How to avoid overpaying for Netflix, Disney and more.
One of the things I love about the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and NOW TV is they are each far cheaper than getting premium channels from Sky or Virgin.
The problem is it’s so easy to sign up for these monthly streaming services. And with yet more new streaming sites launched (hello Paramount+), the more you have, the less of a bargain they actually are.
And with inflation hitting all our other costs too, it makes sense to find as many ways as possible to reduce what you pay.
So if you want to take advantage of these sites but also make a saving, here are the rules I follow to make sure I get the best value from the money I spend on streaming film and TV.
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Binge, cancel and swap
There’s no way you can get the most of every service at the same time. At a push you might be able to justify two, but I think you’ll get the best value from one at a time.
Fortunately, all these services have 30-day or month-long contracts, meaning you can dip in and out whenever you want and only pay for the months you are signed up for.
Focus on the shows you want to watch on that platform, and when you’ve had enough you cancel your monthly payment and move to the next one. And so on.
This obviously requires you to cancel one when you’re done with it, and restart another. But this is very simple with each service, and can be done with a few clicks. You’ll probably want to put a note in your diary to remind yourself to do it.
Streaming Service prices compared
There are so many options, I’ve focussed this table on the main services, then some of the next tier options.
Monthly Cost
Annual Pass
Amazon Prime Video
£5.99 (£7.99 if full Prime)
£79
Apple TV+
£4.99
£49.99
BT Sport
£25
N/A
Discovery+ (Entertainment/Entertainment + Sport)
£3.99 / £6.99
£39.99 / £59.99
Disney+
£7.99
£79.90
Netflix (Basic/Standard/Premium)
£6.99/£10.99/£15.99
N/A
NOW Cinema
£9.99
N/A
NOW Entertainment
£9.99
N/A
NOW Sky Sports
£33.99
N/A
Paramount +
£6.99
£69.90
Arrow
£4.99
£49.99
BFI Player
£4.99
£49.99
Britbox (merging with ITVX in late 2022)
£5.99
£59.99
Mubi
£9.99
£71.88
Shudder
£4.99
£47.88
Starzplay
£5.99
N/A
So how much could you save having just one at a time? Let’s assume you can watch everything you need to in two months a year per main service. So that would be:
two months of Netflix Standard @ £10.99 a month
two months of NOW TV Entertainment @ £9.99 a month
two months of Amazon Prime Video @ £5.99 a month
two months of Disney+ @ £7.99 a month
two months of Apple TV+ @ £4.99 a month
two months of Paramount+ @ £6.99 a month
Paying full price each month would mean you pay £93.88 a year. That’s less than a year of Netflix on its own and you’ve got so much more choice. And if you nab deals, you’ll pay even less.
Avoid annual passes
This is an obvious extension of my first rule, but unless you know 100% that you are going to be watching one service at least 10 months of the year (most annual passes are 12 months for the price of 10), there’s no real saving in buying a discounted annual pass.
Of course, you might feel differently (especially if you’ve kids who are always on Disney+). So if you will watch it consistently then go for it, buy bear mind the cost when adding on extra ad-hoc subscriptions.
Watch out for extras
It’s tempting to upgrade Netflix to 4K quality, but I’d caution against it. Though it can make a difference, I’d argue it’s not worth an extra £5 a month over the HD Standard Netflix.
Likewise, the extra £2 a month to move from Prime Video to full Amazon Prime seems to make sense, but if you do this you will spend more money at Amazon – something I and many others are trying to avoid.
However, when it comes to NOW TV, the £5 Boost option is essential for basic HD and to avoid adverts (though I’ll always use the cancellation trick to hopefully bring this down to £1 or £2 a month).
Look for deals and freebies
Ok, an obvious one, but if you can pay less for a pass, then it’s a great way to save. Special offers are rare (though not impossible) to find on Netflix, but the other services all have promos and discounts, even freebies.
At the time of writing I’m on three months free Disney+, six months free NOW Entertainment, £2 NOW Boost for six months, one year free Prime Video, £1 NOW cinema for a month and I’ve got eight months of free Apple TV+ to activate before late August. That’s too much to watch, but it’s not costing me anything at all really.
These offers come and go, so check out my deal pages for the latest offers when I spot them.
Though not all services offer free trials, a handful do, so make sure you use these. Plus, though you’re only allowed one free trial per person, that doesn’t mean your partner, housemates or (older) kids can’t sign up.
You might even be able to repeat a trial. Amazon let you take a free trial every 12 months, sometimes sooner. If there are two of you in the house, that’s two months free a year – which should be enough to binge most of the content you want to watch.
These are the standard offers. For the links and details, check my deals pages. I’ll also share short-term extended free trials (eg with Apple and Mubi).
You probably do this already! But it’s possible to share your account details with all the main services.
It’s likely we’ll see Netflix clamp down on this (they’ve trialled a few different methods), and once they do, others will follow. So make the most of it while you can!
Be careful not to become the one who pays for all the services. Either get those using your service to contribute their fair share, or get them to pay for a different service and share that with you.
There can be limits on how many times you can do this and how many people can watch at once. And of course, just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. I’ve got more details in my article should you share streaming passwords and accounts.
Plan what to watch (and be picky)
With so much available, it’s easy to watch something just because it’s there. Yet so much of what’s available is trash. Really. Take a look behind the main titles and there are movies you won’t even believe were made. So I’m selective(ish). If there’s nothing I NEED to see, I’ll cancel.
And if there’s good word of mouth on programmes while I’m not subscribed, I’ll just add them to my list ready to binge when I next sign up. I’ll also time signing up for when all the episodes are available.
The only flaw in this plan is for shows on NOW as they come and go frequently, so if you miss it the first time around you might have to wait a long time for it to return.
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Check where you can watch it
There are some shows and movies that are exclusive to one platform or another, but many others will move about, or even be found on more than one service.
For example at the time of writing, Icon Films is pushing cult Ryan Gosling movie Drive on it’s front page, but that’s also on Prime Video. Or the US remake of comedy series The Office is on NOW, Netflix and Prime Video!
So before you sign up to watch that specific thing, check if you can watch it for less on another service. I use JustWatch for this.
Watch free catch up
And don’t forget, as long as you pay the licence fee, you’ll still have access to iPlayer along with All 4, ITV Hub and other free streaming services if you are stuck for things to watch.
There’s always a new drama or comedy to watch on the BBC (homemade and imported) along with some decent boxsets. There are new and recent programmes on Channel 4’s All4 along with a great back catalogue (The IT Crowd, Father Ted, Shameless). It’s well worth taking a break from the paid services every now and then to catch up on this classic TV.
If you hate adverts (I really do) you can pay extra to watch C4 and ITV catch up ad-free.
Will you get in trouble for using someone else’s Netflix account?
The shift to digital entertainment in the last few years has been huge. Six in ten adults now watch on-demand services such as iPlayer and Netflix according to Ofcom.
The problem is, all these subscriptions can be pricey, especially when you factor in media services you’re already paying for like the TV Licence or your Sky TV package.
So, many of us do something a little cheeky to lower the costs. We share our accounts with friends and family. If you don’t do it yourself, chances are you know someone who does.
But should you be sharing your passwords – and is it safe? Plus, with Netflix set to crack down on this workaround in 2023, will you even be able to?
I’ve delved into the terms and conditions to find out what they say about letting others use your digital accounts and looked at just who you can share with.
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Is sharing your accounts allowed?
For most, the answer is yes, but within the family or household.
In fact, all the main digital streaming services allow multiple users and watching or listening on multiple devices – though you often have to pay extra to make this work practically. If there are a few of you in your home with varying tastes, it may well be worth shelling out so you can watch or listen to what you want in peace.
Sharing your account with people further than your front door is a different matter. The Intellectual Property Office says it’s illegal – though it’s unlikely anyone would be prosecuted for doing this with a handful of mates.
Many explicitly say you should not give your account details to anyone outside your household, though there’s very little in the Ts&Cs for each of the services that breaks down what would happen to you if they found out. What is clear is that the main account holder is responsible for any use or misuse of the service.
But even the ability to share could be soon be changing. In some countries, Netflix has already introduced a charge for those who want to give access to their subscription to others and is set to crack down on password sharing in the UK by June 2023.
Is sharing your account a good idea?
Of course, we all do it. But I bet most people don’t consider what this actually means for our viewing and out budgets.
It could put your data at risk
I’d urge you to think twice before handing out your sign-in details. If you give your username, often your email address, and password to a friend or family member – no matter how much you trust them – it’s out of your control.
It’s unlikely they’ll be able to see your card details as these are generally encrypted, but they could make additional purchases or change your subscription package. They may also share your log in details with further friends and family, making it near impossible to track who has done what.
The risk could even go beyond the account you share. Though we all know it’s best practice to have different passwords for all our digital accounts, the likelihood is there will at the very best be some similarity to others you use. At worst, it’s the same for everything. This opens up the risk of fraud, theft, and locking you out of your own accounts.
