Ways to earn extra free money when using apps and other methods

Many people are struggling with day-to-day expenses and living costs, so finding extra ways to stretch your budget can be a welcome bonus. We’ve created a guide on which banking apps you can start using and other things you can do to earn some extra money in your pocket.

1. Take advantage of sign-up offers from banking apps

   One of the easiest ways to earn yourself some free money is by signing up for an app, account or service. There’s a whole range of products that offer these sign-up bonuses, including bank accounts, investing accounts, pensions, cashback sites and money transfer providers. If you’re interested in a new product anyway then it’s an extra incentive to try it out.

   Some providers offer cash, while others offer gift cards, so make sure you know what you’ll receive. And obviously if the eligibility requirements are quite high, then focus on the ones that are more achievable to you. In some cases it’s just a matter of opening the account and putting some money in or making a purchase, while others have a few more hoops that need jumping through and might not be worth all the effort. Popular banking apps like Plum and Revolut often have welcome incentives and there are even banking apps for children that have sign-up bonuses that parents or guardians can take advantage of such as GoHenry and NatWest Rooster Money.

   Search

   Product type Show all

   Brand	Product type	Offer details	Link
   IG	Investing	Get up to £300 in free shares	Show code Capital at risk
   Revolut	Banking apps	Get a sign-up bonus of £20	Get deal
   Starling Bank	Bank account	Open an account and get a £25 reward when you spend £25.	Get deal
   Robinhood	Investing	Free stock up to $175	Get deal Capital at risk
   InvestEngine	Investing	Sign-up welcome bonus of £20-£200 (deposit £100)	Show code Capital at risk
   Airwallex	Business banking	Get a £200 reward with a new Airwallex business account	Get deal
   Cynergy Bank	Business banking	Get £800 when opening a business current account	Get deal
   eToro	Investing	Get a £50 free share	Get deal Capital at risk
   Trading.com	Investing	Get a £50 welcome bonus to invest in shares and ETFs	Get deal Capital at risk
   eToro	Investing	Get up to 3% cashback	Get deal Capital at risk
   Trading212	Investing	Get free shares up to £100	Show code Capital at risk
   Freecash	Cashback	Get up to £8 as a welcome bonus	Get deal
   PayPal	Banking apps	Refer a friend to PayPal and both receive £10	Get deal
   Yonder	Banking apps	Join Yonder, get £10 back on your first spend, and start earning rewards	Get deal
   Kroo new	Bank account	Invite a friend to Kroo and both get £25	Get deal
   Santander	Kids bank account	Get £50 when you open a 123 Mini current account	Get deal
   NatWest Rooster Money	Kids bank account	Get a £20 pocket money bonus with FINDER20	Show code
   GoHenry	Kids bank account	Get a £20 pocket money bonus for your child	Show code
   NatWest	Kids bank account	Get a £20 opening bonus with a child's bank account from NatWest	Get deal
   Swag bucks	Cashback	Get a £10 bonus in points when joining Swagbucks	Get deal
   Taptap Send	Money transfer	Get £10 off on your first transfer over £20	Show code
   NatWest	Student account	Receive £100 cash + a 4-year tastecard worth £79.99 per year	Get deal
   RBS	Student account	Receive £100 cash + a 4-year tastecard worth £79.99 per year	Get deal
   Starling Bank new	Student account	Get a £50 Amazon gift card when you open a student account with Starling	Get deal
   Santander	Student account	Free 16-25 railcard with Santander Student	Get deal
   Lloyds Bank	Student account	Get £100 and £120 in Deliveroo vouchers when opening a student account	Get deal
   Bank of Scotland	Student account	Get £100 and £120 in Deliveroo vouchers when opening a student account	Get deal
   Nationwide	Student account	Get £100 and £120 in Just Eat vouchers when opening a student bank account	Get deal
   Budgey	Cashback	Get £5 when joining Budgey	Get deal
   Cashback UK	Cashback	Free £5 when you sign-up	Get deal
   InvestEngine	Pension	Sign-up welcome bonus of £20-£200	Show code Capital at risk

2. Receive money for switching banks or utility providers

   Switching a bank account through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is designed to be easy, but it can also be quite lucrative. Some banks offer hundreds of pounds to switch an account to them, which is the very definition of free, easy money. There are always a few things to keep in mind, such as how many direct debits you need to have on the existing account, how long the bonus money will take to arrive and if you need to deposit and hold money in the new account. The benefit of using CASS is your new account will still have all your incoming and outgoing payments from your old account, which makes the whole process seamless and stress-free.

