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April 1, 2025   |   Deals

NOW TV free trial, offers & deals (April 2025)

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Get Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports without getting Sky – and pay less with these great NOW TV offers.

Sky’s NOW TV – or NOW as it’s been rebranded can save you a lot of money compared to paying for TV via your broadband provider, whether that’s Sky, Virgin, BT or TalkTalk.

Despite recent price increases and fewer offers it’s still the cheapest way to get big channels such as Sky Atlantic, Sky One and more.

NOW TV logo on yellow background

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.

What is NOW TV?

NOW TV is essentially an on-demand video streaming service, just like Netflix and iPlayer. The big difference is it lets you watch Sky channels. Why bother when you can do this direct? Well NOW TV is so much cheaper. And you’ll see below there are always deals to bring the price down further.

Another great thing is that you can subscribe month by month, rather than tie yourself into a year-long contract as you would if you had satellite or cable TV. Here’s Andy’s take on whether it’s worth the money.

It works best if you don’t watch ALL the different channels. That’s because films, TV and sport are all on different packages. Very cheap if you get one or two, but it can be pricey if you get more. And of course you need to consider if you’d be better off picking Netflix or Amazon Prime instead – there’s not enough time to watch all three!

How much is NOW TV

Here are the full price costs for all the different NOW TV passes – but of course you don’t need to pay this. Check out all the deals on this page for ways to save.

  • Entertainment Pass costs £9.99 a month
  • Cinema Pass costs £9.99 a month
  • The Hayu pass costs £4.99 a month
  • There are three Sky Sports NOW TV passes
    • A Day Pass costs £14.99 for 24 hours
    • A Month Pass is £34.99 a month
    • NOW TV Boost cost £6 a month or £9 a month

New NOW TV customer offers and deals

The best offers are pretty much always for new customers. If you’ve never used NOW TV before, always start with one of these. If there’s a free or very cheap pass featured further down you can always add that at a later date. We’ve ranked them in the order of how good we think they are.

These offers are only for new NOW TV subscribers. Make sure you cancel before the prepaid package is up or you’ll pay full price for the following months.

At the moment it seems most of these introductory offers are for a minimum of six months, so you might need to weigh up whether you’d be better off paying full price for a single month and using the cancellation trick (more on this further down the page) to hopefully bring prices down without being locked in.

NOW TV Entertainment & Cinema: 30% off 6 months

This new user offer requires you to lock in for 6 months, after which you’ll pay full price but can cancel at any time.

You’ll get Entertainment & Cinema for £13.99 a month (saving around £6 each month).

We’d caution against this package as we don’t feel there’s enough movies on there to warrant six continuous months, even at a discount. Instead, pay full price of each for one month (if you need them both), and then see if you can get discounts when you cancel the passes.

This offer also comes with a 7 day trial of Boost.

Sign up for NOW TV

NOW TV Entertainment: 30% off 6 months

This new user offer requires you to lock in for 6 months, after which you’ll pay full price but can cancel at any time.

You’ll get:

  • Entertainment for £6.99 a month (save £3)

This offer also comes with a 7 day trial of Boost.

Sign up for NOW TV

Reduced passes with NOW Broadband

If you change your internet to NOW Broadband, you’ll be able to get discounted NOW passes. The cost varies depending when you sign up, we’ve seen it as little as £4 a month.

However, you are tied into the broadband and the NOW membership for 12 months. And it’ll go up to full price once the year ends.

Get a discounted NOW passes and broadband at NOW

NOW TV free trials (ended)

Sadly there are no longer any free trials for the main passes, though they could return. Usually you can trial “Boost” for 7 days though that’s not currently showing.

If you do get a trial and don’t want to keep paying then remember to cancel before the seven days finish to avoid getting charged full price.

Choose a 7-day NOW free trial

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Existing NOW TV customer offers and deals

Most of the special offers are only for new customers, but there are lots of ways existing customers can save each month. Usually this involved either buying a gift card pass, or buying a multi-month pass with a NOW TV box or stick when these are on offer (which happens quite a bit).

With the passes you will get a code which you can enter into your account. Go to the view passes page and you’ll see where to add the code. If you are buying the passes with a NOW TV stick or box then the newer ones have the passes preloaded and are added to your account when you activate the device and log in.

Here are the best deals:

NOW TV cancellation trick

If you go to cancel your NOW TV pass, you’ll be asked the reason you are cancelling. Select the option saying it’s too expensive for you and you might be offered a discount to stay.

If that’s as good or better than the existing customer deals we’ve listed above, then you can accept it and pay less. This will be for a limited time, often three or four months, so don’t forget to repeat this process.

Do keep an eye on your emails too. It’s not unheard of for NOW TV to offer a discounted price after you’ve cancelled. Here’s more on how this trick works and how to cancel.

NOW email offers

It’s also worth having your email preferences set to allow promotional emails from NOW. They will regularly send promotions with discounts – most recently Andy signed up to four months of Entertainment for £1 a month.

This will only be sent if you don’t have an active subscription, another reason to hit cancel at the start of each month.

Netflix, NOW TV and Freeview box for £23/m

If you have BT or EE broadband (or sign up for it), you can add on a EE TV package that includes Netflix and NOW at a reduced price. For £23 a month for 24 months you’ll get:

  • Netflix Standard with adverts (rrp £5.99 a month)
  • NOW Entertainment (rrp £9.99 a month)
  • Discovery+ basic (rrp £3.99 a month)

However if you want HD Netflix you’ll have to pay extra – and it’s not clear how much more this is.

Similarly if you want HD and no adverts on your NOW pass that’s another £6 a month. And it’s often possible to get cheaper NOW packages direct with NOW – that might not be the case if you pay via your BT bill.

A similar model box will likely cost you £250, so if you’re looking at ditching pay TV elsewhere, this would be a cheaper way to get hold of it, with the streaming services thrown in (though you won’t keep it if you leave BT in two years time).

You’ll also need to factor in if you can get broadband for less elsewhere, and that you’ll be tied in for two years.

Get Netflix via EE TV

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Latest Sky Sports NOW TV deals

You need a separate pass for Sky Sports via NOW and there are often deals to bring the price down. We’ve listed them on our bespoke deals page for Sky Sports.

Save on Sky Sports at NOW

Here are my top deals for Sky Sports day and month passes on NOW.

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Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Best Buy

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

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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.

