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 30 days to take something back in this case. You’ll need proof of purchase.
Once this first month is over you’ve 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, many, if not 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 do check the shop’s policy, ideally before you buy anything.
Your money will be refunded to your original card. 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.
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-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.
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.
And you get the same rights online as buying in a shop if something is faulty.
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. My mum spotted in-store at John Lewis that you now can’t return electronics that have been opened. She’d bought a new phone, but the handset didn’t get reception in the garden – the whole point of her buying it.
The store’s justification was that if you’ve seen it in-store you know what you’re buying. Fortunately, my mum had ordered it online for click and collect, so she had further rights and got her refund (more on this in a sec). But it shows you just be extra careful when unpacking anything.
Get the best of our money saving content every Thursday, straight to your inbox
+ Get a £24 Quidco bonus (new members only). More details
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 just 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.
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 (and I do), it’s worth avoiding it on bigger purchases, just in case. Here’s more on the pros and cons of PayPal.
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
I’m a fan of using discounted gift cards to save 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 the 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.
How often do you have to use ODEON Limitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman Everywhere and other movie memberships to make them worthwhile?
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
How cinema memberships work
There are two core types of memberships for the main cinema chains. The all-you-can-watch options will let you go every day, even more than once each day, if you want. The others will get you a handful of free tickets and then discounts on future ones.
Often you’re limited to just standard 2D screenings in normal seats, but some will let you access 3D showings, recliner seats and even event cinema such as theatre – though you’ll pay more for the privilege.
You can see the breakdown of ODEON Limitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman, Curzon and Picturehouse memberships further down the page. But first, my thoughts on how to decide what represents good value.
Should you get a cinema membership?
I think value from cinema memberships comes down to three factors. If you can justify at least two of them, then potentially go for it.
How often will you go?
First is the most important, and it’s one very simple number – how often are you really going to go? Back in my 20s, my record was 60 times in a year, but even I found that too much. I forgot half the things I saw!
I think if you can commit to going roughly two or three weeks out of four (between 26 and 40 visits a year) then you’ll likely be getting a bargain. These are the key numbers I’ve used in the comparisons below, but that’s still a lot of films to see. Go less than this and the savings tend to be less likely.
Can you commit to just one cinema?
Next you need to consider if you’re likely to still visit other cinema chains. That could be because there aren’t many screens or certain films aren’t showing where you’ve got your membership – often the case for independent or foreign films. Perhaps it’s just a logistical matter because mates want to go elsewhere or you can only make a screening at 8pm.
There’s absolutely no point shelling out for an unlimited membership if you’re going to see movies elsewhere too.
But if you’ve only got one cinema then this is less of a problem.
Of course, some of these memberships can also be used alongside other deals. There are tricks mentioned below for both Everyman and Cineworld memberships which effectively give you free tickets for two people if you go certain days. Bargain!
When I lived in London I saw no point getting one of the annual cinema memberships. First, there are dozens of ways to get cheap tickets, meaning I rarely paid more than £6 a ticket in the capital. Second, you are tied to going to just one chain, which doesn’t work if the film you want to see at the time you want to go is at a cinema you can’t use your membership.
But now I’m out of London, my options are much smaller. We’ve actually only got two cinemas in town – an ODEON and an Everyman. Both offer membership schemes that let you go as much as you want. Are they worth shelling out for?
Having checked out all the deals, the cinema geek side of me is very tempted by the Everyman Everywhere membership – but only if I’m willing to go every week.
However, thanks to various deals (largely my Vitality health insurance) I get both a free ODEON cinema ticket every month and free movie rental every week. Combined with so many fantastic TV shows on Disney, Apple and the BBC I don’t think I’d be able to get enough value from a membership.
Plus I still like to have the choice of where I go and I’ve enough money-saving tricks up my sleeve that I can keep prices just as low most of the time. So the answer – for now – is no.
But take a look at the different options below to see if one could work for you.
How the different cinema memberships compare
ODEON myLimitless
How it works
There are two versions of ODEON’s membership, called myLimitless. The standard offering works all over the UK, not just outside London. However you won’t be able to use it at Luxe locations. These are included in the myLimitless Plus membership.
With standard, you can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments. You also can’t use your membership ticket to get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies.