   Brand	Product type	Offer details	Link
   NatWest	Bank account	£200 when you switch to an eligible NatWest account	Get deal
   Lloyds Bank	Bank account	Get up to £200 when switching your current account to Lloyds	Get deal
   RBS	Bank account	£200 when you switch to an eligible RBS account	Get deal
   Nationwide	Bank account	Get £175 when you switch to Nationwide	Get deal
   HSBC	Bank account	Get £220 when you switch to an HSBC Bank Account	Get deal
   Barclays new	Bank account	Get up to £300 when you switch to an eligible Barclays account	Get deal

   

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3. Check if you’re owed a tax rebate

   You might have paid more tax than you were supposed to and not even realise that’s the case. If you work more than one job or your employer has used the wrong tax code for you, HMRC might need to pay you back.

   To check if you’re owed a tax rebate, you can look on HMRC’s website and fill in an online form. Technically you’re only getting your own money back here, but it’s still money you wouldn’t have had if you don’t check.

4. Referring friends to popular apps and services

   Many companies have refer-a-friend bonuses to get new users of their products. They work in much the same way a sign-up bonus works, but you and the person you refer can both benefit from them, rather than just you. This can be in the form of cash, vouchers, shares, unlocking better features or reduced fees for a given amount of time. At the time of writing, popular banking apps like Revolut, Tide and Monzo all have refer-a-friend programmes. If you love using a product and think a friend or family member would also love it, you can both benefit with a referral.

   Search

   Product type Show all

   Brand	Product type	Offer details	Link
   OakNorth	Savings account	Refer a friend to OakNorth and both receive £30	Get deal
   Tembo	Savings account	Get from £10 to £1000 when you refer a friend with Tembo	Get deal
   Suits Me	Banking apps	Earn up to £50 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Bex	Banking apps	Free £5 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Monese	Banking apps	Free £5 for both you and your friend	Get deal
   iFAST Global	Banking apps	Get £5 when you open an account and deposit £500	Get deal
   Chase	Banking apps	Refer friends to Chase and earn up £50 per friend	Get deal
   Revolut	Bank account	Earn up to £60 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Lloyds Bank	Bank account	Refer a friend to open a current account with Lloyds Bank and get £30 each	Get deal
   Monzo	Bank account	Free £10 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Zopa	Bank account	Get £20 each when referring a friend to Zopa	Get deal
   Quidco	Cashback	Get £25 cashback for yourself and a friend when you refer them	Get deal
   XE	Money transfer	Free £25 Mastercard gift card when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Skrill	Money transfer	Get £10 off your first transfer when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Moneycorp	Money transfer	Refer a friend to Moneycorp and both earn £75	Get deal
   Remitly	Money transfer	Sign up and get £10 off your first transfer when you send £100	Show code
   AJ Bell	Share trading	Refer a friend and you'll both get a £100 gift card	Get deal Capital at risk
   AJ Bell Dodl	Share trading	Free £30 voucher if you refer a friend	Get deal Capital at risk
   Interactive Investor new	Share trading	Earn £200 when referring a friend to interactive investor	Get deal Capital at risk
   Wealthify	Share trading	£50 refer-a-friend cashback	Get deal Capital at risk
   Wealthyhood	Share trading	Free £5 to £200 ETF share when you refer a friend	Get deal Capital at risk
   Scottish Friendly	Share trading	£25 referral voucher	Show code Capital at risk
   Currensea	Travel card	Free £10 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Top Cashback	Cashback	Get up to £25 cashback when you refer a friend	Get deal
   Custard	Cashback	Earn £25 when referring a friend and £2.50 for your friend	Get deal
   Rakuten	Cashback	Earn £25 when you refer a friend	Get deal
   WorldFirst	Business banking	Get up to £150 when opening a multi-currency business account with WorldFirst when referred by a friend	Get deal
   Monzo	Business banking	Get £50 when you refer a friend to Monzo Business	Get deal
   SumUp	Business banking	Earn £10 when you refer friends up to £100	Get deal
   Zeller new	Business banking	Earn £100 for every business you refer	Get deal
   Penfold	Pension	Earn £25 when you refer a friend	Get deal Capital at risk
   Zzoomm new	TV and broadband	Refer a friend to Zzoomm and earn £75	Get deal
   Community Fibre new	TV and broadband	Refer a friend and earn £100 each	Get deal
   Sky	TV and broadband	Earn up to £100 referring friends to Sky	Get deal
   Virgin Media	TV and broadband	Get up to £50 when referring a friend to Virgin Media	Get deal
   Lebara	Mobile Phone	Refer a friend to Lebara and get £50	Get deal
   Three Mobile	Mobile Phone	Refer a friend and get up to £40 cash	Get deal
   Voxi	Mobile Phone	Earn £40 in giftcards each when you refer a friend to Voxi	Get deal
   Mobiles	Mobile Phone	Earn up to £75 when you refer a friend to Mobiles	Get deal
   Utilita new	Energy providers	Refer a friend and earn £50 in energy credit	Get deal
   Good Energy new	Energy providers	Refer a friend to Good Energy and earn £50.	Get deal
   e-on next new	Energy providers	Refer a friend to e-on next and earn £50	Get deal
   ScottishPower	Energy providers	Share up to £120 credit when you refer a friend	Get deal
   eDF energy	Energy providers	Refer a friend to eDF energy and get £50.	Get deal
   Octopus Energy	Energy providers	Get £50 credit for both you & your friend when referred to Octopus Energy	Get deal
   Airbnb new	Property rental	Refer a host and earn from £53 to £680	Get deal
   Vitality	Health insurance	Earn £100 when you refer a friend	Get deal

