Here’s where I’ll post any particularly decent eBay deals and offers, whether selling or buying!
As you’d expect there are thousands of different products! Often you’ll see well-known shops selling on eBay now at prices less than their own website. Office and Argos are just some with “outlet” shops on eBay.
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
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Buying offers
20% off on eBay
Another eBay deal, this time offering 20% off a huge variety of retailers. The code for 20% is MERRY20. The code expires at midnight on 16 December 2025.
There’s a minimum spend of £9.99 and the max discount is £75. The code can be used three times.
Do always price check elsewhere before buying though as they could be cheaper even without the discount.
You can get an exclusive £20 new member bonus. You need to spend £10 via one of the retailers listed on TCB to get this bonus, and that includes eBay. You must go via this link or the button below.
Read the full terms and conditions when you click through. Ends 31 March 2026.
The best Quidco deal is for subscribers to our free newsletter who get access to an exclusive £20 first-time bonus when they spend £10. Though you can use this at any shop, it also includes eBay. You’ll also get the cashback offered on top.
Once you sign up, you’ll need to click on the sign-up confirmation email that will be sent immediately. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folders as it could be there, and then add our email address to your safe senders list.
Then look for a special email that will be sent to you with the exclusive Quidco sign-up link. Make sure to read the terms and conditions on Quidco’s website before making your first purchase to ensure it tracks.
This offer is due to end 31 December 2025, but will hopefully be extended.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
How often do you have to use ODEON Limitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman Everywhere and other movie memberships to make them worthwhile?
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
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How cinema memberships work
There are two core types of memberships for the main cinema chains. The all-you-can-watch options will let you go every day, even more than once each day, if you want. The others will get you a handful of free tickets and then discounts on future ones.
Often you’re limited to just standard 2D screenings in normal seats, but some will let you access 3D showings, recliner seats and even event cinema such as theatre – though you’ll pay more for the privilege.
You can see the breakdown of ODEON MyLimitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman, Curzon and Picturehouse memberships further down the page. But first, my thoughts on how to decide what represents good value.
Should you get a cinema membership?
I think value from cinema memberships comes down to three factors. If you can justify at least two of them, then potentially go for it.
How often will you go?
First is the most important, and it’s one very simple number – how often are you really going to go? Back in my 20s, my record was 60 times in a year, but even I found that too much. I forgot half the things I saw!
I think if you can commit to going roughly two or three weeks out of four (between 26 and 40 visits a year) then you’ll likely be getting a bargain. These are the key numbers I’ve used in the comparisons below, but that’s still a lot of films to see. Go less than this and the savings tend to be less likely.
Can you commit to just one cinema?
Next you need to consider if you’re likely to still visit other cinema chains. That could be because there aren’t many screens or certain films aren’t showing where you’ve got your membership – often the case for independent or foreign films. Perhaps it’s just a logistical matter because mates want to go elsewhere or you can only make a screening at 8pm.
There’s absolutely no point shelling out for an unlimited membership if you’re going to see movies elsewhere too.
But if you’ve only got one cinema then this is less of a problem.
Of course, some of these memberships can also be used alongside other deals. There are tricks mentioned below for both Everyman and Cineworld memberships which effectively give you free tickets for two people if you go certain days. Bargain!
When I lived in London I saw no point getting one of the annual cinema memberships. First, there are dozens of ways to get cheap tickets, meaning I rarely paid more than £6 a ticket in the capital. Second, you are tied to going to just one chain, which doesn’t work if the film you want to see at the time you want to go is at a cinema you can’t use your membership.
But now I’m out of London, my options are much smaller. We’ve actually only got two cinemas in town – an ODEON and an Everyman. Both offer membership schemes that let you go as much as you want. Are they worth shelling out for?
Having checked out all the deals, the cinema geek side of me is very tempted by the Everyman Everywhere membership – but only if I’m willing to go every week.
However, thanks to various deals, I tend to get more than 20 free tickets elsewhere each year, as well as a dozen or so free rental vouchers. Combined with so many fantastic TV shows on Disney, Apple and the BBC I don’t think I’d be able to get enough value from a membership.
Plus I still like to have the choice of where I go and I’ve enough money-saving tricks up my sleeve that I can keep prices just as low most of the time. So the answer – for now – is no.
But take a look at the different options below to see if one could work for you.
How the different cinema memberships compare
ODEON myLimitless
How it works
There are two versions of ODEON’s membership, called myLimitless. The standard offering works all over the UK, not just outside London. However you won’t be able to use it at Luxe locations. These are included in the myLimitless Plus membership.
