Image Archives - Page 3 of 35 - Be Clever With Your Cash

October 1, 2025 | Best Buy

The best cashback or reward debit and credit cards (October 2025)

Written by Andy Webb

Earn as much as 5% back when you spend from the likes of American Express, Chase and Barclaycard.

You can earn cashback or rewards via both debit and credit cards. In most instances the best option is the one that pays the best rate.

If you’re worried about managing a credit card it makes sense to use a debit card more. However, credit cards do have extra perks like added consumer protection or for deposits when hiring a car.

Cashback can be spent as you wish, while rewards normally need to be transferred into vouchers and spent at specific retailers.

We’ve outlined the best options so you can earn as you spend.

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.

Best cashback debit cards

There are a just a handful of debit cards which offer money back on your spending. Chase used to be on all spending but added restrictions in April 2025. Our top pick is from Trading 212, which is temporarily increased to 1.5%.

Trading 212

0.5% cashback

Boosted to 1.5% until 30 November if you auto-invest

Max £15 cashback a month

Cashback payable daily

£5 for physical card

Fee-free abroad and earn cashback

> Trading 212 card review

> Customer reviews of T212 on Smart Money People

Chase Bank

1% cashback on groceries, everyday transport, petrol

Max £15 cashback a month

Cashback payable daily

No fee

Requires £1,500 deposit in previous month

Also fee-free abroad (no cashback though)

> Chase Bank review

> Customer reviews of Chase on Smart Money People

Other cards

We’ve not listed cards which offer money back from time to time on a changing list of retailers. This includes Monzo, Halifax and Santander. These are worth a look but are really just pot luck as to whether something is available when you want to buy something.

Occasionally there’ll be a short lived cashback offer, and we list them on our banking deals page.

Our analysis

The highest ongoing rate on debit cards is via the Chase current accounts, where there’s 1% up for grabs. Sadly though this is limited to set categories, broadly groceries and travel (trains, buses, ferries and petrol) in the UK on both cards.

There’s also a £15 cap on how much you can earn each month. This means you’ll earn only on the first £1,500 spent on qualifying categories.

Trading 212 offers a lower rate of 0.5% but it’s not restricted to certain purchases, though You’ll also earn the cashback on overseas spending. It has a cap of £15 a month.

Best cashback and reward credit cards

There are different types of cashback credit card, so we’ve split this section into:

Best American Express cashback cards
Best Visa or Mastercard cashback cards
Best supermarket or retailer cashback cards
Best airline rewards cards

Andy’s cashback credit card rules

A really important rule if you are using a cashback credit card.

Always pay off the balance in full every month

There’s no point using a cashback credit card if you’re going to get charged interest on your purchase. So make sure you set up a Direct Debit to clear the full balance.

If you can’t afford to do that, then a credit card probably isn’t your best option except for emergencies. I’ve written more about clearing credit card debts, so do read that.

It’s also worth doing an eligibility check before you apply if you can. This gives you a sense of whether you’ll be accepted, though not a guarantee.

Read more about these credit card rules.

Best American Express cashback and reward credit cards

The three Amex credit cards I’d look at for everyday earning are the Cashback, Nectar or Preferred Rewards Gold card.

Amex Cashback	Amex Nectar	Amex Preferred Rewards Gold
0.75% on first £10,000 a year then 1.25%	2 Nectar points per £1 (equivalent to 1%)	1 point per £1 (equivalent to 0.5%) Bonus points for every £5,000 spend (boosts equivalent rate to up to 0.75%)
5% welcome bonus (up to £150) in first three months	20,000 welcome bonus if you spend £2,000 in two months (worth £100)	20,000 standard welcome bonus if you spend £3,000 in two three months (worth £10) Often boosted to 30,000 points (£150)
Cashback payable at end of year	Points redeemable instantly	Points redeemable instantly
£25 a year fee	Free in first year £30 a year afterwards	Free in first year £195 a year afterwards
		Also £10 back at Deliveroo each month, 4 free Priority Passes
Bonus £25 via referral	Bonus £20 via referral	Bonus £70 via referral
		> Amex Gold credit card review
> Customer reviews of Amex over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of Amex over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of Amex over on Smart Money People
> Check your eligibility for an American Express credit card	> Check your eligibility for an American Express credit card	> Check your eligibility for an American Express credit card

Our analysis

The highest paying of all credit and debit cards without restrictions is the American Express Nectar, which earns you the equivalent of 1% back. Of course you are earning Nectar points, but as long as you sometimes shop at Sainsbury’s or Argos that shouldn’t be an issue. It’s free in the first year.

If you want pure cash, then go for the American Express Cashback card. You will pay £25 a year for this, but you can wipe that out in the first year by applying via cashback site. You’ll be earning 0.75% on spending up to £10,000, and then a higher 1.25% if you go beyond this. This resets every 12 months.

There is a free but lower paying (at 0.5% on first £10,000, then 1%) version called American Express Everyday Cashback. However you must spend at least £3,000 a year to get any cashback on that.

Alternatively you could look at the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card. You’ll only earn one Amex point (worth 0.5% if you swap it to a gift card), though it’s boosted for every £2,500 you spend above £5,000, pushing potential earnings to 0.75%. This card is initially free, but very expensive from the second year onwards, so it’s certainly only for one year. I’d also wait for when the welcome bonus is increased.

Other Amex cards

The focus of this guide is ongoing earning from spending, whether as cashback or Amex Reward points, however we’ve a longer guide to all American Express cards, their features and their welcome bonuses, including the Platinum card.

Extra Amex offers

Check out this article with details of boosted referral bonuses and other extra offers with your American Express card.

Best Visa and Mastercard cashback and reward credit cards

If you want a back up credit card that’s not American Express, then the following are worth a look. They’re also all fee-free for spending overseas, which is something the Amex cards don’t offer.

Lloyds Ultra	Barclaycard Rewards	Santander Edge	NatWest Travel Reward
1% for first year, 0.25% after	0.25%	1%	1% on UK travel spending (including trains, planes, car rentals, hotels, buses & more) 0.1% elsewhere
		Max £10 cashback a month
Cashback paid each January	Cashback paid monthly	Cashback paid monthly	Cashback paid after 35 days
No fee	No fee	£4 monthly fee	No fee
Fee-free abroad	Fee-free abroad	Fee-free abroad	Fee-free abroad
Visa	Visa	Mastercard	Mastercard
> Lloyds Ultra credit card review		> Santander Edge credit card review
	> Customer reviews of Barclaycard credit cards over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of Santander credit cards over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of NatWest credit cards over on Smart Money People
	> Check eligibility for the Barclaycard Rewards credit card	> Check eligibility for a Santander credit card	> Check eligibility for a NatWest credit card

Our analysis

The new Lloyds Ultra card is a top paying 1% card for 12 months, and then a lower but hard to beat 0.25% afterwards for a non-Amex card. It’s also fee free to use abroad.

Alternatively, the Barclaycard Rewards pays a solid 0.25% cashback on spending at home or abroad, and is fee free.

The Santander Edge credit card can pay more at 1%, though since there’s a £4 monthly fee and you’re capped at £10, you’ll only earn a maximum of 0.6% back. Spend less or more than £1,000 and that effective rate drops.

I’ve included the NatWest Travel Reward credit card, but it’s only advantage over other cards is you can earn 1% back on holiday planning at home, such as hotels and flights – though you’d get the same with the Amex Nectar as long as the retailer accepts it.

Other cards

NatWest Reward: 1% at supermarkets, 0.25% elsewhere (£24 annual fee unless a NatWest customer) Also available from RBS
Virgin Money Everyday Cashback: 0.25% capped at £15 a month. Fee-free abroad

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Best supermarket and retailer specific cashback and reward credit cards

These cards will earn you a decent rate at core UK retailers and supermarkets like Amazon and John Lewis. You’ll also earn on spending elsewhere, but those rates can usually be beaten by other cards listed above.

