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December 1, 2025   |   Deals

The best birthday freebies and how to get them

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

Birthday freebies

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

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

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

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

How to get birthday freebies

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

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

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

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

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

Free birthday vouchers

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

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

Marks & Spencer

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

Freebies could include:

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

Hobbycraft – £5 voucher

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

Hotel Chocolat – £5 voucher

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

The voucher can also be combined with other offers. 

Free food and drink

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

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

Barburrito – free burrito

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

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

Benugo – free drink

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

Boost – free drink

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

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

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

Burger King – free whopper

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

Caffé Nero – free cake

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

Costa – free cake

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

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

Greggs – free cake or doughnut

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

Krispy Kreme – free doughnut

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

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

Lidl – free doughnut

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

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

Lola’s Cupcakes – free cupcake

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

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

Muffin Break – free Muffin

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

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

Starbucks – free drink

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

Subway – free cookie

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

Our podcast

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

Episodes every Thursday.

Listen now
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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.

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. 

December 1, 2025   |   Deals

Finance app and fintech offers

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Try out new apps to help you and your finances and also get a free money bonus or voucher when you do

We love trying out new apps that help us track our spending, put money into savings or earn interest. Often they’ll also come with a welcome or referral offer, and we’ll share these and any other decent ones below.

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.

Money app welcome offers

Snoop: £5 Amazon Voucher

Snoop is an app to help you track your spending. It also analyses your bank data to suggest ways you can save money. Right now there’s an offer to get a £5 Amazon voucher.

You must go via the link below for the offer to track.

Once you’ve downloaded the app and signed up you need to connect a bank or credit card account and stay connected until the end of the following month. Do this and the voucher will be sent.

Join Snoop to get your £5 voucher

Sprive: £5 welcome bonus

Sprive is an auto savings app (more on how these work here) where the money moved from your current account goes towards your mortgage rather than a savings pot. The idea is you’ll slowly make overpayments that’ll get you mortgage-free faster.

The standard referral offer is £5 (it’s occasionally doubled to £10). You’ll need to sign up with a code (such as 5NN3KXFL) and set up a Direct Debit linked to your bank account.

The bonus can only go towards your mortgage – so sadly if you’re not a homeowner this won’t be one for you.

More about the Sprive app

Banking app offers

Monzo: £5 welcome bonus

New users of digital bank Monzo can get £5 credited to their account if they sign up via a refer-a-friend link and make a card payment in 30 days.

You’ll need to ask a friend for a link. Make sure the landing page when you follow a link explicitly says you’ll earn £5.

Here’s our full review of the bank.

Read our Monzo review

Expired offers

HyperJar: Up to 2% cashback (ended)

New users of the HyperJar app can earn up to £200 a month if they sign up before 21 June 2024.

You’ll get 1% back on spend with the physical debit card, and 2% on payments via Apple Pay or Google Pay, capped at £200 each month.

So if you spend £500 a month with your card you’ll get £5, and another £10 if you spend a further £500 via your phone’s wallet.

Most of your spending will count, but there are some exclusions, including paying off credit cards, Council Tax, utilities, gambling and tax bills. Also excluded are buying gift cards via HyperJar.

The cashback will last until 31 October 2024 so you’ve potentially got six months to earn the cashback. You’ll get your money 30 days after each month ends. So spend in May and you’ll get the money on 30 June and so on.

The HyperJar account is free so it won’t cost you anything to spend via the debit card.

You cannot be a current or previous customer of HyperJar to get the offer. Full terms and conditions here.

More about HyperJar

Read next: other bank reviews

December 1, 2025   |   Best Buy

The best business credit cards

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You can earn cashback or earn rewards on your business spending

Business credit cards can be used for your business spending to earn you rewards and cashback. They often come with an annual fee; however, a lot of them offer a free first year, so you can switch cards after a year if you don’t want to pay. Here are some of the best business credit cards currently available.

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.

Featured Business Savings account
Sponsored

Capital on Tap Instant Savings Account

Customer rating 4.5/5
  • AER (variable)
    up to 3.82% for first 60 days (up to £1m) / 3.23% thereafter
  • Minimum deposit
    £1
  • Withdrawal penalty
    None
  • Monthly fee None
  • Interest paid Monthly
  • Rate details AER (variable) linked to Bank of England base rate. T&Cs apply. Powered by ClearBank.
  • Eligibility Businesses must be registered in the UK. Business categories not covered by the FSCS are ineligible. A valid business bank account registered under a business's exact legal name is essential for opening a Capital on Tap Instant Savings account.
View Deal

Free business credit cards

Free Business Credit Cards

Virgin Money Business Credit Card

Customer rating 3.6/5
  • Annual fee
    £28 (from year 2)
  • Cashback
    1% cashback on your spending
  • Interest free days
    59
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 21.9% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £28 per annum applies from year 2. Representative 27.7% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Potential rewards include 25% back on Slack, 20% back on Dropbox, 5% back on Microsoft Advertising and 5% back on Avis car rental in the UK
  • Additional cards Split your credit limit between as many cards as you want