You’ll be invited to free preview screenings. You can book up to four screenings in advance. There’s a 10% discount on food and drinks.
In addition, the Plus membership not only lets you watch films at Luxe cinemas, but also get unlimited access to premier or recliner seats, as well as 3D and iSense screenings.
ODEON myLimitless costs
Standard cost (excluding Luxe): £14.99 a month / £149 a year
Plus cost (inc Luxe): £17.99 a month / £179 a year
Annual discount: 17% if paid in full (12 months for the price of 10)
If you go once a week, a ticket works out as just £2.87 (£3.44 for Plus membership). That’s pretty good! But you have to go 52 times.
Let’s say you go 40 times, which is three films every four weeks. Then it’s still a decent £3.75 (£4.48 in London). It’s hard to find cheaper tickets.
If you drop down to a visit every two weeks, it starts to get pricier – though potentially cheaper than what your local charges.
But even if you go once a month you could break even at some of the pricier locations. For example a ticket at Tottenham Court Road is £14.49 a go.
And that’s even more so at Luxe cinemas, such as the flagship Leicester Square location. A normal adult ticket is £18, while a recliner seat (included in Plus) is £25.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.76% AER to 4.86% for 12 months
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.1%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Cineworld Unlimited
How it works
Cineworld says that the monthly cost will be cheaper than two tickets a month – though the price will change depending on the location for your “home” cinema. There are four groups, and you can see which one your cinema fits into here.
The bulk of locations are in groups 1 and 2. Though not exclusively, group 3 contains most of the London cinemas, while group 4 adds in Leicester Sq. You can use your membership at all cinemas in your and lower groups – so group 4 is effectively every single Cineworld.
You can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments, though if you continue for a second year 3D is included. There’s a 50% discount on “event” screenings.
In theory you can get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that would mean you’d only need one membership between you – if you only go midweek.
You’ll be able to see free previews and there’s a 10% discount on food and drinks, going up to 25% in year two.
Get the best of our money saving content every Thursday, straight to your inbox
+ Get a £24 Quidco bonus (new members only). More details
How much does Cineworld Unlimited cost?
Cost (Group 1): £12.99 a month / £155.88 a year
Cost (Group 2): £17.99 a month / £215.88 a year
Cost (Group 3): £19.99 a month / £239.88 a year
Cost (Group 4): £22.99 a month / £275.88 a year
Annual discount: None (though look out for offers)
Other savings: Recommend a friend to get a free month each, or use Clubcard points at 2:1 value
Cineworld Unlimited membership details
Minimum membership: 3 months
How to join: At the cinema, via Tesco Clubcard or via the Cineworld website
Is Cineworld Unlimited worth it?
This one has the potential to be incredibly cheap, but only if you combine your free ticket with Meerkat Movies.
If you mainly go on a Tuesday or Wednesday to take advantage of this two for one offer in Group 1, you’ll pay just £3.90 a ticket, based on 40 visits. That falls to a fantastic £1.95!
Of course, if you’re on your own, in pricier groups, go different days or go less often, then it can get a lot more expensive. So once more you need to compare it to prices at your cinema to see whether you’ll save or not.
Visits a year
Cost per trip (Group 1)
Cost per trip (Group 2)
Cost per trip (Group 3)
Cost per trip (Group 4)
52
£3.00
£4.15
£4.61
£5.31
40
£3.90
£5.40
£6.00
£6.90
26
£6.00
£8.30
£9.23
£10.61
12
£12.99
£17.99
£19.99
£22.99
*based on annual spend
Everyman membership
How it works
The basic “Everyman” membership provides six free tickets. The next level up is the “Everyicon” membership, which offers 24 free tickets. However, both let you bring a friend for free on Mondays, potentially doubling your number of included tickets.
The “Everywhere” membership is a lot of money at £680 a year. However, it’s for two people at any time and you can go to as many films as you like.
All give you 10% off food and drink, and fee-free booking.
If an Everyman is your local cinema, or the one you like going to, then you could well save a little with the six tickets for £95, making them £15.83 a ticket, or £7.92 if you go on a Monday with a friend and split the cost.
The next level – “Everyicon” – is a little cheaper, but again use the free tickets just on Mondays and that’s now 48 tickets, working out at a very nice £7.29 each.
