The numbers that can add a fair whack to your phone bill.
I’m so used to inclusive minutes on my mobile SIM that I forget not all numbers are included in the allowance. Fortunately, there’s a work around if you come across premium rate digits.
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What’s the deal with 0845 and 0870
Most non-mobile numbers start 01, 02 or 03, while mobile numbers start 07. These are generally included in your mobile phone allowance. 0800 and 0808, or freephone, numbers are also now included. All well and good.
But the rest… well it’s pretty confusing. On the whole, every other type of phone number isn’t going to be included in your mobile allowance, while it’s possible some might be part of your home phone package.
If these calls are on top of your allowance you’ll pay an “access charge”, often per minute which is set by your network. Then on top is another service charge per minute which is set by the people you are calling. And together it can make your calls pricey.
So you should avoid them if possible. And that’s not just 0870 and 0845. It’s the same with similar variations such as 0871 and 0843. Oh, and premium 09 numbers too. And don’t forget the exorbitant 118 directory enquiries numbers.
Numbers which are unlikely to be included in your mobile phone minutes
If the number you want to call starts with any of the following it’s likely to cost you money on top of your monthly contract cost.
0842
0843
0844
0845
0870
0871
0872
0873
09
118
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How to avoid paying for 0870, 0845 and other non-inclusive numbers
You obviously want to avoid these extra charges. Here are a few ways to find an alternative.
Search for another number
You can, of course, go to the company website or Google to see if there’s an alternative number.
If you have no joy there’s another option. For years I’ve been using the website Say No To 0870. It’s pretty basic but is a big help. Essentially you search for the company you want to contact, or enter the number you have, and hopefully there will be an alternative.
In my experience, it’s hit and miss. The numbers are all provided by users so they can be out of date, or just plain wrong. But more often than not you’ll get some new digits to dial that won’t cost you extra.
Call the overseas number
This is a trick I’ve always used when calling a bank. On the back of your card there’s often a number to call from overseas, which starts +44 followed by a number starting 1, 2 or 3. Basically, ditch the +44 and replace it with a 0.
Use your landline
If you really have to call one of these numbers, then find out the cost from your landline. Some providers include these in your call package (if you have one), or are cheaper than using your mobile.
To be fair it’s years since I’ve had to do this – we haven’t even plugged in a phone at our new house. But it’s a decent backup option.
Try webchat
If you can’t find an alternative number, it’s worth seeing if the company has an online webchat service. These can be frustratingly slow, but they won’t cost you anything.
Don’t blow your holiday budget on your mobile bill
Since Brexit, most major mobile networks have reintroduced roaming charges. And with the constant desire to stay connected, and use your phone to get around, you can end up with a huge bill.
Here’s what you need to know about roaming charges for the major networks, and a few tricks to help you keep costs down.
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Can you get free roaming?
Until the end of 2020, you were able to use your inclusive data, calls and texts when travelling in Europe. And some mobile companies, such as Three, offered the same deal in countries further afield, including the USA and Australia. O2 is the only major network to carry on offering this — here are the rules for each of the networks.
O2 & Virgin Mobile – free roaming continues
The only major network to retain free roaming is O2, with extra benefits if you also get Virgin Broadband. You can call and text UK numbers from abroad and use your data up to the limits in your monthly allowance or 25GB, whichever is lower.
This only applies in European countries, and you’ll be capped at 25GB of data a month if your normal allowance is above this.
For travel outside of Europe, you can buy an O2 Travel Bolt On for £6 a day which covers 27 worldwide destinations (full list here). You’ll get unlimited data each day, plus 120 minutes of talk time and texts to UK numbers.
Some more expensive packages include this, usually those with 30GB of data or more. Or, if you’re with Virgin Media for your broadband then you can link your accounts to get this Bolt On added to your phone tariff for free.
Vodafone – ended January 2022
Roaming charges now apply to anyone who took out a Vodafone contract after 11 August 2021. There’s no change for contracts taken out before this.
The charge will be £2.25 a day for Europe, and you can reduce this with an eight-day pass for £12 or a 15-day pass for £17.
Once more, some of the top-end contracts will include the EU roaming.
You’ll need to pay £2.47 a day to use your allowances in Europe if you signed up for a new or renewed contract after 7 July 2021. Existing customers before this date won’t see a change. This came into play in March.