5. High-interest current and savings account

   If you haven’t heard about inflation in the last few years then you’ve not been paying attention. But essentially the value of any money you have in your bank account is eroding each year because of inflation, so it’s important to find an account that pays higher than the rate of inflation. Thankfully, many do.

   The way they work is that any money you put in the account starts to earn interest, which is usually paid monthly or annually, depending on the account type. Essentially free money just for depositing in that account. The best part about earning interest is when it starts to compound, which is when the interest you earn in one month is added to your balance and that interest earns interest the next month. One popular current option for many is the Kroo current account which currently pays 3.15% interest AER on your balance. Chip and Plum are also popular for easy-access savings accounts with both regularly running sign-up promotions.

   Another factor to consider here is whether it’s worth opening an ISA, which is a tax-free savings account. There are a range that pay competitive interest rates and the best part is you don’t pay any tax on your earnings.

   High interest offers

   Below we have listed a number of accounts that come with an interest rate or offer exclusive access to a linked savings account. This list is checked regularly and was last updated on 12 August 2026.

   • TSB – Monthly Saver Account – Access to 5.00% AER/gross fixed interest monthly saver
   • first direct – 1st account – Access to a 7.00% AER/gross interest Regular Saver Account
   • NatWest – Digital Regular Saver – Access to 5.25% AER/5.13% gross on balances up to £5,000 with a Digital Regular Saver account
   • HSBC – Advance Bank Account – Access to a 5.00% AER/gross HSBC regular saver account
   • Lloyds – Club Lloyds Monthly Saver – Access to a 8.00% AER/gross fixed interest monthly saver account
   • Nationwide – FlexDirect Account – Access to a 6.50% AER/gross regular savings account
   • Santander – Edge – Access to a 6.00% AER/5.84% gross (variable) interest savings account on balances up to £4,000. This includes a 2.50% AER/2.47% gross (variable)/ bonus rate for the first 12 months from opening
   • Chase – Current Account – Access to a 4.5% AER/4.41% gross variable interest Chase saver account that includes a boosted rate
   • Virgin Money – M Plus Account – Access to 1.75% AER/1.74% gross on balances up to £25,000 with a linked M Plus Saver account

   For more information about how to access these accounts, head over to our high-interest offers guide.

6. Open a bank account with a cashback offering

   A lot of bank accounts pay you cashback for your spending. While we wouldn’t recommend spending more just to earn cashback, if you’re already spending the money anyway then it’s a nice little bonus for you to get cashback.