The top “Everywhere” could work if you’ve a partner or friend who will share the membership with you. Even then you need to go a lot. See 40 movies each in a year and it’ll work out as £8.50 each for your ticket.
Personally I’d go to a cheaper cinema instead, or get a trial for Times+ which offers 2-4-1 tickets every Wednesday.
Visits a year
Everyman
Everyicon
Everywhere (one person / two people)
52
N/A
N/A
£13.08 / £6.54
40
N/A
N/A
£17 / £8.50
24
N/A
£14.58 (for 24 visits)
£28.33 / £14.77
12
N/A
£29.17
£56.67 / £28.33
6
£15.83
–
–
*based on annual spend
Curzon membership
What you get
The entry-level “Classic” includes five free tickets, and then discounts for you and a guest.
Next up, the “Cult” membership is seven tickets every week – so essentially free entry to as many films as you want. You can also use these credits to stream online movies from Curzon Home Cinema.
If there are two of you, you can add the “Events and Guest” option which gets you 14 tickets each week and you can use it on “event” screenings – but you’ll pay £50 more each month.
There’s also 10% off food and drink with all three membership levels. Sadly Curzon doesn’t accept Meerkat Movies.
How much is Curzon membership?
Cost (Classic): £65 a year (all cinemas) / £50 a year (non-London)
Cost (Cult): £25 a month / £285 a year
Cost (Cult plus Events and Guest): £75 a month / £850 a year
Go 40 times and the “Cult” membership works out as £7.13 a ticket. That’s more than I’d like to pay, but not bad if you’re in London or only have a Curzon near you. However since Curzon has a more indie/arthouse lean, you might need to pay elsewhere to see some of the big blockbusters.
Adding “Events and Guest” to the Cult membership is the most expensive out there. Only if two of you go three out of four weeks, or a little less if you throw in regular event screenings, are you going to be making this worthwhile.
The Classic membership will be worth it if you are definitely going to go five times a year and the normal ticket prices are the same or more than the average price of £10 outside London and £13 inside London.
Visits a year
Classic (London/Outside London)
Cult
Cult+ (one person / two people)
52
N/A
£5.48
£16.34 / £8.17
40
N/A
£7.13
£21.25 / £10.63
26
N/A
£10.96
£32.69 / £16.34
12
N/A
£27.08
£70.83 / £34.42
5
£13 / £10
–
–
*based on annual spend
Picturehouse membership
What you get
There isn’t a subscription membership at Picturehouse, but I’ve included it for completion. Instead you get five free tickets and discounts on further tickets.
The Member Plus option gives you double the freebies (so 10 tickets), and you can get members prices on up to three further tickets for each screening.
There’s also 10% off food and drink, jumping to 25% from year two. Like all the others there are member’s previews, though these are free at Picturehouse, potentially saving you some more cash.
How much does Picturehouse membership cost?
Cost (Picturehouse Central): £90 a year (single) / £170 a year (joint)
Cost (London excl Central): £67 a year (single) / £110 a year (joint)
Cost (Outside London): £57 a year (single) / £100 a year (joint)
If you’re likely to go to a Picturehouse cinema over other chains then the ongoing discount after the free tickets will make it more affordable. Still though, that’s potentially more expensive than using other tricks at other cinemas.
I’ve used my membership free tickets alongside Meerkat Movies in the past – I can’t find any official confirmation this is allowed, but I can’t see why not. This essentially gives you another five free tickets to be used on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Visits a year
Outside London (single)
Outside London (joint)
London (single)
London (joint)
Central London (single)
Central London (joint)
10
N/A
£10
N/A
£11
N/A
£17
5
£11.40
N/A
£13.40
N/A
£18
N/A
*based on annual spend
Cineworld Unlimited vs ODEON myLimitless
The two most effective memberships in terms of value for money are the ODEON and Cineworld schemes. If you have both cinemas near you and aren’t sure which one to go for here’s what I’d do.
Ultimately, ODEON’s is cheaper but if you can combine the Cineworld with Meerkat Movies, then the latter is a better option.
If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, I’d look at which has the most screens and which ones tend to show the films you want to see. If it’s just standard blockbusters both should have them on, but if you want smaller films that might not be the case.
Here is the pick of the current fashion offers, discount codes, flash sales and deals
Whether you’re looking for a great deal on the high street for your summer or winter wardrobe or searching for something a little more specific, it’s always nice to grab a bargain. Here are some of the best ways to save on clothes.
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.
Fashion sales and offers
Liberty: 30% off and 20% cashback
As an early Black Friday offer, on 28 November only you can get 30% off at Liberty as well as 20% cashback via Quidco.
Plus, if you’re not already a member of Quidco, you can sign up for our newsletter and get a boosted £24 welcome bonus as well.
It’s always worth checking what rate you’ll get from the likes of TopCashback or Quidco. If you’ve not used them before then you can also get a welcome bonus worth up to £20 by joining our newsletter.
Here’s where I’ll post any particularly decent eBay deals and offers, whether selling or buying!
As you’d expect there are thousands of different products! Often you’ll see well-known shops selling on eBay now at prices less than their own website. Office and Argos are just some with “outlet” shops on eBay.
The ones to watch out for are a 20% off at eBay flash sale which tends to happen between Christmas and New Year, and similar discounts throughout the year.
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.
Buying offers
£5 off £15 cashback
Opt in to a flash offer on cashback site Quidco and you’ll get an extra £5 off a £15 spend at eBay until 09.59 on Friday 29 November 2024.
If you click through from a link on the Vouchercodes site to eBay and then spend £50, you’ll be able to claim a £15 supermarket voucher.
You need to register for the offer at Vouchercodes first. The full terms and conditions will be listed when you do this, but keys ones are the £50 doesn’t include delivery and you can’t pay with gift cards.
You can combine it with any promo code offered by eBay though, and these are pretty frequent.
For Black Friday, eBay is offering 20% off at specific merchants using the code BLACKFRIDAY20. It runs until 11:59pm on 2 December 2024 and there’s a minimum spend of £9.99 and a maximum discount of £75.
Make sure you compare prices elsewhere though as it might be cheaper at another retailer even with eBay’s discount.
You can also get 3% cashback using Quidco, and if you haven’t got an account yet, you can get a welcome bonus of £24.
This offer is running just for one hour (between noon and 1pm) on Tuesday 14 February 2023. You’ll get 30 points per £1 spent. That is the equivalent of 15% back, though you can only get this on one purchase. You must also have paid for the item in this hour, so don’t leave it too late in case there’s an issue.
You’ll need to spend at least £10 and you’ll only get the bonus points on the first £300 spent. Make sure you activate the offer too!
£5 or £15 vouchers when you buy two or more items (expired)
This deal runs until 28 November 2022 and rewards you for buying non-new items (including both second-hand and refurbished) with coupons to spend on the site.
Buy two items and you’ll get a £5 voucher, increasing to £15 if you buy five items. You can only redeem one voucher per user.
Another eBay deal, this time offering 20% off second hand or refurbished at selected retailers. The code for 20% is BETTER20. The code expires at midnight on 24 November 2022
There’s a minimum spend of £9.99. Retailers include Currys, Crampton & Moore and Music Magpie. The code can be used three times.
Do always price check elsewhere before buying though as they could be cheaper even without the discount.
If you’re with O2 for your mobile phone, head to the Priority app or site to claim a £10 voucher when you sell an item on eBay that sells for more than £10. The offer ends 18 July 2021.
The full terms and conditions can be found on the Priority site, but broadly to qualify you need to:
• have opted-in to the promotion through the redemption link via Priority • list an item in auction-style or fixed price format on ebay.co.uk during the Promotional Period • sell one item in the first listing period for at least £10 (excluding shipping costs) and the item has been paid for or you have marked them as paid • have not sold an item in the past 12 months
If we spot any standout John Lewis offers or discount codes we’ll share them on this page.
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.
John Lewis codes and discounts
Early Black Friday: including 20% off beauty (ended)
John Lewis is running some early Black Friday deals on tech, clothing and beauty.
Though it’s not across every brand, there is up to 20% off a lot of big name brand beauty and fragrance at John Lewis. Also included are some beauty advent calendars, such as Clarins, Bobbi Brown and Molton Brown.
You’ll find 20% off in fashion too, while money off on appliances and tech.