Amazon Barclaycard Rewards	John Lewis Partnership	M&S Bank Rewards
1% at Amazon (2% on big sales) 0.5% elsewhere for the first 12 months, then 0.25%	5 points per £4 spent at John Lewis or Waitrose (equivalent of 1.25%) 1 point per £10 spent elsewhere (equivalent of 0.1%)	1 points per £1 at M&S (equivalent of 1%) 1 points per £5 at elsewhere (equivalent of 0.2%)
£20 welcome credit (sometimes boosted)	Regular welcome offers	Regular welcome offers
	Max £15 cashback a month
Redeem credit in multiples of £5	Redeem vouchers in multiples of £5	Vouchers paid quarterly
No fee	No fee	No fee
> Amazon Barclaycard Rewards review
> Customer reviews of Amex over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of John Lewis credit cards over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of M&S Bank over on Smart Money People
> Check your eligibility for an Amazon credit card	> Check your eligibility for a John Lewis credit card	> Check your eligibility for a Marks and Spencer Bank credit card

Other cards

Asda Money: 0.75% back at Asda, 0.2% elsewhere

Best airline reward credit cards

Fee-free versions of the following cards are available, though you’ll earn far fewer points all round.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus	Barclaycard Avios Plus	Virgin Atlantic Reward+
1.5 Avios per £1 spent	1.5 Avios per £1 spent	1.5 point per £1 spent
30,000 bonus welcome Avios if you spend £3,000 in three months Often boosted to 60,000 points	25,000 bonus welcome Avios if you spend £3,000 in three months	18,000 bonus points with first spend
Spend £15,000 to get a companion voucher	Spend £10,000 to get a cabin upgrade voucher	Spend £10,000 to get a companion or cabin upgrade voucher
£300 a year	£20 a month	£160 a year
	> Barclaycard Avios review
> Customer reviews of Amex over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of Barclaycard credit cards over on Smart Money People	> Customer reviews of Virgin Money cards over on Smart Money People
> Check your eligibility for an American Express credit card	> Check your eligibility for a Barclaycard credit card	> Check your eligibility for a Virgin Money credit card

Our analysis

As well as earning points as you spend, the draw with these cards are welcome offers and 2-4-1 vouchers. However the latter can require huge amounts of spending – and then even more to get enough points to use alongside the vouchers, especially on non-economy seats.

Unless you are going to be spending a lot, or want to save long term for a dream trip, I prefer using cashback card and having the flexibility to shop around for deals on flights.

You can also earn points on some American Express cards, such as the Nectar, Reward, Gold and Platinum that can covert to many different airline schemes.

The best credit card deals

Check out my list of the best credit card offers and promotions

October 1, 2025 | Deals

Cheapest ways to watch Sky Sports without a subscription (October 2025)

Written by BCWYC Team

You don’t need a Sky subscription to watch Sky Sports! Here are the latest deals for pay-as-you-go passes on NOW TV.

We’re big fans of NOW (or NOW TV as it was called). It’s a cheap way to watch Sky channels, and if you’re a fan of the Premier League, golf, cricket Formula 1 or dozens of other sports but can’t afford Sky, it can be a real money saver.

Sky Sports on NOW TV

If you get your TV via Sky, or even Virgin or BT, then you’ll likely have to commit to a long contract with your TV provider, probably 18 months. And it can be really expensive.

In terms of TV programmes and film channels, it’s almost always going to be cheaper to get those exact same channels via NOW instead.

It’s slightly more complicated for Sky Sports channels. The day passes are perfect for occasional users at under £15 a go (or less if you use a deal). Sadly it looks like the week pass is no longer offered.

The monthly passes however can be expensive. At £34.99 a month, you’ll probably pay more via NOW TV for this channel than with Sky if you have it every single month of the year.

But there are regular deals which bring the price down, often to £25 a month and sometimes as low as £18. This makes the price much more comparable and you have the added advantage that you aren’t committed to a contract. You can stop it or pause it month by month.

What is NOW TV?

Think of NOW (or NOW TV as it was called until spring 2021) as a pay-per-view iPlayer for the Sky TV channels. The sports passes give you access to all 11 Sky Sports channels without a contract, so you can watch per day or per month.

NOW TV can be streamed on your computer, tablet, some smart TVs, games consoles and devices such as the Chromecast, Roku and Amazon Fire Sticks.

The passes don’t include TV or movie channels, which you need to buy separate passes for – though there are plenty of discounts to be found and we’ve summarised the best on our NOW TV deals page.

NOW TV Sky Sports free trials

Unlike the other NOW membership passes, there’s no free trial for any of the Sports options.

NOW TV Sky Sports day pass offers

Far better than a Sky contract is a £14.99 Day Pass. Despite recent price increases, we think this pass represents decent value for money for occasional viewing.

There used to be frequent discounts to be had, such as 20% off or bundles passes with a NOW TV smart stick. We’ll share any we find on this page but they aren’t as common now.

Buy a Sky Sports day membership from NOW

Month-long Sky Sports pass on NOW TV

If you’re going to watch a lot of the action on Sky Sports it’s probably cheaper to get a subscription via Sky, Virgin or BT. But if you want to dip in and out month by month you can buy a monthly pass for £34.99.

There are often discounts on the first month or two, sometimes as long as nine or 12 months, which we’ll include when we see them.

These offers are also sometimes emailed with unique codes to previous customers so it’s worth turning on the option for emails.

Don’t forget to cancel the month sports pass (which you can do any time) if you don’t want it to renew at full price.

Month passes also start from the moment you pay, unlike week and day passes which you activate when you want them to start.

You’ll also get one month free of Ultra Boost to stream in full HD on three devices or Boost to stream in full HD on two devices. Both will automatically renew after the first month at £9 or £6 a month, respectively, if you don’t cancel.

Buy a Sky Sports Month membership from NOW

Personalised discounts

From time to time you might see a better offer in your account or via email.

To receive emails you’ll need to have turned on the marketing preferences to allow this.

For in account offers you can see if you’re eligible if you head to the personalised My Offers section of your account. You’ll need to be signed in.

Check your account for offers

6 months at £28 a month – for all

Get an Unlimited Sky Sports membership for £28 per month (normally £34.99) for six months with NOW TV. The offer is open to new and existing NOW TV customers (for the latter it’s as long as you’re in the last month of an existing offer).

However, you’ll be locked into the full six months – so you can’t ditch it earlier if you want. It’ll also renew at full price if you don’t cancel in the last month.

Get Sky Sports for £26

Sky Sports at £19.99 a month – for some

This offer or similar is regularly offered via emails sent to previous customers, giving 6 to 12 months at £19.99 a month.

It’s either a rolling contract for Sky Sports via NOW TV, or it’ll lock you in for a set period. You’ll save just over 42% on the standard monthly price. Importantly you aren’t tied into the full 12 months. You can cancel at any point. But you’ll pay full price if you restart at a later date.

It’s open to new NOW TV customers and existing customers who either don’t have a pass or are in the last 30 days of a previous offer – as long as you received the email.

Get a discounted month pass at NOW

Mobile Sky Sports passes (expired)

NOW TV has a mobile pass which you can only watch via an app on your phone. This makes them a fair bit cheaper – though it’s not always available to buy.

The mobile pass costs £5.99 for a month. It only has five sports channels – Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports News.

It’s worth checking the day pass deals at the top of this page to see if a mobile pass is included, often for a month, if not more.