There are some pricier contracts that include this, though you’re likely overpaying if you’re on one of these.
You can also choose the Roam Abroad Pass as an Inclusive Extra or pay £25 a month. This offers roaming in the EU and a handful of worldwide countries (USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand). This is a 30-day rolling contract, so be careful to cancel it when you get home.
Three – ended May 2022
This used to be huge money saver when travelling outside Europe. But on 23 May 2022, this Go Roam benefit ended for anyone who took out a new contract or renewed a contract after 1 October 2021.
Now Three offers roaming for £2 a day in Europe, or £5 a day for the rest of the world to use your existing allowances. There’s also a £5 a day Data Passport which offers unlimited data abroad.
Alternatively, Three’s Pay-as-you-go Three SIMs can still get Go Roam. So, you could pick up one of these when you go abroad and switch it over for most usage. You’ll temporarily have a different number, so you won’t get your usual calls and texts.
Other networks
Here’s what some of the other networks are doing:
BT Mobile – free European roaming remains
Giffgaff – free European roaming remains
ID Mobile – free European roaming remains
Lebara – free European roaming remains
Plusnet – free European roaming remains
Sky Mobile – free roaming ended in May 2022
Smarty – free European roaming remains
Tesco Mobile – free European roaming ended for new customers from 16 June 2022
Voxi – free roaming ended in May 2022
New rules to cut roaming fees
Mobile network providers must tell you if you’re going to be charged for roaming when you’re abroad under new proposals from Ofcom (the UK’s communications regulator). The provider has to tell you the costs, fair use limits and any relevant time limits. They should also inform you of how to set a limit on your spending.
This will apply from 1 October 2024.
How to reduce your phone charges abroad
Check your destination
Even if you have roaming included or there’s the option to set a daily price cap – check that the country you’re going to is part of that deal. If it’s excluded then you’ll need to look at some of these other tips.
Switch to a different mobile network
As well as O2 and Virgin Media, many smaller networks are keeping EU roaming – for now at least. These could well be cheaper than the major networks back home, too.
If you don’t fancy doing this permanently, you could look at Three’s PAYG SIM or sign up for just one month of one of the smaller networks.
Get an eSIM
An eSIM is a handy way to get service while you’re abroad. It’s essentially a digital SIM card that you can load onto your phone to use local network providers. You can get ones that are just data, or you can get one with a local phone number to also make calls and send texts.
We have a full guide on eSIMs here where we explain how they work, the benefits and the savings you can make.
Cap your charges
If you don’t want to switch, you should find out what your network will charge where you are going.
It’s worth seeing if your network has a cap on overseas charges, particularly for data. This will stop your bill getting out of control – but don’t assume you’ll get this. You often have to ask for this to be implemented.
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Get a bolt-on
Another option is to buy add-on packages that give you a pre-agreed amount of minutes, texts or data to use when abroad.
Turn off your data and use Wi-Fi instead
Another option is to simply not use data at all. You need to do this before you get on the plane, train or boat. Go to your settings and turn off data roaming or mobile data – and keep it off until you’re back in the UK.
This also means the apps on your phone won’t automatically access data behind the scenes. It also protects against accidentally opening your email — yep, you’d get charged, even if it’s just a few seconds.
If you’re in a destination where roaming is included, check your limits. There may be a reduction in how much of your regular allowance you can use.
With data turned off, the only way to connect to the web will be using Wi-Fi. You might get lucky and get it for free at your hotel. If not, look for coffee shops and public spaces that don’t charge. You can research in advance too, using the Wi-Fi Finder app.
However, be careful using unsecured Wi-Fi with banking apps or online shopping. Don’t enter login or password details.
Write shorter texts
If your text is longer than 160 characters, it’ll count as two texts (or more), so try to watch your words. It’s also worth not sending picture messages via text (at home and abroad) as they’ll be charged extra. Use messaging apps instead (when you’re on Wi-Fi).
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Unless you’ve got a specific add-on which allows it, any calls you make to numbers at your destination or texts messages to local mobiles aren’t included in roaming. You might be better off getting a local SIM or calling card if you’re going to make a lot of these calls.
Don’t answer calls and turn off voicemail
Outside inclusive roaming counties you’ll often be charged to answer a call, so don’t answer unless you need to. You won’t be charged to get a text message though, so tell mates back home that’s the best way to communicate with you while you’re away.