John Lewis is offering rewards every day between 1 and 24 December for My John Lewis members. These include discounts, freebies and competition entries from popular brands like Shark, Gucci and Brompton.
Tap on the gift icon on the app each day to reveal the reward and redeem it within 24 hours online or within three days in-store.
Just how good are the deals on grocery cashback apps?
We’ve reviewed CheckoutSmart, Shopmium and Green Jinn to see just what kind of savings these apps are giving and whether it is worth using them.
From money off to free products, we’ll let you know whether they are worth checking out. Plus there’s a code to get a free treat with Shopmium!
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 supermarket cashback apps work
Unlike when you use cashback sites to shop by clicking through, here the cashback is earned after you’ve bought the goods.
You need to look at the apps before you head to the supermarket – or even when you’re walking the aisles – to see the different promotions, pick up the products as you shop as normal and then claim your cashback when you get home.
Each app works slightly differently, but they all require you to select the offer you are claiming and upload a photo of your receipt.
If that’s all done correctly you’ll start to build up a little bit of extra money which you then transfer to your Paypal or bank account or even transfer for e-vouchers.
Most of the time it’s a proportion of the item cost you’ll get back, but you can sometimes get all your money back – making the items free.
The majority of the products listed on these apps are new. That’s because brands want you to try something different, hoping you’ll keep on buying it but you will occasionally see everyday products.
By the way, they work with online orders too, and you usually don’t need to print out the receipt. Just take a screengrab of it on your phone or download it as a file.
Supermarket cashback apps compared
There are currently three different apps we know of and to be fair that’s probably plenty, as it does take some preparation before you shop to get the most out of them.
Shopmium
Main supermarkets on the app
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Co-op
Other retailers (depending on products)
You’ll sometimes see offers for Iceland, Ocado, Boots, WH Smiths and others
Minimum payout level
£10 through bank transfer of PayPal
Welcome offer
Use code KHMYEEFW for free Cadbury Buttons
Referral scheme
£3 for every friend you refer who claims cashback
Having recently changed their payout minimum to £10, this may be a negative for some, but due to the number of high paying offers on this app, it is relatively quick to reach the £10 threshold and therefore it is my top supermarket cashback app.
That said, it does have some negatives. You have to click on each product to see what the offer is, which can be time consuming and not the easiest thing to do whilst you’re shopping.
Watch out too for products where different versions are on offer at different supermarkets. Again you need to click in to check.
Therefore this app is one that requires a little of your time before you shop. You can, however, filter the selection to a specific supermarket so you know what offers apply where.
Saying that it offers plenty of high paying cashback. This month for example you can try Domestos spray for £1 so that’s £2 cashback on your purchase and Comfort for £1, so again around £2 back in cashback. It doesn’t appear to offer many ‘free’ products where you get the entire cashback but more offers such as 50% off, or ‘try for £1’ or save £1.50.
You can make extra cashback with special tasks such as submitting a specific number of cashback requests within a certain timeframe. They also offer a loyalty scheme where you can progress through the tiers to get extra benefits such as exclusive offers and birthday treats.
CheckoutSmart
Main supermarkets on the app
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado
Other retailers (depending on products)
Iceland, Co-op, plus many more although most don’t have any offers apart from the daily £10 draw
Minimum payout level
£1+ for your first payment; £5+ thereafter. NB payments under £20 made to bank or PayPal will incur a 5% transfer fee. Payments to e-vouchers just have to meet minimum payment level of £5.
Welcome offer
No
Referral scheme
No
CheckoutSmart tends to be the best for freebies. It also has a far wider list of supermarkets that are easy to filter.
In terms of ease of use you can see the product and what the discount is at a glance, helping you see whether it’s worth your time and also allowing you to check this app whilst you’re shopping.
You can also filter the offers in terms of the highest percentage paid, which will give you the free products (100% cashback) first. The free products may be good enough to entice you to another supermarket. At the time of writing there are free energy drinks, salami and chicken bites available at different retailers.
If you want cash to your bank account or PayPal the app has a high £20 payout level, though freebies can help you reach that amount if you use the app frequently. Or you can instead choose a gift card, though only in multiples of £5. This payment method is set to alternate each week with the cash payout. The payout time can take a long time and I’ve often waited over a week to receive my payment.