With standard, you can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments. You also can’t use your membership ticket to get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies.
You’ll be invited to free preview screenings. You can book up to four screenings in advance. There’s a 10% discount on food and drinks.
In addition, the Plus membership not only lets you watch films at Luxe cinemas, but also get unlimited access to premier or recliner seats, as well as 3D and iSense screenings. However you’ll pay extra for screen 1 in Leicester Square and Islington Luxe & Dine.
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ODEON myLimitless costs
Standard cost (excluding Luxe): £16.99 a month / £186 a year
Plus cost (inc Luxe): £19.99 a month / £219 a year
Annual discount: 8% if paid in full (12 months for the price of 11)
It’s worth keeping an eye out for occasional offers that bring down the price of an annual Plus membership, especially around Black Friday.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
Cineworld says that the monthly cost will be cheaper than two tickets a month – though the price will change depending on the location for your “home” cinema. There are four groups, and you can see which one your cinema fits into here.
The bulk of locations are in groups 1 and 2. Though not exclusively, group 3 contains most of the London cinemas, while group 4 adds in Leicester Sq. You can use your membership at all cinemas in your and lower groups – so group 4 is effectively every single Cineworld.
You can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments, though if you continue for a second year 3D is included. There’s a 50% discount on “event” screenings.
In theory you can get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that would mean you’d only need one membership between you – if you only go midweek.
You’ll be able to see free previews and there’s a 10% discount on food and drinks, going up to 25% in year two.
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How much does Cineworld Unlimited cost?
Cost (Group 1): £13.99 a month / £167.88 a year
Cost (Group 2): £17.99 a month / £215.88 a year
Cost (Group 3): £19.99 a month / £239.88 a year
Cost (Group 4): £22.99 a month / £275.88 a year
Annual discount: None (though look out for offers)
Other savings: Recommend a friend to get a free month each, or use Clubcard points at 2:1 value
Cineworld Unlimited membership details
Minimum membership: 3 months
How to join: At the cinema, via Tesco Clubcard or via the Cineworld website
Is Cineworld Unlimited worth it?
This one has the potential to be incredibly cheap, but only if you combine your free ticket with Meerkat Movies.
If you mainly go on a Tuesday or Wednesday to take advantage of this two for one offer in Group 1, you’ll pay just £4.20 for two tickets, based on 40 visits. That falls to a fantastic £2.10 per ticket.
Of course, if you’re on your own, in pricier groups, go different days or go less often, then it can get a lot more expensive. So once more you need to compare it to prices at your cinema to see whether you’ll save or not.
Visits per year
Cost per film (Group 1)
Cost per film (Group 2)
Cost per film (Group 3)
Cost per film (Group 4)
52
£3.23
£4.15
£4.61
£5.33
40
£4.20
£5.40
£6
£6.90
26
£6.46
£8.30
£9.23
£10.61
12
£13.99
£17.99
£19.99
£22.99
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Everyman membership
How it works
The basic “Everyman” membership provides six free tickets. The next level up is the “Everyicon” membership, which offers 24 free tickets. However, both let you bring a friend for free on Mondays, potentially doubling your number of included tickets.
The “Everywhere” membership is a lot of money at £680 a year. However, it’s for two people at any time and you can go to as many films as you like.
All give you 10% off food and drink, and fee-free booking.
If an Everyman is your local cinema, or the one you like going to, then you could well save a little with the six tickets for £95, making them £15.83 a ticket, or £7.92 if you go on a Monday with a friend and split the cost.
The next level – ‘Everyicon’ – is a little cheaper, but again use the free tickets just on Mondays and that’s now 48 tickets, working out at a very nice £7.29 each.
The top ‘Everywhere’ could work if you’ve a partner or friend who will share the membership with you. Even then you need to go a lot. See 40 movies each in a year and it’ll work out as £8.50 each for your ticket.
Personally I’d go to a cheaper cinema instead, or get a trial for Times+ which offers 2-4-1 tickets every Wednesday.
Visits a year
Everyman
Everyicon
Everywhere (one person / two people)
52
N/A
N/A
£13.08 / £6.54
40
N/A
N/A
£17 / £8.50
24
N/A
£14.58 (for 24 visits)
£28.33 / £14.77
12
N/A
£29.17
£56.67 / £28.33
6
£15.83
–
–
*based on annual spend
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Curzon membership
What you get
The entry-level “Classic” includes five free tickets, and then discounts for you and a guest.
Next up, the “Cult” membership is seven tickets every week – so essentially free entry to as many films as you want. You can also use these credits to stream online movies from Curzon Home Cinema.
If there are two of you, you can add the “Events and Guest” option which gets you 14 tickets each week and you can use it on “event” screenings – but you’ll pay £50 more each month.
There’s also 10% off food and drink with all three membership levels. Sadly Curzon doesn’t accept Meerkat Movies.
How much is Curzon membership?
Cost (Classic): £70 a year (all cinemas) / £55 a year (non-London)
Cost (Cult): £25 a month / £285 a year
Cost (Cult plus Events and Guest): £75 a month / £850 a year
Go 40 times and the ‘Cult’ membership works out as £7.13 a ticket. That’s more than I’d like to pay, but not bad if you’re in London or only have a Curzon near you. However since Curzon has a more indie/arthouse lean, you might still need to pay elsewhere to see some of the big blockbusters.
Adding ‘Events and Guest’ to the Cult membership is the most expensive out there. Only if two of you go three out of four weeks, or a little less if you throw in regular event screenings, are you going to be making this worthwhile.
The Classic membership will be worth it if you are definitely going to go five times a year to a Curzon, or if the normal ticket prices elsewhere are around £11 outside London and £14 inside London.
Visits per year
Classic (London/Outside London)
Cost per film (Cult)
Cost per film (Cult+ one person)
Cost per film (Cult+ one person)
52
N/A
£5.48
£16.35
£8.17
40
N/A
£7.13
£7.13
£3.56
26
N/A
£10.96
£10.96
£5.48
12
N/A
£23.75
£23.75
£11.88
5
£14 / £11
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Picturehouse membership
What you get
There isn’t a subscription membership at Picturehouse, but I’ve included it for completion. Instead you get five free tickets and discounts on further tickets.
The Member Plus option gives you double the freebies (so 10 tickets), and you can get members prices on up to three further tickets for each screening.
There’s also 10% off food and drink, jumping to 25% from year two. Like all the others there are member’s previews, though these are free at Picturehouse, potentially saving you some more cash.
How much does Picturehouse membership cost?
Cost (Picturehouse Central): £100 a year (single) / £185 a year (joint)
Cost (London excl Central): £75 a year (single) / £120 a year (joint)
Cost (Outside London): £65 a year (single) / £110 a year (joint)
If you’re likely to go to a Picturehouse cinema over other chains then the ongoing discount after the free tickets will make it more affordable. Still though, that’s potentially more expensive than using other tricks at other cinemas.
I’ve used my membership free tickets alongside Meerkat Movies in the past – I can’t find any official confirmation this is allowed, but I can’t see why not. This essentially gives you double the number of free tickets to be used on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Visits per year
Cost per film (Outside London single)
Cost per film (Outside London joint)
Cost per film (London single)
Cost per film (London joint)
Cost per film (West End single)
Cost per film (West End joint)
10
N/A
£11.00
N/A
£12.00
N/A
£18.50
5
£13.00
N/A
£15.00
N/A
£20.00
N/A
Cineworld Unlimited vs ODEON myLimitless
The two most effective memberships in terms of value for money are the ODEON and Cineworld schemes. If you have both cinemas near you and aren’t sure which one to go for here’s what I’d do.
Ultimately, ODEON’s is cheaper but if you can combine the Cineworld with Meerkat Movies, then the latter is a better option.
If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, I’d look at which has the most screens and which ones tend to show the films you want to see. If it’s just standard blockbusters both should have them on, but if you want smaller films that might not be the case.
Everything you need to know to save money when going to a show
A trip to the theatre isn’t a cheap night out. Tickets for Hamilton go as high as £250. That’s for one ticket. Crazy prices. But there are ways to see West End and local theatre productions for less.
I obviously don’t pay that kind of price. Yes for the hottest shows that means I might go without, but there are plenty of ways to see top-quality West End and local theatre productions for less.
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Hunt out the best deals
There are some big sales throughout the year which are always good bets. The biggest – Get Into London Theatre usually takes place from December to March, while Kids Week is every August.
Ad hoc sales and offers pop up on TodayTix, while TimeOut has the occasional deal (it used to be better). There are sometimes flash sales at Ticketmaster too. Lastminute.com isn’t as good as it once was, but it’s worth a look.
Generally, avoid sites like TasteCard+, which offer money off tickets as part of the membership. Each time I’ve looked the deals can be beaten elsewhere or aren’t even discounted at all.