Buy a Sky Sports mobile membership from NOW

NOW TV Sky Sports Week pass offers

NOW TV no longer offers the week pass. Whether this is permanent or temporary remains to be seen. Occasionally you can still get the offers which we’ll share below, but chances are slim.

Sky Sports on Virgin Media

You can get Sky Sports via the standard Virgin Media TV box, or via the Virgin Media Stream box. The latter only allows streaming, not recording.

You can add Sky Sports channels in HD for £34.99 a month without a contract commitment to Virgin Media Stream, but you’ll need to pay the set up fee first.

Sky Sports on Sky

If you don’t want to ditch Sky for NOW, then you can still get Sky Sports channels direct. However, the best prices for the full package will usually require a new 24-month contract, which obviously ties you in, and will be more costly than the options above.

Sky Sports is currently £20 a month for 24-months for when you upgrade your current Sky package while new customers will pay £35 a month.

Sadly it doesn’t look like Sky is still offering a cut price deal just for the football channels or just for the F1 channel – but keep an eye out for either’s return.

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Other sports broadcasters

Amazon Prime Video

You can also watch sport on Amazon.

Prime costs £95 a year, or £8.99 a month and includes other Amazon features. However if you just want the video channel for streaming sport, film and TV shows you can get this for £5.99 a month – which means you can pay just under £6 if you only want to watch the games. There’s also a free 30-day trial – just remember to cancel it if you don’t want to keep paying.

Save money on Amazon Prime Video

All the latest Amazon Prime Video deals

TNT Sport

You can now buy month passes for TNT Sport. More details on this and other deals here.

Watch TNT Sports without a subscription

All the latest TNT Sports deals

October 1, 2025 | Best Buy

The best debit and credit cards to use abroad

Written by Andy Webb

Trading 212, Monzo, Starling, Chase, Halifax Clarity and more travel cards compared for overseas spending

If you’re heading out of the UK, using the wrong card for spending and cash withdrawals will mean you’re hit with extra fees on every transaction.

The good news is there are a decent number of debit and credit cards which offer near-perfect exchange rates. Here’s our guide to the top specialist travel cards.

Our top travel debit cards

The cheapest cards are usually specialist debit cards that come via specific current accounts. You don’t have to switch banks to get these – you can simply open up a brand new extra account, and many won’t perform hard checks on your credit report either.

If this is an extra account you get just for holidays, it’s easy to transfer money across, whether as a lump sum or as you go along, using your online or app banking. Or of course, it could be your main current account where your salary is paid each month.

A benefit of debit cards over credit cards is you won’t get charged interest to take cash out of an ATM, though as you’ll see a couple do have monthly limits on your fee-free spending or withdrawals.

It used to be there were only a handful, but there are quite a few to choose from. However, since Chase ended the cashback on overseas spending, there’s not really much to choose between the bulk of them. Here are our top picks.

Top pick: Trading 212 card

This is our top pick for 2025, though it does have some caveats.

Unlike most of the debit cards we’ve listed, this one from Trading 212 isn’t connected to a current account. Instead you’ll need to open up an investing account. But that doesn’t mean you need to invest at all.

You can simply transfer cash over and hold it in your spending pot, with the added bonus you’ll get 4.35% interest on the money until you spend it. However, if you do opt in to also earn interest on the cash the money then won’t necessarily be protected by the FSCS.

There’s also 0.5% cashback on purchases at home and abroad (temporarily increased to 1.5% until late November if you auto-invest your cashback). That’s great for holiday spending but there are better alternatives for spending in the UK.

The major downside is though you’re about to get fee-free cash withdrawals, that’s only with contactless ATMS. There’s not exactly a load of these in the UK, let alone overseas, so you’ll need a back up for taking money out on holiday.

You’ll also need to pay for a physical card, though most of the time you’ll hopefully be ok with adding it to your phone.

Trading 212 debit card summary

Spending overseas	Fee-free (Mastercard rate)
Cash withdrawals overseas	Free, but contactless only
Other benefits	0.5% to 1.5% cashback on all spending (capped at £15 a month)
Card delivery charge	£4.95
Welcome offer	Free share worth between £10 and £100

Read our review of the Trading 212 card

Read customer reviews of Trading 212

Bank	Free spending?	Free cash withdrawals?	Credit check	Extra info	Reviews	Smart Money People customer score
Top for cashback
Trading 212	Yes, interbank rate	£340 a day (if the ATM is contactless)	Soft	0.5% cashback (increased to 1.5% until 30 November) £4.95 charge for physical card	Trading 212 card review	4.92 out of 5
Top picks for specific countries
Chase	Yes, Mastercard rate	£500 a day and £1,500 a calendar month	Soft	No charges on Chase machines in USA	Chase Bank review	4.94 out of 5
Santander Edge	Yes, Mastercard rate	£300 a day	Hard	No extra charges on Santander machines	our Santander Edge review	3.75 out of 5*
Decent options
First Direct	Yes, Mastercard rate	£500 daily limit	Hard		our First Direct review	4.7 out of 5
Halifax Reward	Yes, Mastercard rate	£800 daily limit	Hard			4.36 out of 5
HyperJar (prepaid card)	Yes, Mastercard rate	No cash withdrawals	Soft	Not a current account, so no FSCS protection	Not yet reviewed	4.87 out of 5
Kroo	Yes, Visa rate	£200 limit per month	Soft	ATM charges will apply from 30 April 2025	our Kroo review	4.90 out of 5
Club Lloyds	Yes, Mastercard rate	£800 daily limit	Hard		our Club Lloyds review	4.42 out of 5
Monzo	Yes, Mastercard rate	£400 (Europe) / £200 elsewhere every 30 rolling days / Unlimited if Monzo is your ‘main bank’	Soft		our Monzo review	4.92 out of 5
Starling	Yes, Mastercard rate	£300 daily day	Soft		our Starling review	4.94 out of 5
Virgin Money M Plus	Yes, Mastercard rate	£500 daily limit	Hard	Can be opened and managed in-branch or via the phone	our Virgin Money M Plus review	4.11 out of 5

*whole bank score

The following are also fee-free but only worth considering if you’re an existing customer or looking for extras like rewards and travel insurance.

Cumberland Building Society: fully fee-free but requires a £750 a month deposit to the account. Hard credit search
Halifax Ultimate Reward: a packaged account with travel, breakdown and gadget cover that’s got free spending
Santander (other accounts): you won’t be charged for cash withdrawals only if you use a Santander machine outside the UK, but you will pay for spending
TSB Spend & Save Plus: fee-free spending and the potential to earn £5 cashback a month, but has £3 monthly fee

Andy’s Top Tips

When you’re using one of these top travel cards, you’re often best paying in the local currency. If you pay in sterling, it’ll be swapped over at an exchange rate of the local bank’s choosing – which won’t necessarily be in your favour!

Also, though many of the cards we’ve mentioned are fee-free to use in ATMs, that doesn’t mean the local bank won’t add its own fee. So you’ll need to research for any that don’t do this in your destination, or plan ahead by making as few withdrawals as possible.

Our top travel credit cards

Specialist credit cards can be great for overseas spending as long as you pay off the debt before any interest is charged.

Credit cards are particularly handy for things like hiring a car or putting deposits down on hotel rooms. The money can be held on these without leaving your account. You’ll also get Section 75 consumer rights protection.

With all credit card applications, make sure you check your eligibility first if you can. And remember to clear the balance completely every month to avoid interest charges.

Top pick: Lloyds Ultra

This Visa card from Lloyds is our top pick for credit cards. It offers fee-free spending and, unusually, ATM withdrawals – and there’s no interest on cash you take out. However, it’s still better for your credit report to use a debit card for cash.

There’s also 1% cashback on purchases at home and abroad in the first year, decreasing to 0.25% afterwards. That’s great for holiday spending but there are better alternatives for spending in the UK.