Chase BankSantander EdgeTrading 212
1% on groceries, everyday transport, petrol1% on groceries and transport0.5% on most items
Max £15 cashback a monthMax £10 cashback a monthMax £20 cashback a month
Cashback payable dailyCashback payable monthlyCashback payable daily
No fee£3 a month fee£5 for physical card
Requires £1,500 deposit in previous monthRequires £500 deposit each month & 2 direct debits
Also fee-free abroad (no cashback though)Also 1% back on bills & 6% saver. Fee-free abroad (no cashback though)Fee-free abroad and earn cashback
> Chase Bank review> Santander Edge review> Trading 212 card review
> Customer reviews of Chase on Smart Money People> Customer reviews of Santander on Smart Money People> Customer reviews of T212 on Smart Money People

Our analysis

The highest rate on debit cards is via the Chase or Santander Edge 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 cap on how much you can earn each month. For Chase it’s £15, which means you’ll earn only on the first £1,500 spent on qualifying categories.

Santander has a lower £10 limit, so it’s only earned on the initial £1,000 each month. You’ll also need to factor in a £3 monthly fee, though you’ll cover this if you also pay your bills from the same account.

Trading 212 offers a lower rate of 0.5% but it’s not restricted to certain purchases. You’ll also earn the cashback on overseas spending. It has a cap of £20 a month, so you’ll keep earning money back on spending up to £4,000 each month.

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.

Best cashback & 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 & 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 NectarAmex 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 months20,000 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 yearPoints redeemable instantlyPoints redeemable instantly
£25 a year feeFree 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 cashback sites or referralBonus £20 via cashback sites or referralBonus £70 via cashback sites or 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 & Mastercard cashback & 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.

Barclaycard RewardsSantander Edge Natwest Travel Reward
0.25%

Temporarily boosted to 0.5%		2% for the first year

1% after		1% on UK travel spending (including trains, planes, car rentals, hotels, buses & more)

0.1% elsewhere
Max £15 cashback a month
Cashback paid monthlyCashback paid monthlyCashback paid after 35 days
No fee£3 monthly feeNo fee
Requires Santander current account
Fee-free abroadFee-free abroadFee-free abroad
VisaMastercardMastercard
> 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 Barclaycard Rewards pays a solid 0.25% cashback on spending at home or abroad, and is fee free. If you apply before 30 April 2025, new applicants can get double cashback until the end if September.

The Santander Edge credit card can pay more at 2% for the first year, though since you’re capped at £15, you’ll only earn on £750 of spend each month. You also need to factor in a £3 a month fee, which would mean you need to spend at least £300 each month to get the equivalent of 1%. In year two onwards, the fee has a bigger impact and would require at least £400 spend a month to match the lower Barclaycard Rewards card.

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

Best supermarket and retailer specific cashback & 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 RewardsJohn Lewis PartnershipM&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%)

5 points per £4 spent elsewhere (equivalent of 0.25%)		1 points per £1 at M&S (equivalent of 1%)

1 points per £5 at elsewhere (equivalent of 0.2%)
£20 welcome creditRegular welcome offersRegular welcome offers
Max £15 cashback a month
Redeem credit in multiples of £5Redeem vouchers in multiples of £5Vouchers paid quarterly
No feeNo feeNo 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 PlusBarclaycard Avios PlusVirgin Atlantic Reward+
1.5 Avios per £1 spent1.5 Avios per £1 spent1.5 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 months18,000 bonus points with first spend
Spend £15,000 to get a companion voucherSpend £10,000 to get a cabin upgrade voucherSpend £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

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Deals

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

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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.

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.

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.

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

Episodes every Tuesday.

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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 £26 a month – for all

Get an Unlimited Sky Sports membership for £26 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.

You’ll also get a month’s free trial of Ultra Boost or Boost.

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 £22 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.

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

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   ArticlesReview

Nationwide FlexDirect current account review: 5% interest & 1% cashback

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Top paying interest, ethics and a decent switching bonus make the account worth considering again.

There’s been a revamp of the account. Not only does it offer one the highest interest rates (for some), newbies can also now get 1% cashback on spending. Plus you can nab a decent switching bonus. It also ranks well as an ethical bank and scores highly for customer service. However, the building society has ditched the large 0% overdraft.

So are these extras enough to make it your main account? Here’s what you get with the FlexDirect, and whether you should open up an account.

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.

Nationwide logo and Be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

What is the Nationwide FlexDirect account?

The FlexDirect account is a current account from the Nationwide Building Society. It’s free to open and use, though you do have to pay in at least £1,000 a month to get the interest. That doesn’t need to be in one go, or stay in the account.

You cannot get the account if you already have four or more Nationwide current accounts.

Unlike many competitors, Nationwide has a decent network of branches you can access across the UK, and there’s also a phone support line.

In account interest of 5%

Nationwide’s FlexDirect account is one of the few current accounts that pay interest on balances held in the main account. And it’s usually a much better rate than you’ll get in normal easy-access accounts.

You can get 5% interest on savings – which is hard to beat right now. The rate is also fixed, at 5% for the entire year.

And you can boost your earnings if you’re in a couple. You can each have an account, and then open up a joint account too, meaning you’ll earn the 5% on £4,500.

You have to pay in £1,000 every month to qualify for the interest. This can’t be from another Nationwide account.

Sounds good? Well it has its limits.

First, there is a very important rule that could be an issue – this rate is for first-time account holders only. So if you’ve had the FlexDirect account before, you won’t get the new rate, even if you open up a new account.

You also only earn money on the first £1,500. Above this you get 0%. This means if you have the full amount possible in the account for 12 months you’ll make £75.

Also the rate also only lasts for one year (after that it drops to 1%), so you will want to move your money in 12 months.

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

1% cashback on spending

A new feature is cashback on spending with the debit card. It’s only for new customers who’ve not had a FlexDirect in the past. You also need to be paying in the same £1,000 each month to trigger this as you do the interest, though that’s a single payment for both perks, not each.

As with the 5% interest, this cashback is only for the first 12 months. It’s also capped at £5 cashback each month, so it’ll only apply to the first £500 you spend each month.

Cashback won’t be paid on gambling, crypto transactions or cash withdrawals.

FlexDirect 0% overdraft

Sadly with the addition of the 1% cashback, Nationwide has ditched the sizeable 0% overdraft that was available for the first year.

In its place there will be a £50 interest free buffer across all Nationwide accounts. Our guide to the cheapest overdrafts will help you find a larger alternative – though there aren’t many options left now.

