NatWest is reducing the rate on this savings. Is it still worth it?
This monthly saver from NatWest (and also RBS) has had one of the highest interest rates since it launched in 2020 – but with a catch. The Digital Regular Saver is designed for those starting off their savings journey, and as such there’s quite a small monthly limit you can put away. Just £150.
And as rates begin to drop elsewhere, NatWest have followed suit and cut the rate here too Here’s what you need to know and whether it’s worth it.
How much can you save in the NatWest or RBS Digital Regular Saver?
Since late 2022, the maximum you can earn interest on will be £5,000. This is a big jump from the previous maximum of £1,000.
But it’s not as simple as adding all that cash to the account in one go. You can save between £1 and £150 a month into the account (at launch it was just £50).
If you keep the interest in the account, it’ll take two years and seven months of saving the full £150 to reach a balance of £5,000 (including the accumulated interest payments).
For those already with £1,000 saved in the account, it’ll be just over two years until you reach £5,000 (again including interest paid each month).
Unlike other regular savers accounts it won’t close after 12 months so you’ll continue to earn interest on your savings beyond this. You can also keep adding money once you get to the £5,000 cap, but I wouldn’t bother.
Another difference to normal regular savers is that you can take the money out whenever you want, not just when it matures. But taking £150 out doesn’t mean you can put extra back in. That £150 monthly deposit limit stays at £150 regardless.
The only way to add more than the £150 each month, and get to that £5,000 sooner, is to use a round-up function on your debit card.
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How much money can you earn?
In January 2026, the rate fell to 5.25%, following a cut in May 2025 to 5.5% AER. This was a fall from a rate of 6.17% that was set in February 2023.
If you save the full £150 a month for the first year that’ll net you £51 in interest. Keep going until you reach £5,000 (deposits and interest) and the total interest will have been around £335.
However any new deposits will earn far less. Money saved beyond £5,000 will only earn 1%. This can easily be beaten elsewhere. Confusingly if you do have more than £5,000 in the account it’ll show the combined interest rate on the app as your earning rate. Don’t worry about this – you’re still getting the full whack on the initial balance up to £5,000.
It’s worth remembering the interest rate is variable. So though it’s changing to 5.25%, that could change again at any time.
You can only open one of these regular savers if you have a NatWest or RBS current account. There are free ones, or you can look at the NatWest or RBS Rewards account.
How many accounts can you have?
There’s only one per person, which means you can’t get another, even as a joint account.
However the same account is offered by both NatWest and RBS, and you can open up an extra current account and then digital regular saver at the other bank to get two.
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Account summary
NatWest / RBS Digital Regular Saver (5.5%)
Account name
Digital Regular Saver
Interest rate
5.25% AER
Max monthly deposit
£150
Min monthly deposit
£1
Max amount earn interest on
£5,000
Account closes
No
Withdrawals
Easy access with no penalty
Requirements
Must have a NatWest or RBS current account
Must have a standing order of at least £1 every month from your Natwest current account
If you have an account you need to go to your online banking or app to open the saver. I did this via my app and it took just three minutes. There’s an “Apply” button on the bottom right, and then tap the savings option. It’s all self-explanatory from there.
You need to set up a standing order of between £1 and £150 from your NatWest account, though you can cancel this once you reach £5,000.
Should you open a NatWest Digital Regular Saver?
Andy’s Analysis
Even with the rate cut, it’s still a decent paying account. And the likelihood is that other rates will fall too in the coming months.
However, I’d focus first on the fixed rate regular savers from First Direct and Club Lloyds as they’ll guarantee you a higher rate (for now – it very possible they’ll drop soon too). The problem is these all require a current account with those banks, and opening these will entail a credit check. That’s not an issue for most, but it’s something to be aware off.
If you don’t fancy that, and already have a NatWest or RBS current account then absolutely, I’d go for this Digital Regular saver instead (or as well).
Though there are similar paying regular savers, the big difference here is you will continue to earn interest on this one after 12 months. So in time it could be a better earner. Ideally you’d do both this and a strong competitor.
Of course, let’s not forget if you have a larger lump sum it’s better to prioritise opening up one of the best paying savings accounts.
“Credit score” is a phrase you might occasionally hear or think about. Maybe even worry about. But do you understand it?
I’ve known about credit scores since I was a teen, but it wasn’t until much, much later I realised how odd that made me. Far more people only really encounter them when they are unexpectedly refused something – and it could be anything from a mortgage to a sofa on credit. Then they try to get smart, fast.
Fortunately, credit scores follow some simple rules, and it’s free to check yours – and even correct any errors that may have crept in – which means you should never face an unexpected rejection.
Here’s my Be Clever Basics guide.
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Credit score vs credit report
Before we talk about your credit score, we need to talk about how it is different to your credit report. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing.
What is a credit score?
A credit score, or credit rating as it is sometimes called, is based on this information in your credit report. It’s basically a number that reflects how good or bad your credit report is. You actually have three of these, one for each of the credit reference agencies in the UK, and all will be slightly different.
What is a credit report?
A credit report, or credit file, is basically a record of your financial history. Any account that’s required a credit check will be on there as well as any money you owe. It also shows how long you’ve had the account and your payment history, including missed or late payments.
Other elements in your report include details of any bankruptcy, county court judgments and other debt solutions.
You’ll also see your address history and records of any financial connections you have, such as joint accounts and joint mortgages.
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Why lenders check your credit report
Your credit report is one of the leading factors that influence lenders when they’re deciding whether to offer you a product or loan.
Using the details on the report they’ll work out whether you’re likely to be a good or bad customer for them. That’s not just about how likely it is you’ll be able to afford the borrowing, but also how likely it is they’ll make money from you.
The data in the file can also affect how much you’ll be lent, the length of a deal (e.g. 0% balance transfer cards) or the interest rate offered.
Your credit report is also frequently used to verify your identity, so can be accessed by employers and landlords as well as lenders.
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Your report isn’t just searched when you apply for “serious” financial products like mortgages, loans and credit cards. Everyday consumer contracts are subject to searches too.
That’s because you’re essentially asking for credit when you open a new bank account, get a contract mobile phone and switch your utilities.
Even paying your home or car insurance by Direct Debit requires a credit check (it’s usually cheaper to pay these in a lump sum if you can).
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Hard checks vs soft checks
Any application for credit will be subject to something called a “hard” search. This will then appear on your report for other lenders to see, whether you’re successful or not. They’ll stay there for 12 months.
However, if your report is looked at by comparison sites or to assess eligibility, this is actually a “soft” check, and though you can see it on your file, lenders can’t.
Well, yes and no. Though the score reflects your report, lenders will add in extra information they have on you to decide whether to lend to you. You are also allowed to put notes on your own credit file to explain things, and lenders have to take these into account when making a decision.