You can read our full Lloyds Ultra credit card review for more details

Lloyds Ultra credit card summary

Spending overseas	Fee-free (Visa rate)
Cash withdrawals overseas	Free, though will show on credit file
Other benefits	1% cashback on all spending in year one
	0.25% cashback on all spending from year two onwards
Card delivery charge	Free delivery

Check eligibility for Lloyds Ultra

Read customer reviews of Lloyds

Runner up: Barclaycard Reward

This card from Barclaycard is very similar, just without the higher 1% rate for the first year.

However, if you do get this you won’t be able to get another Barclaycard, such as the Avios earning options.

Barclaycard Rewards credit card summary

Spending overseas	Fee-free (Visa rate)
Cash withdrawals overseas	Free, though will show on credit file
Other benefits	0.25% cashback on all spending
Card delivery charge	Free delivery

Check eligibility for Barclaycard Rewards

Read customer reviews of Barclaycard

Other fee-free credit cards

Card	Free spending?	Free cash withdrawals?	Credit check	Extra info	Reviews	Smart Money People customer score
*Best for cashback*
Lloyds Ultra	Yes, Visa rate	Yes	Hard	1% cashback in year one, then 0.25%	Lloyds Ultra credit card review
Barclaycard Rewards	Yes, Visa rate	Yes	Hard	0.25% cashback
*Other cards for cashback*
Virgin Money Everyday Cashback credit card	Yes, Mastercard rate	No (avoid)	Hard	Earn 0.25% per £1, capped at £15 a month		3.8 out of 5
Santander Edge credit card	Yes, Mastercard rate	No (avoid)	Hard	2% cashback in first year, then 1% Requires Santander current account £3 monthly fee	Santander Edge credit card review	3.75 out of 5*
Natwest Travel credit card	Yes, Mastercard rate	No (avoid)	Hard	1% cashback on hotels, planes and other travel		4.84 out of 5*
Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card	In Europe, Mastercard rate	No (avoid)	Hard	Earn 0.75% Virgin points per £1		3.8 out of 5
Yonder credit card (free version)	Yes, Mastercard rate	Yes, up to £150 a day (but it’ll still show on credit report)	Hard, but uses open banking too	Earn points that can be used to redeem rewards		4.95 out of 5
*Other fee-free cards*
Halifax Clarity credit card	Yes, Mastercard rate	Yes, but interest is added	Hard			4.11 out of 5

*whole bank score

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Best smart travel spending cards

These cards aren’t normal debit cards, though they work just like one when you’re spending. You actually connect your existing current account or card to them via open banking. The conversion is made by the smart card at their exchange rate, which then takes the money from the underlying bank in pounds.

This makes it cheaper to spend overseas through other bank accounts that would normally be very expensive. They can be a great backup card, or even your primary travel spending card if you really can’t be bothered to go through the hassle of opening new accounts. There’s also no credit check.

Sadly, changes to Curve, our previous top pick, means it’s really not worth it. However, you can still get these features from Currensea.

Top pick: Currensea

With Currensea there are three options, but the free “essential” tier has a no extra fees on top of the exchange rates on your first £500 a month. You can take out £200 a month from ATMs for free.

The big issue could be the limits on which banks it works with. Right now that list is only the bigger banks:

Barclays
Bank of Scotland
Couts
First Direct
Halifax
HSBC
Lloyds
Nationwide
Natwest
RBS
Santander
TSB
Ulster Bank
Virgin Money

You’ll also need to pay £4.95 to get the card delivered.

When you sign up via this link you’ll be eligible for a £10 welcome bonus – however you’ll need to spend £150 in a foreign currency in the first six months to get the cashback.

Currensea smart debit card summary

Spending overseas	Interbank/Mastercard rate on first £500 each month, then 1% FX fee on top
Cash withdrawals overseas	Free up to £200 a month, then 2% FX fee on top
Card delivery fee	£4.95
FSCS protection?	Yes (on connected bank)

Read customer reviews of Currensea

The best cashback debit and credit cards

Check out my list of the best cashback cards

Best multi-currency cards to lock in a rate

The cards mentioned above will convert fee-free, but only on or just after the day you make the transaction. This means you’re not in total control of your budget when you’re away. If the pound were to fall against where you’re spending, you’ll ultimately spend more cash.

But there are options where you can pay fee-free on cards where you’ve already converted your pounds into another currency. Though of course, this could mean you miss out if the rate changes in your favour.

There’s usually a slight markup on the ‘interbank’ or ‘mid-market’ rates. This tends to be lower than the Mastercard or Visa rates, so even with the fee they’re often comparable.

When you spend with them, you’ll spend in the local currency. If you don’t have the local currency, most will let you pay fee-free and convert at the current rate.

However, there are usually quite strict limits on cash withdrawals, so you’ll likely want another card on your trip. Plus most of these will charge you for a physical debit card, so you’ll be relying on virtual cards added to your phone’s wallet if you want to avoid this fee.

The following are ones worth considering:

Provder	Rate	Free cash withdrawals?	Card charge	Extra info	Smart Money People customer score
Revolut Standard	Interbank (+ 1% on weekends)	£200 limit per rolling month / max 5 withdrawals per rolling month	£4.99	Capped at £1,000 exchange per month	4.92 out of 5
Trading 212	Interbank + 0.15%	£200 limit per month	£4.95		4.92 out of 5
Wise	Interbank + min of 0.33% (varies by currency)	£200 limit a month / max 2 withdrawals a month	£7		4.71 out of 5

October 1, 2025 | Deals

Spotify music streaming deals (October 2025)

Written by Andy Webb

The latest free trials, vouchers, discounted annual passes and hacks to save money on Spotify.

Spotify and Be clever with your cash logos on a blue background.

How much does Spotify cost?

Following a price increase in April 2024, Premium prices all went up by £1 or £2, but some will be able to get the Basic tier which reverts the cost back:

Plan	Premium Monthly price	Basic Monthly price
Individual	£11.99	£10.99
Duo	£16.99	£14.99
Family	£19.99	£17.99
Student	£5.99	£5.99

New Spotify customer deals

A couple of times a year there tends to be a new customer deal offering three months for 99p. When these come about I’ll list them below. Otherwise, new customers can always get one month for free.

Four months free Spotify with Just Eat

New customers can get four months free via Just Eat until 28 February 2026. You can cancel anytime or pay £11.99 once the free trial ends.

Get four months of Spotify

Three months free

Until 22 September 2025, you can get three months of Spotify Premium for free if you’re a free member or a new customer who hasn’t tried Spotify before.

After the free months, the subscription will renew at £11.99 per month.

Get three months free

Three months free Spotify via Freenow

New subscribers can get three months free with Freenow.

You need to redeem the offer by 30 November 2025, and it isn’t available to anyone who has tried Spotify Premium before. You need to cancel the subscription afterwards if you don’t want to pay full price as it renews at £11.99 per month.

Get three months of Spotify

Three months free Spotify via H&M

New subscribers can get three months free if you apply via the free H&M membership.

Head to the H&M app and in the offer section of your H&M account you’ll need to generate a code to trigger the free Spotify trial.

You need to redeem the offer by 4 November 2025.

This isn’t open to current subscribers, and remember to cancel the subscription if you don’t want to pay full price, as it’ll renew at £11.99 per month after three months.

Get three months of Spotify

One month free Spotify

If there isn’t an increased offer, when you go direct to Spotify new customers can get usually one month for free.

Get one month free Spotify Premium

Previous Spotify customer deals

These offers for ex-customers are rare, but still appear from time to time.

Two months for £5.99

This “welcome back” offer gets you two months of Premium for the cost of half of one month. It last ran until 22 September 2025 — though we usually see it run two or three times a year, usually April, August and November.