There is a negative with this app, in that there are times where there is little change in the offers available and some offers seem to have been on the app for ages. You can also find that this app may have some retailers with very few offers available at times – I often find Morrisons lacking in new offers for example.
Share a particular coupon with friends (marked with a green tab) and if they redeem it you’ll get a bonus £1
Green Jinn is easy to use and you can quickly select your retailer and see what offers are available without having to click into an advert like you do with Shopmium. There are some different products from what you see on the other apps as it claims to only offer good quality or healthy food and drink. At present, you’ll find lots of cereal bars, natural energy drinks and healthier drinks such as kombucha.
There are some really good offers for free products and some high-paying cashback offers too. It’s nice to be able to try a product for free or for £1 for example, that you may not have picked up usually. Just last week, I got cashback for the full price of a 4 pack of matcha fizzy drinks – that’s a £6 item I got to try for free!
Underneath all the offers is a section for each supermarket labelled ‘your everyday shop’ where you’ll usually find two cashback offers on fruit or veg so don’t forget to scroll down to these.
This app also offers a variety of cashback on products at Boots and WH Smith including non-food options such as Rock Face deodorant which you can currently try for £1 from Boots.
The only gripe I have with this app is that since the products are quite niche, they’re often hard to locate. There’s been some really interesting CBD drinks to try for free at Waitrose, but I’ve been to two stores and have yet to find them!
Get cashback on all your supermarket shopping
Don’t forget you can use apps like HyperJar, Cheddar and JamDoughnut to buy supermarket gift cards and earn cashback. So, say you earn 4% back on a £100 Tesco gift card, that’s £4 off your spend! Here’s more on each app;
Get the best of our money saving content every Thursday, straight to your inbox
+ Get a £24 Quidco bonus (new members only). More details
What to watch out for
Cashing out your cashback
When Shopitize suddenly closed a few years ago, many customers lost money that they hadn’t withdrawn from the app. So it’s vital that you don’t let money build up with these apps.
Payout limits are something to watch out for. It can take a while to reach the cashback threshold in your account to let you cash out – a particular issue with CheckoutSmart.
All three apps require you to request to cash out as none offer an automatic option, so you have to remember to do it.
Spending money to save money
Just as important is to not let the discount convince you to buy something you don’t want – just because you’re saving 50p, it doesn’t mean you should buy it. But that said, if an item is free, it’s worth giving it a try or even donating it to a food bank if you’re’ not likely to consume it.
I personally love the option it gives me to try something for a discount price or even free that I wouldn’t normally buy but I’m never encouraged to try something new if the cashback offered is really low.
Uploading errors
Frustratingly, receipts will sometimes be rejected for quality purposes. You then need to retake the photos and upload them until they are accepted. But this is rare, and even receipts that have been crumpled up in my shopping bag have been accepted.
And obviously you need to remember to print the receipt at the supermarket too. And don’t forget to hold on to it until your cashback claim has been accepted – usually a couple of hours to a day at most.
Buying the wrong products
Not all offers are valid at all supermarkets, and products can be very specific in terms of size and flavour. This means there’s a risk that you accidentally pick up the wrong product or buy it at the wrong supermarket.
I’ve certainly missed out by accidentally picking up raspberry rather than strawberry jam, or bought in Tesco to find the offer was only valid for Sainsbury’s.
You might also find that one flavour is on offer from one shop, and a different flavour from another, so read the full offer details to check.
While you’re at it, double-check the terms of the deal too. Rather than a simple money-back promo, or it could be along the lines of buy one get one free.
Finding the items in-store
And I wouldn’t go out of your way to visit a supermarket for one of these offers. I’ve often been frustrated to find my local branch didn’t stock the item.
It’s best to treat it as something to check when you get to the supermarket, rather than plan your shopping around it.
Are supermarket cashback apps worth using?
Since uploading a receipt and scanning the barcodes doesn’t take that long (maybe two minutes max) I’d say it’s worth the time to get cashback on a variety of products.
It is worth checking all three apps before you go shopping or even when you’re walking from the car to the supermarket entrance, to see if there are any products with a good cashback offer that may be worth keeping an eye out for.