   Some accounts pay a set rate of cashback up to a certain amount, like Chase, which pays 1% cashback up to a total of £15 a month. Other accounts like Monzo have a random selection of cashback offers, some useful and some not so useful. So be sure to choose the account that best suits your spending.

7. Open a lifetime ISA

   Lifetime ISAs (LISAs) are tax-free savings accounts. You can deposit up to £4,000 a year in one and the government gives you a top-up on your money, equal to 25% of what you pay in. So if you max out yearly your allowance, you’ll receive £1,000 from the government. You’ll also earn interest on top of that money.

   The catch? With a LISA, you can only withdraw your money without penalty if you’re over 60, buying your first home (must be under £450,000) or terminally ill. If you withdraw for any other reason then you’ll pay a 25% penalty on the total amount. So you’ll end up losing money.

   They can be a good savings mechanism, but make sure you understand the rules before you open one.

8. Be more efficient with your pensions

   Alright, you won’t get this money any time soon unless you’re close to retirement age, but any money you put into your pension will receive tax relief from the government. And if that grows and compounds over a long period of time, it’ll be worth a lot more in the future than it is now.

   As with a LISA above, this is more of a long-term play, but can end up being the most lucrative if you can afford to be patient.

9. Use cashback sites, plugins and apps when shopping

   Cashback sites, as the name suggests, let you earn cashback when you’re shopping. They have deals that let you get a percentage of your spend or set amount of money when you purchase something. This can come in really handy when you make a big purchase, such as a life insurance policy or breakdown cover.

   Basically, when you want to buy something, you can look if a cashback site has a deal for that product. Then you click the link on the cashback site, which takes you to another site to complete your purchase. It gets tracked and you’ll get cashback added to your account. You need to be patient though, because it can take months for you to get paid, so it’s not a quick way to get cash. There are also plugins that will automatically find valid offers.

   A word of caution. Sometimes purchases don’t track properly, so you need to keep a record of what you’ve spent and lodge missed claims afterwards. You should also make sure you read the T&Cs of each offer, as cashback can get rejected if you don’t follow them.

   You should also decide whether you’re better off using a promo code that might give you a smaller discount or take a chance that the cashback will track correctly later down the line.

   These sites often have plugins or apps to make the process smoother, so it could be worth you using them.

10. Sign up for competitions

    You can win money, vouchers or experiences from competitions and usually all you need to do is fill in your details then wait to hear about your winnings.

    There are so many competitions available across social media, product packaging, supermarket magazines, TV, radio, rewards apps and newsletters.

    While there’s no guarantee you’ll make much or any money doing this, it could be something to look out for. There are people who dedicate a lot of time to this and in return win lots of money or other prizes. Gotta be in it to win it, right?

11. Sign up to popular loyalty cards

    Loyalty schemes often come with discounts and incentives for customers to earn extra points, which can then be spent. If you shop enough using any loyalty scheme you’ll accrue points, but the way to really maximise your point earning is by taking advantage of bonus point offers. They usually offer a much higher earn rate than the standard rate and depending on the offer, could boost your point balance significantly.

    It’s not worth just buying something just to get extra points, but if there’s an offer available on something you would normally buy then it’s a win-win.

12. Use receipt scanning apps

    There are a number of apps that let you earn money or vouchers just for scanning your receipts.

    The way they work is they use the data from your shopping and then sell it on to other companies. It’s similar to how loyalty schemes work, but the data is collected and sold to third parties.

    It might not be for everyone and you don’t have to share any personal information, but if you don’t mind companies knowing what you spend your money on then this could be another way to pick up a few quid on the side, just by scanning your receipts.

Bottom line

There are lots of ways to earn some extra money if you know where to look. If you’re really savvy you might be able to earn extra money in more than one way at the same time, for example you could use a sign-up bonus to join a cashback site, then make a purchase using your card that pays cashback and scan your receipt into a receipt scanning app. With the money you make from all of that you can put that into a savings account or pension and earn interest on it, plus any applicable government bonuses. It could turn it into quite a lucrative, fun side hustle.

Written by

Jason Loewenthal

Senior writer

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Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio