The best referral programs - Be Clever With Your Cash

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

In this article

1 Are refer-a-friend offers worth it?

1.1 Santander £240 switch offer

2 The best refer-a-friend deals

2.1 Banking refer-a-friend deals

2.2 Food and drink refer-a-friend offers

2.3 Shop refer-a-friend offers

2.4 Cashback site refer-a-friend schemes

2.5 Bills and utilities refer a friend schemes

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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 referrer 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 do 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.

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

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
Zopa Biscuit current account – £20
Starling: £50 for business accounts
Monzo: £10 personal, £50 for business accounts
Paypal: £10
Snoop: £5 Amazon voucher

Food and 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.

Costa: 5 ‘beans’ (you need eight for a free coffee or four with a reusable cup)
Deliverooo: £12 off your first Deliveroo order
Franco Manca: free loyalty stamp and free drink
Ocado: free voucher code
Shopmium: £1 bonus

Shop refer-a-friend offers

Bloom & Wild: £10 off
Emma Bridgewater: 20% off your order
Harvey Nicholls: £30 off your next purchase
World of Books: £5 extra on your first trade over £1
Schuh: 10% off your first order

Cashback site refer-a-friend schemes

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

Airtime: usually £1.50
JamDoughnut: 400 points with our link or code BCWYC, worth £4
Cheddar: £4 bonus cashback with our code CLEVER4
Quidco: usually £10 when you earn £10 cashback
TopCashback: usually £10 when you earn £10 cashback

Bills and 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.