Some networks – with EE the worst – will also charge you for receiving a voicemail when abroad, even if you don’t access it. I always used to call my provider and turn voicemail off before I left to avoid any unnecessary charges.
Use apps to make calls and send messages
When you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you’ll also be able to use apps like WhatsApp to make free calls and send messages, including photos.
This cuts out the costs of making and receiving calls overseas. However, if the Wi-Fi signal is weak, it can be a very frustrating phone call!
Festivals and gigs are a great night out, but the tickets aren’t cheap. Fortunately, there are often late deals to save money on tickets.
Here are the best deals we’ve found to save you cash. We can’t do anything about the rain, though!
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Ticket discounts
Barclaycard: 5% off tickets / 10% off some events
If you have a Barclaycard credit card you can save 5% if you book via Barclaycard Entertainment and pay using your card.
You’ll also be able to get 10% off and early access to the following:
Download
Camp Bestival (Dorset)
cinch presents Creamfields (North)
cinch presents Latitude
Wireless (Crystal Palace and Finsbury Park)
Reading and Leeds
cinch presents the Isle of Wight Festival
Capital’s Summertime Ball with Barclaycard
Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard
Radio X Presents events (where applicable)
and many more through their partnership with The Ticket Factory
At midday on 9 May 2024, you can get concert tickets for various artists for as little as £25. The sale is on for just 24 hours, so you’ll have to be quick if you want to get tickets.
There are tickets available for Busted, Doja Cat, Bryan Adams, Paloma Faith and Dizzee Rascal, to name a few.
Band such as Metronomy, Sleeper, Blossoms and Hamish Hawk are taking part in the United By Music promotion, where those with a National Lottery Lotto ticket or scratch card can get 2 for 1 tickets for live performances.
As we get into the summer, Groupon tends to have reduced price entry for a number of events, so it’s always worth a look. These are usually one-day events around the country, but I’ve seen larger events here in the past.
A good way to save cash is to get a ticket when it goes on sale – so you can avoid resale sites charging a premium on top.
O2/Virgin: Priority tickets
O2 and Virgin Media customers get access to the O2 Priority app, and this has a huge number of shows on sale before the general public can get them. And it’s possible to get access to this even if you’re not on O2!
Why pay when you don’t need to? There are offers where tickets are given away for free, or in return for an admin fee.
Seat filling
Sites like Show Film First and Central Tickets often have tickets for live concerts and festivals at short notice where you only need to pay a booking fee (usually between £3 and £8). I’ve written a full guide to how these work and which sites are best.
From headphones to TVs, washing machines to fridges.
If I spot special offers on any technology, appliances and electronics I’ll share them here.
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Discount vouchers
Google: 20% off devices
Until Sunday 19 May 2024 you can use the code SPRINGTREATGB to save 20% on Google products. This includes already discounted items (though do shop around first incase you can beat the price).
Take old electric items to Currys for recycling and you’ll get a voucher for at least £5 off (minimum spend £25). You can provide anything powered by battery or mains, working or not. It doesn’t have to be bought from Currys originally.
Vouchers must be used within 90 days and they can’t be used on Apple products, consoles or gift cards.
A VPN is a service which lets you access the internet privately or browse as if you were in another country (it’s how people watch iPlayer overseas). For a day or two every month or so, Quidco offers 93.5% cashback rather than the usual 70% or 80% on a two-year NordVPN membership. This is worth around £68. Someties it’s increased to 100%!
A quick extra hack – VAT is added on top and cashback doesn’t cover this. So you’re looking at paying around £14, though I know some people have said they’re based in the US or Guernsey to avoid this.
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Expired deals
John Lewis: Free Google Nest Hub when you spend £75 (expired)
Spend £75 on selected home, furniture and electrical items at John Lewis and you’ll be able to add a Google Nest Hub (currently priced at £49.99) your basket. Then use the code MYJLGOOGLENEST at checkout to get it for free.
You do need to be a MyJohn Lewis member, which is free. Ends 8 June 2022, though previously offers like this have finished early if all the stock as gone.
Amazon is once again discounting the price of its Echo speakers, Kindles and more. But you don’t have to buy from Amazon direct as loads of retailers are price matching (eg Currys).
This is where we’ll share top deals to save money on books
You know the feeling when you get a great book. And it’s even better if you’ve managed to get that paperback or hardback on a special offer or deal.
If you want to read some of our general tips to help you save money on books, then check out this article. For specific offers or launches of big titles we’ll share details below.
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You can 30 hours of free audiobooks via this offer for new BookBeat users. Ends 19 May 2024.
After the trial it’ll cost £5.99 a month for 20 hours of listening with the basic plan, you’ll pay more for plans with further hours. You can cancel anytime.
Here’s how to get the most Euros, Dollars and more for your Pounds when you’re getting travel cash for your holiday
Looking for the the best ways to get your currency? Well, coins and notes aren’t going to be the best way to pay, and I rarely use them. In fact, when I go overseas the bulk of my spending is with a debit or credit card (a fee-free one naturally).
But from giving a tip through to buying from street vendors, not everywhere takes cards – and ATMS can charge per withdrawal. So having some cash with you makes sense, and here’s how you can get the best exchange rates.
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.
Ignore “0% commission” signs
One of the most misleading signs on the high street is the one that says “0% commission”. It makes you think that you’re not getting charged anything to change your cash – but you will be.
Rather than add a commission on top of your swap, the bureau de change will simply set their own exchange rate! You can read more about this in my “Why 0% currency commission is a lie” article.
Don’t get travel money at the airport
Since bureaus and banks are allowed to set their own exchange rates, it makes sense that the worst rates around will be at the airport. Once you’re there, and particularly once you’re through security, there is nowhere else you could go to get travel money than the bureaus in the departure lounge.
The only workaround if you really have left it too late to go elsewhere is you can order in advance online to collect at the airport, and you will get a better rate than just walking up to the booth. You will often need three or four hours notice though.
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Compare for the best exchange rates
Instead of just popping to your bank or the Post Office as many do, it’s better to compare all the different rates available in your area. The tool I use for this is Money Saving Expert’s Travel Money Max. You can choose between collection, delivery and even airport collection, and you’ll be shown the best rates.
Your choice will increase massively if you live in London, but you’ll still get a decent range of options elsewhere. Do check whether you need to order in advance to get the rate you see – some will charge you a worse rate if you don’t.
Don’t use a credit card to swap your cash
Once you know where you’ll get your cash, you want to avoid any extra charges on your swap. This means paying with cash or a debit card. That’s because using a credit card is what’s known as a “cash advance“.
With this you’re effectively taking money off your card as cash and then using the cash to make the transaction – even if you don’t actually get your hands on any physical notes and coins to hand over.
Get a specialist card for extra cash machine withdrawals overseas
Don’t take too much cash with you. Apart from the risks of losing it, if don’t spend all of it you’ll get a poor rate when you try to swap it back to sterling. So instead I’d recommend you only take out enough to cover essentials for the first few days – depending on the infrastructure at your destination of course.
Then, if you need more cash, you can use an ATM. Though some of these will have local fees set by the bank you use, you won’t have any charges on the exchange rate at all if you use a specialist card such as Chase or Starling.
This hack will get you cheap tickets every Tuesday and Wednesday for a one-off fee – giving massive savings to film fans. Even better, it could cost as little as £1.
One of the best ways to get cheaper cinema tickets is via the Meerkat Movies 2 for 1 cinema tickets deal – and you can bring the price down even more by stacking it with other deals.
In this blog, I’ll explain how it works, how to get the code, and whether you can use it at Odeon, Vue, Cineworld, Picturehouse and other cinemas.
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How Meerkat Movies works
Once a week you can access a code on the Meerkat Movies app to get you “buy-one-get-one-free” tickets at most UK cinemas all year.
You can then use this code on either Tuesday or Wednesday for standard cinema seats – not all cinemas allow you to use it for 3D or premium screens, or they might charge extra to do so.
All the big chains except Picturehouse let you use the code to book online a week ahead – though watch out for online booking fees.
You have to use the code for the same film, so you can’t do a solo double bill, and you can only use one code each week.
And it’s the cheapest ticket which is free. So if you’re one adult and one child, you’ll pay just for the adult ticket.
With your £1 travel insurance policy you also get two for one discounts at restaurants with Meerkat Meals.
How to get Meerkat Movies membership for £1
To get your one year membership you need to buy an insurance policy through the Compare the Market comparison site.
That’s great if you’re looking to sort out insurance for your car or home, but if not there’s a sneaky trick to get you access for just a few quid. Prices vary and normally sit around the £1.20 point – but right now it’s possible to get it for just £1.01!
Follow this and you should be offered a range of policies – just go for the cheapest one. You’re not going to use this insurance so you don’t need to read into any of the terms and conditions. Buy this and you’re now eligible to get 2 for 1 cinema ticket codes every week!
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Which cinemas allow Meerkat Movies codes
You can search for cinemas in the app, or in this Meerkat Movies map. it looks like you’re less likely to find an independent cinema that accepts the codes, however the following big chains all let you use Meerkat Movies codes:
Odeon
Vue
Cineworld
Picturehouse
Empire
The Light (some locations)
Reel
Cinema chains that don’t allow Meerkat Movies include:
The easiest way to get your weekly code is via the Meerkat app. If you don’t have a smartphone you can log into comparethemarket.com and print your voucher from there, or just write down the code.
You need a new code every week, and these are released on a Thursday.
Stacking other savings with Meerkat Movies
Two for one is already a great deal, but you can often save even more by combining the Meerkat Movies code with other promotions.
One way to stack is to pay with a discounted gift card. These aren’t that common, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals such as 10% off the likes of Odeon, Vue and Cineworld.
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Odeon seems to let you use Meerkat Movies with any type of ticket. Look out for discounted locations, with some cinemas charging just £5 a ticket midweek – meaning you’ll pay £2.50 per person with your Meerkat code.
Meerkat Movies is also a great way to save money at the posher Luxe screens, or the refurbished Odeon Leicester Square. You’ll still pay more for these locations though.
Officially the Odeon Limitless card doesn’t work with your Meerkat code, but it’s worth a try. These let you go to as many films as you like, potentially bringing the cost of two people to see a movie every week down to as low as £2.30 per ticket – IF you go every week, and only on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Meerkat Movies at Cineworld
Again, some Cineworld locations are really cheap mid-week – so check the prices near you. You can use Meerkat movies with child, student and senior tickets alongside normal adult ones.
Though it’s not an official policy, regular Cineworld goers with an Unlimited Card seem to have no problems with combining their membership with the code to get 2 for 1 cinema tickets. To save even more, Tesco Clubcard points can be used to save you money on the annual price.
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Meerkat Movies at Vue
The supercheap Vue day is now on Mondays, so you can’t combine it with Meerkat anymore.
Meerkat Movies at Picturehouse Cinemas
In my experience, you can use your reduced membership price with a Meerkat code – though officially the chain says you can’t.
I’m a big fan of Picturehouse memberships. You get free tickets to cover around half the fee, then you save around £2 or £3 per ticket on top of that and get 10% off at the bar, plus most will have a cheap ticket day and member previews.
Meerkat Movies at Empire
Empire says the 2 for 1 code is on adult and child tickets only, but it works with senior and student prices on their website.
If you don’t have any credit history or are looking to rebuild your credit report, then specialist credit cards could help.
Want to get a mortgage, credit card, loan or other form of borrowing? A healthy credit report can be the difference between acceptance and rejection, a good rate or a bad rate.
There are plenty of things you can do to strengthen your credit file – registering to vote through, paying bills on time checking your report for errors and having a bank account all help. And alongside these is to spend on a credit card.
That might seem counter-intuitive. Using a credit card is to spend money that isn’t yours. If you don’t need to borrow then surely it’s better to not have a card?
Well, what you’re doing by using a card showing you are a responsible borrower. That you can be given credit and pay it back.
Here’s more on how this helps your credit report and how to find the best credit building cards.
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Watch my video looking at the best first-time credit cards for beginners
Using credit cards to boost your credit file
There are some key rules you need to follow to make sure spending on a credit card helps rather than hurts your credit report.
Use them only for everyday spending
A very simple one to start. Having a credit card shouldn’t encourage you to buy things you wouldn’t normally be able to afford.
Instead use it only for everyday spending. I often suggest something like supermarket shopping or filling up on petrol.
This way you’re just swapping spending on your debit card for spending on your credit card.
It helps to avoid temptation if you only take it with you when you are going to make that regular purchase, and leave it at home the rest of the time.
Clear the card every month
It’s vital that you remember to pay off the card in full. This shows you are responsible and can pay back what your borrow. Big tick for that credit report.