Even if the horse has already bolted from this open gate, you can change your passwords on the accounts you’ve shared, locking out anyone outside your household – though bear in mind you may also have to change details for all those other accounts too.
It might not save you money
Yes, if you are using someone else’s account you’re saving cash. But what if you’re the one who is paying and letting others have access? Plus, sharing could tempt you to have more subscriptions that you actually need. (I think it’s impossible to get the most out of more than one or two services each month).
You need to make sure that if people are splitting the payment with you that they actually pay. Or more practically you could each pay for one service so it cancels out.
But the wider the details are shared the harder it’ll be to know who is using what and who is contributing.
It might prevent you from watching when you want
This is one of the biggest downsides to sharing your password. Even if you are fine with letting others have access to your account, it’s not necessarily as simple as everyone watching what they want and when.
The services all have limits on the number of simultaneous streams and many also have limits on devices you can use.
For example, say only two can only watch at the same time. Add in a third person and you’ll get that dreaded error screen. Cue frantic messaging to find out who is watching and if they can stop.
Or if you want to be able to watch on your main TV, your bedroom TV and two phones in the house it could mean anyone you share with is limited to just one or two devices.
These aren’t necessarily a problem if you’re not paying. But if you are contributing part of the fee or paying for a different shared service you’d rightly be pissed off if you can’t watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it.
Sharing your streaming password – service by service
So what are you allowed to do? With the above points in mind, here’s what you can share – and possibly shouldn’t do – subscription by subscription.
Sharing Netflix
Netflix has previously been pro-sharing your account, but only within your household and Ts&Cs require that users “should not reveal the password… to anyone”. Until recently it hadn’t done anything to stop people, but
Until then, how many people can watch at the same time depends on how much you pay. The basic £6.99 a month subscription is limited to one screen, but for £10.99 (and HD) two people can watch different programmes on different devices simultaneously, while that goes up to four people (and 4K) for £15.99 a month. Anyone you share with uses the same log in as you.
You’re limited to three simultaneous streams on Amazon Prime Video, and you can only watch the same title on two devices at the same time. You can create up to six different profiles for people on the account.
Strictly speaking though this is still limited to the account holder. The official way to share Amazon Prime is to set-up Amazon Household where a maximum of two adult accounts are connected.
The big problem with both the official and unofficial sharing methods is that you are sharing your full Amazon account. That means anyone you share with could shop at your expense.
Personally, I’d only share Amazon with people you really trust, like your immediate family members.
NOW TV will allow only one user to watch programmes at the same time, though there’s no limit to the number of devices you can use each month.
You can boost to three simultaneous streams via the Boost package which costs £6 extra a month (you also get full HD and no adverts). I’ve always been able to get this knocked down to £2 a month, though that’s you’ll probably need to pay £6 in the first month to get these discounts.
Responsibility for the account sits with the account holder, so if your friend adds a month of Sky Sports for £34.99 you’ll have to get them to pay you rather than complain to NOW TV.
The log in can also be used to access your Sky account (you’ll have one if you have NOW TV, even if you weren’t aware), where further purchases can be made.
You can stream on four devices at once and have seven separate profiles, making it very easy to share with others. You can also download to 10 different devices.
In fact, in the subscriber agreement (1.b) it says that if you share your account details with others they are subject to the same terms and conditions. Which is another way of saying it’s ok to share.
Apple TV+ allows six simultaneous streams, though there’s no facility to create individual profiles. Plus this uses your Apple ID and password – not a good one to share seeing as it can be used for purchases and access to other Apple devices.
You can though add five other accounts to your apple “Family Sharing” which will give access to a number of Apple features.
By default this includes iCloud storage and purchases on the app store (and more). You can stop these extras being shared, but you can only toggle these on and off for everyone you share with.
If you have Sky TV, you’ve also got access to Sky Go which allows you to stream your channels on up to six devices. But it’s only one stream at a time for customers since March 2019. Older customers can watch two at once.
If you want to download programmes iPlayer style and stream on two devices at once you can upgrade to Sky Go Extra (via Sky Multiscreen or Sky Glass/Stream), which also allows you to watch on up to four devices.
You can create additional users for your household, so you would be able to limit the access to your account by providing a Secondary Sky ID.
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Sharing Virgin TV Go
Virgin’s TV Go is available on your computer, tablet or phone. You need to register which ones will use it, and there’s a limit of four, though you can change three every month. There’s a max of two simultaneous streams, though it’s limited to one if it’s for a Sky channel.
Unlike the others, Virgin are very clear in their terms you must not let anyone else use your log in, and that they may “restrict or remove your access to the Service” if they believe someone else is using your sign-in details.
You can watch BT Sport – and any other channels you receive as part of BT TV – on two devices at the same time.
However, BT are firm the service is for members of your household and require the account holder to “do everything you can to keep your BT ID username and password secure and confidential and prevent anyone else from using them”.
Should you use sharing services?
I’ve seen a handful of streaming sharing services pop up in the last year or two. With these you pay a third party every month for access to a service. They’ll provide you with a log-in, but they’ll also give the same details to someone else.
In theory this protects your payment card and other details as they won’t be on the shared account – but they will still be held by the facilitating website.
Personally I’d stay clear. These are very new so it’s impossible to vouch for any of these providers (hence why I’m not listing them). In fact one that was brought to my attention had its website suspended!
If you want to share you will most likely know someone who wants to split costs, and I think that’s a better option – as long as you follow the rules I’ve set out above.
Of course this could change, so I’ll keep an eye on these services and write more if so.
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If you no longer want to share with someone, or are worried that someone you haven’t authorised to use your account is doing so, then there are ways to get control back.
Netflix and NOW will let you see which devices are using your account, and Amazon will let you deregister any you don’t want to use your account. Netflix and Amazon can even reveal what is being watched on each profile, helping you spot unauthorised use. Meanwhile Disney+ lets you require a password to set up new profiles
Some, including Netflix and Disney, will let you sign out of all devices, meaning people will need the password to rejoin – and you can easily change this in settings.
Spending less on TV & movie streaming services
Sharing accounts isn’t the only way to pay less for your subscription. You can take out free trials, buy cheap passes and mix and match the ones you use to save some money. Here’s my deals page with the latest offers.
Balance transfer credit cards can be a useful way to help clear debts. But there are dangers with using one if you don’t follow the rules.
This Be Clever Basics guide is going to explain how 0% balance transfer cards work so you can find out if one is right for you.
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Keep reading or watch this video
What is a 0% balance transfer credit card?
Got credit card debts? Chances are you’re paying close to 20% in interest on the money you’ve borrowed, if not more. This adds up quickly, making your spending more expensive. And if you’re spending on credit cards in the first place it’s probably because you can’t afford what you’re buying – so extra charges aren’t welcome!
But if you get a 0% balance transfer card, you can move the debt from other credit cards to it, and crucially not have to pay interest for an agreed time. At the moment this can be as long as 30 months – that’s two and a half years.
The idea is that you use this time to clear the debt without adding to it, saving you money in the long run. If you’ve other debts, it might also give you a little breather while you clear those.
How much money you could save
Obviously it depends on how much you owe right now, the interest you’re being charged, and the card you get.
But let’s take a few examples. These are with set repayments each month. If the interst rate is higher or if you’re just paying the minimum your savings would be much larger!
Debt = £2,500
If you have £2,500 at 18.9%, and you’re paying a fixed £100 back each month, it’d take you 32 months to clear the debt and cost you £631 in interest.
But switch the debt to a 0% card with at least 26 months and continue paying £100 a month you’d pay zero interest!
Yes, you need to factor in the transfer fee – if it was 3% it’d be £75 – but you’d still be £556 better off!
Debt = £1,000
If you owe less, say one grand at a similar interest rate but a £50 set repayment each month, you’d take two years to clear the debt and pay £190 in interest.
But putting it on a 0% card for at least 21 months would reduce that interest payment to nothing. You’d just need to cover a transfer fee, which assuming 3% would be £30. That’s a total saving of £160.
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What to watch out for with 0% balance transfer cards
The 0% time will end
Once the 0% offer period ends, the interest rate goes up to a normal – if not higher than normal – one. So the idea is to use that 0% time to clear the debt.
There’s often a fee
As mentioned, you will usually have to pay a fee on the total balance you move over. So a 3% fee on a £3,000 balance transfer would be £90.
Though there are cards with shorter 0% lengths which don’t charge and these can be better options if you are confident you need less time to clear the debt.
You usually have to make the transfer early
Once you’ve got the new card, most transfers need to be made within the first two or three months in order to get the 0% rate. Leave it too late and you’ll get a much higher rate, defeating the purpose of the switch.
You still need to make a monthly payment
If you don’t make the minimum repayment each month, the special 0% deal could be ended early, meaning you’ll start paying high rates of interest again. Set up a Direct Debit to make sure you don’t forget.
