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Updated December 1, 2025 | Deals

The best birthday freebies and how to get them

Get more than £60 of birthday freebies from shops and restaurants

Everyone likes to feel extra special on their birthday. Which is why some companies offer birthday freebies, with everything from free cake to a bottle of Prosecco. The best thing about some of these is that you often get a few weeks to claim your freebie, letting you take advantage of more, and spread your birthday out even further.

One birthday, Editor-in-chief Andy managed to bag himself a free meal at his favourite burger joint Meat Liquor, some posh Hotel Chocolat treats, a Body Shop shower gel and he saved money on some flatpack furniture at Ikea, totalling £28 worth of freebies.

And here’s how you can get up to £60 worth of freebies for your birthday.

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.

How to get birthday freebies

While most retailers’ emails end up unread and clogging up your inbox, when it comes to a few weeks before your birthday, it’s time to pay a little extra attention to them, just in case you’re getting a little gift.

Of course, these brands aren’t giving you something for nothing. In all cases, you need to be signed up for their newsletters, loyalty schemes or apps, which means handing over your data and dealing with constant emails.

If you’re selective, and only pick the brands you regularly shop at and want to hear about, then it’s well worth doing. And often the birthday freebies aren’t the only offers and deals you’ll get sent during the year.

Don’t forget that you can always unsubscribe from emails once you’ve had your birthday, and possibly even sign up again – though it’s worth doing this at least a month before your birthday to allow time for your details to be processed.

One of our writers Nicky Selwood, says that she always gives a different birthday, so she’s got birthdays all year round to make the most out of. The odd one might want ID, so use your real birthday for these ones.

Free birthday vouchers

With these retailers, it could be worth signing up in order to get a free voucher on your birthday. These are often only £5, but you could get yourself a few freebies or take a discount off something you’ve been eyeing up. There’s often no minimum spend, so you can get something for absolutely nothing.

I’ve ignored those that give the likes of 10% off as those kinds of codes are regularly available.

Marks & Spencer

M&S didn’t used to guarantee a freebie or voucher on your birthday, but it recently changed the Sparks scheme to get one for everyone signed up to the M&S Sparks card who has signed up for marketing and enters their birthday more than 35 days before via the app.

Freebies could include:

Chocolate Marks bar
All Butter Cookies 8-pack
Outrageously Chocolatey Rounds
All Butter Scottish Shortbread Assortment
Percy Pig sweets
Colin the Caterpillar sweets
Grapes
Blueberries

Join Sparks

Hobbycraft – £5 voucher

Register for Hobbycraft Club and you’ll be sent a voucher to spend in-store or online on the month of your birthday. You’ll also get a 15% off voucher when you sign up.

Hotel Chocolat – £5 voucher

For a free fiver with a £5.50 minimum spend, you just need to be signed up for Hotel Chocolat’s VIP.ME scheme.

The voucher can also be combined with other offers.

Free food and drink

From smoothies to doughnuts, here’s all the free food and drink you can get on your birthday. We’ve ignored a lot of the offers where you get a free main or bubbly when you buy a main, though there are a couple listed at the bottom of this page. They’re still decent offers, but we’re more excited about the freebies.

If you manage to get a bill for £0, it’s still pretty good form to leave a tip.

Barburrito – free burrito

Barburrito is offering a free burrito on your birthday, as long as you’re signed up to the loyalty app. A few days before your birthday, you’ll be emailed a voucher for a free burrito, which should also show in the app. Show this at the till, and you can eat for free.

You only get four days to claim it, so you have to be quick.

Benugo – free drink

Coffee shop chain Benugo is giving away a free coffee on your birthday. You just need to sign up to the mailing list and you’ll get a free coffee and another on your birthday.

Boost – free drink

If you sign up for the Boost Vibe Club (you can do this online), you can get a free drink on your birthday.

This can be claimed up to 3 days before and 3 days after your birthday.

You need to have earned at least one point and you’ll need to show ID proving that it’s your birthday.

Burger King – free whopper

Add your date of birth to the BK Rewards app and you’ll get a free burger!

Caffé Nero – free cake

If you’re signed up for the free Caffé Nero app and ensure you have your birthday in your settings, you’ll get a voucher for a free slice of cake on your birthday. Plus you can get a free drink for signing up here.

Costa – free cake

If you’re signed up for the free Costa Club you’ll notice a reward for a free slice of cake appear in your app. Costa lets you know it’s there with an email too.

Make sure you’ve told Costa when your birthday is, you can do this in the app.

Greggs – free cake or doughnut

Sign up to the Greggs Rewards scheme via the Greggs app and you’ll be able to claim a free doughnut, cupcake or cream cake. The voucher is valid for a month.

Krispy Kreme – free doughnut

You get a free doughnut via the Friends of Krispy Kreme scheme each year, though it’s only in full shops, not the ones you find in Supermarkets.

With this offer, you can choose any doughnut during your birthday month. When it comes to claiming it, you will need to add the birthday reward to your wallet in the Krispy Kreme app.

Lidl – free doughnut

If you haven’t quite had enough free doughnuts on your birthday, donut worry — you can claim another one from Lidl.

This one is found in the Lidl Plus app and is valid for 7 days from the birthday listed in your Lidl Plus Account.

Lola’s Cupcakes – free cupcake

If you join the Lola’s Cupcakes Love Club more than 30 days before your birthday, then you can get a free regular cupcake on your birthday for free.

You have to show ID that confirms your birth date and you have to prove you’ve been a member of the Love Club for at least 30 days. This excludes Lola’s Bakery in West Hampstead.

Muffin Break – free Muffin

There’s nothin’ like a free muffin on your birthday. By signing up for the Muffin Break loyalty scheme, you can get a free muffin in the month of your birthday.

There’s also a free doughnut for joining, too.

Starbucks – free drink

One for regular Starbucks users. If you join the free Starbucks Rewards scheme and reach Gold level (you need to earn 450 Stars, roughly a spend of £150) you’ll get a free drink on your birthday. You’ll also get other freebies throughout the year at this level. You get a free drink for every 150 stars you collect, so you’ll get 3 free drinks on your attempt to reach Gold.

Subway – free cookie

Join Subway Rewards, add your date of birth and you’ll receive a treat on your birthday, usually a free cookie.

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Steve Alderton and Editor James Andrews.

Episodes every Monday.

Listen now

Extra points on your birthday

Boots – double points for the whole month

Boots Advantage cardholders get double points for their whole birthday month. This will pop up in your Boots app on the first of the month, and you need to load the deal to your card before you scan it in-store. Check your details in the app to make sure Boots knows its your birthday.

