• Ziffit: £5 extra on your first trade (more here)
• Schuh: 10% off your first order (more here)

Cashback site refer-a-friend schemes

You can usually beat these by going via one of the offers I’ve set up, but they’re handy to know about as sometimes they can be increased.

• Airtime Rewards: Usually £1.50 (more here)
• JamDoughnut: 400 points with our link or code BCWYC, worth £4 (more here)
• Cheddar: £4 bonus cashback with our code CLEVER4 (more here)
• Quidco: Usually £10 when you earn £10 cashback (more here)
• TopCashback: Usually £10 when you earn £10 cashback (more here)

Bills & utilities refer a friend schemes

I’ve listed some brands that offer bonuses for referrals, but I’d almost always go via a cashback site here instead as there’s likely to be a much higher payout.

• BT
• GiffGaff
• Lebara
• O2
• Octopus
• Sky
• Three
• Virgin Media
• Vodafone