You might not get the advertised deal
Credit card companies want to make money from you, but they also want to be sure they won’t lose money on you. If you do get accepted, you might not get the full deal. You could be offered a shorter 0% deal, the rate of interest after the 0% could be higher.
Applying can be bad for your credit score
And of course there’s the risk you could also be rejected outright. If you do get rejected it’s not just bad for your debt, it’s bad for your credit rating too.
To help the card company make that decision, they’ll run a credit check. To get an idea of whether you’ll be accepted, try a soft check on a comparison site. It’ll look at your credit report but not leave a trace.
You might not be able to transfer your entire credit card debt
Let’s say you’re successful and get the 0% balance transfer card. Great. But there’s no guarantee that the credit limit (i.e. the amount you can have on the card) will be the same or more than your current debt.
Additional spending will not be 0%
Unless you have a card which specifically has a 0% purchase offer in addition to the 0% balance transfer you will get charged interest on any additional spending.
They aren’t the answer if you don’t think you can clear the debt over time
If your only debt is the card debt, balance transfer cards are a big help. But if your wider finances are in a bad shape and you don’t think even a year or more on a 0% card will help you clear your debts, then you’re just delaying a bigger problem. Really you need to get some free debt advice. Read more about what you can do if your debts are getting too big
How to make a 0% balance transfer card work for you
Plan for how to pay off the debt
Say you’ve got a £1,000 debt and you transfer it to a 25 month 0% deal, you should try to evenly pay it off each month. That would be £40 every month.
Or even better, pay as much as you can afford each month to clear it sooner. Even though you’re not paying interest on the debt during the 0% period, you don’t know if something could happen later that stops you from paying your planned amount.
Decide if a longer deal or lower fee is better
Don’t go for a long balance transfer deal if you don’t need it. Instead you might be better off picking one with a low fee – or even one that is fee-free.
Of course the lower the fee, the shorter the deal, so the best bet for you really depends on your circumstances. If you need a long time to pay off the debt, a longer deal could suit you, even if the transfer fee is higher.
Shop around
I’m often getting junk mail through the post from my existing banks offering a balance transfer deal. These might be decent, but don’t just jump at the first one you see. Shop around and see what the best offer is out there.
Try not to keep moving the debt
Some people transfer the debt to a new 0% card each time the deal ends. And again. And again.
It’s potentially risky as you might get rejected for a new card. Plus since you generally have to pay a fee each time you transfer, it could cost too.
If you think you won’t be able to clear the debt, consider a longer 0% period for the card.
Don’t spend on your balance transfer card
New spending doesn’t just add to the previously transferred balance. It’s a new debt so interest won’t be 0%. So to avoid this look for a better spending card. If it has to be a credit card, then you can get a 0% purchase credit card which does the same thing but for new spending, or an all-rounder which has 0% on transfers and purchases.
If you do spend on a balance transfer card, try to clear that full amount at the next billing date. The most expensive debt is cleared first, so any monthly payments you make will go to clearing this new spend first. But if you don’t pay off enough to cover the new spending, you’ll get charged interest on it.
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With 10 million customers and counting, Monzo’s popularity has swept across the UK as customers flock to get their hands on its hot-coral card. The digital bank led the way with a variety of features to help customers manage their money from the comfort of their phones.
From spending insights and overdrafts to opening a savings pot, you can handle most aspects of your finances from the Monzo app. This review focuses on Monzo’s standard free-to-use current account rather than the paid-for options.
Find out how Monzo works and whether it’s worth getting an account.
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What is Monzo?
Monzo is a digital bank that is operated entirely through its smartphone app. It started its days back in 2016 as a prepaid card, but Monzo is now a fully-fledged bank with millions of customers across the UK.
Monzo has upgraded its features over time, and now offers several types of current account and other services like borrowing, savings and even investing products to help you manage your money. We’ll be putting our focus solely into its free standard current account for this review, though we also have reviews of its Extra, Perks and Max accounts.
Types of Monzo account
Monzo’s expanded its offering over time, so it currently offers seven different types of accounts, with another on the way soon.
One of the reasons Monzo is as popular as it is is the app. This is where you manage your Monzo account as there aren’t any branches.
Design and customisation
The design of the Monzo app has been through a few iterations over the years, with the latest one a major update to the home screen design.
A big part of this is customisation, so you can choose what you see and where. Straight away it makes it a lot easier to see your main Monzo account, and access key features such as your card and get statements.
Above this you’ll see selected insights into your spending, while Pots can also be reordered and customised, giving you the choice between the “classic look” (with pictures) or a list.
You still have the Trends, Payments and Help tabs at the bottom of the screen to quickly jump between these sections. You’ll find more settings by hitting your initials (or a photo if you’ve set this up) in the top left corner.
Categorisation and notifications
When you make a payment, you receive a notification about the transaction, along with how much you’ve spent that day. The transaction is also automatically assigned to a category. With the standard account, you’re limited to a set number of categories, but they pretty much have all the ones you’d want, including groceries, shopping and bills.
It’s easy to change the category of a transaction, and when you do, it offers to change similar past and future transactions in one go, so you don’t have to manually change several transactions in a row.
You can also add tags and additional notes to your transactions to help sort your payments – this is particularly helpful in the joint account to better communicate a transaction.
Budgeting features
One of the big benefits of Monzo is that it helps you budget effectively. Although, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty then you might be better off with a third-party budgeting app.
Monzo offers “Monzo Trends”, which gives you an overview of your finances in the app, both on the home screen and in a separate tab.
Here, you can see your individual and combined balances across your different Monzo accounts and any Pots you’ve set up and track your spending and see how much you’ve paid for different categories of expenses.
For example, it’ll show how much you’ve spent on things like transport, entertainment or groceries to name a few. It also lets you compare your spending insights month on month to highlight any changes.
You can set targets for your spending each month — this can be broken down into specific categories as well. This will then show you how much you have left to spend of your overall budget (and for each category if you’ve set specific targets for those).
In addition, you can create up to 20 Monzo Pots. These can be used for different expenses, such as bills, food, and nights out. This is very similar to the “jam jar” or envelope budgeting method.
You’re also able to see a list of all of your regular outgoings each month including bills and subscriptions.
More on Monzo Pots
Monzo Pots can be customised with pictures and bespoke titles.
These do not have their own sort codes and account numbers so you’ll mostly need to manually transfer cash into them, however, you can set Direct Debits to come out of specific pots – handy for allocating cash each month for things like bills. If there’s not enough in a pot, Monzo will pull cash from your main account — so you don’t have to worry about a transaction declining if you’re a little disorganised.
Monzo’s auto-savings feature allows you to round up your payments on the card to the nearest pound and it puts the extra money into a pot for you. This can build up to a nice chunk of change over time!
You can connect to a service called IFTTT (If This, Then That) to trigger auto savings. This can be anything from the 1p savings challenge through to moving money when an event happens such as rain. It’s a unique feature which might make it easier to add to your savings without any effort.
Integrations
The Monzo app is secured with biometrics or a passcode. You can also be emailed a “magic link” to log in.
You can use Monzo with a great deal of apps that let you connect your account via Open Banking, including Cheddar, Emma, Plum and Airtime Rewards.
In addition, you can use IFTTT, which we touched on earlier. This can be used for auto-savings, but there are actually a fair few different things possible with this, from ridiculous (saving money whenever you Tweet) to sensible (putting your transactions into a spreadsheet or taxing yourself when you get a takeaway).
These are, realistically, a bit of fun, but they could help you save money in alternate ways, like doing more steps – yep, you can connect it to Fitbit. You can even connect it to your Octopus Energy account and put away money when you save on energy.
You can pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as using a smart watch like a Fitbit or Samsung Watch.
You can decide if you want a lower cap for contactless spending, set by default at £100 for single taps and £200 cumulative before you need to enter the PIN. You can also block transactions to gambling websites and services through the app.
Monzo allows you to check your PIN and debit card details, including the CVC, in the app. You can also copy these to paste elsewhere, though I find this doesn’t always work.
If you think you’ve lost your card, you can freeze it in the app to stop payments from going through until you find it.
Virtual cards are limited to the Premium account holders. If you think you’d like an account that offers virtual cards, Starling might be a good option.
Sending and receiving money in the Monzo app
If you need to send or receive money, you have a few different options.
Firstly, you can easily share your account number and sort code via messenger, email and other apps. It preps a message for you with all the details, so you don’t have to go back and forth.
If you’re requesting money from people, you can send them a QR code or create a unique Monzo.me link in the app for people to pay you back. You can choose the amount you’re asking for, too. You can use this to pay people, too.
How to find your Monzo.me link
It’s a little tricky to remember where this is in the app if you don’t use it regularly. Go to the Payments tab at the bottom of the app, then click the QR code icon at the top of the screen. You’ll then find a “Share link instead” button on this page. You can also access it from the “Request money” selection.
If you have friends on Monzo, you can split bills and payments in the app by selecting “Split bill” from the transaction. You can find people with Monzo accounts nearby if you’ve got Bluetooth turned on, too. Great when you’ve just had dinner with your friends and don’t want to faff with entering bank details.
If you’re regularly splitting bills with the same people, such as your partner, you can also set up a shared tab. This is similar to what Kroo offers, as it lets multiple people assign transactions and choose how to split the payments, and then it works out who owes who what when you choose to settle up.
What happens to my Monzo account if I lose my phone?
If your phone is lost or stolen, you can freeze your account to prevent any payments or transactions from being made. You’ll just need to log into Monzo’s emergency webpageto activate the freeze. It’s a really basic version of Monzo that only allows you to see your accounts, check your balance, view recent payments from the last 90 days and freeze or unfreeze your card.
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As a current account, Monzo is pretty decent. It’s a good choice for using abroad, although other accounts definitely trump it, certainly for longer holidays.
Account basics
You get Monzo’s classic hot coral card with the account, although there have been promotions that can get you another colour when you refer friends. The card is sent out for free and you can get a replacement for free if you lose it.
In addition, you can start using the card before it even arrives by setting it up with Google Pay and Apple Pay.
You’re also able to set up or amend standing orders or direct debits directly from the app.
To pay in cash, you need to deposit it at a PayPoint. Monzo charges a £1 fee for making the deposit. You can deposit £5 to £300 at one time, and can pay in a maximum of £1,000 every 180 days. It appears in your account within ten minutes.
You can pay in cheques with your Monzo app, too. These previously had to be posted, but you can now pay in a cheque up to the value of £500 using your phone’s camera.
There’s a £10,000 daily transfer limit to UK bank accounts. This is lower than most banks typically offer, with Chase offering £25,000 and Revolut letting you transfer £50,000 per day. Starling is higher than this, at £1m.
Unlike most other banks, there’s a limit to the amount of cash you can withdraw — you can take out up to £400 every 30 days in the UK (after that a 3% fee applies). However, if you’re using Monzo as your main bank there are no limits at home or in the EU.
How to make Monzo your main bank
If you want to lift some of the limits with the free Monzo account you need to do one of the following:
Pay in £500 and have one active direct debit in a rolling 35 day period
Have a student loan payment made into your account in the last rolling 8 month period
Received a DWP payment in the last rolling 35 day period
Have a joint account with someone who’s met one of the above conditions
You can switch your bank account to Monzo using the Current Account Switching Service (CASS). This is likely to satisfy at least one of these points by default.
Can I use Monzo abroad?
Monzo is a fairly decent account to use abroad. You can spend fee-free all around the world, and if you have it as a “main account”, then there’s no cap on cash withdrawals in Europe either.
However, if not, then you can only withdraw up to £400 for free per month in EEA countries. All users are capped at £200 of withdrawals in non-EEA countries. If you go over these limits a 3% fee applies.
This isn’t the best account on the market — Chase offers fee-free spending and withdrawals and 1% cashback on your spending. Check out our roundup of the best debit and credit cards to use abroad for more.
Monzo account fees
Although Monzo’s standard account is free to use, the following fees may kick in for certain payments or services:
Cash withdrawals in the UK: Monzo charges 3% on cash withdrawals over £400 in a 30-day period in the UK.
Cash withdrawals abroad: A 3% charge applies to withdrawals over £400 in EEA countries and £200 in countries outside of the EEA.
Cash deposits: You’ll have to pay £1 per cash deposit into your Monzo account
Card replacements: Monzo charges £5 for card replacements unless you meet the criteria for 2 free cards per year, your card expires, is stolen or you’re the victim of fraud.
You get free card replacements if you use Monzo as “more of a bank”. Monzo doesn’t exactly explain how they decide this, but it’s likely to be regular money in and out of the account. You’ll get two replacements per year per account.
Monzo overdraft
Monzo offers an overdraft on its account. Depending on your credit score, this could be 19%, 29% or 39% to use it. These rates are lower than most other banks, but it’s still an expensive way to borrow and there are better options.
You can borrow up to £2,000, though Monzo chooses this based on your credit score and current borrowing.
Monzo keeps a tally of how much your overdraft will cost you each month based on the amount you have overdrawn and for how long. This stays at the top of your account, so you can keep tabs on the cost.
Other things you can do with the Monzo current account
Monzo has a few additional features, including a salary sorter, loans, credit cards and a teen account. Here are the details.
Salary sorter
This feature splits your salary across different pots, such as money for spending, bills and savings. It works for any sums over £100 coming into your account with one of the below payment types. You can choose your sorting settings within 72 hours of money entering the account.
Eligible payment types include:
Bank Transfers
BACS
Cash Deposits
CHAPS
Cheques
Peer to peer
Get paid early
If your salary is paid into Monzo, you can be paid the money at 4pm the day before. This is for BACS payments up to £20,000. This is simply Monzo clocking that money is due to enter your account and passing it over a day early. It isn’t considered to be borrowing, so it won’t impact your credit score.
16-17 account
Younger students aged 16-17 can apply for a Monzo account as well. The Monzo 16-17 account works in the same way as the standard one, except there are spending blocks built into the account for age-restricted things like gambling.
Mortgage tracker
You can connect your mortgage to the Monzo app and track your payment progress, explore overpayments and get more insights. Though, how useful this will be is questionable.
Loans and credit cards
Monzo offers loans of up to £25,000 for eligible account holders. It also offers Monzo Flex, which is basically a credit card with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). You can split the cost of your purchases into instalments over three, six or twelve months with this.
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Monzo rewards
Monzo’s not offered much in the rewards space during its time, but it’s slowly improving this.
Savings rates with Monzo
To save money with Monzo, you can make use of the Pots feature to separate money from your main account. However, to earn interest on this money you’ll need to open a specific savings pot. This pays 2.75% at the moment and can be beaten by other savings accounts.
Monzo switch and referral offers
Monzo doesn’t offer any switching deals currently, though you can still switch as you would to any other bank using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
We have a round-up of the best bank switching dealswhich will tell you which providers are offering top-paying welcome bonuses, cashback and rewards if you switch to them.
You can get £5 for you and a friend if you refer a friend.
Cashback with Monzo
Monzo launched cashback in late 2023.
You can’t earn cashback on all of your spending, as Chase offers. Instead, Monzo has a list of participating retailers, where you can earn cashback on your spending. These change fairly often, with Monzo notifying you each week of your cashback offers. At the time of writing, I can get 3% cashback at Sainsbury’s, 5% from Just Eat and 10% from Krispy Kreme.
These need to be loaded before you can use them, and cashback will go into a separate pot, so you can keep track of what you’ve earned. We’ve written a full guide on how it works.
You can apply for a Monzo account for free, here’s how:
Download the app: Search “Monzo’” in the App Store or Google Play, then hit download. It’s worth seeing if any friends already use Monzo as you might be able to get a £5 referral link to use when joining.
Personal details: You’ll fill in the first section of the application with personal details such as your name, home address, employment status and phone number.
ID checks: Monzo will then verify your ID by asking you to snap a picture of your ID. You can use your passport, driving licence, national ID card or biometric residency permit. Then record a selfie video.
Choose your account: Once your ID is confirmed you can choose your Monzo account and card.
Activate your card: You’ll need to activate your card in the Monzo app to start using it. (It usually takes a couple of days for it to arrive at your home address).
Monzo is one of the few UK current accounts that doesn’t perform a hard search on your credit report when you apply – as long as you don’t apply for any borrowing such as an overdraft or Monzo Flex.
This means it can be a good “dummy” current account for bank switching. Though be aware that if you switch away you’ll have to wait at least 30-days to open another – and there’s no guarantee they’ll offer you one.
Is Monzo safe?
Monzo is a fully-fledged bank and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). That means that it’s legally required to treat customers fairly and protect their funds.
Up to £85,000 of the money held in your Monzo is protected by something called the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
This basically means that if Monzo goes bust, you’ll be able to get up to £85,000 money back.
However, if you add money to some linked savings accounts (though not all), they may held with other banks. It’ll be clear who this is (if it’s not Monzo) when you open that savings pot.
What is the FSCS scheme?
FSCS protects up to £85,000 of your money held in banks regulated by the FCA. It’s important to note that the protection applies to a banking licence and multiple banks can be held under each one licence.
So, let’s say you have three current accounts with different banks under the same licence – e.g. Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, that means the £85,000 coverage would be split across all three, rather than applying to each account. Here’s more.
Will Monzo close my account?
There are often reports of Monzo closing or freezing bank accounts – there’s even a Facebook group devoted to impacted customers. And they’re not the only bank to come under fire for this, NatWest, Barclays, Monese and Revolut have also hit headlines for bank account closures too.
Ultimately, as with all banks, Monzo has the power to freeze, block or close your account to protect other customers.
Some of the reasons why they might close your account include:
Unusual activity: If they suspect your account is being used for criminal activity it may be blocked or closed. (This includes if their fraud systems pick up that someone else might have access to your account to protect your money from being stolen.)
Risky customers: Any account holders that are flagged as a risk to Monzo or other customers may have their accounts closed.
Police instruction: Monzo will close your account if they’re asked to by the police as part of a financial crime investigation.
We don’t think it should be something to worry about over other banks. Monzo argues they might appear to close more accounts, but that’s because their technology means they’re better equipped to spot dodgy behaviour.
However, they won’t always get this right. So if you are affected, then contact the Financial Ombudsman.
Positive reviews of Monzo’s standard current account highlighted the ease of use, app features and savings pots.
Negative reviews of Monzo’s standard current account had issues contacting customer service and getting their queries resolved.
How to get help with Monzo
Monzo is a completely digital bank and doesn’t have any physical branches for you to visit. So, most of the customer service is managed within the app.
You can get in touch with Monzo’s customer services team 24/7 with urgent queries by tapping the “help” tab and starting a chat (at least you should be able to – check out the next box if it doesn’t appear for you).
Why isn’t the chat function showing in Monzo?
Though some Monzo customers will be able to easily click to chat with Monzo, some users won’t find this option (including our Editor Andy). Luckily we’ve uncovered a workaround.
On the Help tab, type “Contact support” in the search box, and it’ll pull up a page where you can open up a chat via a link called “Tap here to get started”.
You’ll see some preset options, and even if these don’t relate to your query you can keep answering questions until you’re shown the option of “ I need to chat with someone”
Monzo also offers customer support via call between 7am and 8pm. You can call for free on 0800 802 1281 if you’re in the UK or +44 20 3872 0620 if you’re calling from abroad.
There are some things Monzo can’t help with over the phone though. This includes sharing account information and updating your mobile number or email address registered to your account. (You can update these in the settings on your app).
Pros and cons of Monzo
Pros
Simple to set up and use
Lots of budgeting features and some spending insights
Fee-free spending abroad
Automated savings including round ups and your own scheduled savings pots
Ability to combine with IFTTT to boost savings
Potentially lower cost overdrafts
FCA-regulated and FSCS protection
No credit checks unless you apply for an overdraft
Cons
3% charges on cash withdrawals over the free allowance in the UK and abroad if it’s not your “main account”
No bank branches or face-to-face customer support
£1 fee for each cash deposit you make (and you can only deposit £1,000 every 6 months)
You have to pay for full functionality
No virtual cards on the free account
No bank switching offers
Summary: Is Monzo any good?
Beyond the fandom, Monzo’s standard current account is a decent all-rounder for spending and budgeting.
The redesign is a return to a more intuitive experience, and it still offers lots of features that help you get to grips with managing your money, setting budgets and saving too.
Little things like being able to view your debit card number or PIN make paying so much simpler as well (though of course, many others offer this too).
Overall, if you’re looking for an easy way to budget and manage your everyday spending, it’s worth giving Monzo a look – as long as you’re comfortable with a fully digital banking experience.
However, we think there are better options, which we’ve listed below.
For an everyday banking experience, Starling still has the edge in our opinion. Plus there are no limits on cash withdrawals and the ability to use the Post Office for cash.
Chase is also very easy to use but comes with the added bonus of 1% cashback at home and abroad.
Alternatively, you could look at a reward based account from more established banks that have much-improved apps as well as access to high street branches (as long as they’ve not been shut down). Freebies include free Disney+ from Club Lloyds or £5 a month from Halifax Rewards.
And, when it comes to saving, you’re probably better off automating the money you’d like to set aside to go to an account with another provider. This means that you’ll be able to take advantage of the best savings rates out there.
One feature that’s also available is getting cashback on the bills you pay. So you could get 1% back on your Council Tax or water bills. It’s stuff we all pretty much pay for.
Since this type of account was introduced I’ve always said it makes sense for us to all have one of these current accounts – all offered by Santander.
If you’re looking to open a new account you can choose between the Edge or the Edge Up, while some of you might still have the 123 or 123 Lite.
So which is better? This article will help you decide on the best paying option for you.
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Santander cashback current accounts compared
First a look at what these accounts offer. The focus of this article is on the cashback on bills, but as you’ll see some of them offer extra ways to earn money.
Available to all customers
Santander Edge
The Edge doesn’t just offer cashback on bills as you can get money back on some spending and a decent interest rate.
I wouldn’t bother with the debit card cashback as you can earn the same rate elsewhere without the caps and retailer restrictions. The interest could be worth grabbing – as long as you’re covering the fee with your cashback.
The Edge Saver is unbeatable for the first year – though you do need to factor in the fee if that’s not covered by cashback Here’s more on the Edge Saver account (full review)
7% (including 2.5% bonus for 12 months) on balances up to £4,000 via a separate Edge Saver account
Cashback (capped at £10 per tier each month)
1% on Council Tax, phone, mobile, TV and broadband, gas and electricity, and water bills
1% back on spending at supermarkets and on travel (trains, buses & fuel)
Requirements
Pay in £500 a month
Pay out at least two Direct Debits
Santander Edge Up
The Edge Up keeps the same cashback rates, but increases the monthly cap to £15 a month.
There’s no access to the Edge Saver. Instead you can earn 2.5% interest in the account on a hefty balance, but that can be beaten by savings rates at other banks.
1% on Council Tax, phone, mobile, TV and broadband, gas and electricity, and water bills
1% back on spending at supermarkets and on travel (trains, buses & fuel)
Requirements
Pay in £1,500 a month
Pay out at least two Direct Debits
Only available to existing customers
Santander 123
The Santander 123 current account is no longer available to new customers, but if you’ve already got one it’ll still earn you money back on your bills.
The 123 pays more cashback on some bills than the Edge, and you can earn money on Santander mortgages too. However, it comes with a higher fee and lower interest rates. I wouldn’t use this at all for interest as the rate can be easily beaten elsewhere.
Monthly Fee
£4
Interest %
2% on balances up to £20,000
Cashback (capped at £5 per tier each month)
1% on Council Tax, phone, mobile, TV and broadband bills and Santander mortgage repayments
2% on gas and electricity
3% on water bills
Requirements
Pay in £500 a month
Pay out at least two Direct Debits
Santander 123 Lite
This account is no longer available to new customers, but if you’ve already got one it’ll still earn you money back on your bills and with the lowest fee of the lot, so you need to know what it offers in comparison to the others.
Monthly Fee
£2
Interest %
None
Cashback (capped at £5 per tier each month)
1% on Council Tax, phone, mobile, TV and broadband bills and Santander mortgage repayments
2% on gas and electricity
3% on water bills
Requirements
Pay in £500 a month
Pay out at least two Direct Debits
Sign in to your online or app banking every three months
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Obviously there’s the chance to earn more from the 123 and 123 Lite due to the higher paying rates on gas, electricity and water. Plus if you have a Santander mortgage there’s extra you can earn there too.
However all three accounts have caps. For the 123 and 123 Lite it’s £5 cap per category, so the most you can possibly make each month is £15 – though for most homes that’s unlikely. The Edge caps bill cashback at £10 a month.
To work out how much you’ll make personally you’ll need to get your bills and put them into the cashback calculators on the Santander websites. Don’t forget to factor in the monthly fee, which will show in the calculator.
Santander cashback calculators
You can use a calculator on the Santander website to work out your return from both the Edge and Edge Up. It’s possible to also compare how much you’ll make to either the 123 or 123 Lite.
You’ll find this in the “Cashback” section when you click the arrow to expand. This calculator also has the option to work out how much you’d earn from debit card cashback and interest on savings, but I’d leave this blank unless you really don’t want to get better rates elsewhere.
A quick note: For Council Tax the cashback is calculated as if you pay it over 10 months rather than 12. Though the former is the default way I’ve always preferred the consistency of every month. If you pay by 12 months then you’ll need to multiply the amount you pay by 12, then divide by 10, and put that figure in the calculator. This applies to all three accounts.
Though the categories of cashback are quite broad and cover lots of bills, not every supplier will be included. For example, Giffgaff doesn’t appear in the eligible supplier search form. Do check how your supplier appears on your bank statement as that might be what’s listed.
Also, if you split bills with a partner or housemate and you pay from separate accounts then you won’t get the full benefit of this type of account. You could open up a joint account for these key bills, though there are risks you need to be aware of.
What I’d make in cashback on bills
Which account would be best for me?
If you’re a regular reader you won’t be surprised to know I’ve got as good a deal as possible on all my bills. I switch energy provider frequently (well, I did when this was possible) and ditched pay TV years ago. Plus I’ve haggled low prices on broadband and mobile phones.
Our water is on a meter and my Council Tax is quite high, but there’s not a huge amount we can do to reduce these further.