Superdrug – triple points on your birthday

If you have the Superdrug Beautycard, you get triple points on your birthday. The offer is valid for 2 weeks after your birthday. You don’t have to opt in or add it to your card, just make sure Superdrug knows when your birthday is.

Birthday gifts

Shopmium – free gift

Cashback app Shopmium often provides a special extra offer on your birthday. Andy’s managed to snag a free box of Celebrations.

You’ll need to buy the item and scan the receipt to get the cashback. Here’s more on how the app works and a sign up offer.

Hobbs – free gift

Sign up for the Hobbs newsletter to get a free birthday gift. We’re not sure what you get, but in 2021 it was a candle. You also get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up.

Space NK – free gift

Again, it’s often a £5 off code but it could be a free miniature. And again you’ll get it by signing up to a membership scheme – for Space NK it’s called N.dulge.

This is a loyalty scheme, so you’ll earn points each time you spend money, which can be converted into money off future purchases.

Featured investing offer

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Customer rating 3.8/5

Offer
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Annual fee
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Investment styles
Shares, funds or ready-made portfolios
Minimum deposit
$50

Invest in a general investment account or stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
Fractional shares Yes
Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 583263
Risk warning The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. ISA powered by Moneyfarm. ISA rules apply. UK residents only.
Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

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Good birthday offers that aren’t freebies

Sometimes you’ll be sent a discount voucher or a free meal/ bottle of bubbly as long as you get another meal. These can be good and might be worthwhile if you’d like to eat there anyway, but they’re not strictly birthday freebies.

Here are some of the things you can be offered:

Meat Liquor – 20% off the bill

Meat Liquor is one of Andy’s favourite burger places. A few years back you could get a free main meal and a side on your birthday, which he took advantage of.

Sadly it’s now 20% off the entire bill – but that’s still decent if you like the food there. Sign up to the mailing list and you’ll get sent a unique code to use, valid for a week before and after your birthday.

Bills – “free” bottle of Prosecco

Again, not strictly a freebie, as each diner has to order a main meal.

Make sure you’re signed up for the Bill’s Newsletter 4 weeks before your birthday and you’ll get an email with the gift.

You’ll also need to pre-book a table. It’s valid for 5 weeks from the date that you get the email.

Updated November 28, 2025 | Articles

Changed your mind? Your refund rights

Andy Webb

When you can get your money back, and when you can’t

We’ve all made that impulse purchase that turns out to be not such a great idea. And we’ve all had items which seemed fine but over time turned out to be duds. So are you stuck with these unwanted or broken purchases?

You might be able to get your money back, but this could depend on why you want to return it, where you bought it, and how you paid for it.

Why you’re returning it

Because it’s faulty

If your purchase is damaged or stops working, the shop needs to give you a refund. You’ve got 30 days to take something back in this case. You’ll need proof of purchase.

Once this first month is over, you’ve got another five months (so six months after you got the item) to ask for a repair or replacement. And if the shop can’t or won’t do that, then you can get a full refund.

After this, you’ll need to prove that the problem is down to manufacturing, not wear and tear. This can make it a lot harder to get a refund. But you’ve got up to six years to do this, and it’s worth a try.

Of course, you might also have a guarantee with the item, so check whether you can claim on that for a refund or to get something fixed outside the first six months.

You’ve changed your mind

It’s a different story for refunds if you simply decide you don’t want something – you might not actually be able to get your money back. It all depends on where you bought it and potentially how you paid for it – keep reading for more on each of these.

Where you bought it

You bought it in a shop

Legally, the shop doesn’t have to accept returns when you change your mind. This can even include simply wanting to swap clothes for a different size.

Fortunately, most shops will happily give you your money back if you give them your receipt.

There’s normally something like 28 days or a month to bring your return back. And these are often extended in the run-up to Christmas, but also might be reduced when buying things in clearance. But be sure to check the shop’s policy, ideally before you buy anything.

Your money will be refunded to your original payment method. If you don’t have it, you might be able to get a gift card. However, some shops are cracking down on this to prevent money laundering and fraud.

The receipt is really important. Without it, the shop doesn’t have to accept the item back or might refund you at the current selling price, which could be lower if it’s on sale. There are some stores that’ll have your original purchase on file if you scanned a loyalty card at checkout, which could be a good backup if you’re struggling to find the receipt.

If a shop’s return policy doesn’t include refunds, it might let you exchange it or give you a credit note to spend at a later date. Not great, but it’s better than being stuck with something you won’t use or is the wrong size.

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Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Steve Alderton and Editor James Andrews.

Episodes every Monday.

Listen now

You bought it online

You actually get better rights if you order and pay online. You have 14 days from receiving your items to decide to send them back and let the retailer know – no questions asked. You’ve then got another 14 days to return them.

You can get a refund on the original delivery charge too, but you might need to pay to return it. Every retailer is different, so it’s worth checking before you buy. Amazon has different rules for the reason you return it – sometimes it’s free, sometimes there’s a charge. We have a guide with some of the retailers that charge for returns — it can be worth knowing before you buy whether you’ll be charged for your return.

And you get the same rights online as buying in a shop if something is faulty.

Be careful of shops that charge a “restocking fee” for returns. While you can be charged a reasonable amount to send the item back, we’ve seen some websites trying to charge these illegal fees, and it’s good to know how to fight them.

When shops can refuse a return even if they have a returns policy

There are some exclusions, even if a shop does offer refunds or you got it online. Perishable items such as fresh flowers or frozen foods won’t be accepted, for example.

You won’t be able to return personalised or made to order items. This could also include things like furniture even if you’re choosing the standard fabrics as they might only make the item once it’s been ordered.

You might also get turned down if the original packaging is missing, damaged or opened. For example, in-store at John Lewis, you can’t return electronics that have been opened.

The store’s justification for this is that if you’ve seen it in-store, you know what you’re buying. If you purchase online, you get more rights.

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Customer rating 3.8/5

Offer
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Annual fee
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Investment styles
Shares, funds or ready-made portfolios
Minimum deposit
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Invest in a general investment account or stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
Fractional shares Yes
Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 583263
Risk warning The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. ISA powered by Moneyfarm. ISA rules apply. UK residents only.
Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

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How you paid for it

You paid with a credit card

Anything you buy with a credit card that costs £100 or more is protected by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

This law means credit card providers are equally responsible if something goes wrong with a purchase. So if a retailer is refusing to refund you, you can try the credit card company.

However, this is only going to be effective if there’s an issue with your purchase or it doesn’t turn up. Changing your mind when a shop doesn’t have a returns policy won’t cut it.