You’ll have put information on the application form and if you’re an existing customer they might have their own file on you. Plus, an investigation by Money Saving Expert a few years ago found that lenders are using Open Banking data too.
So this means the score won’t reflect everything the lender is taking to account. That can lead to rejection even if you have an excellent score or acceptance with an average score.
But they aren’t pointless. Credit scores are still great indicators of how healthy your credit report is.
The higher your credit score, the more likely it is you’ll get accepted for credit products, or get a better deal such as lower interest payments.
And a low score will indicate a bad credit report, which could mean you get rejected or get offered less money than you need.
So, checking your score will help you decide whether you need to do anything to improve your report. And when those actions make a difference you’ll see that reflected in an increased score, telling you that you’re on the right path.
Who decides your credit score?
The three credit reference agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Lenders choose which one to use when making a decision whether to offer you a product.
They all hold slightly different data on you in their credit reports, and then work your score out slightly differently. They even have completely different scales. So you can’t really compare one with another.
It’s worth noting that when you apply for credit, you generally won’t know which of the three credit reference companies will be used. This basically means all three credit reports are as important as each other. The good news is they all keep track of the same things, more or less, so a good score with one will generally translate across the others.
However, it’s worth checking all three – especially in the face of an unexpected refusal – as there could be a problem with one. For example, how your address is formatted can change between reports – and this could lead to problems if it doesn’t match the payment address you’ve entered when applying for a product.
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Checking your credit score
You can check all three scores and reports for free via these websites:
Experian via Experian’s free score checker, though the report is only available via their app
You have a right to see your report under the UK’s data laws, so can ask for a statutory report from all of them for free if you don’t want to sign up to any ongoing service.
Your credit score is most important when you’re going to apply for a product where your report will be checked. If you know this is coming up, then you should check for any errors or potential problems before applying.
It’s also worth looking at least once a year, if not more often, just to make sure there’s nothing fraudulent going on.
If you have a Nectar card, are you making the most of your points?
If you shop at Sainsbury’s, you’ve probably got a Nectar card, and may even collect the points every time you visit without thinking much about it. And if you’ve been collecting points, you’ll need to spend them to get the most out of your rewards. But do you know how to use your Nectar points?
Like the Clubcard scheme and other loyalty schemes, you can rack up points at other retailers, including Argos. When it comes to redeeming points, you can spend them when shopping, exchange them at face value, or even swap them for Avios points.
Here’s how Nectar works and how you can sign up. Plus, I’ve shared tips for both collecting and spending Nectar points.
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More ways to make the most out of the Nectar loyalty scheme
Nectar is the loyalty scheme for Sainsbury’s and Argos, where you can earn points on your purchases. It’s actually owned by Sainsbury’s, but points can be collected and redeemed with other brands. As a member of Nectar, you can also access discounts on specific items when shopping, similar to Tesco’s Clubcard Prices.
How Nectar points work
One Nectar point is worth 0.5p, meaning if you earn 1 point from a purchase it’s the equivalent of 0.5% cashback. 100 points are therefore 50p, 200 points equal £1 and so on.
The value of loyalty card points offered by different schemes varies quite a bit, with Nectar points equating to half the value of Tesco Clubcard points. However, when redeeming Nectar points at other participating retailers, you could get more value out of them, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for the latest deals.
Nectar points value conversion
1 Nectar point = 0.5p (or half a penny)
2 Nectar points = 1p
100 Nectar points = 50p
200 Nectar points = £1
500 Nectar points = £2.50
1,000 Nectar points = £5
2,500 Nectar points = £12.50
5,000 Nectar points = £25
How to collect Nectar points
You earn points when you shop at participating retailers or fill up your car at participating petrol stations and scan your Nectar card. Bonus points can be earned at specific retailers or through special deals and promotions — we tend to share these promotions on our loyalty scheme deals page when there are good ones available.
To collect Nectar points when shopping in stores, you’ll need to either have a physical plastic Nectar card or a digital one stored on the Nectar app. When shopping online, you’ll need to either connect your Nectar card to the relevant account or shop via the Nectar website.
Your options for using Nectar points are more limited than with other reward schemes. You can use them in-store and online, such as at Sainsbury’s, to donate to charity, or spend them with a handful of partners.
To redeem your points, you’ll need to scan your card or the app in-store, while you can select to use them online. With some partners, you’ll need to convert your points into vouchers first. You can also choose to swap them for Avios points.
How to sign up to the Nectar scheme
The Nectar loyalty scheme is free to join. You can get a Nectar card online, via the app, or by picking up a form in a Sainsbury’s store.
Once you’ve got set up, a physical card will be posted out, though you’ll have a digital card to use via the app straight away.
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8 places to collect Nectar points
1. Sainsbury’s
Earn points as you spend
You’ll get one point for every £1 spent at Sainsbury’s. 500 points are worth £2.50, so this works out at 0.5% cashback.
Scan your Nectar card at the till to get your points, and keep an eye on the app or digital account for special offers which boost the number of points you’ll get.
You might also get vouchers for extra points at the till, sometimes doubling or tripling points on your next transaction; it’s just a matter of remembering to bring them to your next shop. If you wanted to, you could even buy a single, cheap item at the start of your shop to use any vouchers printed out on the rest of your shopping.
Get bonus points via weekly offers
As well as generic offers, you’ll also get ones tailored to your shopping habits. These change every Friday.
You have to save the offers to your account, though there’s a handy “save all offers” button. And of course you still have to scan your card at the till.
Nectar Prices
Nectar Prices are discounts for Nectar holders, similar to Tesco Clubcard prices. To get these, you just shop as normal, looking out for the Nectar price on the shelves. At checkout, you need to make sure you remember to scan your Nectar card, and the discount will be applied.
Your Nectar Prices
This sounds like it could be the same as Nectar Prices above, but Your Nectar Prices are specific to you. These come through weekly and will be based on your shopping history, potentially saving you money on things you’ll actually buy. There are only a few offers each week, but it’s worth having a peek when you get the notification.
2. Argos
You can also earn points at Argos. It’s one point per £1 spent, although it’s occasionally doubled. You’ll need to link your Nectar and Argos accounts before you can earn points.
3. ESSO
Esso replaced BP on Nectar back in 2019. You can earn 1 point per litre of fuel, or swipe in-store to get two points per £1 spent on other things, so roughly 1% back in points. When you get to 300 points it gets you 5p off every litre of fuel.
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4. Avios
You can convert 400 Avios points to 400 Nectar points, which is handy if you’ve got a surplus of Avios points that you won’t use. You can also swap them back the other way (you’ll only get 250 points though). This is also a way to boost the value of Amex Reward points. Find out everything you need to know in our step-by-step guide to convert Avios to Nectar points and vice versa.
5. Via Nectar credit cards
If you shop at stores that are part of the Nectar scheme often, it might be worth getting a Nectar credit card.
The American Express Nectar credit card is your best bet and will earn you up to two points for every £1 spent, worth 1%. There’s also a bonus worth £100 when you first sign up and spend £2,000.
You can convert American Express Rewards points to Nectar points at a value of one to one, meaning one Amex point would be worth 0.5p. This could be a good use for large Amex welcome bonuses, which can be worth between £100 and £500, depending on the card.
7. Via utilities & insurance
You can earn bonus points for signing up for other Sainsbury’s Bank products such as home insurance, as well as Sainsbury’s Energy. Though they could be worth it, these offers shouldn’t be a reason to choose Sainsbury’s over other providers as they could work out more expensive than options you find via a full comparison.
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8. At other retailers
You’ll see many other brands listed on the Nectar website, such as Expedia and Very. To earn points via these retailers you have to click through via the Nectar portal. Most of the time you’ll get two points per £1 spend, so the equivalent of 1% cashback, but they can be more or less. There are often points boosting offers to look out for.
Participating Nectar retailers include:
ASOS
Just Eat
Expedia
Groupon
Europcar
Very
Dominos
Wayfair
These extra places to earn points might sound appealing, but I would avoid using them since you can usually beat these rates by clicking through a cashback site instead for a better bonus.
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Where to spend Nectar points
Sainsbury’s shops
To use your points in Sainsbury’s stores you must have used your Nectar card in that specific store in the last year. You can also use them online on the Sainsbury’s website.
They can also be used on petrol but you have to pay in the kiosk, not at the pump.
Argos
You can use multiples of 500 points at Argos, each worth £2.50. To spend them in an Argos store, simply scan your card. To spend online, you must have connected your card to your Argos account.
Converting to Avios points
We think that most people are better off using cashback credit cards and air mile reward credit cards. You’ve got the flexibility to use your earnings how you want, and not be restricted to certain flights.
However, if you are an Avios fan, then you can boost your points by converting 400 Nectar points to 250 Avios.
Donate to charity
Nectar Donate allows you to give your points to charities using Crowdfunder. The points are worth the same as usual, so 1,000 points will be a £5 donation. There’s a minimum of 200 points, and it must be in multiples of 200.
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Other ways to redeem Nectar points
Nectar offers just a fraction of the partners you get with Tesco Clubcard, and fewer opportunities to boost the value. Some retailers let you swipe your card or link your card to use points. Others require you to exchange the points for a voucher or code via the Nectar website.
Spending your points isn’t particularly flexible or as straightforward as you might think. To recap, 500 points are usually worth £2.50. You also have to spend Nectar points in chunks (usually 500 points or 1,000 points) rather than choose how many you’d like to use.
For example, you can exchange 2,000 points for £10 off purchases at Eurostar. Other poor options include swapping for movie rentals at Sky Store since you can get far cheaper rentals elsewhere. There are much cheaper ways to rent movies out there, so don’t rely on Nectar to save you lots of cash.
Occasionally, there are offers that increase your points at Sainsbury’s and other Nectar partners, both to earn extra points and sometimes (though more rarely) to use them.
You can usually find any points offers in the Nectar app and website, so it pays to check every now and again, before your weekly shop, or when you’re looking to save a little extra.
When we spot any really good Nectar points deals, we’ll share them on our loyalty scheme offers page.
How to check your Nectar points balance
Not sure how many Nectar points you have? The Nectar app and website both contain your current points total, as well as a record of where and when you earned your points.
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How to lock your Nectar points
One downside of Nectar in the past was that anyone who found or stole your card could use your points. This was particularly bad news for those who had earned tens of thousands of points using credit card welcome offers. Earlier this year, Nectar introduced a feature that lets you lock your points to ensure they can’t be used without your authorisation.
To lock your Nectar points, you’ll need the latest version of the app.
Log in and you’ll see your points total near the top of the app screen, and below that a line telling you whether the points are locked or unlocked
Tap this to bring up a locked/unlocked switch
Toggle between these for when you want to use your points
It should unlock immediately, but it’s worth doing it a little before you want to spend the points to be safe, rather than wait until you’re at the checkout
This feature will only work for the main account holder, not additional cardholders.
If you shop at Tesco, you probably already have a Tesco Clubcard. But how do you spend the points to get the best value?
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What are Tesco Clubcard points worth?
You’ll get one Clubcard point for every £1 you spend at Tesco.
If you spend them in-store on your groceries, 100 Clubcard points are worth £1, so that means they have a base value of 1p each. And if you’ve got 1,000 points then that’s worth £10. And so on.
1 Clubcard point = 1p
2 Clubcard points = 2p
100 Clubcard points = £1
200 Clubcard points = £2
500 Clubcard points = £5
1,000 Clubcard points = £10
2,500 Clubcard points = £25
5,000 Clubcard points = £50
This means earning Clubcard points is the equivalent of getting 1% back on your shopping at Tesco.
But they can worth more through Reward Partners (previously calledClubcard Boost). Here you swap your Clubcard points for vouchers to spend elsewhere.
There used to be variable boosts. Some doubled your points, some tripled and some even quadrupled. However, this changed in June 2023 so points are now doubled when swapped with reward partners.
How does Clubcard compare to other loyalty schemes?
You can’t spend Clubcard points until they have been converted into Clubcard vouchers. And to do this you need a minimum of 150 Clubcard points (the equivalent of £1.50). Points will only be swapped in multiples of 50.
You used to get sent these in the post with your Clubcard statement, which is sent every three months in February, May, August and November.
However this moved online for most customers in 2022. If you’ve used Tesco online you’ll get your statement and vouchers via email, unless you actively tell Tesco you still want them in the post.
A better way to convert points to vouchers is via the Faster Vouchers process as you don’t have to wait for the statement. You’ll only get a digital voucher via this method. Again you’ll need at least 150 points to convert them.
Whether paper or digital vouchers you can spend them in any Tesco store or on the Tesco online as part or full payment towards your shopping.
If you swap them with a Reward Partner you need to do this via the Clubcard website. These boosts will often have minimum levels (e.g. 50 points), and you can only swap increments of that amount (e.g. if you have 120 points you can only use 100 points).
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How long do Clubcard vouchers last
When you’re issued a Tesco Clubcard voucher it’s valid for 2 years. Faster vouchers last 21 months from when they are exchanged.
You can check if you’ve any vouchers and their expiration dates in your Clubcard account.
Clubcard deals and promotions
There are a few ways to use your Clubcard to save more money at Tesco.