Bill
My monthly cost
123 Lite monthly cashback
123monthly cashback
Edge monthly cashback
Edge Up monthly cashback
Council Tax
£228
£2.28
£2.28
£2.28
£2.28
Broadband
£28
£0.28
£0.28
£0.28
£0.28
Mobile Phones (x2)
£16
£0.16
£0.16
£0.16
£0.16
Gas & Electricity
£250
£5
£5
£2.50
£2.50
Water
£40
£1.20
£1.20
£0.40
£0.40
Monthly fee
-£2
-£4
-£3
-£5
MONTHLYTOTAL
£6.92
£4.92
£2.62
£0.62
ANNUAL TOTAL
£83.04
£59.04
£31.44
£7.44
Cashback on bills vs interest in account
There is a extra option to consider. If your current account pays interest on the balance held there (rather than in a separate account that you’d have to transfer money over for), how much would that make? Could it better just to do that and forget about the cashback? Or does this help make the Edge Up more appealing as you’d automatically get both.
Let’s use my bills total from the table above, which comes in at £562 a month. If I left that cash in my account all month, and paid the direct debits on the last day, a rate of 3.5% (as Starling or the Santander Edge Up offers) would earn £19.67 interest if I did the same every month of the year.
That’s still not enough to chose this approach instead, or go for the Edge Up. You can of course combine the interest from Starling (or any other account) with cashback from Santander, by keeping the money in that account for as long as possible before you need to transfer it so the direct debits are paid.
Santander Edge accounts vs other interest rates
The table below shows how much interest you’d earn on £1,000, £4,000, £10,000, £20,000 and £25,000 when held in either the Santander 123, Santander Edge, Edge Up or a decent top-paying easy access account (at the time of writing) of 5%. The 123 Lite doesn’t pay interest.
These figures are without the fee, as I’m assuming that this is covered by the cashback you earn each year. If you aren’t earning the cashback I don’t see much point in using either the Edge or 123 for your savings.
The only exception is when you have a joint account which allows you to open two Edge Savers, and have at least £4,500 across the two accounts. And remember the 7% is only for one year and it then drops to 3.5%.
Anyway, back to the returns:
Amount saved
Interest earned in Santander 123 (2% up to £20,000)
Interest earned in Santander EdgeSaver (7% for 1st year only up to £4,000)
Interest earned in Santander Edge Up (3.5% up to £25,000)
Interest earned in 5% paying account
£1,000
£20
£70
£35
£50
£4,000
£80
£280
£150
£200
£10,000
£200
£280
£350
£500
£20,000
£400
£280
£700
£1,000
£25,000
£400
£280
£875
£1,250
It’s clear the Edge pays the most on up to £4,000, and for balances above that you’d want money in the best easy-access account.
Summary: Which is the best Santander account for you?
Should you get a Santander Edge or Edge Up account?
Let’s assume you don’t already have any of the accounts above (we’ll come back to whether you should swap from existing 123 accounts in a bit).
As long as you are paying those bills, and you’ll earn more than the monthly fee, it’s well worth getting one of these accounts. My preference is to go for the Edge as it’s cheaper and the extra features on the Edge Up won’t justify the additional £24 a year.
But I wouldn’t use it as my main account. There are far better options when it comes to the app and banking experience, plus a few with more lucrative extras.
Personally I’d set this up as an additional account solely to pay the bills. A standing order from your main account can transfer over the required cash each month, which will cover those bills.
Most of these bills are set amounts that won’t change without notice, so it requires little ongoing maintenance. Though obviously you’ll need to make sure you cover ones that can change each month – for example an increased mobile phone bill, or any annual increases to those bills (usually in April of each year).
Should you swap a Santander 123 for a Edge account?
The Santander 123 and 123 Lite current accounts closed to new customers in June 2023, but existing customers can keep their account open and continue to earn cashback.
I’d choose to keep hold of this account rather than opting for the Edge, especially if you have the 123 Lite. You’ll earn more back every month thanks to the higher rates on some bills.
Andy’s Analysis: Edge, 123 or 123 Lite?
If you have a 123 Lite then I’d absolutely keep it. If not, then my instinct is that the 123 will be the better account. That’s because despite a higher monthly fee you’ll get more cashback on energy bills, which can really add up while bills are so high.
Even if you’re also tempted by the Edge for the cashback at the supermarket, I’d look at alternatives that will earn you the same 1% at many more retailers.
And though the interest rate on the Edge Saver is hard to beat, I don’t think it’s enough to compensate for the lower cashback on your bills.
Santander switching bonus
Santander launched its first proper switching bonus in late 2021. The most recent offer, in March 2024 is for £185. This is a decent deal and is open to existing customers.
If you can’t make it to the theatre it’s possible to watch a number of productions from your sofa via streaming services.
There are big-name theatres and companies such as the RSC, as well as productions starring famous names like David Tennant.
During lockdown many theatres offered free shows each week, but these seem to be stopping. However, you can still watch shows via subscription services.
Subscription services & rentals
Hamilton on Disney +
You can watch a recording of the original Hamilton cast on Disney +. It costs £5.99 a month – though there are ways to save. For more discounts visit my streaming service deals page.
You pay what you’d pay if you were going, with the minimum price £10, but you can choose to give up to £65.
For Christmas the production includes A Christmas Carol.
National Theatre at Home
You can either rent individual productions or subscribe to access a range of National Theatre shows and other productions with National Theatre at Home.
It costs £8.32 a month, or £83.32 for a year.
Wind in the Willows at the Palladium
This production with Rufus Hound from 2017 was free, but is now £4.99 to rent.
Marquee TV
This has some theatre but it’s probably best for dance and opera fans. You can get a 30-day free trial. After that it costs £8.99 a month or £89.99 a year – though there’s a £20 discount for your first year.
New shows are premiered every Saturday. Theatre seems to mainly be RSC and an Oscar Wilde season, but there’s a huge amount of dance from the likes of The Royal Ballet and the Bolshoi, with opera from Glyndebourne and others
Digital Theatreis a streaming service that costs £9.99 a month for unlimited viewing, or £7.99 per production.
It includes shows from the likes of the RSC, Old Vic, Donmar, Lyric and Royal Opera House.
Shows includes Funny GIrl with Sheridan Smith, Hamlet with Maxine Peak, Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Into The Woods from Regent’s Park.
There’s also ballet, dance, opera and classical music.
How to get two-for-one, Kids go free and other deals to save money and get you cheap theme park tickets.
I love a good theme park – but ticket prices for UK theme parks such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park can be more terrifying than the fastest ride, especially for a family. But it’s actually really easy to pay less.
Here are some of the best deals right now to get cheap theme park tickets.
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Cheap theme park ticket rules
These are the basics that should help you avoid paying full price.
Use a promo code
Every single year there are discount codes, usually offering 50% off or two for the price of one tickets, to all the major theme parks. Smaller parks might have smaller discounts, but there are still savings to be found. We’ve listed below some of the best ones available right now from products you’re likely to buy.
Book in advance
Whether you’re using one of the codes below, or just paying full whack (why?), it makes sense to book in advance as prices are much cheaper. Often, the earlier you book, the better, with online prices on the day often more expensive (though still cheaper than buying on the door). You can sometimes stack a 2-4-1 code with these cheaper prices, meaning you’ll pay even less.
The annual pass trick
You can often pick up a season pass, giving unlimited access to one or multiple Merlin theme parks for the cost of a single ticket. Of course, if you’ve used the other promotions listed on this page you should only have paid 50% of the entry price. But if you are going to go at least twice in a year, then you may as well buy the season pass – even if you don’t go again.
Do check again for any restrictions, for example August weekends and special events are often excluded unless you buy a premium pass.
You can get season passes at locations including:
Alton Towers
Legoland
Thorpe Park
Chessington World of Adventures
Try for cashback
While you likely can’t get cashback with some of the offers below, as they’re often booked via promotional websites, if you’re going directly to get tickets, it could be worth trying Quidco or TopCashback for a little something extra — this is only 1.5%-2% at the time of writing, but that could stack up when you’re booking a whole family. Plus, if you don’t have either of these sites already, you can get a £20 welcome bonus when you sign up.
Latest theme park special offers
You can regularly get deals on promotional packs of anything from cereal to soaps. Many do have exclusions, including weekends in August and sometimes October half term. So do check. We’ve put in links with the exclusions and also the lists of participating theme parks, where possible.
National Rail Days Out: 2 for 1 or 1/3 off tickets
If you catch the train to a theme park, then you can get 2 for 1 or 1/3 off tickets on the National Rail website. You have to pre-book with a lot of the attractions, and it’s worth checking what else you’ll need. It’ll often specify that you’ll need a ticket to a nearby station on the day you’re booking. For example, to book Cadbury World, you’ll need a valid train ticket to Bournville station for each visitor and for the same day as your visit.
This is valid until 31 May 2026, although this is renewed every year.
Attractions include zoos, museums, theme parks, boat trips, galleries and activities.