You paid with a debit card

Here you can try for “chargeback”, as long as the purchase was under £100. This isn’t covered by a law, but if your bank agrees you’ve got a fair claim for money back with 120 days of your purchase, then they can reverse the charge to your account. As with Section 75, there needs to be an issue with the item or delivery of the item for this to be approved.

You paid via PayPal

Though PayPal can be convenient, it could also mean you lose the consumer rights that come with credit card or debit card payments. This is because you’re effectively breaking a direct chain between the card provider and the retailer.

So though it’s fine to use it, it’s worth avoiding it on bigger purchases, just in case.

You paid with cash

You’ve got no extra rights when you pay with cash, and if you lose your receipt you’ve also no proof of purchase at all. So try not to pay with cash if you can avoid it.

You paid with a gift card

Using discounted gift cards can save you a little extra on purchases. However, there’s a danger with paying by gift card. If you decide to return your item, you will get your refund to a gift card. Why is this bad?

First, you need to make sure you keep the original gift card as some retailers will only refund to the one you paid with.

Second, you’re locked into shopping with that retailer again. It’s a small risk if we’re talking about a £30 M&S gift card. But it’s a lot worse if you’re left with £400 on one for Curry’s.

So if there’s a good chance you’ll take something back, avoid paying with a gift card unless you’ve already got one.

Updated November 28, 2025 | Articles

Refer-a-friend: get paid when your friends use your financial referral

Andy Webb

Some banks and other financial companies offer you a cash payout for referring a friend

Word of mouth is a pretty good way of finding great financial companies, and some companies will even give you a freebie for referring a friend. From bank accounts to investment platforms, here are some of the financial companies that pay for your referral.

investengine refer a friend on a yellow background

Bank refer-a-friend schemes

Very simply, the banks are asking you to recommend them to your friends and family. In return they’ll give you a sweetener that is paid into your account. In the past, both TSB and Nationwide have offered £100 for referring friends, however sadly neither bank offers it anymore.

To be able to get the referral money, you need to have an account with the bank in order to play matchmaker, but once you do it’s a nice way to earn a little extra. And often your friends will get something in return too. Here’s what you need to know for each scheme.

Monzo refer-a-friend offer

Monzo offers a referral offer that changes from time to time. At the moment, this is £10 for you and a friend. Your friend needs to accept your invite and make their first card payment within 30 days.

Revolut refer-a-friend offer

Revolut routinely offers referral offers that change fairly often. These can range between getting £10 per referred friend to £60, so it’s worth trying to time it when there’s the best offer available.

Monese refer-a-friend bonus

Monese offers £10 via its invite and earn program. You’ll get £5 when you use the card for the first time and the rest after you’ve spent £500 with the card.

Bank switch offers

If you don’t have any friends to refer you, then you can try a bank switch offer. For these, you’ll need to close your old account completely. However, as part of the Current Account Switch Guarantee, all your Direct Debits and standing orders will be transferred, and any payments in (such as your salary) and out will be forwarded. We have a separate guide with all of the current best bank switch offers if you’re up for one of these, but here are the top ones.

Bank Switches

HSBC £220 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£220
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements Switch bank accounts within 60 days of opening the account using the Current Account Switching Service, closing the old account
Deposit and spend requirements Deposit at least £2,000 into the account and spend at least £500 with your debit card within 60 days of opening the account
Direct debits transferred over Transfer over at least 2 direct debits
Existing customers? You can't get the offer if you already have a HSBC or first direct bank accountor have opened one since 1 January 2023

NatWest £200 switch offer

Customer rating 4.7/5

Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
Unknown
Extra perks
Up to £36 rewards a year

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
Deposit requirements Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
Bonus paid Within 30 days of meeting criteria
Existing customers? No
Restrictions Offer is limited to once per person, cannot have ever received a switching bonus from RBS, Ulster or Natwest and cannot have had a current account on 6 May 2026
Eligible accounts Reward, Select or Premier Reward, Premier Select

RBS £200 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
Unknown
Extra perks
Up to £36 rewards a year

Bonus paid Within 30 days of meeting criteria
Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
Deposit requirements Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
Eligible accounts Reward, Select or Premier Reward
Existing customers? No
FSCS Protected? Yes
Restrictions Offer is limited to once per person, cannot have ever received a switching bonus from RBS, Ulster or Natwest and cannot have had a current account on 6 May 2026

Barclays £200 switch offer

Customer rating 4.1/5

Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
Unknown
Extra perks
Free Apple TV (with Blue Rewards)

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus paid Barclays will text you when you’ve met the conditions, then you’ll get the switch reward within 45 working days
Eligibility Pay at least £2,000 into your new Barclays Current Account within 30 days of opening
Direct debits transferred over Must be completed through the Current Account Switching Service, which moves all payments to a new account within seven working days and closes their old account on the switch day they choose, transferring any money to their new account
Existing customers? Only available to new current account customers who download the Barclays app who are also UK residents - if you had a Barclays current account on 9 June 2026, you can't get this offer
Eligible accounts Current account with Blue Rewards
Blue Rewards You can opt to add Blue Rewards to your account — it's not necessary for the switch offer, but can get you the extra perks like Apple TV and cashback at select retailers. Blue Rewards costs £5 per month.

Nationwide £175 switch offer

Customer rating 4.5/5

Switch bonus
£175
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account within 28 days of starting the switch and make one debit card transaction within 31 days. The old account must be from a different bank.
Deposit requirements Deposit £1,000 within 31 days
Direct debits transferred over Transfer two direct debits
Existing customers? Yes
Restrictions You can't have received a bonus from a switching offer for a sole account already. Offer is limited to once per person per account type, but you can get it on both personal and joint.
Eligible accounts FlexPlus, FlexDirect or FlexAccount
Bonus paid Within 10 days of the switch completing

first direct £175 bonus when you switch*

Customer rating 4.7/5

Switch bonus
£175
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, make 5+ debit card payments and log on to digital banking.
Deposit requirements Deposit £1,000 or more
Direct debits transferred over Move two direct debits or standing orders
Eligibility New customers only (who have not previously held a First Direct product, or opened an HSBC current account on or after 1 January 2018) (T&Cs apply)
Overseas spending No First Direct fees when spending abroad
Regular Saver information Put away between £25 and £300 for a fixed 12 month term. If you save £300 every month for 12 months and qualify for the 7.00% AER/gross p.a. interest rate, you'll earn approximately £136.50 interest (gross). Interest is calculated daily and paid 12 months after you opened the account.
T&Cs Terms and conditions

Starling Bank free SURI Pro 2.0 Toothbrush

Customer rating 4.9/5

Switch bonus
free SURI toothbrush
Offer
11 October

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus You'll get a voucher code for a free SURI Pro 2.0 Toothbrush and UV clean-and-charge case worth £105 (value based on the full price amount, which is subject to change during promotional periods)
Requirements Open a new Starling personal current account between 10 August 2026 and 11 October 2026 and complete a full switch using the Current Account Switch Service
Existing customers? Not available to existing customers

Credit card referral schemes

While there are quite a number of credit card referral schemes out there, you need to think carefully before recommending a credit card to someone as you’d want to be confident that they can manage the payments.