It’s for those who had a Spotify Premium account but cancelled it more than 30 days ago. But if you’ve used one of these offers in the last 24 months, you won’t be eligible this time.

Look out for an email offering you this, or you can also log in and see if the offer is displayed in your account. It’s for the individual Premium account only, not Duo, Student or Family.

Here are the previous dates from recent offers to give you an idea of when it might return.

Mid August to 22 September 2025 (for those who cancelled before mid July 2025)
Mid April to 19 May 2025 (for those who cancelled before mid March 2025)
End of November – 31 December 2024 (for those who cancelled before November 2024)
Mid August to 17 September 2024 (for those who cancelled prior to 12 July 2024)
Mid April to 14 May 2024 (for those who cancelled before 18 March 2024)
Mid January – 14 February 2024 (for those who cancelled before 1 Jan 2024)
27 November – 31 December 2023 (for those who cancelled before 27 October 2023)
August to 12 September 2023 (for those who cancelled before 16 July 2023)
21 April – 16 May 2023 (for those who cancelled before 19 March 2023)
29 November – 31 December 2022 (for those who cancelled before 28 October 2022)
August/September 2022 (for those who cancelled before mid-May 2022)
April – 19 May 2022 (for those who cancelled before 14 March 2022)

Existing Spotify customer deals

You don’t need to pay full price for Spotify as an existing customer. Here are my top ways to save.

12 months of Spotify Premium for the price of ten (ish)

This is a decent deal from Amazon for existing Spotify Premium customers. It’ll cost you £120 rather than £144, so you’ll get two months free based on the new prices.

You can it as a digital or physical gift card that is sent in the post. Frustratingly you can’t use gift cards with Family, Duo or Student accounts. It also won’t work on Basic plans.

You can stack this with an existing gift card, or buy one now to add at a later date, though you can’t have more than 18 months of credit on your account at any time.

Buy a year of Spotify at Currys

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Downgrade to Spotify Basic

This new, slightly cheaper, version of Spotify started in May 2024 but seems to have disappeared.

However if you see it in your account, you get everything that Premium offers such as offline listening (downloads) and no-adverts, but you do sacrifice audiobooks. Not all users will be able to get this, so you’ll need to check your accounts to find out. Here’s everything you need to know about Spotify Basic.

Shared Spotify subscription deals

If you live with others who pay for their own Spotify Premium or Spotify Basic you can save cash by combining them via a Duo or Family plan.

Here’s the breakdown per month per person, with annual costs per person in brackets.

Plan	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people
Premium	£11.99 (£143.88)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Basic	£10.99 (£131.88)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Premium Duo	£16.99 (£203.88)	£8.50 (£101.94)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Basic Duo	£14.99 (£179.88)	£7.50 (£89.94)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Premium Family	£19.99 (£239.88)	£10 (£120)	£6.66 (£80)	£5 (£60)	£4 (£48)	£3.33 (£40)
Basic Family	£17.99 (£215.88)	£9 (£107.94)	£6 (£72)	£4.50 (£54)	£3.60 (£43.18)	£3 (£36)

Monthly cost per person on each plan (annual in brackets)

Spotify Family for £19.99 a month and get six accounts

A decent option if there are three or more of you with your own Spotify accounts. Subscribe to a Family pass and you can pay £19.99 all in. So the more of you, the cheaper it gets. You can share with two people but the Duo option will work out cheaper.

Get Spotify Family

Spotify Duo – £16.99 a month for two

Duo is the best option for two people living at the same address, and this is the one we use.

You’ll pay £16.99 a month for Spotify Duo, so £3 cheaper than the family option (£36ish less a year), or £7 less than two standard Premium accounts (£83.88 total less a year). You will be asked to verify your address.

Get Spotify Duo

Save on Apple Music

Here are ways to save on Apple Music streaming including free trials and offers.

Save on Tidal, Amazon, Deezer & more

Here are more music streaming free trials and offers if you fancy changing from Spotify.

October 1, 2025 | Best Buy

The best student bank accounts 2025

Written by Andy Webb

The best 0% overdrafts and freebies for students

Choosing the best student bank account is typically about finding the one with the best benefits, such as the size of the interest-free overdraft, then other things, like money management tools, freebies and what’ll happen when you graduate.

Here are the best bank accounts for students in 2025 and what they offer.

How to choose the best student bank account

When choosing a student account, you typically want to focus on the size of the interest-free overdraft, despite freebies being tempting.

It’s also worth noting that most accounts are designed for three-year courses, so check the terms — especially for the overdrafts — if you have a longer degree.

When looking at your options, these are the key questions to ask.

How big is the 0% overdraft?

A 0% overdraft could be essential to help you get through your time at university. You won’t be charged any interest on the money in there, making them the cheapest way to borrow money.

Of course, you need to be careful about using it and not treat it as free cash as you will have to pay it back. You will generally have a few years after you graduate (and hopefully start working) to do this, but even so, don’t spend this money just because it’s available.

The lengths of 0% overdrafts change between the banks – and you might not even get the advertised amount. If the wording says the overdraft is “up to” that means you might not get the high sum mentioned in the adverts.

But it might be best not to go for the largest amount, as the bigger the overdraft the bigger the temptation to use it all. Instead, work out how much you think you’ll need to use and ask for that.

Plus, even if you think you won’t need one at all, it’s worth choosing a bank that offers one and applying for it at the start – you never know how things could change.

Some banks will also increase the size of overdraft each year, though you often have to ask. This means you can’t blow it all in the first year.

However, there could be conditions attached to having one of these fee-free overdrafts, so make sure you read all the T&Cs upfront. It could be something like pay in £500 every term.

There’s also the chance you could get rejected for the overdraft so check your credit file before applying. Most students won’t have much on their file, but it’s worth making sure there’s nothing wrong there.

And of course, if you spend more than your overdraft allows you may be hit with huge interest charges of around 40%.

What freebies are available?

Freebies typically come in the form of cash, although we’ve seen some accounts offer other things, such as subscriptions, including Headspace. Santander’s been offering a Railcard for years, a great perk if you’re moving further away.

Some of these could save you a fair bit of cash, if you’d have bought them anyway, that is. These should generally be a second deciding factor once you’ve looked at overdraft options.

It also pays to check how much these freebies would cost if you looked around for extra deals and discounts. Often the value advertised is much higher than you’d actually need to pay.

What happens after you graduate?

Banks go all out for your business as a student as they know there’s a good chance you’ll stick with them for the rest of your life – and that’ll make them money. You’ll usually be moved to a Graduate account with the same bank, but you don’t have to stick with them — you could choose a better graduate account or go for bank switching cash or other rewards. You can see the types of offers currently on offer here.

The best bank accounts for students

Here’s our pick of the best accounts to get. You can only have one student account at a time, usually, but you can open up additional standard bank accounts on top.

You’re also able to switch from your student account to a new one if you want to change banks mid-degree. However with most, you’ll be subject to a credit check, so don’t apply for these too close to each other.

Bank	Account name	0% overdraft	Perks
Nationwide	FlexStudent current account	Year 1: Up to £1,000 Year 2: Up to £2,000 Year 3: Up to £3,000	£100 cash, £120 in Just Eat vouchers and up to £60 in Just Eat vouchers via referrals
Natwest & RBS	Student Bank Account	First term: Up to £500 Years 1 & 2: Up to £2,000 Year 3: Up to £3,250	£85 and a 4-year Tastecard
Santander	Edge Student	Years 1-3: £1,500 guaranteed	4-year Santander 16-25 Railcard

Up to £3,000 overdraft: Nationwide FlexStudent

Perk: £100 cash, one of the largest overdrafts and top ethical choice

The Nationwide student account offers £100 if you open an account after 1 July 2025 and pay in £500 by 12 December 2025. You can’t have had a FlexStudent or FlexGraduate account on 30 June 2025.