American Express Amazon Business Card

Customer rating 4/5
  • Annual fee
    1yr free then £50 per year
  • Cashback
    0.5%
  • Interest free days
    56
£25 Amazon Gift Card upon approval, then £75 statement credit when you spend £1,000 within the first 3 months. Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1,200 charged at 26.7% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 37.9% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Earn 1.5% in Amazon reward points or get 60 extra interest-free days on some Amazon purchases
  • Additional cards Up to 20 complimentary Supplementary Cards for your employees
  • Offer details If you spend £1,000 on your card within the first three months you'll get an additional £75 as statement credit

American Express Amazon Business Prime Card

Customer rating 4/5
  • Annual fee
    1yr free then £50 per year
  • Cashback
    0.50%
  • Interest free days
    56
£50 Amazon gift card then £50 statement credit if you spend £1,000 within the first 3 months. Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200.00 charged at 26.7% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 37.9% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Earn 2% on selected Amazon purchases or get 90 extra interest-free days on some Amazon purchases
  • Additional cards Up to 20 complimentary Supplementary Cards for your employees
  • Offer details If you spend £1,000 on your card within the first three months you'll get an additional £50 as statement credit

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Customer rating 4.5/5
  • Annual fee
    £0
  • Cashback
    1% earned back in points
  • Interest free days
    42
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 34.96% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 34.96% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Exclusive offers at partner brands
  • Additional cards Unlimited, free employee cards
View Deal

Funding Circle Cashback Card

Customer rating 3/5
  • Annual fee
    £0
  • Cashback
    2% earned for the first 6 months (up to £2,000) and 1% on all business spending after that
  • Interest free days
    42
The standard interest rate on purchases is 34.9% pa. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR is 34.9% (variable)
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Cashback Get 2% cashback on all card spend for the first 6 months or to a limit of £100,000 spend - that's a total cashback cap of £2,000. After this, you'll earn 1%. T&Cs apply.
  • Rewards None
  • Additional cards Not available
View Deal

Business charge cards

Charge Cards

American Express Business Platinum

Customer rating 4/5
  • Annual fee
    £650
  • Cashback
    1 point per £1 spent. 2 points per £1 spent on Amex Travel.
  • Days to pay
    54
You can earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend £6,000 in the first three months
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Travel rewards, including airport lounges, £200 credit towards Amex Travel, room upgrades and travel insurance
  • Additional cards Up to 19 additional Business Gold cards for employees
  • Offer details If you are approved and spend £6,000 on purchases within the first three months then 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards points will be awarded shortly after the end of the three months.

American Express Business Gold

Customer rating 4/5
  • Annual fee
    1 year free then £195 per year
  • Cashback
    1 point per £1 spent. 2 points per £1 spent on Amex Travel.
  • Days to pay
    54
You can earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend £3,000 in the first three months
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Partner discounts and statement credits with purchases at Dell
  • Additional cards Up to 19 additional cards for employees
  • Offer details If you are approved and spend £3,000 on purchases within the first three months then 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points will be awarded shortly after the end of the three months.

Business credit cards with an annual fee

Business Credit Cards With Annual Fee

Santander Business Cashback Credit Card

Customer rating 3.8/5
  • Annual fee
    £30
  • Cashback
    1% cashback on all business spend with no cap
  • Interest free days
    56
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 18.9% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £30 per annum applies. Representative 23.7% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards None
  • Additional cards Additional cards are available at no extra cost and control what each cardholder can spend.

Capital on Tap Pro Business Credit Card

Customer rating 4.5/5
  • Annual fee
    £299
  • Cashback
    1% earned back in points and 1.25% earned back in points for spending on pre-loaded card
  • Interest free days
    42
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 34.96% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £299 per annum applies. Representative 110.86% APR variable.
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Rewards Airport lounge access for the main card holder and two free guest lounge passes per year, Radisson Rewards VIP status, metal card and 6 months free Xero for first-time subscribers
  • Additional cards Unlimited, free employee cards
View Deal

Business credit cards explained

Who is a business credit card for?

If you run your own business, then you could benefit from a business credit card.

Anyone, from a self-employed sole trader to a company director, can get a business credit card, but not all sole traders will be eligible for all the cards on offer.

And you should always check if you’re eligible for one before you apply, however, there’s no guarantee you’ll get one if you apply.

Do you need a business credit card?

Credit cards can be expensive if they aren’t cleared each month by paying off the full balance. The interest added on top of anything left over will often cost more than getting a loan, so this isn’t a good idea.

Business credit cards can have benefits like rewards and cashback, which can sometimes be better than what’s on offer for personal accounts, however, these usually come with a cost. In addition, you may get Section 75 protection, however, this depends on whether you’re a sole trader or a ‘corporate business’, such as a limited company or partnership.

Does a sole trader need a business credit card?

If you’re a sole trader, then any credit card for your business is still a personal credit card. Applications will be based on your credit rating, and you’ll be personally liable for any debts you build up.

For this reason, most sole traders will probably be better off with a personal credit card that’s used just for business spending.

You can still take advantage of Section 75 cover, earn cashback with lower annual fees (if any), and even get fee-free spending overseas with some cards.