American Express refer-a-friend offer

If you refer a friend for the American Express Cashback Credit Card and they successfully apply then you’ll get £30 (up to £150 per calendar year) and they get £25, which makes it fee-free.

They’ll also get the normal introductory offer, currently 5% cashback for three months up to £125. Other Amex cards have similar schemes though the rate might vary. It’s also possible for your friend to get a similar bonus via cashback sites but you’ll miss out. We have a full guide on the best American Express cards.

Vanquis credit card refer-a-friend offer

Vanquis also offers £25 to you and your friend if you recommend someone to their credit card, but this isn’t a cashback credit card so there’s probably a better reward out there for your friend – even if it means you don’t get your referral bonus.

Savings account refer-a-friend offers

Plum refer a friend offer

Savings app Plum sometimes has referral schemes that let you refer a friend for a savings account. Your referred friend usually needs to deposit a certain amount to get the payout, but this’ll depend on the T&Cs at the time.

Investing refer-a-friend offers

Investment accounts also tend to have refer-a-friend offers. If you don’t already have an account with some of them, you can sign up with our link to get free shares or cashback. Here are some of the offers.

Here at Be Clever With Your Cash, we’re not regulated to give you financial advice. We aim to give you the facts about a provider or investment but it’s up to you to decide if it’s suitable for you. If you’re looking for more personalised guidance, find a financial adviser who can give you specific advice. Remember that your capital is at risk when investing — don’t invest more than you are prepared to lose.

Trading 212 refer-a-friend offer

Trading 212 routinely offers a refer-a-fried promotion that can get both you and your friend free fractional shares when they sign up using your link. You can check if this is running by going into the Menu – if there’s an option called ‘Get free shares’, then it’s currently running. You then choose ‘invite friends’.

Hit ‘share link’ to share your referral link, which you can then send to your friends. They need to sign up and deposit £1 within 10 days. Within three working days of your friend signing up and depositing at least £1.

If you’re not already a Trading 212 customer, you can get a free fractional share using our referral.

InvestEngine refer-a-friend offer

InvestEngine’s refer-a-friend offer can get you and your friend a bonus between £20 & £100 when your friend invests at least £100.

To get it, you need to send your friend your referral link. They then need to sign up, choose investments and fund the account with at least £100. You’ll both then get a notification to generate your welcome bonus.

It’ll land in your accounts within five business days.

You can refer up to 25 friends but you have to keep your bonus invested for at least 12 months before you can withdraw it.

If you don’t have InvestEngine yet, you can still get a welcome bonus via our link.

Expired refer-a-friend deals

Nationwide referral bonus

This was one of the best refer-a-fiend offers when it ran, but it’s sadly ended. Both you and your friend could get £100 when you referred them. However, higher paying bank switch offers regularly run.

TSB refer a friend bonus

This was another refer-a-friend offer that ended on 28 February 2020. You and your friend could get £100 each as long as they completed a full switch that included two active direct debits and paid £500 into the account.

First Direct referral bonus

First Direct used to offer a referral scheme, but this was put on hold and never returned. When it ran, you could get between £50 and £100.

Santander refer a friend bonus

The Santander referral offer ended in June 2019. It got you and your friend a £50 Amazon voucher for a full switch.

Updated November 20, 2025 | Articles

How to get the cheapest advance train tickets

Andy Webb

Know when and how to pick up low-cost advance rail tickets.

We all know that the priciest train tickets are the ones you buy on the day you travel, and that the earlier you buy one the cheaper it’ll be.

But how do you get these advance tickets? Here are the simple things I do to make sure I don’t pay more than I need to.

1. Understand when advance fares are available

You’d think anytime before your journey date would count as advance, but in fact, most train tickets aren’t put on sale until 10 to 12 weeks in advance of travel.

Some train companies will put fares on sale much earlier, with the caveat that there could be changes. However, these tend to be weekday tickets as weekend ones are those likely to be affected by engineering works, and subsequently announced later.

Frustratingly not all routes have advance fares, meaning the price you pay is the same whenever you buy your ticket. If you’re not sure whether they’ve just sold out or simply not available, you can do a quick search for different dates to check.

2. Set an alert for your travel dates

To make sure I know as soon as advance tickets are released, I’ll generally put a note in my phone’s calendar to look for the tickets around that 12-week point (if I know that far in advance).

But I’ll also use alert services. These send you an email for your exact journey.

The best one is probably from the Trainline as it covers all the different networks. However don’t book with The Trainline as you’ll be hit with extra fees.

Some train providers also offer their own alert service (such as LNER). Other’s have usually have a page sharing what tickets are currently available, including this one for all operators via Network Rail.

3. Advance tickets are available right until you travel

There’s actually more than one price for an advance ticket. Once the cheapest have sold out, the next level becomes available and so on. In fact, it’s possible to get an advance fair on the day of travel with some rail companies.

Yes you might miss out on the very cheapest fares if you aren’t booking 12-weeks ahead, but it’s always worth checking as soon as you know you are going somewhere by train.

Latest time to get advance tickets

These times relate to journeys on the operator’s own services.

Avanti – 10 minutes before departure
Chiltern – 6pm the day before travel
Cross Country – 10 minutes before departure
East Midlands – 11.59pm the day before travel
Great Northern – 10 minutes before departure
Great Western – 2 minutes before departure
Greater Anglia East Midlands – 11.59pm the day before travel
Hull – four hours before the train leaves it’s origin, or 3pm the day before for early morning trains
LNER – 40 minutes before departure, or 11.59pm the day before travel for early morning trains
Northern – 11.59pm the day before travel
ScotRail – two hours before the train leaves it’s origin, or 11.59pm the day before travel for early morning trains
South Western – 11.59pm the day before travel
Southeastern – 11.59pm the day before travel
Southern – 11.59pm the day before travel
Thameslink – 11.59pm the day before travel
TransPennine – 11.59pm the day before travel
Transport for Wales – up to 7pm day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 4 hours before departure point of origin

Updated November 20, 2025 | Articles

John Lewis price match: how it works

Nicky Selwood

You can claim the difference back if it’s cheaper at Amazon and 24 other shops

In 2022, the ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ price match promise disappeared. Though they did replace it with the ‘Price Drop Refund’, it wasn’t the same.

Well the good news is the John Lewis Price Match is back. Here’s everything you need to know about the new scheme.

What is the John Lewis price match?

At its most simple, if you buy something from John Lewis and find the price is lower at any of the following retailers before you buy or within seven days after purchase, John Lewis will refund you the difference.

The department store uses AI technology to price match 25 high street and online retailers, including:

AO .com
Amazon
- Electricals only: tech, TV & audio, computing and gaming, small and large home appliances, mobile and smart tech, and beauty/dental electricals
Apple
Argos
Asos
Boots
Currys
Dunelm
Dreams
The Entertainer
Fenwick
Flannels
Furniture Village
Harrods
Harvey Nichols
Heal’s
House of Fraser
Lakeland
M&S
Mama’s and Papa’s
Next
Richer Sounds
Selfridges
Smyths Toys
Space NK

You can also price match John Lewis itself if the price drops after you’ve bought something from them.

It’s great to see Amazon added to the list, as before only retailers with physical premises were included. However, restricting the scheme to just 25 stores does mean you won’t be able to match prices at other chains and independent stores, in particular decent white goods retailers such as Marks Electricals or beauty brands like Benefit.

Sadly this time around the time to make a claim is much shorter. Just one week, compared to 35 days before.

How to claim a ‘price match’ refund

You can price match in-store or via the John Lewis website. You’re no longer able to make a claim via the phone. Annoyingly it’s a new form for every item you want to price match.

Here’s how it works depending on whether you find the lower price elsewhere before or after you buy.

Before you buy

If you’re buying in a John Lewis shop and have found the item for less at one of the listed competitors above, you just need to show evidence such as a link to a website or a screenshot, and they will match that price subject to the terms and conditions.

If you are making a purchase online and spot a lower price at one of the listed competitors, then the easiest way to claim is by completing the purchase first and then filling out the online claim form with evidence of the competitor price. You’ll hear back within 48 hours.

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After you buy

If you buy an item at a John Lewis shop and you notice that the price has dropped at one of the major competitors listed above within seven days, you can submit a claim for the difference.

You’ll need to fill in the online claim form, providing evidence as well as your original receipt as proof of purchase.

If your claim is accepted, you will be refunded the difference using the original payment method, and if you used cash or a gift card for the original purchase, you’ll unfortunately need to visit a John Lewis store in order to receive your refund.

If you made your purchase online, then it’s the same process as above using the online claim form and if approved you’ll get your refund within five days.

And just like their price drop refund, they also price match against any price drops of their own within seven days. So if you notice they’ve lowered the price of something you’ve bought from them within the time frame, be sure to submit a claim for the difference.

What products are price matched at John Lewis?

John Lewis price matches identical items, which means it must be the same make, model, size, colour, version and specification.

The product in question must also be in stock online and ready for delivery from the competitor as well as from John Lewis.

It’s important to know that where there is an additional charge such as a competitor’s delivery fee, that this is also taken into account in the price match.

With Amazon, John Lewis will only price match electrical items sold directly by Amazon (not marketplace sellers) and they don’t price match lighting, electrical toys, baby monitors or any non-electrical items.

What’s not price matched at John Lewis?

Sadly you won’t be able to price match against:

clearance offers
multi-buy offers
special member prices including loyalty discounts
flash sales such as lightning deals
prices with a voucher code
exclusive prices
trade prices
against any obvious pricing errors
competitors that are closing down
concession brands like Nespresso, Jo Malone and Longchamp

Some of these are more important to note than others. Previously you could match voucher codes, so it’s a shame that’s been excluded.

Watch out too for against additional services such as extended warranties, fitting or disposal, as these won’t be included in the price John Lewis match.

They also don’t price match any financial services like foreign currency purchases, though that’s not something you’re likely to see with any of the 25 listed retailers apart perhaps M&S.

How you get the refund

Unless you buy in-store and the match is agreed upfront, you won’t get the money knocked off the initial price you pay. Instead you’ll pay the full whack, and the difference will be paid back to your original payment card within five days.

Why it’s worth doing a price match at John Lewis?

Obviously if you can get something for less elsewhere, you’ll save money. But that’s not the only reason.

John Lewis gives a minimum 2 year guarantee on all electricals and 5 years on TVs at no extra cost, which is something you often pay extra for at competitors.

They also have good customer service so if anything was to go wrong with your purchase, you’ll find the whole warranty process easy to navigate with them.

So in essence, you’ll be getting the best price as well as the best service. But they’re not the only retailer to price match. Check out our list of other retailers that offer a price match.

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Top tips to make sure the John Lewis price match works for you

We’re sharing some points we learned during the last version of the scheme. It might be they aren’t as much of an issue this time, but they’re things to be aware of.

Avoid using cash or gift cards

A new one for this version of the scheme is that if you paid in-store via a gift card, gift voucher or cash and then want to later claim for a price match, then the refund can only be paid out in a John Lewis shop . That could be a pain if you don’t have one near you.

We’re checking with John Lewis whether this also applies to gift card purchases online. The claims form would suggest you’ll be ok, but the terms state otherwise.

To get around this you could obviously stick to using a debit or credit card. Or if that’s not possible try to only part pay with gift vouchers or cash and then put the rest on your debit or credit card.

This will hopefully allow the refund to go on the card and save you a trip to the shop itself. Though of course you won’t know in advance if you’re going to be able to match, and if so by how much, so you could still come unstuck.

You can still put the claim in online though, which is a big improvement on the last version where all in-store claims had to be made in-store.

Check it’s the exact same item

You won’t be able to get the money back if there’s any variation – that could be colour, size or even just the model number. So if you’re only buying from John Lewis because of the price matching, make sure it is the same before you buy.

Don’t assume something has already been price matched

When John Lewis says it’s “Never Knowingly Undersold”, that’s not true. If that was the case it would reduce items as soon as they honour a price match.

In the past I’ve had a price match approved but the price on the website has stayed the same.

This means that even when something is labelled as reduced as part of a price match, make sure you can’t get a better deal still elsewhere. And if so, then put in a price match request.

Be persistent

It used to be if you phoned up to match prices the answer could be dependent on the customer service agent you spoke to. And the same could also happen online.

This time around it’s unclear if there’ll be any human moderation of claims or if it’ll all be done using AI. Even so, if you get rejected, it could be worth completing the form again to see if you get a different answer.