Merlin is currently offering a slightly different kind of two-for-one ticket. Instead of getting two people in for the price of one, it’s offering tickets to two theme parks for the price of one. So you can get two days out for the family for the price of one.
Tickets cost from £34 if your first trip is to Alton Towers or Legoland, £33 if your first attraction is Thorpe Park or just £32 per person if your first visit is to Chessington. They can be bought on the website of your chosen attraction to go to first – look at the “offers” tab and select “twice the fun” to find them.
Then, once you’ve booked your first visit, you’ll have a barcode on your ticket which you can use to pre-book your second visit at Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Windsor, Alton Towers or Thorpe Park. The first and second attractions don’t need to be the same.
If you pay for Sky TV, then take a look at the Sky VIP section in your account to get a unique code for £17.50 tickets to Legoland this summer.
Tickets are available throughout the remainder of the season, including Legoland at Christmas, but tickets are expected to sell out fairly quickly. You need to buy them before 31 August 2025. You can book up to six tickets each time.
Buy a promotional box of Kellogg’s cereal or a Snack Pack and get 25% off up to two online advance-priced tickets at 25 participating Merlin attractions, including Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures.
To get it, scan the QR code from a promotional Kellogg’s pack or go to their website. You’ll need to register or login with a Kellogg’s account and enter the 10 digit KPIN code from the promotional pack. You’ll then get a discount code emailed to you with a link to book.
With Snack Packs, you must bring the promotional pack with you, along with your pre-booked e-ticket and show it at the ticket desk.
Tickets are valid until 30 June 2026. Exclusion dates apply and do check the terms and conditions.
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Tesco Clubcard points
If you’re earning points, you can get double value at theme parks, including Alton Towers. Personally, I’d say you’re better off using your points elsewhere, particularly for the Merlin-owned attractions.
That’s because although this promo is in theory the same as the 2-4-1 style offers, the prevalence of the latter means you’re effectively only getting 25% off that lower price. More on Clubcard deals here.
Though the wording is different, it’s essentially the same thing, it’s just the adult ticket is free when you buy another full price adult or kids ticket.
Once again it’s for Merlin attractions, so the main theme parks are Thorpe Park, Chessington and Alton Towers.
Any vouchers you collect will be valid until 30 June 2024. Details here. You’ll need to keep the promotional packaging to share at the venue entrance.
Merlin has launched another sale on its annual passes. These run for a full year from when you buy them, so you’ll be able to get until April 2025 if you get one while the deal is on. The sale is on until 7 April 2024.
This gets you into any Merlin attraction – this includes Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, LEGOLAND, Sealife Centre and the London Eye. The different stages of pass have different perks – for example, the Gold one includes parking (usually £5-£10 each time), and there are restricted days on the Silver and Discovery passes. Some of them also have a sign-up fee if you go for a monthly option.
Remember, you’re unlikely to need to pay full price for entrance thanks to other deals, so you’ll need to weigh up whether the pass will represent good value depending on how often you’ll visit the attractions.
The smart app and card has made big changes to what you get.
Regular readers will know I’ve quite a few current accounts and a few credit cards – all with different benefits. To carry them all with me would just be impractical.
But Curve has allowed me to add almost every single card to a digital wallet and just carry the single Curve card with me instead.
I’ve been using the Curve card since it launched in 2016, and though not perfect, it’s been a staple in my wallet. But from summer 2022 there are new limits being put in place for free users. So is it still worth it?
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What is Curve?
Curve lets you use more than one bank or credit card through a single “smart” debit card that you manage via an app.
In lots of ways it’s similar to using Apple Pay or Google Pay, with the added benefit of a physical card and some cool features such as changing your payment card after purchase, low or fee-free spending overseas and earning cashback.
However you can only add MasterCard or Visa cards to your Curve account. This rules out others such as American Express or Maestro.
You might also get limited access to some features depending on which Curve card you have.
Types of Curve card
There are four options: Curve, Curve X, Curve Black and Curve Metal. Each has a different cost and access to different features.
Curve is free (previously known as Curve Blue)
Curve X is £4.99 a month
Curve Black costs £9.99 a month
Curve Metal costs £14.99 a month or £150 if you pay upfront for a year
Curve features and limits by card
I’ll explain these features and limits in more detail throughout the review.
From July 2022, there will be new limits on the free card. According to Curve, the changes are due to increasing costs and a shift in focus “towards short term profitability”.
Rather than ditch the free option completely, they’ve reduced what it offers and introduced a mid-tier Curve X card.
The big difference between these two cards and the premium cards will be the number of cards you can add. Until now there have been no limits to the number of cards you can add to your Curve card, regardless of the type you have. So you’d be able to get the free option and benefit from this core feature.
Now the free Curve card will only let you add two cards, while Curve X limits you to five cards. Both Black and Metal remain unlimited.
Curve free will also only allow only three uses of the Back In Time feature each month and one smart rule. Curve X will limit you to five smart rules.
I’ll give my full opinion at the end of the review, but this is a huge change and it means the free option is very, very basic.
One year of Curve X for £1.99 a month
Existing free Curve customers will have the option of a 60% discount on Curve X for a year. You’ll pay £1.99 a month rather than the full £4.99. You’ve 30 days to upgrade from when you are notified, which means this offer will end by late July 2022.
Curve card and app features
All in one connected cards
The big sell for Curve, in my view, is the ability to slim down your wallet but still have a physical card to use. However, in reality it never quite meant I could have just one card on me.
As mentioned, you can’t add American Express cards, so I’ve always got that in addition. Plus I always want to have a non-Amex credit card on me for large purchases over £100 at retailers that don’t take Amex (to ensure I get Section 75 protection).
So I generally carry my Curve, Amex and another credit card at all times. It has allowed me to ditch my business debit card and a couple of other debit cards.
However, the new limits on the free and X tier really reduce the ability to maximise this feature. Having just two cards on the free card feels a bit pointless, and blocking business cards on this tier could be a real issue. The slightly higher limit of five cards on X might be enough for some.
If you can manage with these limits, then great. But I think the more you need to carry extra cards or have to add them to your phone’s digital wallet then the less Curve serves a purpose.
The Go Back In Time feature is a great idea, and one I tend to use a lot. If you forget to change the payment card you want to use in the app before buying, you can switch it to a different one within a 30 to 120 day window (depending on the card).
This has been really useful for me when spending money for my business. Rather than claim it back, I can just swap the expenditure over to my business bank account.
I’ve also used it a lot for spending via Chase Bank in order to earn the 1% cashback. This isn’t my main account, so I don’t always have lots of money in there. Go Back in Time has meant I’d pay from my main current account, then switch the transactions to Chase once I’ve topped it up.
But again, the new limits on this feature make it pretty pointless on the free option as you can use it just three times a month.
The paid cards let you do this unlimited times a month, though there are different windows for how far back you can go. You can also only change a payment once.
Anti-embarrassment mode
If for some reason your selected payment card is declined, then you can activate up to two backup cards in the app which will be automatically charged instead. This is available on all Curve cards.
Smart Rules
This is a new feature that looks to be expanded on soon. You’re able to create rules for spending on specific cards based on factors like the type or size of transaction. I’ve set up cash withdrawals to always come from my main linked debit card.
You get one Smart Rule with the free Curve, moving up to five with X and then unlimited rules with Black and Metal.
Other app and card features
As soon as you use your Curve card to pay you’ll get a notification on the app, which helps you keep track of what you’re spending.
There’s a timeline of all purchases made on Curve, no matter which card you used. Which helps you see all your spending in one place.
You can also lock your card if it’s lost, or check your PIN and card details.
However, Curve is an attractive option as a back up or if you don’t already have or can’t get one of these specialist credit or debit cards.
For a start, there’s no credit check to get it – unlike when applying for a Halifax Clarity or Barclaycard Rewards credit card. You’ll also be able to use your connected main debit or credit card and avoid that bank’s own hefty charges.
However there are limits on spending and withdrawals that reset on a rolling 30-day period. The size of each limit depends on the type of Curve card you have (see table above). If you go above these amounts you’ll get charged a 2% fee.
Plus although Curve is fee-free when using it Monday to Friday, at the weekend a 0.5% charge will be added for Dollars and Euros transactions and 1.5% to other currencies. This is temporarily paused in the summer of 2022, but will return from 1 September.
Curve Flex
Curve Flex is a way to borrow cash on purchases you’ve already made. It’s effectively a restrospective Buy Now, Pay Later scheme – but with interest added on.
You can choose a transaction and then split it into instalments of three, six, nine or 12 months. Those instalments will be taken from a selected card each month to repay the loan.
There’s a soft check on your credit report to see if you can be offered the loan, then a hard check if you proceed.
There’s obviously interest added on top too. Curve says rates begin at 9% though the representative APR is 14.18%. This is probably cheaper than an overdraft or credit card (except 0% cards), but not something that should be used lightly. It’s better to save up for anything you can’t afford.