This also has one of the largest overdrafts over the course of the degree (NatWest offers up to £3,250 and HSBC also offers up to £3,000). The overdraft builds gradually over your degree, stopping you from blowing it all in one go.

This is so far one of the best student accounts in 2025 due to its large interest-free overdraft and the perks. It’s a good choice if you’re worried about the ethics of your bank, too.

You’ll also be eligible for the Nationwide Fairer Share payment in the summer, which has been worth £100 a year for the last two years.

Nationwide FlexStudent

Overdraft	Up to £1,000 in year one; up to £2,000 in year two; Up to £3,000 in year three
Opening offer	£100 cash
	£120 in Just Eat vouchers
	An additional £20 in Just Eat vouchers when you refer friends (£40 cap)
	An extra £20 in Just Eat vouchers if you are referred by a friend
Bonus paid	14 days after meeting criteria
Requirements	Open a new FlexStudent account no more than five months before and 12 months after starting your course
	Deposit £500 by 12 December 2025 (for the bonus and vouchers)
	Deposit £500 every term (for the overdraft)
	Not had an open FlexStudent or FlexGraduate account on 30 June 2025
	Have been a UK resident for three or more years
Offer ends	Unknown

See our full review of Nationwide FlexStudent

Up to £3,250 overdraft: Natwest or RBS Student Account

Perk: £85 cash and a 4-year Tastecard

The interest-free overdraft is up to £500 in the first term and then up to £2,000 after this. You can get up to £3,250 in the third year. By offering you an increasing amount, you’ll be able to budget more efficiently and reduce the risk of blowing it all in Freshers’ week.

Natwest and RBS both also offer £85 cash and a free 4-year Tastecard. If you don’t go for this account there are other ways to get cheap or free dining discount memberships.

NatWest/ RBS Student Account

Overdraft	Up to £500 in the first term, up to £2,000 in the first year then up to £3,250 in the third year.
Opening offer	£85 and a four-year Tastecard
Bonus paid	Within 10 working days of meeting criteria
Requirements	Open an account after 1 July 2025
	Not have had a student offer from NatWest since 1 July 2021
	Lived in the UK for at least three years
Offer ends	Unknown

Read our review of the NatWest student account

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Guaranteed overdraft: Santander Edge Student

Perk: Free 4-year railcard

The Santander Edge Student account offers a guaranteed £1,500 overdraft for the first three years, so it’s a decent option if you want certainty on how much you can borrow. If you study longer it increases to £1,800 in year four and £2,000 if you stay on for a fifth year.

You also get a free four-year 16-25 railcard, a nice option if you are likely to be travelling by rail a lot as it knocks a third of train fares but I’d opt for hard cash instead.

There’s also at least £20 to be won via a prize draw. More details in our full review.

Santander Edge Student

Overdraft	£1,500 in years one to three, £1,800 in year four, £2,000 in year five (if still studying)
Opening offer	4-year 16-25 Railcard & guaranteed £20 prize
Bonus paid	Within 5 working days you’ll get a code to redeem the railcard
Requirements	Deposit £500 every term
	Have proof of an accepted or unconditional offer
	Live in the UK for tax purposes
Offer ends	Unknown

See our review of the Santander Edge Student account

More on the Santander Edge Student account

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

Listen now

Andy and Amelia with the text "Cash Chats Personal finance podcast"

Other student accounts

It’s worth checking out these accounts too, some of them offer good overdrafts, but they mainly offer freebies. These might seem more attractive than 0% overdrafts, but if you do need to borrow, an overdraft is probably worth more.

If you’re really not bothered by an overdraft then it’s still worth nabbing one and putting that cash in savings.

Bank	Account name	Overdraft	Perks
HSBC	Student Account	Up to £1,000 in year one, up to £2,000 in year two, up to £3,000 in year three	None in 2025 yet
Lloyds	Student Current Account	Years 1-3: Up to £1,500	£100 cash and up to £90 in Deliveroo vouchers
Halifax	Student Current Account	Years 1-3: Up to £1,500	£100 cash and up to £90 in Deliveroo vouchers
Barclays	Student Additions Account	Year 1: Up to £1,000 Years 2 & 3: Up to £1,500	Not announced in 2025 yet – in 2024, this was 1 year of Perlego
TSB	Student Bank Account	Years 1-3: Up to £1,500	5% interest on up to £500
Co-op	Student bank account	Year 1: Up to £1,400 Year 2: Up to £1,700 Year 3: Up to £2,000	None

How to get a student bank account

You have to be over 18 and living in the UK to get any student bank account, and most will require you to be at the start of your first year to get the freebie.

You’ll need to show ID such as a passport, driving licence or birth certificate. You’ll also need to bring along proof of your acceptance to the uni or college – possibly your UCAS letter or university acceptance letter.

You don’t need to wait until you get to your university to open the account, so doing it now before you head off means you can get your bank card and PIN sent out and your online banking set up in advance.

Can I have more than one student account?

Most of the time you can only have one “student” account, this is usually laid out in each bank’s T&Cs – you’ll likely not get the perk or overdraft if you try and attempt it.

You could potentially open one of these accounts to get the freebie, then close it down and open up another one (or switch it). You’ll need to do this within the stated timeframes to get any perks, and it’s worth double-checking the T&Cs of each account to make sure you’re allowed.

There’s nothing stopping you from opening another bank account that’s not got the “student” perks – keep reading for more on these.

Can I switch my student bank?

You can switch your student bank account to any other account of your choosing, whether that’s another student account with another bank or a standard current account. This is as long as the bank is part of the Current Account Switching Service.

In some cases, this can get you an extra perk, so it could be worthwhile.

If you want to switch after you’ve graduated, this is possible too, just be careful about trying to switch if you’re overdrawn, as you may wind up paying overdraft fees.

Can I earn interest on my savings?

Though some of the student accounts will offer interest on money in the account, they are quite limited and not a reason to pick one account over another.

However, if you think you’ll have more money available or don’t think you’ll need to use all of your overdraft, then you could look at other savings accounts.

Just be careful not to lock it away if you think you’ll need to access your savings.

Could you stooze your overdraft?

Stoozing is where you borrow money at 0% and put that cash into savings. Normally it’s via a specialist credit card – but you don’t need to do that when you have an interest-free overdraft.

To take advantage you simply transfer the money from your current account to a top-paying savings account. Putting £1,000 into a 4% paying account will earn you £40 in interest in a year.

If you’re confident you won’t need to use the money at all then you can get higher rates by fixing your savings.

If you do this, make sure you have enough cash in the bank to cover your everyday spending.

Alternative to student accounts

The bulk of the specialist student current accounts will have perfectly decent apps. But if you want one that’ll help you budget or have more advanced features you’ll want to look at digital banks Starling, Chase or Monzo.

They have a number of features that will help you do things like keep track of your spending, split your money by purpose (e.g. bills, going out, groceries) and it’s also a lot easier to set alerts for when your balance is getting low.

However, none of these offer specific student accounts and therefore don’t have a 0% overdraft. Instead, they could be a good secondary account alongside a high-street bank, getting you the best of both worlds.

I suggest using one of these as your day-to-day bank or everyday spending, transferring over a set amount to spend each week from the student account with an overdraft.

They’re also decent bets for spending abroad, whether studying overseas or on holiday.

You don’t have to stick with just a student account. You can open one with other features at another bank to use in addition.

October 1, 2025 | Deals

The best student discounts, offers and deals

Written by BCWYC Team

Students can save at Apple, Boots, Amazon and more

Here are the pick of the best student discounts – and you don’t need to be a student for some!