That doesn’t mean “don’t take no for an answer”. You won’t be able to match everything, but if you think it’s a legitimate claim based on their criteria then it’s worth trying a second time if you are rejected.

Updated November 19, 2025 | Deals

Marks & Spencer deals and offers

BCWYC Team

From Sparks offers to freebies – we’ll list them here

At one point it seemed like every couple of months there was a 20% off at M&S voucher! Though less frequent nowadays, if you can hold off, it’s worth waiting until the deals come along. I’ll list these and other great offers on this page.

Remember with many of these deals you can stack them, meaning you can combine the offers to get even bigger discounts.

Sales and promotions

Beauty: £330 beauty advent calendar for £60

You can get a £330 M&S beauty advent calendar for £60. You previously only got it when you spent £35 on full-price clothing, homeware or beauty, but it’s now scrapped the minimum spend amount so anyone can get it.

The Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 includes a selection of 25 products, including some full-size products across bath and body, skincare, haircare and make-up.

Now, just because M&S say it’s worth £330 it doesn’t mean it actually is. You can see the entire contents here, so use that to work out whether it’s not just worth paying £60 for.

Save on the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar

20% off shopping at Marks and Spencer

The 20% off codes were almost every month pre-2020, but now they’re pretty rare. When they do appear you usually need to have a Sparks membership – or know someone who does.

You can either activate the offer to your card from your online account or the Sparks app. You might also get an email or some vouchers in the post, including spare codes to give to friends and family members, though I’ve not had these in quite a while.

The offer also tends to be split over two weekends, with some customers getting the deal in week one of the promotion and others a week later.

It’s a lot rarer for generic codes for everyone. When these offers come up there’s often a digital code (which I’ll share here), and occasionally a voucher you can print to use in stores.

Latest 20% off weekend

If an offer is running you’ll see it in your Sparks account, or you might have received an email.

We don’t know if all Sparks customers will get it this weekend or not. Offers seem to be ad hoc in the Sparks app, and not universal to all customers.

If not, it’s worth checking with family and friends to see if they’ve got a code you can use.

Shop at Marks & Spencers

M&S Sparks offers

Members of the free M&S Sparks loyalty scheme get offers sent to their account frequently and can be for food, clothing, home or beauty. There’s a lot of recurring offers, so if you know you need something, it may be worth holding out for that offer to become live again before you purchase. You can sign up to Sparks here.

How often you get sent Sparks offers does vary, but there does tend to be a new selection every three to four weeks or so. Sparks offers range from money off to free products, so it’s always worth checking your M&S app for your latest since they include personalised offers.

Read our review of the M&S Sparks loyalty scheme

Sparks Baby Club: free cake every week

If you’re expecting or recently had a baby, you can sign up for the M&S baby club which gets you free cake, a pastry or a fruit pot when you buy a hot drink on Tuesdays between 9.30am and 11.30am.

To get it, you need to be a Sparks member, then from the app you select “the parent hood” and just have to give a few details like your due date. Once you’re signed up, you’ll have an offer in your Sparks app that can be scanned every Tuesday for a year.

The baby club also gets you 10% off babygrows for a year and other monthly rewards such as discount on Mamas and Papas products.

Join the M&S baby club

Sparks welcome offer

New Sparks members should get a welcome offer when they first sign up. When I joined in 2020 I got a free tote bag, while in spring 2021 the advertised offer was a £5 discount on a £40 spend on food and drink, and 10% off fashion and home.

Sparks birthday gift

The more you scan your Sparks card when you shop at M&S, the higher the chance you’ll get a free birthday treat. There’s no guarantee – I didn’t get anything this year.

Extra savings

Alongside sales and regular promotions, it’s possible to save more with these ongoing vouchers and tricks.

Free £5 off £35 voucher

You can get a £5 voucher to spend on M&S clothes when you take old clothes to Oxfam, or if you drop the clothes off in-store instead you’ll get a Sparks reward. More details on the Shwop scheme.

Earn cashback, including a bonus of up to £20

You can shop at the M&S website via cashback sites such as Quidco and TopCashback, earning you money back on each purchase. If you’ve not used either of these sites before you can also get up to £20 extra as a first-time cashback bonus.

Check out the latest welcome offers for Quidco and TopCashback

Tricks to spend less on M&S food

Thought it’s one of the pricier supermarkets I tend to shop at M&S most weeks as it’s the one right by my office. To help make it more affordable we use a number of tricks. You can read about how to save money at M&S Food.

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Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
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Updated November 19, 2025 | Articles

How to get free delivery: 6 delivery hacks

Andy Webb

How to avoid paying for postage and packaging

One of the most infuriating parts of online shopping is having to pay for delivery, and most of us are no strangers to shopping elsewhere if delivery is an additional cost.

But before you close that tab, give some of these tips a go to get a discount on your delivery fees.

Top up your order with everyday essentials

Some shops only offer free delivery if you spend above a threshold. This is often really annoying, especially when you’re just a few quid out.

Try to avoid websites which help you find random cheap items such as washers that you don’t need – you’re still paying extra when you do this and these items are likely to just end up in the bin.

Instead, keep a list of those everyday essentials you know you’ll need at some point, like stamps, batteries or hand soap – all of which can be bought at Amazon, Tesco, Ocado, and other major supermarket websites. When you’re falling short, just add some of these in.

Top up your order with returnable items

An alternative is to add items you know you don’t want with the intention of returning them. Andy’s done this with John Lewis to get to the £50 threshold before.

Since anything you buy online can be returned within 14 days of you receiving the goods, the shops have to refund you. The only exception is anything that has been customised or is perishable.

Watch out for return charges

It’s not just delivery where you could have to pay – more and more retailers will now charge you for returns. And some places might later charge you for delivery if what you keep ends up below the free delivery threshold.

If you’re not sure whether you’ll keep what you buy, especially if you are trying multiple sizes and styles, then it’s worth shopping around to compare return costs.

It might even be worth paying a little more if you know you’ll pay less to send the items back.

We’ve listed some of the worst offenders for return charges to be wary of.

Sign up for a delivery pass free trial

A few stores will offer a free trial of a delivery pass, usually giving unlimited deliveries or at least some money off.

However, be careful that this trial doesn’t become one you pay for afterwards if you don’t think it offers value. And even then, the idea behind this type of membership is to encourage you to keep shopping with them, as opposed to shopping around, which might work out cheaper even if you have to pay for delivery.