When there are any really good deals on lots of productions, I’ll list them on my theatre tickets deals page.
Pay with discounted gift cards
This trick won’t always work – sometimes the best prices are on sites that don’t accept gift cards (e.g TodayTix). But there are often deals to save here or there on the likes of Ticketmaster and Theatre Tokens.
Thanks to this I managed to get 50% off seats at rarely discounted shows Cabaret and Hamilton (though sadly it’s rare to see such a huge per cent off).
Choose the best value seats
If there’s a play I want to see my first stop is often always the excellent Theatre Monkey. The website provides seating plans for each theatre, with crowdsourced feedback from readers telling you which seats are good value, and which are bad. Often a ticket might be cheap because you can’t see half the stage!
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Get a cheaper day or rush ticket
A number of shows offer reduced tickets on the day, often called rush or day tickets. Sometimes these have been held back for the day, or they could just be returns. For the really popular shows this is a great way to get tickets.
It used to be you’d have to rock up at the box office very, very early. But now most of these are sold online. Theatremonkey has a list of how it works for each show, along with reader feedback on success rates for those queuing in-person.
However, the majority will be sold through the TodayTix where you unlock “rush tickets” at 10am. Most cost £25, but could be as low as £15.
The seats could be anywhere in the theatre, from restricted view through to the the top-end VIP seats. It’s first come first serve, though I’ve managed to get tickets as late as 5pm (obviously not for the most popular shows).
Some theatres have larger numbers of reduced tickets on set days. Over at The Royal Court there are cheaper seats every Monday (on sale 9am online on the day).
Try a lottery
Lotteries for plays can get you cheap tickets to performances, even the most popular and sold-out shows. However, as the name suggests, it’s a lottery as to whether your name is chosen to buy the tickets.
Over the years I tried for shows like Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton and Cabaret – with no success!
They used to take place at the box office. You’d just turn up at the box office a few hours before the show and give your name… and hope! Now most are online.
More often these are also run via the TodayTix app. Some still offer them on their own websites such as the one for Matilda or The National Theatre’s £10 Friday Rush promotion.
Check in advance what the rules are. Some take place once a week for all performances the following week, others are daily. There’s usually a cut-off time to submit your entry and if you’re successful you’ll likely only be able to buy two tickets.
Be a seat filler
I’ve nabbed dozens of free tickets for my parents through sites like Show Film First and Central Tickets often for big West End shows. The reason? Theatres want to fill up the seats.
This tends to happen at the start to help spread word of mouth, or near the end of a run when less people are going. There’s usually a £4 to £10 fee per ticket – a fraction of the actual ticket cost. Here’s my guide to how seat filling works.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
The Twickets website is a great place for people to sell on seats they can no longer use. Though sellers can’t inflate the selling price (it’s an anti-tout company), there are Twicket fees on top, so it’s always worth checking you can’t get the ticket for less direct.
However, the closer it gets to the performance date, sellers can reduce their asking price or allow offers. So if you can go last minute you might be able to nab a bargain. At the time of writing I spotted Matilda and Phantom tickets for this week’s performance going for below face value.
Go to theatres with special rates
The National Theatre offers hundreds of tickets at each performance at just £25. They go quick but you can sign up for alerts.
Meanwhile, The Globe has 700 £5 tickets for every performance (though they are standing) and The Young Vic has £12 Lucky Dip standing tickets that could be upgraded on the night to an empty seat.
You can of course avoid the West End and see something on the fringe, which will be much cheaper. The Arcola has a “Pay What You Can Tuesdays”, with a suggested price of £5.
Visit the official theatre booth
From when I was a kid through to just a few years ago I always used to head to the official TKTs Theatre Booth in Leicester Sqare to get my tickets (as long as I was flexible about what I saw). Unsold tickets for that day’s performances were often half-price – though there was usually a queue.
Recently the prices don’t seem as competitive as they once were, but they’re still worth a look if there are a few London shows you’d like to see. Don’t confuse it with other “discount theater booths” nearby.
And you don’t have to visit in person now. Last year I picked up tickets online to Dear England on the train down to London for that evening’s performance.
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Go to a less expensive performance
If you can go on a midweek afternoon – usually a Wednesday or Thursday – you’re more likely to find availability in the cheaper seats. The same goes for evening shows at the start of the week.
Previews are often discounted as they’re essentially ticketed dress rehearsals. Most shows will be cheaper. However with full prices already so high, you could still pay a fair amount.