Tesco Clubcard coupons
Some customers have access to personalised coupons via the Tesco app. These coupons are tailored to your shopping, so hopefully that means you’ll see discounts for products you buy. They won’t all be money off, some could be extra Clubcard points. If you do get the vouchers, you’ll find them via the Clubcard tab, in a section called coupons.
Tesco Clubcard Plus
This premium service costs £7.99 a month, and benefits include 10% off two shops every month. It looks like a good scheme for regular Tesco shoppers. Here’s a full review of Clubcard Plus, including details on how to get it.
Tesco Clubcard Prices
Tesco lets you use your Clubcard to access lower prices for selected groceries in-store and online. You don’t need any points on your Clubcard – you just need to have one.
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The best ways to spend Tesco Clubcard vouchers
There are actually hundreds of options, so we’ve scanned through them to find the best uses of your Clubcard points.
Charities
New to Clubcard is the choice to donate your points to food poverty charities Fareshare and The Trussell Trust. You can also give to the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research and Diabetes UK.
Sadly Tesco doesn’t boost these donations as they do with other offers, which I think is a shame. Still if you have at least 50p in vouchers you can swap them.
Disney +
You can swap £15 worth of points for a three month standard Disney+ subscription or £9 worth of points for a three month standard with ads subscription. Both new and existing Disney+ users can take advantage.
Fancy paying less when going to the zoo? A theme park? Museum? All these are available at a discount.
A lot of the “days out” used to be quadruple points and have been reduced to double – but they still represent decent value. It’s worth checking to see there isn’t a better offer out there, though one saving which is hard to beat is using your points for double credit towards an English Heritage or RHS membership.
You can use your points to get cut-price cinema tickets, again at double value. So 50p in vouchers will get you £1 to spend. It’s only for Cineworld or Picturehouse.
You can also use your points towards the Cineworld Unlimited pass.
If you regularly travel by train then a railcard can save you money every time you travel, and one of the cheapest ways to get one is by using your Clubcard points.
You can trade £2.50 in vouchers to get £5 credit towards your railcard. It works for most types of railcard.
If you already save airline points, this is a great way to get more. You can convert your Clubcard points (with a minimum value of £1.50) to Virgin points at twice their value, that is 1 Clubcard point is worth 2 Virgin points.
There are often bonus offers when you sign up to auto-exchange your Clubcard points to Virgin points for the first time, so it’s a good idea to wait for one of those before setting up the auto-exchange.
Magazine subscriptions
You can convert a minimum of 50p in Clubcard vouchers to get a £1 voucher to go towards a subscription.
So if you wanted to sign up to a year of Empire completely (at a cost of £69.99) via Clubcard points you would need £34 in points, and top it up by another £1.99 from your bank account.
Of course you can get other subscriber deals elsewhere which give good discounts. A quick search for Empire shows you can pay £55, so the Clubcard deal really saves you just £21.
It’s a similar story for other magazines available via Clubcard, including Good Housekeeping, Elle, Garden Answers, Golf and Esquire.
This isn’t the best way to save on magazines though – you can get them for free! Read about our hack to get free digital magazines
Tesco Mobile bills
You can use your points to reduce the cost of your mobile bill. It’s only 1:1 rather than double, so you may as well use your points in-store.
At Tesco
There was a time, not too long ago, that you’d be a fool not to swap Clubcard points with a reward partner. But in the last few years the best offers have disappeared.
There are still lots of options, but whether they’re worth it comes down to two factors. One: Do you want or need what you’re swapping for? Two: Can you get that partner offer discounted elsewhere?
If it’s no for the first, or yes for the second, then you’re most probably better off using the points at Tesco – at least you’ll actually need food and drink!
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Clubcard deals to avoid
Though you can save money by boosting your points in these areas, I think you can get similar savings elsewhere – meaning you should boost your points on the more valuable discounts listed above.
Restaurants
Even when these were 4x value, we advised that you could spend your points better elsewhere than at the chain restaurants included in Clubcard Boost. And now they are double instead, the deal is worse.
That’s because you can get decent discounts for the likes of Pizza Express and Bella Italia elsewhere. A simple google often brings up voucher codes for 40% off or two for one. Plus you can save at more places more often with a Tastecard trial.
So let’s say you’ve gone to Pizza Express and the final bill came to £30, it would have cost you £15 via Clubcard vouchers, or £15 via Tastecard or another voucher.
You may be able to double up these discounts though there’s no guarantee.
List of Tesco Clubcard restaurants:
Ask Italian
Bella Italia
Brew Dog Bars
Cafe Rouge
Chef & Brewer
Hungry Horse pubs
Pizza Express
Prezzo
Zizzi
Hotels
It’s similar with converting your Clubcard vouchers to spend on hotels. Though you can get double value on points to spend at Hotels.com and one or two other brands, you’re locked into booking direct with those websites, which might not offer the best rates available. We think you’re better off searching for the lowest prices elsewhere, and then using your points at one of the options above.
The right credit card can let you spread the cost of a big purchase, or a string of smaller ones, interest free over months or potentially even years. Just make sure you follow our three rules to make the most of them.
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What is a 0% purchase card?
A 0% purchase card lets you spend money on it for a set period before any interest is added to your balance.
The set period runs from a few months to potentially years – with the longest 0% purchase card on the market at the time of writing being 25 months.
That means if you need to buy something big, or have a string of expenses coming up, you can spread the cost over a long time without being charged interest.
I used one after moving into my current flat, as I knew I needed to buy a lot of furniture and other essentials in a short time and this let me spread that cost out.
Crucially, you will still need to make payments and will be sent a bill every month – it’s not free money after all – but there won’t be any interest added to your bill while you’re in the introductory period.
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How 0% purchase cards work
You apply for an interest-free credit card the same way you do a standard credit card. That means you’ll need to be over the age of 18 and pass a credit check.
You won’t be told your credit limit until you’re accepted, with this often determined by a combination of your credit report and income, after that the card will be posted to you along with the PIN for it. Once you activate the card, you’re free to start spending on it.
After this, the cost of any purchases get added to your credit card balance. No interest is charged on this balance until after the end of the 0% period.
Once a month, you’ll receive a bill from your card provider, which you’ll need to pay to avoid penalties. However, everything you pay will go towards clearing that balance, rather than paying any interest.
You can choose how much the payment is as long as it’s more than the minimum amount – which is normally a small percentage of the overall amount.
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What happens when the 0% purchase period expires
The month after your introductory period ends, interest is charged on whatever balance is left on the card.
This will be at the card provider’s standard rate – typically about 25% APR at the moment, but some cards can charge significantly more.
Any new purchases or payments made on the card also will have interest charged at them at the same interest rate.