Whether you’re a full-time student or just someone with an NUS card (sadly, our loophole where anyone could get one has been closed – though previous Totum cardholders can get an alumni card), there are some fantastic deals to be had! The key is to ask – you never know!

Sadly there are a few discounts only available via MyUniDays or Student Beans, and you can only get those if you have a .ac.uk email address.

We’ve not listed all the different retailers, but you can also save at the likes of ASOS, Office and Foyles. The usual rate is around 10%, but is sometimes boosted to 20% at the start of term.

Here are our favourite discounts – there will be more!

For all students, staff and school children

Some discounts are available for staff working at universities and schools (and you don’t need to be a teacher), as well as for students at schools and colleges.

Apple: 10% off and free accessories with Mac or iPad purchase

If you’re heading to University, you can get a freebie with a purchase of an iPad or Macbook and 10% off from 10 July to 21 October 2025.

To be eligible, you need to verify your student status with UNiDAYS or go via Totum and you’ll save up to 10% on a new Mac and be able to choose a freebie to go with it. You don’t have to be in your first year either. Plus, teachers or employees of educational institutions in the UK and parents of uni students can get the offer.

The freebies depend on what you purchase, but you could get Apple AirPods, a free mouse, a free keyboard, or an Apple Pencil.

There are ways to get a Totum card even if you’re not a student, too, so most people can benefit from the offer.

Get Apple student deals

For anyone with a student ID

These discounts work with your Uni or college ID or an NUS/Totum card (which includes some non-students).

Boots: 10% off

You can save 10% on your purchases at Boots. You’ll need to have a Boots Advantage card as well as an NUS/Totum card, and you need to connect these at a Boots checkout till.

Since you only need the Advantage card to get the discount, you could share your card with other family members so they also get the money off – though it does mean they won’t earn their own Boots points.

The discount is valid until 31 August each year so you’ll need to reactivate it at the till from 1 September onwards.

This is sometimes boosted to 20%, including at the start of the academic year.

You can also stack it with other deals and offers on the Boots site.

Shop at Boots

Superdrug: 10% off

You’ll need to sign up to the Health & Beautycard scheme (it’s free), then link your NUS/Totum card or student ID to the account in-store. It’ll then work for the academic year online and in person.

Tickets to theatre, galleries, festivals & other live events

You can also often get reduced rates for everything from theatre to opera. The Royal Exchange in Manchester and the ENO are among those that do.

Many galleries will have a reduced student price, often 50% less. And the Art Pass offers discounted student membership at the start of each academic year.

Not many festivals do, but it’s worth checking when you buy tickets to anything.

Sport

Football fan? I’ve used my NUS card to get concession tickets to see my team Crystal Palace in the past (sadly it no longer offers a student price), and it’s saved me hundreds of pounds. Many clubs and other sports have similar deals.

English Heritage: £12 annual membership (ended)

There are a number of routes that students can save £30 on the normal discounted price for membership, but this offer works for those ex-students who also have an NUS Totum card.

You’ll need to enter the code EHYP24TOT when paying via direct debit on the English Heritage website. You will have to show your student ID when using your pass to visit attractions.

Ends 1 November 2024.

Join English Heritage

See if you can get an alumni Totum card

Eating out

You can also save on food with your Totum or other student card. This includes:

Tastecard – three months free
Leon – 15% off
Itsu – 15% off
Greggs – freebie with lunch deal
McDonalds – freebie with meal deal

Shopping

Though some retailers now ask for a Unidays ID or code, it’s worth trying every shop you go to. Online you might have to click through from the NUS website.

For anyone with a student email address

Ikea: £10 or £20 coupon

Verify yourself as a student at Ikea and get a coupon for £10 off when you spend £75. If you spend £150, you’ll get a £20 coupon. You’ll need to login or sign up for Ikea’s Family account and fill out the form using your student credentials. You’ll need a student email address but if you don’t have one yet you can use alternative documents.

The offer runs until 19 October 2025 and you can only use the discount once.

For students with MyUniDays

Spotify: 46% off

You can save 46% on Spotify Premium. That’s £5.99 a month rather than £11.99. This version gets rid of adverts and lets you take songs offline to your phone or tablet, meaning you don’t need wifi or your data. Here are the best Spotify deals.

Apple Music: 50% off

You can get Apple Music for £5.99 per month and get Apple TV thrown in. You’ll also get this for 48 months once you’ve been validated via MyUniDays.

Software

I got my Adobe suite (things like Photoshop) at a massive discount. We’re talking hundreds of pounds! You can also save on Microsoft Office – though free alternatives like Google Docs might do the job instead.

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

Listen now

For students with official student ID

Amazon Prime: six months free then 50% off

You can get Amazon’s delivery and streaming service free for six months as a student (or 18-22 year old). Then after that you can get a full annual Amazon Prime subscription for £4.49 a month, for three years.

Or you can pay annually £47.49, saving a little extra.

The easiest way to get this is using an academic email, though there are other ways to verify student status. Sadly Totum cards are no longer accepted.

Watch out for other Amazon Student offers throughout the year, such as money off codes at Black Friday or Prime Day.

Train and tube travel

The 16-25 Railcard or 26-30 Railcard is a great way to cut the cost of train travel. Mature students outside this age range need proof they are studying with a form completed by their Uni or college. There are often deals to get discounts on these and other railcards.

If you travel by tube and live in London during term time you can get an 18+ Student Oyster card. This saves 30% on travel in the capital.

There are also bus and coach student passes.

International travel

Check to see if you have an ISIC (International Student Identification Card) included with your Totum student card. If not, it’s worth looking at separately.

When we went on a big trip to South America in 2013, our ISICs saved us over £200 on internal flights, excursions such as the Inca Trail and admission to museums and galleries, and we did it again on our honeymoon a few years later.

October 1, 2025 | Deals

The best birthday freebies and how to get them

Written by BCWYC Team

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.

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.

Had a birthday while M&S Sparks was down? Marks and Spencer has sent out belated free birthday treats if you celebrated your birthday in May, June and July, so check your app even if it was a couple of months ago.

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.

Andy actually forgot to do this and registered a few days after his birthday and I still got sent the £5 voucher a few weeks later, so it’s worth giving a go!

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 5-inch cake

If you join the Lola’s Cupcakes Love Club more than 30 days before your birthday, then you can get a free small cake 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 Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

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 savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

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.

Do you know of any other birthday freebies or discounts worth signing up for? Let me know in the comments below.

September 29, 2025 | Best Buy

Best free business bank accounts

Written by Zoe Roddy

Find a free business bank account for your business type

A business bank account is a separate bank account from your personal one that you maintain just for your business. These accounts are more tailored to business banking, so you can integrate accounting tools, make invoices and categorise your expenses. Some accounts are limited to certain types of businesses, so you’ll need to check that your business is eligible to have an account with your chosen bank.

Paid advertisement

Anna Money Pay As You Go

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

0.95% fee on cash deposits

Fee for transfers in/out

0.95% fee on money paid in (except from your own accounts)

More Details

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: No

Integration with accounting tools: Share access with your accountant or sync with accounting software

Invoicing tools: Yes

Cash withdrawals: Unlimited free withdrawals

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Registered limited companies, Limited Liability Partnerships or sole traders

▲

Monzo Lite

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

£1 per deposit

Fee for transfers in/out

£0

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Not available - Integration only available with Monzo Pro and above

Invoicing tools: No

Cash withdrawals: Withdraw up to £1,000 per day

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Sole traders and registered limited companies

▲

£100 welcome bonus

Tide

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

0.5% (min £2.50) at Post Office, 3% at PayPoint

Fee for transfers in/out

Free transfers in/out for 12 months

More Details

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Connect your own accounting software or export transactions to share with your accountant for free

Invoicing tools: Yes - send 3 per month free

Cash withdrawals: £1 per withdrawal

Access: Online or via app

Eligibile businesses: Registered limited companies or sole traders

Transfers: Transfers cost 20p per transfer after a 12 month promotional period

Offer details: Get £100 in cash when you open a Tide Business Account and spend £1,000 within 60 days of account opening. Use the code BCA100 when you sign up.