One of the few areas a business credit card is better for a sole trader than a personal credit card is that you might also get a much higher credit limit. That can help with large purchases. But of course, you need to be able to pay it back!

Section 75 protection for limited companies and partnerships

Section 75 doesn’t apply to these types of businesses. So there’s no added legal benefit to using a credit card in a company. Instead, you’ll need to use a personal credit card and claim the money back if you want to get this protection on purchases over £100.

However, if you run a limited company, it’s much cleaner to have spending made directly via the business rather than claiming it back as an expense. Particularly if you have any employees.

What’s the difference between a charge card and a credit card?

Some of the cards above are charge cards and won’t have an interest rate. These aren’t technically credit cards, as you have to pay the full balance every month. Meanwhile, a credit card lets you roll over a balance and will charge interest after a set period. Be careful which one you choose, as a credit card can make you accumulate debt, however, a charge card may charge you fees if you don’t repay the full balance within the set time provided.

What you get with a business credit card

Additional cards

Most business credit cards will give you supplementary cards tied to the same account for your employees. This reduces your admin for expenses and helps you track individual spending. With some, you can limit the spending allowed per account.

Cashback and rewards

Another feature of business credit cards is earning rewards in the form of cashback or air miles. There are a handful that offer this on purchases. But these tend to come with a fee, which can wipe out most of the cashback you earn if you’re not a big spender.

You’ll need to calculate just how much you’re likely to earn in cashback after the fee to work out if they’re worthwhile. But say you spend £5,000 a year earning 0.5%, you’ll make £25.

Interest-free days

You’ll get a certain number of interest-free days with your business credit card or charge card, ranging from 42 to 59 days. This is how long you’ve got until a purchase will start to accumulate interest at the variable rate you’ve got with the card. Be sure to clear the balance within this timeframe to pay no interest on your purchases.

November 28, 2025   |   Articles

Changed your mind? Your refund rights

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

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

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

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Why you’re returning it

Because it’s faulty

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

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

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

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

You’ve changed your mind

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

Where you bought it

You bought it in a shop

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our podcast

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

Episodes every Thursday.

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

You bought it online

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How you paid for it

You paid with a credit card

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

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

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

You paid with a debit card

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

You paid via PayPal 

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

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

You paid with cash

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

You paid with a gift card

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

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

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

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

Read next

November 20, 2025   |   Articles

How to get the cheapest advance train tickets

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

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

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

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.

1. Understand when advance fares are available

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

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

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

2. Set an alert for your travel dates

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

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

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

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

3. Advance tickets are available right until you travel

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

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

Latest time to get advance tickets

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

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

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November 20, 2025   |   Articles

John Lewis price match: how it works

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

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

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

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

What is the John Lewis price match?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to claim a ‘price match’ refund

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

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

Before you buy

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

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

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After you buy

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

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

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

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

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

What products are price matched at John Lewis?

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

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

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

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

What’s not price matched at John Lewis?

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

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

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

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

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

How you get the refund

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Avoid using cash or gift cards

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

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

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

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

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

Check it’s the exact same item

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

Don’t assume something has already been price matched

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

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

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

Be persistent

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

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

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

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November 20, 2025   |   Deals

Save money on toys: sales, offers and more

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Here are the best deals to save money on toys

If we spot any decent offers on kids toys we’ll share them here.

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.

Toy sales

Smyths: up to £10 off

Smyths is offering £5 off a £50 spend and £10 off a £100 spend until 24 November 2024. You don’t need a code, the discount will be given to you at the checkout. In store only.

You can’t use it with video games or consoles.

Buy toys at Smyths

Hobbycraft: 50% off puzzles

If you like to crack open a jigsaw in the winter period, Hobbycraft is offering 50% off puzzles. Almost its entire range is in the offer, including ones for kids to puzzles with 2,000 pieces.

There’s not currently an end date for this offer.

Get a puzzle

November 19, 2025   |   Deals

Marks & Spencer deals and offers

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

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

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

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.

Sales and promotions

Beauty: £330 beauty advent calendar for £60

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

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

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

Save on the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar

20% off shopping at Marks and Spencer

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

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

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

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

Latest 20% off weekend

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

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

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

Shop at Marks & Spencers

M&S Sparks offers

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

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

Read our review of the M&S Sparks loyalty scheme

Sparks Baby Club: free cake every week

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

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

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

Join the M&S baby club

Sparks welcome offer

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

Sign up for Sparks

Sparks birthday gift

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

Extra savings

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

Free £5 off £35 voucher

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

Read more about how to donate your clothes in exchange for a voucher

Earn cashback, including a bonus of up to £20

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

Check out the latest welcome offers for Quidco and TopCashback

Tricks to spend less on M&S food

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

November 19, 2025   |   Articles

How to get free delivery: 6 delivery hacks

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How to avoid paying for postage and packaging

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

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

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.

Top up your order with everyday essentials

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

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

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

Top up your order with returnable items

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

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

Watch out for return charges

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

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

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

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

Sign up for a delivery pass free trial

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

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

Collect in-store or at a locker

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

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

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

Get a free delivery code

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

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

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

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

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

Our podcast

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

Episodes every Thursday.

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

Check other retailers

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

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

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