It’s not a huge factor, but it could affect your eligibility for other products, so it’s best not to apply for new cards ahead of taking out something like a mortgage.
Applying for several products in a short time, for example if you are rejected by one provider and re-apply to another or apply for several things at once, is also seen as a worrying sign by lenders.
It can look like you’re desperate for money, and so put them off from wanting to deal with you.
Once you have the card, you need to make sure you aren’t late or miss any of the monthly payments. A missed payment not only risks you having your 0% period invalidated, it also leaves a mark on your credit report that lingers for years.
Not every purchase will be interest-free, either. Taking money out of the cash point, for example, will have interest charged on it immediately. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of the card to check what’s excluded.
Finally, you need to have a plan for when the 0% period expires. Ideally, you’d have cleared the balance by then, but if you haven’t, you’ll be left with an expensive debt.
If you don’t have the money on hand to clear the balance, you could try a transfer to another card – which could reset your 0% period – but be careful about fees associated with these.
What else should I consider instead of a 0% purchase card?
There are a fair few other options if you’re looking to spread the cost of payments without being charged interest.
The first is to save up for it first, instead of paying for it afterwards. Of course, you might not always have the time to do this.
The second option is a money transfer card. These send money directly to your bank account for you to use however you like. That money is added to the credit card’s balance, and frequently come with a 0% introductory period similar to purchase cards.
The big difference is that you’ll need to ask for the full amount at once, and you’ll be charged a fee of about 4% of the total amount when you make the transfer.
Finally, some banks still offer 0% overdrafts – although these are either limited in time to about 12 months, or for smaller amounts of £500 or less.
The three rules for using a 0% purchase card
Overall, 0% purchase cards can be a fantastic option to spread the cost of something expensive.
But to get the most out of them, you need to make sure you:
Check your eligibility BEFORE applying
Set up an affordable standing order and stick to it
From freebies to money off, here are some great deals on health and beauty
From free trips to the gym to money off skincare and beauty products, here are some of the best health and beauty offers available at the moment.
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Nuffield: free 7 day pass
You can get a free seven-day pass at Nuffield gyms. It’s available at selected gyms only, and to get it, you need to sign up via the website and enter your postcode to choose a gym. You’ll be asked for some basic details and will be able to choose a date for the seven days to begin.
You can get a free day pass at Everyone Active gyms
This gets you free use of the gym, pool and fitness classes at your local Everyone Active leisure centre for one day. You can’t use it at Coral Reef Waterworld or Moorways Water Park.
Until the end of January, you can get a day pass at The Gym Group via the Lidl Plus app. You just need to go to your Lidl app and scroll down to ‘Partner offers’ on the home page.
Then you can select ‘redeem this offer’ and reveal a code. Go to The Gym Group website and find the day passes section to redeem your code.
You can get two or three full-sized products from Grüum (worth up to £43) for just the cost of delivery (£3.95).
There are several bundles to choose between, although some are often out of stock. The options include skin cleansers, shampoo bars, body wash bars and body oils, to name a few.
You have to pay £3.95 for delivery, but for a couple of products, that’s not bad.
You can get an unusual beauty subscription box from Liberty. If you deposit £25 per month into your Liberty “beauty bank” (essentially buying store credit), then you get a “Discovery Box” four times a year for £5 per month, worth a total of £300 per year.
You’ll still have the credit in your account that you deposited (except the £5 fee for each box), but it can’t be refunded or withdrawn.
What’s in the beauty box?
The box is called The Beauty Drop. You get four per year full of trial-sized products. They’re sent in January, April, July and October and they’ll be worth up to £300 throughout the year.
Remember that just because Liberty would sell the products for £300, it doesn’t mean they’re worth that for you.
The drawbacks
Your typical bank account has protection – you’re protected by up to £85,000 if your bank goes bust. However, your money in the “beauty bank” at Liberty isn’t protected. This means that if Liberty were to go bust, the money you have in the account likely won’t be refunded to you, much like a gift card.
You could mitigate this by spending the money you deposit as soon as you can and not letting a large balance rack up, but Liberty’s high prices might prevent this.
If you join Lush’s UK loyalty club then new or existing account holders can get a £3 welcome voucher if they sign into the latest version of the app before 8 October 2024.
You don’t need to do anything to trigger the coupon, though do check if it’s showing in the banner on the app or in the ‘Rewards’ section of the app.
You’ll be able to use the £3 in-store or on purchases via the app. It’ll last three months from activation.
Space NK: up to 20% off with £5 charity donation (ended)
This is a decent opportunity to stock up on beauty essentials (and luxuries) as you can get up to 20% off at Space NK until 2 June 2025
You must donate £5 to the charity Switchboard LGBT+ via Space NK’s link, and then you’ll get a unique code to use.
This includes rarely discounted brands such as Diptyque – only a handful of items are excluded, which you can see here. You can’t use the deal on gift cards or sale items either.
Vision Express: free eye test with £50 spend (expired)
Download the Lidl Plus app, and in the partner offers section you’ll find you can claim a free eye test (worth £30) and get 30% off frames, as long as you spend £50 on prescription glasses at Vision Express.
Beauty: £330 beauty advent calendar for £60 (ended)
You can get a £330 M&S beauty advent calendar for £60 when you spend £35 on full-price clothing, homeware or beauty.
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.
And of course, try to buy something you actually need to want for the initial £35 spend. Sale and clearance items are excluded from this qualifying spend.
These banks accounts are my top picks for the year
I’ve got 25 different personal current accounts right now. Yes, that’s far too many for most people, but trying them all out really helps me recommend to you the good from the bad.
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Best dummy current account for switching
If you’re looking to take advantage of switching deals, it’s often worth setting up a dummy account you’ll use purely for this purpose.
Winner: Chase
A couple of reasons why Chase wins here. First, there’s no hard credit check when you first apply. Second, once you have one account, you can set up nine more in the app – and it’s these ones you’ll want to use to switch away.
Just be sure not to switch away your only Chase account as that’ll close your whole account down and you won’t be able to reopen it. Here’s more on how to use Chase for switching.
Best bank account app
Banking apps are improving all the time and the best have features such as freezing your card if it’s lost and features to help you save.
Winner: Starling
Recent improvements to the Monzo and Revolut apps made this a close call this year. Chase is decent too. But Starling still edges ahead. All of these digital only banks have features to help you track spending and manage your card, but I think not only does Starling do it best, it does a little more on top.
You can use it on both app and desktop, you can pay in cheques with your phone, you can deposit cash at Post Offices and more.
Runner up: Monzo and Chase
It’s worth taking a look at these other digital banks as often it’s personal preference which makes one stand out over the other. You might prefer them to Starling.