Cut your booking and delivery fees
A good way to save is to collect your tickets at the box office on the night of the show. If there are no special deals or discounts, head to the theatre box office where you can normally avoid booking fees too.
If you can’t do this and have to buy online then do shop around as you might find See Tickets is cheaper than Ticketmaster for one show, but more expensive for another!
Buy a cheap seat and ask for an upgrade
Buy a ticket in the cheapest part of the theatre – usually at the top of the upper circle or similar then you could be automatically upgraded. For less-busy shows these parts of the theatre are often closed and the tickets redistributed.
I’ve had this happen a few times. A few years ago I bought £10 tickets (to Let The Right One In) via Lastminute.com. They were meant to be restricted view in the top circle level, but when we arrived we found we’d been upgraded to £50 stalls tickets to fill those seats (the circle was completely closed).
This is more likely to happen on less popular productions in larger theatres for performances happening earlier in the week.
If that hasn’t happened automatically and the theatre isn’t too busy, you can always ask when you collect your tix. Or just see if you can move in the interval – though you might be asked to move back by staff.
Ditch the West End
Yes theatre does exist outside central London! There are lots of top theatres, especially in Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Stratford-upon-Avon and Chichester.
Plus, many shows will tour the UK before moving to the West End, or will be revived a few years later. Seats will pretty much always be cheaper this way.
Watch it at the cinema or at home
If you’re not in London or can’t afford West End prices even when they are on offer, then your best chance to see the top plays is in the cinema. Tickets generally range between £15 and £20.
And there are streaming services that allow you to watch productions from your sofa.
Leave certain festive purchases and plans too late and it could prove costly.
There’s always a mad rush in the weeks before Christmas to get everything you need doing done in time. And the later you leave things, the more likely is is you’ll get hit with extra costs,
So to help, here’s a quick checklist of the things I think you need to prioritise:
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Check the last order dates
Whether it’s coming to you or straight to a friend or family member, it won’t be long before there’s no guarantee that anything you order will get to its destination in time.
It’s worth knowing that if the retailer still says you can get something in time for Christmas and specifies a delivery date – but it doesn’t arrive in time you have the right to cancel the order and get a refund. Contact the retailer not the courier for this as they’re who you have a contract with.
Of course you can select speedy or next-day delivery at lots of shops. But you do pay more for this. And if you’re trying to avoid using Amazon you are going to run out of choices the later you leave it.
Even then, there’s still the chance that premium delivery won’t arrive in time. If that does happen you can claim back the extra delivery costs. It’s a slight consolation, but it doesn’t help if you need something before visiting family.
Catch the last post
For cards, letters and parcels that you’re personally sending, the dates are a few days later than last year (there’s no strike disrupting delivery this time). Though you’ve still got time according to Royal Mail, but I’d get them sent ASAP. The last post dates are:
Wednesday 17 December 2025: 2nd Class
Saturday 20 December 2025: 1st Class
Tuesday 23 December 2025: Special Delivery guaranteed
If you do miss these dates you can look at using courier firms. Shop around for the best price.
For international letters and parcels the deadline varies massively. For many non-European destinations it’s already too late, and the rest are approaching fast – and that’s for the more expensive tracking and signature services.
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Avoid panic gifts
Christmas gifts bought at the last minute are either going to be a huge disappointment (like those toilet seat covers in Friends), cost you more than you planned, or if you plump for that perennial panic present the gift card it could also be a risky purchase.
All three are bad purchases. The pointless or useless gift is a waste of money. The expensive gift could cause you problems if you can’t afford it.
And the gift card… There’s enough for me to write a whole article on these (and I have), but essentially these can easily become valueless. Whether that’s because they’re forgotten about, they expire before they’re used or because the retailer they’re for goes bust. You’re better off giving cash and suggesting what you’d like it to go towards.
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Book travel NOW
As always you’ll pay more the later you leave it to book, so get on it now. You might also be required to have an advance ticket on some rail routes. In fact, you might find some Christmas Eve trains are already sold out.
As with every Christmas there will be no trains on 25 December, and very limited service on Boxing Day. Plus engineering works running 24 December to 2 January 2026 will cause disruption.
The same applies to coach and flight tickets too, which are going to be even more popular on those dates, so book these up sooner rather than later to avoid higher prices or be forced into more expensive alternatives.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
We all know food price inflation has been huge, so I’d recommend planning as much of your festive food now as you can to save money.
Doing this can help you to avoid food waste – which is effectively throwing money in the bin. So don’t get more than you need. Obviously some food you’ll need to get nearer the time, such as fresh fruit and veg. But others you can nab now and put in the freezer, even the turkey.