Remember that not all offers are valid at all supermarkets, and products can be very specific in terms of size and flavour, so make sure you’re picking up the right product at the right supermarket.
And keep an eye out for products that are on offer at the supermarket. Green Jinn and CheckoutSmart allow you in theory to get double discount, so you could end up getting cashback on the rrp whilst the product is on offer at the supermarket – in theory making you some extra money. This doesn’t work with Shopmium though.
All in all, I’m a fan of using all three apps, but I’m willing to spend an extra five minutes before or during my weekly shop to see what offers are available and to take the time to claim the cashback once I’m home. The fact I can sometimes try items for free, makes it worth the effort.
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.
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 the best of our money saving content every Thursday, straight to your inbox
+ Get a £24 Quidco bonus (new members only). More details
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.76% AER to 4.86% for 12 months
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.1%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
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-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.
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.
Everything you need to know to save money when going to a show
A trip to the theatre isn’t a cheap night out. Tickets for Hamilton go as high as £250. That’s for one ticket. Crazy prices. But there are ways to see West End and local theatre productions for less.
I obviously don’t pay that kind of price. Yes for the hottest shows that means I might go without, but there are plenty of ways to see top-quality West End and local theatre productions for less.
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.
Hunt out the best deals
There are some big sales throughout the year which are always good bets. The biggest – Get Into London Theatre usually takes place from December to March, while Kids Week is every August.
Ad hoc sales and offers pop up on TodayTix, while TimeOut has the occasional deal (it used to be better). There are sometimes flash sales at Ticketmaster too. Lastminute.com isn’t as good as it once was, but it’s worth a look.
Generally, avoid sites like TasteCard+, which offer money off tickets as part of the membership. Each time I’ve looked the deals can be beaten elsewhere or aren’t even discounted at all.
When there are any really good deals on lots of productions, I’ll list them on my theatre tickets deals page.
Pay with discounted gift cards
This trick won’t always work – sometimes the best prices are on sites that don’t accept gift cards (e.g TodayTix). But there are often deals to save here or there on the likes of Ticketmaster and Theatre Tokens.
Thanks to this I managed to get 50% off seats at rarely discounted shows Cabaret and Hamilton (though sadly it’s rare to see such a huge per cent off).
Choose the best value seats
If there’s a play I want to see my first stop is often always the excellent Theatre Monkey. The website provides seating plans for each theatre, with crowdsourced feedback from readers telling you which seats are good value, and which are bad. Often a ticket might be cheap because you can’t see half the stage!
Our podcast
Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.
A number of shows offer reduced tickets on the day, often called rush or day tickets. Sometimes these have been held back for the day, or they could just be returns. For the really popular shows this is a great way to get tickets.
It used to be you’d have to rock up at the box office very, very early. But now most of these are sold online. Theatremonkey has a list of how it works for each show, along with reader feedback on success rates for those queuing in-person.
However, the majority will be sold through the TodayTix where you unlock “rush tickets” at 10am. Most cost £25, but could be as low as £15.
The seats could be anywhere in the theatre, from restricted view through to the the top-end VIP seats. It’s first come first serve, though I’ve managed to get tickets as late as 5pm (obviously not for the most popular shows).
Some theatres have larger numbers of reduced tickets on set days. Over at The Royal Court there are cheaper seats every Monday (on sale 9am online on the day).
Try a lottery
Lotteries for plays can get you cheap tickets to performances, even the most popular and sold-out shows. However, as the name suggests, it’s a lottery as to whether your name is chosen to buy the tickets.
Over the years I tried for shows like Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton and Cabaret – with no success!
They used to take place at the box office. You’d just turn up at the box office a few hours before the show and give your name… and hope! Now most are online.
More often these are also run via the TodayTix app. Some still offer them on their own websites such as the one for Matilda or The National Theatre’s £10 Friday Rush promotion.
Check in advance what the rules are. Some take place once a week for all performances the following week, others are daily. There’s usually a cut-off time to submit your entry and if you’re successful you’ll likely only be able to buy two tickets.
Be a seat filler
I’ve nabbed dozens of free tickets for my parents through sites like Show Film First and Central Tickets often for big West End shows. The reason? Theatres want to fill up the seats.