Runner up: Natwest
If you’re after a high street bank then the app I like the best is from Natwest (or RBS which is basically the same). You can do most things you need to do, and it’s clearly set out. A nice extra is you can use it to take cash out at Natwest or Tesco ATMs if you don’t have your card.
Thanks to changes to Chase’s cashback last year, there are no longer any accounts which I’d recommend to use for your spending. Instead you’re better off using a cashback credit card, or the debit card from PayPal.
However, there is a runner up.
Runner up: Monzo
Though many banks offer additional cashback offers linked to specific retailers, Monzo has the easiest one to view and manage. Here’s our review of the feature.
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Santander will give you money back each month on direct debits for your bills – but sadly the top paying Santander 123 is no longer open to new customers (if you’ve already got it, then keep using it).
Instead you can choose between the Edge, Edge Up and Edge Explorer accounts, and it’s the first one that will probably earn you more cashback each year.
All three give 1% back on household bills such as Council Tax, energy and broadband, though the Edge costs £3 a month vs the Edge Up’s £5 monthly fee. That extra £24 a year for the Edge Up really cuts into your returns. The Edge Explore costs £17 but includes extra insurances, so it could be worth a look.
Though the earnings aren’t as much as they once were, this cashback via the Edge is better than nothing, and you’ll also get access to the 6% paying Edge Saver.
Runner up: Biscuit by Zopa
You can also get cashback on some bills via Zopa. It’s capped at £30 a year, the equivalent of £2.50 a month, but it covers any direct debit, so you could well use this as well as the Edge to pick up bills that are missed off.
Runner up: Monzo/Starling
If you’re more worried about budgeting than cashback then both Starling and Monzo will let you segregate money into separate pots and then assign one to pay bills direct from it.
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Best bank accounts with rewards
Some accounts will pay you each month, either in cash to your account or with a freebie. You often have to pay a monthly fee and meet other criteria.
Winner: Club Lloyds
Sadly the Halifax Reward account was gutted in September and no longer gives £5 a month.
So my top pick for 2026 is the account from Club Lloyds. You can choose either 6 cinema tickets or a year of Disney+ with Ads – but once you’ve set up standing orders you can just leave the account alone. A couple could benefit from three accounts – one personal account each and a joint one too.
As long as you deposit £2,000 a month into the account you avoid the monthly fee. This is easy to do. There’s more in my full Club Lloyds review.
Runner up: Monzo Perks
This account from Monzo offers much more, but you have to pay £7 a month to access the perks. That can be great value if you need what you get. This includes:
a Vue cinema ticket every month
a Greggs treat every week
an annual railcard
Uber One membership
You also get extra Monzo budgeting features which I think are great. More in our Monzo Perks review.
From inclusive insurance and breakdown cover to extras, sometimes it’s worth paying a fee each month for a packaged account.
Winner: Santander Edge Explorer
This account is the Edge, which I already like, plus some extras. It costs £17, £14 more than the Edge, but is cheaper than most other packaged accounts. And in return, you’ll get travel, breakdown and phone cover, 1% cashback on some debit card spending, 1% cashback on bills and access to the 6% Edge Saver. Here’s my full Santander Edge Explorer review.
Runner up: Virgin Money Club M
This account goes up from £12.50 a month to £14 from 1 February 2026, but it’s still one of the cheapest packaged options. You’ll get worldwide family travel insurance and phone cover, as well as UK and European breakdown cover for the account holders (so it’s worth opening it as a joint account). That’s decent value if you need two or three of those policies. Here’s our full Virgin Money Club M review.
Best bank account for savings
Current accounts often give you access to higher rates than elsewhere, though with limits. Here’s our guide to the best savings accounts.
Winner: First Direct
For ongoing savings the highest paying account is a regular saver that’s only open to First Direct current account holders. It pays 7% AER – and that’s fixed for 12 months. You can only add up to £300 a month into this regular saver. Read more about other regular savers here.
Winner: Santander Edge
The highest interest rate on larger balances at the moment is from Santander. As long as you have the Edge current account you can open the Edge Saver. This offers 6% on up to £4,000 – though that previously mentioned £3 a month fee needs to be factored in if it’s not covered by cashback. The rate also drops by 2.5% after a year.
If you use an overdraft you’re probably paying around 40% in interest – far more than it’d cost to borrow elsewhere. So they’re best avoided. But if you are overdrawn then it makes sense to reduce that cost ASAP.
Winner: First Direct
You can currently get a £250 0% buffer from First Direct. That’s not amazing, but it can be useful if you occasionally go a little below zero.
Runner up: Monzo/Starling
If you really need to use an overdraft then you might be able to get as low as 15% of 19% with these digital banks.
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Best ethical bank account
Winner: Triodos
This account tops the charts on Ethical Consumer’s list of ethical current accounts and it’s hard to beat. However it does come with a £3 a month fee and the app is limited. Here’s my full review.
Runner Up: Nationwide, Starling or Co-op
These banks also score well. As it’s a building society, Nationwide is committed to putting the bulk of its lending towards mortgages so it can’t invest heavily in non-ethical practices. It also has positive policies in place to avoid this.
Starling has the edge over its challenger bank rival Monzo, while Co-op is the top-ranked from the other high-street banks.
If you don’t want to have multiple accounts, and really want everything in one place, then these banks combine multiple extras.
App and perks: Monzo Perks
As long as you would spend £84 a year the perks included, the extra budgeting features on an already excellent app make Monzo Perks on of my top account for 2026. The only let down is on savings rates and there are never any switching deals.
Cashback and savings interest: Santander Edge or Edge Explorer
As long as you pay bills, you may as well get cashback on these. On top there’s access to the 6% paying Edge Saver account. The app is average though. If you need travel insurance and breakdown cover, the Edge Explorer is a good upgrade.
Interest and freebies: Club Lloyds
It’s too early to say whether First Direct Perks will be worth it in the long time, so I also think Club Lloyds is also worth a shot. The app is pretty good, and the six cinema tickets or year of Disney+ with Ads is potentially worth £60 a year and there’s a decent (though not best buy) monthly saver at 6.25%.
Ethics and loyalty: Nationwide
Finally, if you want your bank to be doing some good AND get something in return, Nationwide is well worth a shout thanks to the annual Fairer Share payment. It’s not guaranteed for 2026 but it should be worth £100 and offer access to a decent 18 month fixed saver.
The do’s and don’ts of passing on unwanted or duplicate gifts.
There’s a good chance at some point each year you’ll be given a gift you don’t want or need. Unwanted presents are frustrating and disappointing but also a bit awkward. So what do you do with it?
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What to do with an unwanted present
The worst thing you can do with an unwanted gift is just throw it away. Not only are you adding to landfill, but the money spent by the gift giver has been wasted. Not much better is just putting it out of sight in a cupboard or drawer. It’ll probably just sit there gathering dust for a few years until you have a clear-out, and then go to the tip too.