Collect in-store or at a locker

Another option to reduce delivery fees is to order online and then collect in-store or at a locker, with this often done for free. Yes, this does mean you have to go to the shops, but at least you know what you are buying will be there when you arrive, and you’re much less likely to throw extra impulse items in the basket.

Plus, you can check your purchase at the shop. So if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you can usually return it there and then, saving an extra trip.

Rather cheekily, some retailers still charge for click-and-collect, but it’s worth a go.

Get a free delivery code

This can be a bit more work, but some retailers often have a free delivery code. The best bet is to have a little Google and see what comes up. If you’re signed up to their mailing list, check if you have an email offering free delivery.

Be careful if you are using a cashback site, as you might find the cashback claim is rejected for combining offers. Be sure to check the terms and conditions.

There are also some browser extensions available that will notify you if they find a deal – Zoe in the team has had some good luck with PayPal’s Honey in the past.

You could also try asking for a free delivery code on live chat via the website and see if they can do something for you.

Or, put the items you want to buy in your basket, leave it a little while, and see if the retailer pops you an email to ask if you’ve forgotten to check out — there’s sometimes a discount code or free delivery code to give you that extra push.

Our podcast

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Episodes every Monday.

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FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
Fractional shares Yes
Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
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Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

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Check other retailers

It’s also worth checking that the item isn’t for sale at another shop with free or cheaper delivery. Even if the item itself costs more, the total amount including delivery could well be less.

Price matching can be a great way to pick up free delivery at the same low price you spot elsewhere.

Updated November 10, 2025 | Deals

Latest Paypal offers & deals

BCWYC Team

From time to time PayPal runs extra offers that are worth checking out.

We all use PayPal (check out my review here and guide to features you might not know about), but you might also be able to nab a special offer. Here’s my pick of the latest deals:

Offers

£10 when you spend £5 at Google Play

If you’ve never used Google Play before then use PayPal to spend £5 and you’ll get £10 credit to your PayPal wallet.

Ends 31 December 2022 and you need to use the credit by 31 January 2023.

Referral bonus

Free £20 credit for signing up or referring a friend

As explained here you can refer a friend and both get £10 if they’re new to PayPal. They’ll also have to spend £5 via PayPal for you to both get the cash paid into your accounts. Now this all has to be done before the 31 December 2022.

Also, you can only refer ten friends, capping the amount you earn at £200. That means I can’t share a link here, but if you are one of the first to contact me I’ll happily refer you from my account.

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Invest in a general investment account or stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
Fractional shares Yes
Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 583263
Risk warning The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. ISA powered by Moneyfarm. ISA rules apply. UK residents only.
Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)

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Updated November 10, 2025 | Articles Review

Is PayPal a good way to pay?

Andy Webb

From security to crowd funding, I’ve taken a look at the pros and cons of the digital payment company in this review.

PayPal can be a handy way to pay. For a start you don’t need to have any cards on you for quick online payments.

For many the main reason for having one was to sell on eBay. But that’s changing, and by the end of 2021 all private sellers will be using a PayPal free system.

Plus, from 16th December 2020 you’ll be charged to have a PayPal account you aren’t using.

And with so many other advancements in the ways we pay, such as Apple Pay and Curve, do you still need PayPal?

I’ve taken a look at the good and the bad of PayPal in the video review below, or keep reading for the full article.

Click over to my YouTube channel to like and subscribe

What is PayPal?

PayPal is essentially a digital wallet. You can connect your bank account and as many of your debit and credit cards as you want. You can also keep cash in there, either money that’s sent to you or money you withdraw from your bank.

There are two main PayPal accounts – personal and business – the focus here is on the personal accounts. This personal account is free – though as I explain below there is a new charge for inactive accounts.

Once you’ve got your PayPal account you’ll probably use it for one of three reasons:

You can use it to buy things

You’ll mainly see PayPal at the checkout for online shops. It’s the most common way to pay outside using your debit or credit card.

But you can also use it to pay out and about. Generally the retailer would produce a QR code for you to scan which then gives you the details to pay with from your PayPal app.

You can use it to send money

As long as who you want to pay has a PayPal account you can send them cash via your wallet. If they don’t have an account they’ll have to set one up.

This is obviously quicker and easier than typing in all their account details to your banking app – though services like Paym also get around it.

You can use it to request money

Asking for money works the same way. You just put the email address they use into PayPal and how much they owe you and send it across.

Pros of PayPal

You can use cards without sharing your card details

I think most people will have used PayPal because they had to (on sites such as eBay) or because you didn’t want to put your card details into a website.

The merchant will never see your connected card details when you use PayPal, so it’s a good way to pay when you’re not sure about the security of a website.

It’s a quick way to pay

It’s also pretty fast and convenient method of payment. If I’m at home on the sofa using my laptop there’s a good chance I won’t have my wallet with me. But a few clicks via PayPal and I’m able to pay and add my delivery details for a speedy checkout.

Using PayPal with an American Express card

This is a great work around for people wanting to earn cashback and rewards at retailers that don’t accept Amex credit cards but do take PayPal.

Very simply you pay with PayPayl and use your underlying Amex to fund the transaction. It’s a good fix, though do read some of the downsides of using any credit card on PayPal below.

You can crowdfund

I didn’t know about PayPal Money Pools until the other week.

It was my brother-in-law’s 40th during the lockdown so celebration plans were cancelled. Instead, my sister set about crowdfunding contributions from friends and family to help buy a special present. She used Money Pool and it worked great.

It’s free to set up, free to make contributions and free to make payments from! It could be handy for anything from wedding lists through to group holiday funds.

It’s launching a virtual card

So far virtual cards have been something you only see on Fintech banking apps – and often only with paid for accounts like Monzo Premium. well, PayPal is launching its own one – PayPal Key.

Essentially a virtual card is as it sounds. There’s just a long number, expiry date and three digit CSV. No plastic (or metal) to go in your wallet.

This has a few benefits. First, It means you can use your PayPal accounts even on sites which don’t have a PayPal button.

And it also provides an added level of security. You can generate a new virtual card whenever you want. So if your details are compromised, you can just create a new one to replace it.

At the moment it’s only in the USA, but hopefully we’ll see it here in the UK soon. This link should help you enrol when it is live.

PayPal has extra offers

From time to time you’ll see special deals to earn you a little back on your purchases. Most aren’t great, but it’s worth looking at from time to time as there can be some winners.

To find these you need to log in to your PayPal account and hit the offers tab.

These change regularly. At the time of writing there’s a £10 referral bonus offer if you invite new customers and £20 back on £90 of shopping at select retailers. You can find out more about the latest offers in my PayPal deals page.