This tends to happen at the start to help spread word of mouth, or near the end of a run when less people are going. There’s usually a £4 to £10 fee per ticket – a fraction of the actual ticket cost. Here’s my guide to how seat filling works.
Buy resale seats
The Twickets website is a great place for people to sell on seats they can no longer use. Though sellers can’t inflate the selling price (it’s an anti-tout company), there are Twicket fees on top, so it’s always worth checking you can’t get the ticket for less direct.
However, the closer it gets to the performance date, sellers can reduce their asking price or allow offers. So if you can go last minute you might be able to nab a bargain. At the time of writing I spotted Hamilton tickets for tonight’s performance going for below face value.
The National Theatre offers hundreds of tickets at each performance at just £20. They go quick but you can sign up for alerts.
Meanwhile, The Globe has 700 £5 tickets for every performance (though they are standing) and The Young Vic has £12 Lucky Dip standing tickets that could be upgraded on the night to an empty seat.
You can of course avoid the West End and see something on the fringe, which will be much cheaper. The Arcola has a “Pay What You Can Tuesdays”, with a suggested price of £5.
Visit the official theatre booth
From when I was a kid through to just a few years ago I always used to head to the official TKTs Theatre Booth in Leicester Sqare to get my tickets (as long as I was flexible about what I saw). Unsold tickets for that day’s performances were often half-price – though there was usually a queue.
Recently the prices don’t seem as competitive as they once were, but they’re still worth a look if there are a few London shows you’d like to see. Don’t confuse it with other “discount theater booths” nearby.
And you don’t have to visit in person now. I picked up tickets online to Dear England on the train down to London for that evening’s performance.
Go to a less expensive performance
If you can go on a midweek afternoon – usually a Wednesday or Thursday – you’re more likely to find availability in the cheaper seats. The same goes for evening shows at the start of the week.
Previews are often discounted as they’re essentially ticketed dress rehearsals. Most shows will be cheaper. However with full prices already so high, you could still pay a fair amount.
Cut your booking and delivery fees
A good way to save is to collect your tickets at the box office on the night of the show. If there are no special deals or discounts, head to the theatre box office where you can normally avoid booking fees too.
If you can’t do this and have to buy online then do shop around as you might find See Tickets is cheaper than Ticketmaster for one show, but more expensive for another!
Get the best of our money saving content every Thursday, straight to your inbox
+ Get a £24 Quidco bonus (new members only). More details
Buy a cheap seat and ask for an upgrade
Buy a ticket in the cheapest part of the theatre – usually at the top of the upper circle or similar then you could be automatically upgraded. For less-busy shows these parts of the theatre are often closed and the tickets redistributed.
I’ve had this happen a few times. A few years ago I bought £10 tickets (to Let The Right One In) via Lastminute.com. They were meant to be restricted view in the top circle level, but when we arrived we found we’d been upgraded to £50 stalls tickets to fill those seats (the circle was completely closed).
This is more likely to happen on less popular productions in larger theatres for performances happening earlier in the week,
If that hasn’t happened automatically and the theatre isn’t too busy, you can always ask when you collect your tix. Or just see if you can move in the interval – though you might be asked to move back by staff.
Ditch the West End
Yes theatre does exist outside central London! There are lots of top theatres, especially in Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Stratford-upon-Avon and Chichester.
Plus, many shows will tour the UK before moving to the West End, or will be revived a few years later. Seats will pretty much always be cheaper this way.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.76% AER to 4.86% for 12 months
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.1%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Watch it at the cinema or at home
If you’re not in London or can’t afford West End prices even when they are on offer, then your best chance to see the top plays is in the cinema. Tickets generally range between £15 and £20.
And there are streaming services that allow you to watch productions from your sofa.
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
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.
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, whether you shop online or in-store.
Until 30 April 2024 you can save £10 off £60 or £20 off £100 at The Entertainer with the code SAVEMORE. It does however exclude Lego, and it’s online only.
Use code LEGOSPEND at John Lewis to save money on selected full-price Lego products. The offer lasts until 31 October 2023 and gets you:
£10 off a £50 spend
£30 off a £150 spend
£50 off a £250 spend
You’ll just need to add the promo code at the payment stage of the checkout. You can only use one promo code per transaction but it can be redeemed more than once.