You could try to make use of whatever you’ve been given, even if you don’t like it. But why wear a jumper, use the vase or eat some chocolates that aren’t to your taste simply because you feel you should? It’s not your fault the gift wasn’t right, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Saying that, you might find you later learn to love it.
You could try to sell the present, though the admin and fees associated might be enough to put you off. It’s worth having a look online just to see what similar items have gone for, but it’s something likely only worth it for higher-value items.
Perhaps the best option, if you’re brave enough, is to be honest about the present. Tell the gift-giver why it’s not right and ask if they would be able to give you a gift receipt so you could exchange it, or if they would do it for you. This will be a lot easier if the gift is something you already have than if it’s just not to your taste. Still, it’s worth a go.
But if you can’t see that working, your next best bet financially is to pass the present on, also known as regifting. This can be controversial. Imagine how you’d feel if a gift you put thought into wasn’t just unwanted, but given to someone else? Not great. But it’s better to know someone, somewhere is making use of it rather than it getting chucked away.
And if you can avoid the awkwardness, then it’s a winning strategy. You’re giving someone a gift they hopefully will like, you’re helping the environment by not chucking it away and you’re saving yourself some cash by not having to buy something new.
So here a few simple rules and tips to help you navigate the minefield of regifting.
Do: only regift to someone you think will appreciate the present
Regifting doesn’t mean you can just palm off an unwanted present to any old friend or family member. If they won’t appreciate it, you’re just passing the buck, and it could still end up in the bin.
Instead have a think about who might like it, and there’s a good chance you’ll have a few contenders. Most unwanted gifts aren’t bad gifts. They might simply not be to your taste, or perhaps be a duplicate of something you already have.
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Don’t: regift everything
It’s worth taking into account any politics within your family or friendship groups. It might be better to keep hold of something and just bring it out from time to time to avoid any rifts. Yes, that could mean keeping hold of that awful painting your gran got you. But that might be better than the potential fallout if she found out.
Also some gifts are just plain bad. The kind you can’t understand why someone would manufacture it, let alone buy it. If you’ve got one of these and there’s no one you can think of who would like it then don’t regift it.
Do: have a regifting box
It’s worth keeping any unwanted gifts together in one box or cupboard. This way if you need to buy a present you can check what you’ve got and see if there’s anything suitable.
Don’t: forget who bought you the unwanted gift
There’s a danger with regifting of whoever you gave the gift to finding out, or perhaps even getting it back themselves. You hear stories of presents being passed around the same group year after year. Neither of these scenarios are desirable.
To avoid this, make a clear note of who gave you the gift and when. Then when you regift it, make sure it’s given to someone in a different circle.
Take a good look at your unwanted present. Have they inscribed a message in a book? Is there a tag stuck to the bottom of the box that you missed? If you’re sure there are no tell-tell signs the item is regifted then it’s fine to re-gift.
Don’t: regift anything that’s been used
Any unwanted present you want to pass on has to be in as good a condition as if you’d just bought it yourself. Packaging is key here so ensure any tags are intact and the box unopened. It’s important to check use-by dates on any food or drink gifts too.
Do: remember charity shops
Finally, as we’ve mentioned a few times above, you can also give an unwanted present to a charity shop. But don’t just dump a bag outside the shop. Take it in and see what they will take and then you can deal with anything they reject.
Here’s how to watch football on TV without forking out the equivalent of a Premier League player’s daily hourly wage.
If you’re dusting off your football shirt ready for the new season, you may also be considering the cheapest ways to watch your team on TV.
This year, more than 260 Premier League games will be shown on TV, split between Sky TV, and TNT Sports (previously BT Sport).
Championship, League One and League Two fans will get most of their action on Sky Sports, with more games than ever broadcast. Plus there’s European football on TNT and Amazon Prime. And let’s not forget international matches too/
If you want to watch as many games as possible, it doesn’t come cheap. And if you don’t support one of the big teams, they’ll be featured less often, which can make it more expensive per match.
Here’s my guide to the cheapest ways to watch Premier League, EFL and other football.
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Cheapest ways to watch football on Sky Sports
Sky Sports is available on as an add on for Sky, EE TV and Virgin Media packages, or as a pay as you go pass via NOW.
If you already pay for Sky or Virgin, then it’s worth haggling to see if you can add on Sky Sports, or reduce your existing spend. However if you just want the sport channels you’ll be tied into an 18 or 24 month contract for all your other services you have with them such as broadband, as well as forced to also pay for entertainment options, really bringing the price up.
Sky Sports is currently £20 a month for 24-months direct from Sky with the standard Sky channels and Netflix adding on another £15 a month, at least.
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.
You can pay a £25 a month for a monthly rolling contract via Sky Stream as an introductory offer, but you’ll need to pay at least £18 a month on top for Sky Entertainment and Netflix. For most people you’re better off going with NOW.
With Virgin Media it’s also another £20 on top, at least for the sports channels. Again, not bad, but you’re likely over paying for the other channels.
Get day or month Sky Sports passes with NOW TV
NOW TV passes are particularly good if you don’t want to pay for other Sky or Virgin channels or Netflix (which is bundled with Sky), or if you won’t watch all year around.
Plus, combine a NOW TV pass with a cut-price broadband and phone line deal and it’ll often be much much cheaper than getting everything as part of the full Sky or Virgin packages.
If you only plan to watch a few games at home throughout the season you can buy a NOW day pass for £14.99. You get all the Sky Sports channels for 24 hours. This isn’t as good a deal as it used to be, but still a money saver if you just want to watch a single match.
A monthly pass is also available, meaning you can view more sport. But at £34.99 it’s not as cheap as adding to Sky if you pay it every month.
The good news is there are regular deals to reduce the price of a pass. These have dwindled a little over the last few years, and there are very few day pass deals.
But monthly ones do still pop up quite regularly, often dropped to between £21 and £26 a month either when you first sign up or as a retention offer if you go to cancel. Get it this low, if not lower, then it’s more comparable to what you’d pay adding it to Sky without the requirement for other channels.
More recently you might find these offers tie you in for a minimum period, perhaps as long as six months, which isn’t as flexible. But others still let you cancel when ever you want.
You can stream the NOW TV app on your TV, console or streaming stick; or on your computer or mobile device. Though you can’t record (it’s all on-demand and catch up), you can now pause and rewind live sport.
If you want HD or to share your pass you’ll need to pay more. It’s £6 a month for Boost (2x streams and 720p) and £9 a month for Boost Ultra (3x streams and 1080p). Again, there are often deals to bring the price down.