But it also means you’ll avoid getting charged interest. Credit cards have high-interest rates, generally starting at 19% and going above 50%. This is added on each month to any money not cleared.
Setting up a Direct Debit for the full amount means you won’t forget to do this, though you can instead just pay it when the statement is due. I used to set a reminder in my calender so I didn’t forget.
If you can’t afford to do this, then pay as much as you can. And that needs to be at least the minimum repayment. This varies and is set by the card provider. Fail to do this and you’ll be hit by charges and it’ll be shown on your credit file – going against the good work you’re doing to improve your credit score.
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Though you’ll be spending on things you’d normally buy, that money doesn’t leave your current account until your pay off the card.
There’s the risk that you’ll see the extra cash in your bank account and forget you need it to clear the card. So you spend it elsewhere.
If you are worried about this you can actually transfer the money from your current account into a sub account (either a “pot” or “space” or a completely different one just for credit card spending) as soon as you spend.
Then you can pay the credit card bill from this account and be guaranteed to have enough cash set aside. It might be sensible to add a little extra in there in case you forget, but to be extra safe just put a note in your diary before the direct debit is due to leave the account that the balance is high enough.
Try not to use more than 30% of your credit limit
Lenders often look at something called “credit utilisation”. This is how much of your available credit you use.
Though it’ll be different for every credit card company, a good rule of thumb is to keep that level below 30%. The closer you are to this level each month the better it reflects on your overall report.
So if you have a £500 credit limit you don’t want to owe more than £150 on that card.
There are a number of other reasons credit cards can be useful – extra consumer protection, cashback and rewards, 0% spending and cutting the cost of debts. But I’d try to not get distracted.
Keep it simple by just spending and repaying, spending and repaying, and so on, month after month. Once you’re comfortable with this, and your credit report has improved, you can look at better cards.
Some get caught in the vicious circle of not having enough of a credit history to get accepted for a credit card, but needing a credit card to help improve their report in order to get one. And every rejection makes it harder still to get another card.
So how do you avoid this?
Check your eligibility
Many credit card providers will let you undertake a ‘soft’ eligibility check before a full ‘hard’ application. Do this and you’ll know whether you’ll get the card or not, or at least see your chances of acceptance.
Personally, unless there’s a very specific card you are after, I’d go via a comparison site such as Money Saving Expert’s Credit Club. This will show you your chances against a range of different cards. You can then pick the card with the highest chance of acceptance.
Though any spending and repaying on any credit card will help you improve your credit report, if you’re starting from scratch or have had problems with credit in the past you’ll probably want to look at a specific credit building card.
These are easier to get, but often come with restrictions. The interest rate for a start is likely to be higher than you’ll see on other cards. But this shouldn’t be an issue if you are clearing the balance completely each month.
You’ll also probably get a relatively low credit limit. But that is no bad thing either as it prevents you spending too much on the cards.
Watch out for representative APR
Though I’d encourage you to not get a credit card if you think you’re going to pay the interest charges, it makes sense to be aware of what you could be charged just in case.
Sadly it’s not as easy as just picking the card with the lowest rate as only 51% of successful applicants need to be offered the advertised rate – meaning 49% could pay more, sometimes a lot more.
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New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
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Best first-time credit cards
The best first-time credit card is the one you’ve got the best chance of getting (so check that eligibility). But if you’ve got a choice I think these cards are worth considering as your first credit card. They’re designed for building credit and they come with some welcome cash if you’re accepted.
1 bonus Clubcard point for every £4 spent at Tesco
1 bonus Clubcard point for every £8 spent elsewhere
£250 to £1,500 credit limit
27.5% APR
Going via TopCashback will earn you around £30 (the amount can vary). Once you have this card it offers money back when you spend – but don’t get too excited. You’d need to spend £100 a month for a year outside of Tesco to even make £1.50 – and that’s only if you are spending full multiples of £8 each time.
My final pick also comes with cashback when you successfully apply, this time via Quidco. You’ll also get up to five months free Apple TV+, even if you’re not a new Apple user.
If you think you will have to pay interest then the rate will drop by 3% after year one and another 2% after year two if you make all your payments on time and stay within your credit limit. Of course, you might be able to get a lower rate straight off from another card.
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. On
There’s no access to the Edge Saver. Instead you can earn 3.5% 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.