The Cons of PayPal

You lose Section 75 Protection

Using PayPal with a credit card breaks the direct connection between you as the buyer and the retailer as the provider. You are instead paying PayPal who then pays the retailer.

This, in turn, means you lose Section 75 protection – a law that means credit card companies are equally liable with the the shop or business that’s sold you to you if something goes wrong, such as a delivery not arriving.

Section 75 only works for items or services costing more than £100, so if you have something you want to protect above that value, use a credit card instead.

Instead, you can claim via Chargeback or PayPal’s own Buyer Protection Promise. Neither are a legal consumer right to your money back.

If something you buy isn’t what you expected or doesn’t arrive you’ll be able to make a claim (in most cases) via PayPal Buyer Protection. You’ll be covered for the full purchase price and packaging.

However Which? magazine recently found customers are frequently let down if they’ve been victim to fraud.

You’ll be charged if you don’t use it

PayPal is free for buying things and sending money, right? Well yes. As long as you use it. If your account is classed as inactive there’s a new £9 annual fee starting on the 16th December 2020.

Fortunately it’s easy to avoid this. The charge is only added to your account if:

You’ve not signed into your account for 12 months
You’ve not used your account for 12 months

So very simply you just need to put a note in your diary to log-in once every 12 months. Or if you’re not going to use it at all just close it down.

If you do forget the £12 will be deducted from the funds you have in your account not your connected card or bank account. And it won’t take more than the amount you have there. So if there’s just £8 in your PayPal account, you’ll only lose £8. So it makes sense to not leave any cash in there – just in case.

You’ll also get reminders 60 and 30 days before a charge is due.

Scammers love pretending to be from PayPal

One of the most common scam emails I get is from someone pretending to be from PayPal. No doubt that’ll increase on the back of the new dormancy fee.

These can look professional, so the best way to check if it’s a legit message from email is to look at the sender’s actual email. If it’s not “@ PayPal.com” then it’s not real. Here’s more on how to spot a fake email.

If scammers do get access to your account and use it without your authorisation you should be covered by PayPal’s protections.

But if you send them money, then your rights in terms of getting the money back are much reduced.

Watch out for businesses asking you to pay as “friend”

If you are selling something, either yourself or as a business, then PayPal takes a fee. You’ll have seen this if you’ve sold on eBay.

Sometimes if you’re using PayPal to buy from a brand they’ll ask you to send the money via the “Sending to a friend” option. This will save them fees, which they might promise to pass on to you.

But doing this instead of the “Paying for an item or a service” option will mean you lose the purchase protection. So if something goes wrong or it doesn’t arrive you’ve nowhere to go to get your money back.

It’s hard to use in-store

Though you can use PayPal in participating shops, it’s rare to see it accepted. And it’s not really any easier or quicker than just tapping your card to pay. But I doubt anyone would want to use this to replace paying with cards so it’s not much of an issue.

It encourages you to take out credit

It can be very easy to get credit from PayPal. Which can be dangerous.

Don’t get me wrong, it could be useful. 0% credit to spread out the cost of something expensive can make things you need more affordable. But it’s not all 0%. And even if it is, you need to make sure you can afford it.

But what I really don’t like is that it’s pushed at you when you checkout, and that’s about to get worse.

PayPal is trying to compete with the like of Klarna via a new service called Pay in 3. It works in the same way as the others, letting you split the cost of something across three payments with 0% interest.

I’m not a fan of this type of borrowing. There are moves to bring in regulations to cover Buy Now Pay Later lenders, but for now you need to be careful of using them too readily.

The currency conversion rate isn’t great

If you are someone who sends money internationally you can use PayPal. But my limited experience of this (when buying things in US dollars) has seen a worse exchange rate than I’d get elsewhere.

I’ve not looked into this enough to recommend the best alternative, but it’s worth checking the exchange rates and charges elsewhere to see if you can get a better deal.

Conclusion: Should you use PayPal?

Though the negatives listed above outweigh the positives in number, I still think PayPal is a decent option if you are aware of the risks.

It’s certainly not going to be the main way to pay, but I don’t think anyone would want it to be. It’s simply a choice you’ve got.

Just remember you do need to be extra careful with the scammers, so always check a PayPal email really is from PayPal. And make sure you log-in once a year to avoid that annual fee.

How to get birthday freebies

Free birthday vouchers

Marks & Spencer

Hobbycraft – £5 voucher

Hotel Chocolat – £5 voucher

Free food and drink

Barburrito – free burrito

Benugo – free drink

Boost – free drink

Burger King – free whopper

Caffé Nero – free cake

Costa – free cake

Greggs – free cake or doughnut

Krispy Kreme – free doughnut

Lidl – free doughnut

Lola’s Cupcakes – free cupcake

Muffin Break – free Muffin

Starbucks – free drink

Subway – free cookie

Extra points on your birthday

Boots – double points for the whole month

Superdrug – triple points on your birthday

Birthday gifts

Shopmium – free gift

Hobbs – free gift

Space NK – free gift

Good birthday offers that aren’t freebies

Meat Liquor – 20% off the bill

Bills – “free” bottle of Prosecco

Why you’re returning it

Because it’s faulty

You’ve changed your mind

Where you bought it

You bought it in a shop

You bought it online

When shops can refuse a return even if they have a returns policy

How you paid for it

You paid with a credit card

You paid with a debit card

You paid via PayPal

You paid with cash

You paid with a gift card

Read next

Bank refer-a-friend schemes

Monzo refer-a-friend offer

Revolut refer-a-friend offer

Monese refer-a-friend bonus

Bank switch offers

HSBC £220 switch offer

NatWest £200 switch offer

RBS £200 switch offer

Barclays £200 switch offer

Nationwide £175 switch offer

first direct £175 bonus when you switch*

Starling Bank free SURI Pro 2.0 Toothbrush

Credit card referral schemes

American Express refer-a-friend offer

Vanquis credit card refer-a-friend offer

Savings account refer-a-friend offers

Plum refer a friend offer

Investing refer-a-friend offers

Trading 212 refer-a-friend offer

InvestEngine refer-a-friend offer

Expired refer-a-friend deals

Nationwide referral bonus

TSB refer a friend bonus

First Direct referral bonus

Santander refer a friend bonus

1. Understand when advance fares are available

2. Set an alert for your travel dates

3. Advance tickets are available right until you travel

What is the John Lewis price match?

How to claim a ‘price match’ refund

Before you buy

After you buy

What products are price matched at John Lewis?

What’s not price matched at John Lewis?

How you get the refund

Why it’s worth doing a price match at John Lewis?

Top tips to make sure the John Lewis price match works for you