▲

Starling

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

0.7% (min £3)

Fee for transfers in/out

£0

More Details

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Can be connected to accounting software

Invoicing tools: Yes

Cash withdrawals: 6 free withdrawals per day up to a maximum of £300

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Limited companies, Limited Liability Partnerships or sole traders

▲

Mettle

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

£0

Fee for transfers in/out

£0

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Access to FreeAgent and connect to other accounting software

Invoicing tools: Yes

Cash withdrawals: Free

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Sole traders and limited companies with no more than two owners

▲

Zempler Business Go

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

0.55% (min £4)

Fee for transfers in/out

Free to receive, send for free three times each month, 35p afterwards

More Details

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Connect your chosen accounting software

Invoicing tools: Yes

Card issuing fee: £9.95 one off fee

Cash withdrawals: £2 per withdrawal

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Sole traders and limited companies

▲

3 months free Xero or Quickbooks

Virgin Money M Account for Business

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

£0.90 fee per £100

Fee for transfers in/out

£0

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Can be connected to accounting software

Invoicing tools: No

Cash withdrawals: £0.90 fee per £100 withdrawn. Withdraw up to £700 per day.

Access: Online or via app

Cashback: 0.25% cashback on debit card purchases

Offer details: You can get 3 months of Xero or Quickbooks for free with a Virgin Money business account.

Eligibile businesses: For businesses with an annual turnover of less than £1m

▲

SumUp

Monthly fee

£0

Cash deposit fee

Can't deposit cash

Fee for transfers in/out

£0

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Integration with accounting tools: Can be connected to accounting sotware

Invoicing tools: Yes

Cash withdrawals: 3 free per month, 2% thereafter

Access: Online or via app

Eligible companies: Sole traders or limited companies

▲

Paid accounts with free trials

3 months free & free accounting tools

Countingup Business Bank Account

Monthly fee

£3-£18 per month

Cash deposit fee

Post Office: 0.5% (£2 min) / PayPoint: 3%

Fee for transfers in/out

30p

More details ▼

Additional Info

FSCS Protected: No

Integration with accounting tools: Fully integrated accounting tools

Invoicing tools: Yes

Cash withdrawals: £1 per withdrawal

Access: Via app

Fee details: After the 3 month free trial, you'll pay a monthly fee depending on how much you deposit each month. Deposits up to £750: £3 per month; Deposits up to £7,500: £9 per month; Deposits over £7,500: £18 per month

Eligible companies: Sole traders or registered limited companies

▲

Do you need a business bank account?

If you’re a sole trader or just earning extra via a side hustle then you don’t need to have a specialist business bank account. You can make do with a standard (and free) personal account.

You don’t have to use the same one you bank with day-to-day. It’s generally best to separate your business money from your personal cash, so it’s best to open a new account — it’s up to you whether you stick with the same bank you use for your personal banking or try a different one. Keeping them separate will be useful when it comes to doing your tax return and working out which purchases were business-related.

But, if you are part of a Limited Company then you’ll have to have a specific business account.

What to look out for when searching for a business bank account

When choosing a business bank account there will be a few differences from regular bank accounts that you’ll want to consider.

Fees

You’ll be more likely to come across fees with these bank accounts. We’ve shown the free accounts above, although this refers to whether there’s a monthly fee. The other fees you might come across include:

Initial set-up fee
Cash deposit fees
Cash withdrawal fees
Transaction fees
Fees for payments in
Fees for transfers out

It’s important to consider what your business is likely going to need. For example, if you take a lot of cash payments, you might be more interested in getting free cash deposits, while a company that doesn’t handle cash much wouldn’t be bothered about cash deposits.

Eligibility

Some accounts aren’t available for all businesses. If you have a Limited Liability Partnership, for example, you’ll have fewer choices when it comes to business bank accounts. Check out “eligible companies” in further details above for an overview. You’ll also want to double-check with the bank directly. Generally speaking, sole traders and limited companies should be eligible for all of the accounts above, although there are often excluded business types.

Cash deposits

Many of the business bank accounts listed above are digital banks, which means there isn’t a high street branch for you to deposit cash into your account, however, most of them will let you deposit cash at the Post Office or using PayPoint. Some have associations with high-street banks — for example, Mettle is owned by NatWest so you can pay in cash at NatWest branches.

Integration

A lot of business bank accounts offer integration with accounting software like Xero or Quickbooks. Or, they’ll offer the option to export your transactions to give your accountant or upload them into your chosen software. If you don’t have accounting software, you probably wouldn’t need this, although it may be useful in the future.

Some business bank accounts come with a free trial of accounting software. While this is worthwhile if you think you’ll need accounting software, remember to cancel it if you don’t think it’s something you’ll need.

September 27, 2025 | Deals

Quidco bonuses: up to £20 for new members (September 2025)

Written by BCWYC Team

Get free cash when you shop at thousands of shops or other bonuses with these Quidco sign-up bonus offers.

We’re big fans of cashback and – even better – you can often get a bonus when you sign up for the first time.

Quidco is one of the big cashback sites, and we’ll list the best deals here, as well as any other specific cashback deals we think you can’t afford to miss.

What is Quidco?

Quidco is a cashback website that lets you earn money back when you shop through its platform. It works with thousands of retailers across different categories, including fashion, tech, travel and groceries. When you make a purchase through Quidco, a percentage of what you spend is tracked and later paid out as cashback, which you can withdraw to your bank, PayPal, or as a gift card.

First time Quidco user offers

There are regular retailer-specific offers that come and go which could save you £10 or £15 if you buy at those shops. But the two generic offers below are far better as they mean you can spend your money wherever you want on whatever you want.

£20 bonus cashback when you spend £10 (temporarily paused)

The best deal is for subscribers to our weekly newsletter who get access to an exclusive £20 first-time bonus when they spend £10. You’ll also get the cashback offered by the retailer 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

Get £10 cashback when you spend £5, plus extra cashback (temporarily paused)

This is an ongoing offer that can get you the cashback on any purchase, as long as you spend £5 or more. So if you spend £5 at any of the 5,000+ retailers listed on Quidco – which is pretty much all of them – you’ll get £10 back plus whatever the cashback rate is. There are so many shops you’ll definitely find a way to get your cashback.

Existing Quidco customer offers

It’s worth looking for bonus cashback deals which can pop up from time to time. You need to click to activate these offers. We’ll add them below when we see them.

Quidco Flashback offers

Often Quidco has boosted cashback known as Flashback that runs for 24 hours. Sometimes we can share them in advance, although they could change or be cancelled. Always check the Quidco homepage for the full terms and conditions. You might also have to activate some offers.

Already with Quidco?

TopCashback also offers new member bonuses. Check out the latest here.

Free cashback offers

Some deals will give you money without actually spending any money:

£3 bonus when you install Quidco reminder (ended)

If you use Chrome as your internet browser you’ll be able to earn a £3 bonus by installing the Quidco Reminder extension, then using it to activate cashback while shopping and spend at least £3. There are a handful of retailers excluded which are listed in the terms and conditions when you click through. The offer comes and goes.

Featured savings deal

More Details

Trading 212 Cash ISA

AER (variable)

4.51%

Minimum

£1

New Trading 212 customers get a bonus of 0.66% AER for 12 months for current year subscriptions

More details ▼

Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 3.85%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