In fact, the room you clear in the freezer as you defrost these items is perfect for picking up those yellow sticker bargains that will appear on Christmas Eve. And with M&S and Waitrose supermarkets saying they’ll close on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day it’s a good sign there will be more reduced to clear items than on a normal day.
And of course, if you can still get one, make sure you’ve got any online delivery slots booked. If you missed out it’s worth checking again to see if extra dates and times have been released. Or you might even get lucky and find one that has been cancelled.
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.
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
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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.
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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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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.
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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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Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
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.
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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.
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.
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
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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
Our top pick
The Co-operative Bank up to £200 switch offer
Customer rating3.7/5
Switch bonus
£125
Offer
7 September 2026
Additional bonus
£75
FSCS Protected?Yes
Bonus requirementsSwitch using the Current Account Switch Service and close old account within 8 weeks of requesting. Plus, make at least 10 debit card payments and register for online banking or mobile banking within 30 days of the switch.
Deposit requirementsDeposit £1,000 in the first 30 days of completing the switch
Direct debits transferred overHave two active direct debits within 30 days of completing the switch
RestrictionsCan't have already have a bonus from Co-operative Bank since 1 November 2022. Offer limited to one welcome offer per person and account
Eligible accountsNew or existing Standard or Everyday Extra current account
Extra bonus£75
Extra bonus requirementsMake 10 debit card transactions a month for three months. Payout 2 direct debits every month for three months. Deposit £1,000 every month for three months. Extra bonus paid within 7 days of each "month" ending.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
Bonus requirementsSwitch bank accounts within 60 days of opening the account using the Current Account Switching Service, closing the old account
Deposit and spend requirementsDeposit 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 overTransfer 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
Important detailsFurther offer and account T&Cs and eligibility criteria apply. Switch Offer may be withdrawn at any time and applies to HSBC Bank Account only (Basic Bank Account etc not eligible).
NatWest £200 switch offer
Customer rating4.7/5
Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
Unknown
Extra perks
Up to £36 rewards a year
FSCS Protected?Yes
Bonus requirementsSwitch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
Deposit requirementsPay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
Bonus paidWithin 30 days of meeting criteria
Existing customers?No
RestrictionsOffer 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 accountsReward, Select or Premier Reward, Premier Select
RBS £200 switch offer
Customer rating3.9/5
Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
Unknown
Extra perks
Up to £36 rewards a year
Bonus paidWithin 30 days of meeting criteria
Bonus requirementsSwitch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
Deposit requirementsPay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
Eligible accountsReward, Select or Premier Reward
Existing customers?No
FSCS Protected?Yes
RestrictionsOffer 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
Lloyds Bank £200 switch offer
Customer rating4.1/5
Switch bonus
£200
Offer ends
9 December
Extra perk
Free Disney+ or cinema tickets
FSCS Protected?Yes
Bonus requirementsSwitch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account. The old account must be from a different bank
Direct debits transferred overSwitch three active direct debits from the old account
Existing customers?Yes
RestrictionsOffer is limited to once per person and you can't have received a switching bonus from Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland since 1 January 2023.
Eligible accountsSwitch into a new Club Lloyds, Club Lloyds Silver, Club Lloyds Platinum, Lloyds Premier Account
Bonus paid Withing 14 working days of their switch starting
Nationwide £175 switch offer
Customer rating4.5/5
Switch bonus
£175
Offer ends
Unknown
FSCS Protected?Yes
Bonus requirementsSwitch 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 requirementsDeposit £1,000 within 31 days
Direct debits transferred overTransfer two direct debits
Existing customers?Yes
RestrictionsYou 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 accountsFlexPlus, FlexDirect or FlexAccount
Bonus paidWithin 10 days of the switch completing
first direct £175 bonus when you switch*
Customer rating4.7/5
Switch bonus
£175
Offer ends
Unknown
FSCS Protected?Yes
Bonus requirementsSwitch using the Current Account Switch Service, make 5+ debit card payments and log on to digital banking.
Deposit requirementsDeposit £1,000 or more
Direct debits transferred overMove two direct debits or standing orders
EligibilityNew 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 spendingNo First Direct fees when spending abroad
Regular Saver informationPut 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.
BonusYou'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)
RequirementsOpen 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.
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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.
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.
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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 Trainlineas 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.
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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
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.
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
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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.
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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.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Plus, new TopCashback customers get a high paying £18 welcome offer
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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.
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.
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.
Bonus requirementsTo get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers?You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.
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