TNT Sports is available to add to TV packages from Sky, EE and Virgin, or stream direct from Discovery+. We’ve got a deals page which highlights some of the best TNT Sports deals available, but here are the cheapest options.
Free with some BT broadband packages
If you have been with BT for a while for broadband or mobile packages then it’s worth checking if you’ve got free access to the full Discovery+ package, which includes TNT Sports. If you’re not eligible you can add it for £10 a month with no long contract commitment.
Buy a month’s pass
If you don’t have or want expensive pay TV contracts, you can access TNT Sports with Discovery+ for £30.99 per month. You don’t need to commit to a contract, so you can get a month’s access whenever you need it, making it good for casual fans.
The cheapest way to watch football on Amazon Prime Video
There will be 17 Champions League games shown on Amazon Prime this season, spread across the year. It costs £95 for the full year, and obviously you get access to other Prime benefits. But there are ways to pay less if you’re only after the odd match.
Get a free Amazon Prime trial
If you’ve never had Prime, you can take out a 30-day trial for free. And if you have had a trial before, it’s still worth checking as you can normally get another one after a year, if not sooner.
Pay £5.99 a month
You can also sign up on a monthly basis, at just £5.99 a month. That’s much cheaper than the full monthly Prime price of £8.99 a month, and you’ve got the flexibility to cancel if there are no games on, and resign up when there are.
With Sky Sports and TNT Sports, rather than just add the channels to your existing service as a top-up, it’s often cheaper to switch your service to a new company.
There are always offers for current customers signing new contracts, but the best deals are usually for new customers or those who threaten to leave. You can generally save even more by going via cashback sites.
Haggle with your provider
You can add on the Sky Sports and TNT Sports channels to your existing Sky, Virgin, Talk Talk and BT TV packages, but this can get very expensive.
Look out for special offers at the start of the season, or get on the phone with your provider and haggle for a better deal.
Cancel it when you don’t need it
These big pay TV companies often let you take Sky Sports month by month, so if there aren’t any matches you want to see, or you know you won’t have time, just call up and cancel.
You can sign up again when you want to restart watching the channels. Check the terms and conditions before subscribing and see if there is a notice or minimum period.
Know someone who has TNT Sports, NOW TV or Sky? You can usually watch the channels on up to two devices (smart TV, computer, tablet, phone) simultaneously, so you could split the cost between you. Here’s myguide on sharing your subscriptions.
Watch it in the pub
Of course, you can save all that hassle and head to the pub.
Premier League fans will normally be able to find somewhere showing the games, though Championship and lower may struggle. A few pints would cost the same as a NOW TV day pass.
What matches are on which TV channel?
There’s no point signing up for all the channels showing football this year if the team you support isn’t going to be featured. Here’s a very detailed breakdown of which leagues will be show on each broadcaster this season.
Where to watch the Premier League 2025/2026 on TV?
Only selected games are broadcast on TV, though from this year all matches outside the Saturday 3pm kick off will be shown. These are picked a couple of months ahead and will be split between Sky Sports and TNT Sport. Free to air highlights will once again be on the BBC.
With no Amazon fixtures this year, and fewer on TNT Sports, Sky is going to be where you’ll catch most games.
Broadcaster
Number of games
Sky Sports
At least 215 – 32 on Saturday at 5.30pm – 32 on Sunday at 2pm – 32 on Sunday at 4.30pm – 32 on either Friday at 7.30pm or Monday at 8pm – All 30 matches on 1st, 2nd and 3rd midweek fixtures (Dec & Jan) – All 10 matches from last day of the season – Plus at least 57 rescheduled or additional matches
TNT Sports (previously BT Sport)
52 – 32 on Saturday at 12:30pm – All 20 matches from 4th and 5th midweek fixtures (Feb & Mar)
BBC
Highlights on Match of the Day
Until 2029
You can see selections on the Premier League website. Expect these to be announced on these dates (though in my experience they change a lot):
Match dates
Estimated announcement date
August/September
9 July
October
20 August
November
17 September
December/January
15 October
February
17 December
March
21 January
April
4 March
Match week 35
25 March
Match week 36
1 April
Match week 37
8 April
Match week 38
After match week 37
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Where to watch Champions League, Europa League and Europe Conference League on TV in 2025/26
Amazon Prime
17 Champions League games will be shown on Prime for the first time this season. They’ll be on Tuesday nights and Amazon have the first pick for these games.
You’ll get free to air highlights for the Champions League on the BBC until 2027.
Where to watch Football League (Championship, League One, League Two, League Cup) on TV in 2025/26
Sky Sports
Sky is the only place to watch EFL games. As with last season there are a huge number of games shown on Sky Sports. 1,059 out of 1,891 matches will be on TV. You can see what’s been picked on the EFL upcoming live games page.
It will be broadcasting the following:
328 EFL Championship games
248 League One games
248 League Two games
All play-off semi-finals and finals
All 93 EFL Carabao cup games
All 127 EFL Trophy games
Each week there will be:
Five matches in the Sky Bet Championship
Five from Sky Bet League One and League Two
This includes:
All opening and closing day fixtures
All mid week fixtures
All bank holiday fixtures
Shown across these time slots:
Saturday at 12.30pm
Friday night and Sunday 12.30pm
Some Thursday and Monday nights
ITV
You’ll be able to watch 10 live EFL matches and 10 EFL Cup matches (including the final) on ITV, along with EFL highlights.
Where to watch FA Cup on TV matches in 2025/26?
In 2025/26 the FA Cup will be completely free to watch.
Broadcaster
Games
BBC
18 fixtures including the final
ITV
20 games including the final
Where to watch Women’s Super League, Championship & FA Cup on TV in 2025/26?
Matches are split between Sky and the BBC, and some may be on YouTube too. All Women’s Championship are on YouTube.
Broadcaster
Games
Sky
Up to 44 live league games
BBC
21 live league games plus 7 FA Cup games and the League Cup final
YouTube
Some games not shown on the BBC or Sky, all Women’s Championship games
Where to watch international friendlies and qualifiers on TV?
The home nations’ men’s international qualifiers and friendly matches are split across different broadcasters, depending on which team you want to watch.
England’s women’s games are on ITV. BBC Wales has the women’s international games for Wales.
Broadcaster
Games shown
ITV
All England mens games, including World Cup qualifiers and Nations League
The average cost to watch each Premier League team
A couple of seasons ago, we looked at the potential savings you could make from mixing and matching providers rather than committing to a year of sports channels. We found that football fans could save themselves up to £850 on watching the Premier League this season.
If you pay for all the services all year you’re going to get better value if you support one of the big teams and very poor value if you support a smaller one. However, if you’re a fan of various different sports or like to watch multiple teams, it might be worthwhile.
(All this football talk reminds me of this classic Mitchell and Webb sketch…)