If you miss a payment because there’s not enough available on the linked account you’ve seven days to pay it (Curve will try this automatically). If you still don’t catch up in this time you’ll be charged £6.
A big attraction with Curve is cashback. There are two ways to earn this, though you won’t get both on all the cards.
Curve Rewards
This is available on all the Curve card and allows you to earn money back on certain purchases. These offers come and go, such as 15% off Disney+ or 5% back at Five Guys. Watch out for restrictions, such as new users only. You need to activate the offer in the app, then pay using your Curve card.
The money you earn will be added to your Curve Cash wallet, which you have to select before spending to use (Back in Time won’t work).
Curve Cash (Metal and Black only)
The premium Curve cards also offer ongoing cashback at 1%, but only on limited retailers that you must select. For Black, it’s three shops, and for Metal, it’s six shops.
Once you’ve chosen them you’ll earn money back each time you use your Curve card there, and once again the money made will be put in your Curve Cash wallet.
This is just a selection. The full Curve Cash list is available on the Curve website, although annoyingly it includes European brands alongside the UK retailers.
Personally I’d pick one of the supermarkets in my three or six. Spend £200 a month on groceries and you’ll earn £24 over a year.
The big rewards come if you’re looking to make a big purchase or two, such as furniture or white goods at the likes of John Lewis, Apple or Ikea.
Then it’s worth thinking about places you shop at often, such as Starbucks. You’ll get less cashback per transaction but it’ll add up over the year. Petrol is a good option too.
Curve cashback and existing bank offers
If you have any retailer-specific offers on your underlying cards they won’t be recognised.
For example, my John Lewis credit card will give 1.25% back off when I shop at Waitrose. But if I used that card via Curve I’d get just 0.25% back.
So only use the Curve rewards if they are better than what you’d get direct with your bank card.
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Curve Insurances
Both Black and Metal come with added insurance as part of the fees. Black has worldwide travel insurance, while Metal also adds car collison waiver and mobile phone cover.
Don’t just assume these are going to provide the cover you need. Check the policy documents and limits.
Using Curve
As mentioned I’ve used Curve since it first launched in beta. On the whole it works really well.
In shops and online
You use the card as you would any normal debit card. I’ve had no problems paying in shops. On my bank statements, transactions appear as CRV followed by the shop name, so for example CRV*SAINSBURYS.
Cash machines
It works getting cash out of my current account via an ATM too. There’s a £200 a day cap.
You can even get cash out using a connected credit card without incurring extra charges (normally you should never get cash out on credit cards). However there is a limit of £200 a month for this.
You won’t be able to use Curve for pre-authorisations, such as pay-at-the-pump petrol or car hire deposits.
There’s a daily spending cap of £2,000, and a rolling monthly cap of £5,000. You can’t spend more than £10,000 a year. These will increase the longer you have your card.
Curve Fronted
You’ll be charged 1.5% if you use an underlying credit card for services which don’t allow this (e.g. paying your tax return or paying off a different credit card bill). This feature is known as Curve Fronted.
The Metal tier of Curve has a £10,000 allowance where this charge isn’t added, though Curve warns this could impact your credit score, depending how your credit card company treats these transactions.
Your consumer protection
Any purchase you make with Curve, even the underlying card is a credit card, isn’t covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Rights Act. These laws basically give you better protection for anything which costs more than £100.
However, Curve has its own customer protection policy, and ultimately all purchases via your Curve card are covered by the Chargeback scheme.
How to get a Curve card and £10 welcome bonus
You simply enter your mobile number on the Curve website and you’ll be sent a link to download the app, or search in your phone’s app store.
Get a free £10 credit (ended 8 July 22)
When you sign up via this link you’ll be eligible for a £10 welcome bonus – double the standard referral offer of £5. There’s no need to enter the promo code as the link has tracking which will register the offer.
Once you’ve signed up you then need to spend at least £5 on the card and do it within seven days of applying. If you don’t want to wait for the card to arrive in the post you can access the details to use it online via the Curve app, or add the card to your digital wallets such as Apple Pay.
To use this £10 reward you need to use the app to select the Curve Rewards option before you pay.
I love the idea of Curve and I’ve been a fan for many years. Sadly the new limits on the free options make it a frustrating product.
I’m not sure what benefits come from having just one card in your wallet rather than two cards, especially when they can’t be an Amex or business card.
I use features like Back in Time because I can, not because I need to. So I’m perfectly happy losing the access to this rather than splash out unnecessary cash. Though ultimately it means I can’t see a use for the free Curve card.
As as I want to use my Amex (for cashback) and non-Amex credit cards (for Section 75), I’ll probably just swap my Curve for my Chase card in my wallet.
It’s still a decent bet as a backup for travel abroad, though I’d encourage you to prioritise a completely fee-free card first.
So perhaps X, Black or Metal are better options?
It’s hard to justify £60 a year for the still limited features on Curve X. The main concern for me is the loss of using a business payment card but I doubt that applies to many of you. And I can just add that card to my Apple Pay instead. So it’s a relucantant no on X.
If you’re going to take full advantage of the cashback with the Black and Metal cards then perhaps you’ll eat into some of the fees – though it won’t be much.
I think Curve Cash is only a decent feature if you can use it in combination with a non-Amex cashback card and earn double cashback rather than instead of. But this extra cashback alone still won’t cover the full £10 or £15 a month.
To justify the charges you’d need to also factor in the travel insurance – as long as you actually need annual cover. If you do use both cashback and the insurance then perhaps £10 a month isn’t too bad.
But taking it a step further for Metal only really works for me if you need the added phone cover and pay £150 upfront. But even then it’s not something I’d personally go for.
Good news for anyone who signed up for Chase Bank’s current account as the 1% cashback will be extended – though you’ll need to add more money to your account each month. Here’s what you need to know.
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.
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When will Chase’s cashback now end?
Since launch, Chase Bank has offered new account holders 1% cashback for 12 months, which is activated when you open the account.
It’s already been extended twice. Those who opened the account before 1 March 2022 were able to keep earning cashback until 28 February 2023, and then last year another year was added on to at least 31 March 2024.
And now it will continue indefinitely, now called “Everyday cashback”. It applies to all customers, new and old, though it only begins once your current offer ends.
You’ll still be capped at £15 of cashback a month, but there are changes to the qualifying conditions this time around.
How to extend your Chase cashback
You don’t need to activate the offer in the app as it’ll automatically start when your current 12 month offer ends. For those who’s cashback is due to end on 31 March 2024, you’ll keep earning as normal until the end of the month as long as you deposited £500 in February.
But from 1 March that monthly requirement is going to increase to £1,500 a month. As long as you do this, you’ll earn your 1% cashback on spending in April. You’ll then need to add the same amount in April to get cashback in May, and so on.
If your offer doesn’t end until later, say 18 September 2024, then the new rules will apply from 19 September 2024, meaning you’ll need to have paid in the higher £1,500 in August.
The money has to come from an external source, and can’t be an internal transfer between your different sub-Chase accounts. Refunds also won’t count.
This time it can also be added to your Chase savings account as well or instead of the current account. At the moment this pays 4.1%, which is decent but can be beaten with more than 5% available elsewhere.
Don’t worry if you don’t have £1,500 a month to add in one go as the terms and conditions don’t state this must be a single payment (we’ve had this confirmed by Chase too). That means you’ll be able to hit this threshold in increments. In fact, you could add a smaller amount, withdraw it to a different account, and pay it in again, and both deposits would count towards the total.
This will apply to all existing customers once their existing cashback offer ends. However, new customers signing up won’t have to do this until their first year is complete.
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How much cashback can you earn?
The 1% rate remains the same, as does the £15 monthly cap. This means you’ll only get it on spending of up to £1,500 each month. That’s pretty generous for most everyday spending as there are already some exclusions.
However, you will likely miss out if you are making a large purchase – though since it’s often wise to use a credit card for anything really expensive to get additional consumer protection.
Where to earn cashback with Chase
You’ll get 1% back on most purchases made with your debit card, but there are some exceptions.
You won’t get the money back from financial transactions, such as clearing credit card bills, paying tax bills, buying crypto and cash withdrawals.
Also exempt are things like hospital bills and vehicle purchases. You can see the full list here.
The 1% rate is the best rate out there for most purchases. Though you might get a slightly better rate on retailer specific cards, they tend to offer much lower cashback when you spend elsewhere.
The only other card offering the same 1% is the American Express Nectar card, offering 2 points per £1, with each point worth 0.5p at Sainsbury’s, eBay and Argos. However in year two this card has an annual fee that needs to be factored in.
It’s also worth checking if you’re eligible for any welcome bonuses that could make your spending much more rewarding. Personally I’d wait until these are boosted so you earn even more, though you might also need to time them for when you have larger amounts of spending.
Cashback credit cards can also be better when you’re buying items costing more than £100 as you’ll get improved consumer protections.
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