Nationwide switching bonus

We’ve written about Nationwide’s bank switching deal in detail in a separate guide, but here are the essential need-to-knows:

Nationwide had an ongoing £175 incentive for bank switchers which ended 31 March 2025. It could return at any time.

The previous offer was open to new and existing customers, so if you open or upgrade to a FlexDirect account you’ll be eligible.

You can only claim the cash once on a personal account, but unlike other banks, you can get an extra bonus if you switch a joint account (there’s just one payment for both of you on this). So as a couple you could have three switching bonuses in total.

Read more on Nationwide’s switching offer

Other Nationwide perks

Regular saver 6.5%

There’s also a 6.5% paying regular saver only for all Nationwide current account customers. This can be beaten by a handful of other providers, but isn’t a bad bet.

Annual member bonus

Though there’s no guarantee it’ll still be on offer in 2025, for the last two years Nationwide has offered members with an active current account and savings or mortgage product on top, a £100 ‘Fairer Share’ bonus. Here’s everything you need to know about when Nationwide last offered this free cash.

Nationwide’s app

So far so good. Now the bad. The app is one of the main reasons I moved my main banking from Nationwide to Starling a few years ago.

There have been some massive improvements, but it still falls short of the features you get from challenger banks like Monzo, Starling and Chase.

So what does it do? You can activate a couple of features to help you save. One, Impulse Saver lets you add money to your savings account from the homescreen of the app.

The other is a round-up feature, as you see with many other banks. If you turn this on a small amount of money will be transferred each time you spend. So say you spend £1.20 on your debit card, 80p will go to savings.

You’re also able to lower your contactless limit, freeze your card and block gambling transactions.

My big frustration is that you still need a card reader. Though a recent update has reduced how often this is required, including for app payments, you can’t throw it away. And it’s not clear when you will and when you won’t need it – it just says “for some other things”, which looks like could still include setting up new payees. Of course, that might not be a bad thing as it does add an extra layer of security, but it’s not something most of the other banks I use require.

You also can’t access card details, and it’s a few clicks to find and copy or share account numbers. There are also no tracking or budgeting features.

Account ethics

Something I’ve been thinking about more over the last few years has been how the money I keep in a bank is being used. It’s not sitting in a vault, it’s being invested and loaned by the bank. And that could mean it’s used for things I really don’t agree with – from supporting arms manufacturers through to funding new oil pipelines.

If this bothers you too then Nationwide is regarded as one of the best options. A big part of this is that it’s a building society rather than a bank, which means it has to use 75% of its holdings to lend to home buyers.

That prevents it lending large amounts to unethical sources – but it also has a positive investment policies. For example your money will not be invested in fossil fuels.

Nationwide is also a mutual – meaning it’s owned by and run for the benefits of its customers (or members) rather than shareholders.

Ethical Consumer rates Nationwide ahead of all the other major banks, so it’s a good bet if you want to put your money somewhere other than low-scoring banks such as HSBC, Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds, Santander and co.

And while the top-rated current account for ethics is from Triodos, that comes with a £3 monthly fee and a more limited app, so Nationwide represent a good alternative.

Should you open a Nationwide FlexDirect account?

Andy’s Analysis

With savings rates dropping on easy access accounts, Nationwide’s FlexDirect has sprung back into contention. That 5% can be beaten, but not with a fixed rate.

The £1,500 limit for this rate will be a frustration for some (especially since the balance used to be £2,500 a few years ago), but if that’s not a worry and you want to lock in a rate it’s worth a look – for one year only though.

And the switching offer is a fantastic extra too, especially if you’re a couple who can also switch a joint account.

The app has also improved massively, though it’s not as good as the offering from digital banks Monzo, Starling or Chase.

The cashback might sounds good, but it is limited by the £5 monthly cap – and it’s only for one year. You can beat this with a credit card like the American Express Nectar.

But, vitally in my opinion, it’s a great account to go for if you’re concerned about how your money will be invested.

What do customers say?

Customer reviews on our sister site Smart Money People rate the FlexDirect account at 4.24 out of 5, liking the customer service and the availability of high street branches. The app is where people think it could do better.

Smart Money People advert

Nationwide Flex Direct summary

Cashback1% cashback on spending for the first year (capped at £500)
Interest5% AER (fixed) interest on the first £1,500 saved for 12 months (drop to 0.25% after a year)
Access to 6.5% AER (variable) Flex regular saver (max £200 a month)
Overdraft£50 0% buffer
FeeNone
RequirementsPay in £1,000 a month
Multiple accounts?Two – one personal and one joint
NotesTransfers in from other Nationwide accounts don’t count towards the £1,000
More on the account on the Nationwide website

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Deals

TNT Sports deals and offers (April 2025)

Written by

The cheapest ways to watch TNT Sports on your TV or app

If you want to watch Premier League and Champions League football, Premiership Rugby, along with other sports, on TNT Sports, then you’ll need to sign up via your pay TV provider or use the Discovery+ streaming service.

Here are the best offers right now to save you cash.

TNT Sports and Be Clever With Your Cash logos on an orange background

What is TNT Sports?

TNT Sports is the new name for BT Sports. It now sits under the Discovery brand, though you can add just the TNT Sports channels to your Sky, Virgin and other pay TV services.

The channels are:

  • TNT Sports 1, 2, 3, and 4: available in standard and high definition, plus six red-button channels.
  • TNT Sports Ultimate: stream select events in 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos (with a compatible device).
  • TNT Sports Box Office: get pay-per-view access to exciting sports events (for both subscribers and non-subscribers).

You can read more via this link about what the change means for existing BT Sport customers.

Get it via Discovery +

Discovery+ Premium for £30.99/mth

This new tier of streaming service Discovery+ gets you all the TNT Sports channels to watch via the Discovery+ app on your TV, smart stick, games console, computer, tablet or phone.

As well as the main TNT Sport channels you’ll also get Eurosport and lifestyle channels such as TLC, Quest and Discovery.

This is a monthly pass and you can cancel at anytime. This effectively replaces the old BT Sport monthly pass, though the difference is this will renew if you don’t cancel.

Get Discovery+ Premium

Get it via BT

Check if it’s already included

Some BT Broadband customers, usually long standing ones who used to get BT Sports for free, may now have access to the full Discovery+ Premium package for free.

You’ll be able to tell by checking eligibility here.

Check if you can get Discovery+ for free via BT

Add it to BT broadband from £20/mth

If you get your internet services from BT then you can get the TNT Sport channels for an extra charge each month by adding BT TV. The sports packages starts from £20 a month.

Although you can still watch via the BT Sport App you’ll need to move to the Discovery+ app in due course.

If you’re adding it to an existing BT contract then it could mean you start a new contract for all your BT services, possibly for 24 months.

Make sure you shop around for deals that’ll bring the price down, such as using cashback sites for an added bonus.

Add TNT Sports to BT broadband

Watch the Champions League final for free (ended)

For the last five or six years, BT has shown the Champions League final and Europa League final for free via BT Sport’s YouTube channel and on the BT Sport website for free! So anyone could watch without paying.

The good news is TNT Sport is continuing this. You can watch for free via the Discovery+ app on TVs and devices. If you don’t have an account you will need to register, but there’s no need to pay for any of the packages.

Sign up for Discovery+

Get it via Virgin Media

Virgin Media Stream/Flex: £18 per month

You can currently get TNT Sport channels for £18 a month via Virgin Stream, now rebranded as Flex (although confusingly, the hardware is still called Stream). It’s a 30-day rolling contract so you can cancel at any time.

However you do need to be getting broadband via Virgin Media to get the deal.

Check out our review of Virgin Media stream to find out more.

Get TNT Sports via Virgin Media Stream

Get it with your mobile

If your mobile phone contract is with EE you can buy passes to watch on your phone using the Discovery+ app.

There are add-ons that let you watch it via the BT Sport app on your TV or improve picture quality to 4K.

Check if it’s already included

Some EE and BT Mobile customers that got BT Sports for free may now have access to the full Discovery+ Premium package for free.

You’ll be able to tell by checking eligibility here.

Check if you can get Discovery+ for free via EE

£20 a month mobile pass via EE

EE customers can get access to the TNT Sports via a Discovery+ Premium pass that costs £20 a month. You need to text SPORT to 150 to start your subscription. You can cancel at anytime.

Get TNT Sports via EE

“Free” with EE Inclusive Extras

If you have a reasonably expensive contract with EE (via the Full Works plan) you can choose TNT Sports as one of your Inclusive Extras.

TNT Sports is probably the most expensive of the options, though alternatives include:

  • Apple One Individual
  • Google One Premium AI Plan
  • Netflix Premium
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Though there will be cheaper SIM deals out there, with EE or another network, it is much less than getting TNT Sports (and Discovery+) direct from the streaming service. The difference though is you’re committing to a 24 month contract, and prices will likely increase each spring with inflation.

Ultimately you’re probably better off shopping around for a cheaper SIM-only deal and getting TNT Sports as and when you need it.

More on EE Inclusive Extras

Sky Sports and NOW deals

All my ways to save on this dedicated Sky Sports passes article

How to watch TNT Sports on your TV

So how do you get these options on your TV? 

Check for an app on your TV or smart device

You can watch TNT Sport on your TV if you have the Discovery+ app (and the right level of subscription).

This is available on the following (though check the full list here in case you have older incompatible models)

  • Amazon Fire Sticks
  • Apple TV
  • Chromecasts
  • Samsung & LG Smart TVs
  • Android TVs
  • Roku devices (including NOW sticks)
  • Sky TV
  • Playstation 4 & 5
  • Xbox One and XIS

Buy an HDMI cable

As long as you have a laptop with an HDMI connector, you can just buy a cable to connect to your TV. This should be the cheapest option – but I prefer the smart stick options!

Sport on other channels

You can also watch sport on Sky, Amazon and Premier Sports. Here’s our guide to the ways to save on each of them.

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Best Buy

The best children’s savings accounts

Written by

The highest paying easy-access and regular children’s savings accounts and Junior ISAs

Here’s our guide to the best children’s savings accounts. Check the date to see when this was last updated.

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.

Wording that says 'the best children's savings account' with the Be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

Easy access accounts

These can be current accounts for kids or specific children’s savings accounts and are open to anyone under the age of 18. Rates are usually variable, which means they can change, and are often only on a limited amount of money.

With these accounts, your children will be able to manage the money themselves once they reach a certain age.

  • Nationwide FlexOne Saver (5% AER variable on up to £5,000 saved)
    • For 11-17-year-olds
    • Requires a FlexOne current account
    • Can get a Visa debit or a cash card
  • HSBC MySavings (5% AER variable on up to £3,000 saved / 2.25% above this)
    • Min £10
    • Ages 7 to 17
    • Debit card from 11
    • Can be opened online if parent/guardian has HSBC account, otherwise in branch only
  • Kent Reliance Demelza children’s savings account (4.3% AER variable)
    • Min £10 / max £25,000
    • Under 18 years old only
    • No debit card
    • 0.25% of the average balance of all Demelza accounts given to Demelza Children’s Hospice each year
    • Open it in branch or via post

Regular Savers

These children’s savings accounts pay higher rates but you’re limited on how much you can save each month. Usually, it’s a fixed rate for a year. When the time months is up, the account will close and the money will be transferred to a linked savings account.

Junior ISAs

You or your child can save £9,000 a year in a Junior ISA. These can be cash ones earning interest or stocks and shares ISAs which are invested (meaning the value can go up and down).

Though interest or gains earned in an ISA are tax-free, it’s unlikely it makes much difference as there are other allowances that will be more than enough for most kids.

Money in Junior ISAs is also locked away until the child turns 18. Then it’s their money to use as they want.

Parents or guardians have to open the account but anyone can add money – handy for grandparents and other family members who want to put money aside.

Coventry Building Society
AER (variable)
4.25%
Minimum
£1
Open account
Via branch or by post
More Details
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in: Yes

▲
Loughborough Building Society
AER (variable)
4.15%
Minimum
£1
Open account
Via branch or by post
More Details
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in: Yes

▲
Leek Building Society
AER (variable)
4.10%
Minimum
£1
Open account
Via branch or by post
More Details
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in: Yes

▲
NS&I
AER (variable)
4.00%
Minimum
£1
Open account
Online
More Details
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in: Yes

▲
Skipton Building Society
AER (variable)
4.00%
Minimum
£1
Open account
Via branch or by post
More Details
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in: Yes

▲

Tax and children’s savings

Andy’s analysis

When choosing a children’s savings account, you probably won’t need to worry about tax on interest.

Children can earn a total of £18,500 from savings and other income each financial year. That’s the £12,500 personal tax allowance, the £5,000 starting savings allowance and the £1,000 personal savings allowance.

However, if parents (and parents only) are adding money to any of the non-tax free accounts then there’s a £100 interest limit each year per parent.

So say the child has £2,000 saved earning 3.75%, they’d make £75 in interest. That’s fine. If they amassed £3,000 in contributions from the same parent the amount earned would be £112.50.

That’s still ok if the money comes from both parents, as the allowances would be combined and the total interest that can be earned would be £200.

But if it’s from one parent, then the entire £112.50 would need to come out of that parent’s Personal Savings Allowance. That might not be a problem – but if it exceeds this, then the whole amount will be subject to tax at the rate the parent pays, which could be 20% or 40%.

To avoid this you might want to save into a Junior ISA.

Other ways to save for kids

Premium Bonds

You can also buy Premium Bonds for children. These cost £1 each, but there’s a minimum purchase of £25. Grandparents are able to buy Premium Bonds, as well as parents and guardians.

The current prize fund is 4%, which isn’t the same as 4% interest. It’s very likely that with small amounts of cash in Premium bonds you won’t win anything – but there’s the chance of getting up to £1 million every month.

Pensions

Yep, you can start putting money into a person pension for a child at any age. They won’t be able to access the cash until they reach 57 years old (though that will likely increase when they’re older). However, they can manage where the money is invested from the age of 18.

As with adults adding to pensions, they’ll get 20% tax relief from the government, meaning for every £80 that’s added, £100 will be invested.

There is an annual limit though of £2,880 where you’ll get this extra top-up.

Piggy banks

It can be good to get young kids familiar with coins and money by giving them a piggy bank to save with. Obviously they won’t earn any interest (unless you want to work that out yourself).

Once they get a little older to understand branch and online banking it might make sense to replace the piggy bank with the accounts above.

Apps

Starling offers a free app to help kids learn about money and spending while also giving the parents extra control over purchases called Starling Kite. You can also pay a monthly fee for apps like Go Henry and HyperJar. However, you’re unlikely to get any decent rate of interest from any of these.

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Best Buy

The best American Express cards

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Which Amex credit card will earn you the most cashback or rewards in the UK in 2025?

There are a number of different American Express cards, so which is the best?

In this best buy guide, I’ll take you through my top picks whether you want to get your first card or change the one you already have.

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.

The best American Express for welcome offers

There are a number of great welcome bonuses from American Express that could earn you more than £100 extra in your first few months. They are often boosted too, making them even more profitable.

Importantly you can only get these offers (on most cards – more on this in a bit) if you’ve not an an Amex in your name in the last two years.

Each offer also comes with a spending requirement to trigger the bonus, so make sure your normal spending will fit this.

The best first Amex card welcome offers

To keep you eligible for additional welcome bonuses, I’d actually only consider one of these two cards, even though you’ll earn less from the bonus. They rarely have boosted welcome deals so I’d go for them at any time.

If you aren’t going to later for a second bonus with the Amex Platinum then you could also consider the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold – though I’d wait until it’s boosted.

Here are the standard offers you can expect, and we share boosted Amex welcome offers here.

CardFeeStandard welcome offerConditionValueOngoing cashback rate
Nectar American Express credit card Free in year one, then £30 a year20,000 bonus Nectar points (+ 2,000 points from spending)Spend £2,000 in the first three months£120 in Nectar points2 Nectar points per £1 (=1%)
American Express Cashback card £25 a year5% cashbackOn the first £2,500 spent in the first three monthsUp to £1250.75% on the first £10,000 spent a year, then 1.25%
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card (review)Free in year one, then £195 a year20,000 bonus Amex points (+3,000 points from spending)Spend £3,000 in the first three months£115 in Nectar points (via Avios)1 Amex Reward point per £1, bonus points for every £5,000 spent (= 0.5% to 0.75%)

Additional Amex welcome offers

After the Nectar or Platinum Cashback, there’s the chance to get another boosted offer on both the British Airways American Express Premium Plus (as long as you’ve not had either BA Amex card in the last two years) and the American Express Platinum credit cards (as long as you’ve not had the Preferred Rewards Gold or Rewards cards in the same time). I’ve written in more detail about this multiple Amex welcome offer hack here.

However, these cards come with big fees and the bonuses have large spending requirements, so I’d wait until they are boosted and you can earn more points.

If you are a member of Vitality health or life insurance then you will also be eligible for a £100 statement credit when you spend £2,000 in the first three months, even if you’ve got any other Amex.

Here’s what you could be looking at based on increased sign-up offers that have run in 2024.

CardFeeMost recent boosted welcome offerPotential conditionTotal valueOngoing cashback rate
British Airways American Express Premium Plus card£300 a year 60,000 bonus Avios points (see most recent promotion here)Spend £6,000 in the first three months (and earn 9,000 more points)£330 in Nectar points1.5 Avios per £1 (=0.75% in Nectar points)
American Express Platinum card £650 a year 80,000 bonus Amex Reward points
(see latest promotion here)		Spend £10,000 in the first three months (and earn 6,000 more points)£450 in gift cards 1 Amex point per £1 (=0.5%)

The latest Amex offers

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

The best American Express card for spending

So what do you do once you’ve got bonus (or bonuses) and you’re faced with a fee at the start of the second year? Well, I’d be looking to ditch that card and find an alternative.

But the headline cashback/reward rate isn’t the only thing to consider. You need to take into account whether there’s a fee or minimum spend. And you also need to decide how you want to receive your money back – as cash or points?

Depending on which card you went to for your first card (the Nectar or Cashback), I’d actually then get the other one next or look at the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold which is free in year one.

But after the first year on each of these, the annual fees on all three will eat into your cashback earnings.

But if you want to keep an Amex, then there’s the Amex Rewards card or BA Amex which are both always free. Just don’t get these (or the Gold) if you haven’t yet claimed those additional Platinum and BA Amex Premium Plus welcome bonuses.

Amex cardAnnual FeeCashback/RewardEquivalent rate
NectarFree in year one, £30 after2 Nectar points per £11%
Cashback£25 (first year can be covered via cashback site)Up to 1.25% cashback (paid on year anniversary)0.75% on first £10,000, then 1.25%
Preferred Rewards GoldFree in year one, £195 after1 Amex Reward point per £1, bonus points for every £5,000 spent0.64% to 0.75% if you spend at least £5,000
RewardFree1 Amex Reward point per £10.5%
British Airways American ExpressFree1 Avios point per £10.5% (if converted to Nectar)

Best Amex for extra offers

There’s a final category to consider when choosing your Amex – are there extras that come with the card? And if so, how much will they cost?

This table shows the main additional card benefits you might want to take advantage of.

Amex CardKey additional benefitsAnnual fee
Preferred Rewards Gold2 x £5 Deliveroo credit every month
4 Priority Pass airport lounge visits each year		£195
PlatinumWorldwide family travel Insurance
£200 UK dining credit each calendar year (£100 every six months)
£50 Harvey Nicholls credit until the end of June 2025
Airport lounge access all year		£650
British Airways Premium PlusBA Companion voucher if you spend £15,000 each year (lasts 24 months, and valid in all classes)£300
British AirwaysBA Companion voucher if you spend £15,000 each year (lasts 12 months, and only valid in economy)Free

I wouldn’t keep the Gold card once the fee kicks in after the first year. I’d also avoid the Platinum after the year which includes a welcome bonus.

It’s a harder call with the BA cards. If you opt for the free BA card, it’s only valid for 12 months and only in economy, which might make it hard for you to find a flight you want to use as tickets are released 12 months in advance on the BA site, so you could well miss out on big destinations.

The Premium Plus voucher lasts longer, but you will be paying £300 to get it. From my experience it’s hard to get that back on economy flights, so you’d want to aim for Business.

But, to use a 2-4-1 Companion voucher you need to have enough Avios points to pay for the first flight AND you have to pay for taxes and fees on top. If that’s unlikely then neither are worth it. And you also need to weigh up whether you’ll be able to get a cheaper flight shopping around.

Best Amex to protect your Amex Reward points

If you decide to cancel the Platinum card at the end of your first year, make sure you protect any Amex Membership points linked to it before doing so. You’ll need to swap them or open up a different Reward card to ensure you don’t lose them.

There are two options here. The Reward card and the Preferred Reward Gold card. Remember, do not open up either of these cards before the Platinum if you think you’ll try for the boosted welcome offer on that card at some point.

Amex cardAnnual FeeCashback/RewardEquivalent rate
Preferred Rewards GoldFree in year one, £195 after1 Amex Reward point per £1, bonus points for every £5,000 spent0.64% to 0.75% if you spend at least £5,000
RewardFree1 Amex Reward point per £10.5%

Read more

Featured savings deal
More Details
Trading 212 Cash ISA
AER (variable)
5.07%
Minimum
£1
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info

Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%

FSCS Protected?: Yes

Allows transfers in?: Yes

Flexible ISA?: Yes

▲

Best Amex for 2-4-1 flight vouchers

Two American Express cards can earn you British Airways companion vouchers. However, don’t get the free BA Amex card before the BA Amex Premium Plus if you want to try for the higher welcome offer with the latter card detailed further up this article.

With the Premium Plus you’ll need to spend £15,000 in the first year you’ll get a BA Companion voucher. This gets you 2-4-1 flights or an upgrade and is valid for two years and in all flight classes. Remember there is a £300 annual fee.

But after this year you have two options. If you cancel completely you won’t lose your Avios as they’ll have been added to your British Airways Executive Club account. This resets the clock to enable you to (potentially) get another bonus in two years time.

Or you can downgrade to the free BA Amex easily via a call or live chat and this will mean you keep an Amex without a new credit check.

If you choose to keep spending on it you still need to hit £15,000 in a year for a BA Companion voucher to use in economy class, valid for a just one year.

With both companion vouchers, bear in mind you need to have enough Avios points saved up to cover the cost of one ticket before adding the 2-4-1 voucher, and you still pay tax and fees on both tickets.

Amex cardAnnual FeeCashback/RewardEquivalent rate
British Airways American ExpressFree1 Avios point per £10.5% (if converted to Nectar)
British Airways American Express Premium Plus£2501.5 Avios point per £10.75% (if converted to Nectar)

Read next

April 1, 2025   |   Deals

Disney Plus deals and offers (April 2025)

Written by

Spend less on your Disney+ subscription service.

This streaming service from Disney has increased prices twice in a year and cracked down on password sharing – but there are plenty of ways to save.

We’ll share the best ways to pay less when we spot them, including special offers, free trials and discount codes.

Disney+ and be clever with your cash logos on a yellow background

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.

Disney+ price

Sadly there’s no free trial for Disney Plus. Though a seven-day trial was initially available, you’ll now need to pay to access the service.

You can pay monthly (and cancel at any time) for three of the options ranging from £4.99 with adverts, £8.99 for the “standard” option and £12.99 for “Premium”. The latter two tiers can also be paid for annually for a small discount.

These prices increased on 17 October 2024. Read all about the new Disney+ price hike.

Standard with AdsStandardPremium
Ads✓✗✗
Subscription Price £4.99 per month
(No annual bundle)		£8.99 per month or
(£89.90 per year)		£12.99 per month or
(£129.90 per year)
Video QualityUp to Full HD 1080pUp to Full HD 1080pUp to 4K UHD & HDR
Concurrent Streams224
Downloads✗✓✓
Audio5.1 and Stereo5.1 and StereoDolby Atmos

Disney+ Extra Member password sharing crackdown

You now have to pay between £3.99 and £4.99 a month to share your account with one other household. We’ve explained all in our guide to how Disney+’s Extra Member will work.

Disney plus offers

Stack £20 off + £10 off + 15% off

There’s a way for new Disney+ users to get a huge discount, by combining four different offers. Not everyone will be eligible for each step.

  • Join a cashback site as a new member with our special offers to boost the value. Right now you can get £20 when you join Topcashback and Quidco via Be Clever With Your Cash and spend £10
  • Sign up for Disney+ via Topcashback for £17.64 cashback (for Standard annual plan) or £24.15 (for Premium annual plan) or Quidco for £10 cashback
  • Buy an annual plan
  • Activate cashback offer on participating bank cards, such as American Express or Monzo, for 15% off the full price (potentially capped at £11.99)

This would bring the price of the annual Standard membership down from £89.90 to under £40 if you sign up as a new Topcashback member, and Premium (assuming no cap on the 15% offer) from £129.90 to around £86.

Details on all these separate offers are below too.

Sign up to our newsletter to get a £20 Quidco bonus

One year free via Lloyds

This was our top way to get Disney+. The Club Lloyds current account is giving away a year of Disney+ as one of the Lifestyle Benefit freebies.

Sadly, since 1 November 2023 the included tier is Disney Standard with Ads – and there’s no way to upgrade it to a different option at the moment.

Not only is this worth less than before (£59.88 a year rather than £89.90), but you’ll have to watch adverts.

It’ll take a month from opening the current account until you will get access to the service.

How to get Disney+ free via Lloyds

Annual pass: Two months free

Paying for an annual subscription to Disney+ normally offers you two months free.

For Standard it works out at £89.90 rather than £107.88, a saving of £17.98 which is 20% off.

Premium will set you back £129.90 rather than £155.88, saving around 20% too.

You can pay this yourself in your account or buy it as a gift card.

Sign up to a year of Disney+

Up to £30 off annual plans with cashback

Users of Quidco and TopCashback can get cashback when they take out a year-long subscription to Disney +. You’ll still pay the full £89.90 for the Standard package but you’ll get £10 paid back into your account with Quidco and almost £18 with Topcashback.

Even better, if you’re new to either cashback site you can also get a £20 new member bonus too.

This is only open to new Disney+ customers.

Get the latest cashback site new member offers

Andy’s analysis – is it worth paying for a year upfront?

If you know you want Disney+ all year round (hello anyone with kids!), the annual pass discount and potential cashback bring the price down.

But it’s worth thinking just how often you’ll actually watch it. Do you only want it for the big Marvel and Star Wars TV shows? If so, maybe you only need to get it when these are released.

And if you can cut Disney+ for at least two months a year (more if you get the cashback), then it’s exactly the same cost to go for the monthly price. So every month on top that you don’t subscribe you are saving cash.

Of course you do need to remember to cancel and not let it keep rolling over month to month.

Clubcard: 50% off

Swap £13.50 in Clubcard vouchers for three months of Disney+ Standard, which would cost £27 at full price.

There’s a cheaper option for Disney+ with Ads, which requires £7.50 in Clubcard points for three months, worth £15.

You don’t need to redeem your voucher until 1 May 2025.

Swap Clubcard points for Disney+ vouchers

£2 off Standard with O2

If you’re on a pay-monthly refresh tariff or a SIM-only 12 or 18 month contract, then you can add any Disney+ tier to your mobile plan (so you’ll pay alongside your bill) at full price.

But you’ll get £2 credited to your bill every month, effectively meaning you’ll pay £6.99 a month for Standard and £10.99 for Premium.

That’s a decent saving each month, however, there is a minimum term of six months.

And if you keep it for a full year, then the savings are smaller as you need to compare them to the discounted annual plans. Versus the annual Premium plan cost of £129.90, the total saved will be £10.02. For Standard it’s a saving of £6.02 a year versus the annual cost of £89.90.

You can get this offer until 30 September 2025. It’s not available for existing Disney+ subscribers but isn’t specifically for new ones, so you could cancel and then sign up through O2 to get the discount.

Add Disney+ to your O2 contract

Up to six months free with O2

If you’re new to O2 or upgrading then you can claim either one, three or six months of Disney+ for free. This can be a great way to save, but you need to make sure you can’t get a cheaper SIM-only deal elsewhere.

This “Extra” is only available on certain deals, and most of the time O2 SIM deals are more expensive than elsewhere.

However, sometimes you can find a bargain via a comparison site. For example, a two minute search found 60GB of data for £10 a month via MoneySuperMarket, which comes with three months free Disney+.

So you’d pay £120 a year for your phone tariff, get three months free Disney Premium, then (via a deal listed above) get £2 off the Disney+ for the next nine months (and beyond) costing just under £54. There’s also currently £15 cashback via TopCashback for SIM-only deals at MoneySuperMarket. This means you’d pay just under £160 for your SIM and Disney+ for one year.

Let’s compare this to an alternative deal. You can often get 15GB for under £7 a month so the total for 12 months of your phone is £84 before any cashback or other deals. A year upfront for Disney Premium would be £129.90. So in total, you’ll pay at most £183.90 this way – more expensive than the O2 deal and with much less data. Though of course that’s assuming you don’t use the other deals listed here to reduce that Disney+ cost.

Check out O2 SIM deals at O2

Uber One: free annual Disney+ pass (pay £49.99) (ended)

If you sign up to an annual Uber One pass at £49.99, you’ll get a free year of Disney+ Standard, worth £89.90 at full price (already a £39 saving on the annual cost). The deal ends on 31 January 2025.

If you’ve not signed up before, you might be offered the first four weeks free, but you’ll have the option to choose annual payment after the trial.

You’ll also get discounts on Uber rides and Eats. Here’s more in our Uber One review.

Sign up to Uber One
Our Uber One review

Uber One: six months free Disney+ w/ ads (pay £30) (ended)

Alternatively, if you don’t want a year of Uber One or Disney, you can get the advert supported tier with the pay monthly Uber One. This costs £4.99 a month, so you’re effectively paying the same as going direct to Disney, but you’ll get the extra Uber features.

It’ll renew with Disney at £4.99 a month once the six months is over, on top of the £4.99 fee to Uber One.

Offer due to end 31 January 2025.

Sign up to Uber One
Our Uber One review

Disney+ with Ads: Three months for £1.99 a month (ended)

For a limited time, new and returning Disney+ users can get a three-month subscription for £1.99 a month, so you’ll save a total of £9 versus full price.

After the three months, your subscription will auto-renew to the Disney+ with Ads price of £4.99. So be sure to set a reminder to cancel your subscription if you don’t plan on paying.

You’ll need to sign up by 27 September 2024 to get this offer.

Get 3 months of Disney+ for £1.99 a month

Disney plus deals via banking cards

It’s worth checking apps for your debit and credit cards to see if there’s a discount on Disney+.

15% off with American Express

If you have an Amex card then check the offers tab in your account to see if you can add a deal to save 15% on Disney+.

You’ll need to activate the offer in the app first. The offer comes and goes with different expiration dates, and you’ll get the discount on all transactions that are on your card in that time.

Sign up to American Express

15% off with Monzo

Digital bank Monzo regularly offers customers 15% back when you spend at least £79.90 – so effectively it’s one of the two annual plans.

You’ll need to activate the offer in the app and pay with your Monzo card. It comes and goes, so if it’s not there, check when offers refresh each week.

Plus Disney+ newbies can stack this with the Quidco or TopCashback offer mentioned above and it brings the annual Standard price down.

More about Monzo cashback

15% off with Curve (ended)

The multi-bank app Curve is offering 15% off Disney+ until 19 March 2024, though it could well return or be extended.

You’ll need to activate the offer in the app and pay with a card connected to Curve and spend at least £4.99. The biggest discount you can get is £11.99 (if you pay upfront for a year of standard at £79).

Read our Curve review

15% off with Santander (ended)

If you have access to Santander’s Retailer Offers via a current account or credit card, you might see an offer earn 15% cashback on Disney+.

It says it’s on new purchases, though I reckon you’d get the money even as an existing customer. It’s certainly worth a try if you are already paying. Premier Access payments are excluded.

The offer comes and goes and the most you can earn is £7.99 (so that’s really only 10% off the annual price).

More on Santander’s Retailer Offers

How to pay less for Netflix

All my ways to save on this dedicated Netflix article

How to pay less for NOW

All my ways to save on this dedicated NOW TV article

April 1, 2025   |   Deals

How to watch BT Sport for free and deals to save

Written by

BT Sport isn’t the cheapest channel out there but it is possible to pay less, and sometimes even get it for free.

BT Sport is now TNT Sports

TNT Sports replaced BT Sport in 2023, following a merger with Warner Bros Discovery. We’ve got a page with the latest TNT Sports deals and offers so you can carry on watching your favourite sports for less on that channel.

Watch TNT Sports without a subscription

All the latest TNT Sports deals

The cheapest ways to watch BT Sport are if you’re a BT broadband / TV or EE mobile customer. There’s a pay-as-you go option for those with different internet and mobile providers.

Here are the best offers right now to save you cash.

BT Sport and Be clever with your cash logo on blue background

Pay as you go passes

BT Sport month pass – £30.99

For the first time, BT has introduced a monthly pass at £30.99 a month. This means you don’t need to have any other service with BT or to sign up to a long contract – though you will have to cancel to stop the subscription rolling over to a new month.

The pass lasts for 30 days and includes all the BT Sport channels and discovery+, including 4K and HDR options if your TV supports it.

Sadly there’s no day pass as you get with NOW TV.

* The price increased from £25 on 17 February 2023

Get a BT Sport month pass

30-day pass via Virgin Media Stream – £16.20

If you get your broadband from Virgin Media then you can pay £18 a month on a rolling 30-day contract (so effectively a monthly pass), and get 10% credited back to your bill. You will need to buy a £35 Virgin Media Stream box though (here’s my review).

Get it with your broadband

If you get your internet services from BT or Plusnet then you can get the BT Sport channels for an extra charge each month. This starts from £15 a month and you can watch via the BT Sport App. It goes up if you also add other BT TV channels and get a Freeview Box to plug into your TV.

If you’re adding it to an existing BT contract then it could mean you start a new contract for all your BT services. Shop around for deals that’ll bring the price down, such as using cashback sites for an added bonus.

Get it via Virgin Media

Virgin Media Stream: £8 per month

You can currently get BT Sport channels for £8 a month via Virgin Stream. It’s a 30-day rolling contract so you can cancel at any time. You’ll get the price for 18 months max, when it will then revert to full price (currently £18).

However you do need to be getting broadband via Virgin Media and there’s a £35 one-off set up charge (this can often be haggled to zero if you call up).

Check out our review of Virgin Media stream to find out more.

Get Sky Sports via Virgin Media Stream

Get it with your mobile

If your mobile phone is via EE you can buy passes to watch on your phone using the BT Sport app. You’ll get access to BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3, BT Sport/ESPN and BoxNation channels.

There are add-ons that let you watch it via the BT Sport app on your TV or improve picture quality to 4K.

Three months free with EE

EE customers can get the BT Sport app free for three months by texting SPORT to 150. Unless you cancel after this you’ll move on to the monthly paid subscription.

£10 a month mobile pass via EE

Access to the BT Sport app costs £10 a month. You can only watch it on your device and this is just for EE customers.

£15 a month to use BT Sport app on TVs and smart sticks via EE

The next level up is £15 a month the BT Sport Large Screen package lets you watch it on a TV via devices such as a Chromecast, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick and some smart TVs.

The step-up to UHD/4K viewing is a package called BT Sport Ultimate which costs £20 a month.

10 months Big Screen & BT Ultimate for £15 a month via EE

This season pass lets you watch the channels on your TV and also upgrades picture quality to 4K. It’s £15 a month, so you’re saving £5 a month on the Ultimate package – but you are committing to 10 months.

There’s an early cancellation charge if you want to stop early, which you’ll also be charged if you switch away from EE for your SIM. To get this text SEASON to 150.

“Free” with EE Swappable Benefits

If you have a reasonably expensive “Smart Plan” contract with EE you can choose BT Sport as one of your swappable benefits. However I’d say you’re probably better off shopping around for a cheaper SIM-only deal.

You can pay £5 more to upgrade to the Large Screen package.

Three months BT Sport and Chromecast for £40 via EE (out of stock)

The BT Sport in a Box promotion gives EE customers (on a 12-month SIM-only contract or pay monthly tariff but not 30-day SIM-only deals) three months of BT Sport Large Screen and get a standard Google Chromecast (RRP £30) for £45.

You’re effectively getting a free Chromecast with this deal, though you might want to check out offers for the new Chromecast instead.

If you’ve not had the free trial, those three months will automatically be added to your account when you sign up.

Get the BT Sport In a Box bundle

BT Sport on YouTube

Watch the Champions League final for free

For the last five or six years, BT has shown the Champions League final and Europa League final for free via BT Sport’s YouTube channel and on the BT Sport website for free! So anyone can watch without paying.

In 2023 the games are as follows:

  • 31 May: Europa League Final (Sevilla vs Roma)
  • 7 June: Europe Conference League Final (Fiorentina vs West Ham)
  • 10 June: Champions League Final (Manchester City vs Inter Milan)

Free Discovery+ with BT Sport

If you get BT Sport via BT TV, EE or Plusnet, you can get the Discovery+ package for free, which includes Eurosport. This is worth £5.99 a month for £59.99 a year.

This should include the monthly BT Sport pass, but not if you pay Sky and Virgin Media direct for BT Sport. You’ll need to activate the offer here.

Sky Sports and NOW deals

All my ways to save on this dedicated Sky Sports passes article

Now TV and Sky Sports pass deals

How to watch BT Sport on your TV

So how do you get these options on your TV? 

Check for an app on your TV or smart device

You can watch BT Sport on your TV if you have the BT Sport app. This is available on

  • Samsung Smart TVs
  • Amazon Fire Sticks
  • Chromecast
  • Roku devices
  • NOW sticks
  • Xbox
  • PlayStation
  • Apple TV
  • Netgem

Buy an HDMI cable

As long as you have a laptop with an HDMI connector, you can just buy a cable to connect to your TV. This should be the cheapest option – but I prefer the smart stick options!

Sport on other channels

You can watch sport on Sky, Eurosport and Premier Sports. Here’s my guide to the ways to save on each of them.

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

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