How to make £100 in the UK | Tips and ideas

Easy ways to make an extra £100.

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Rachel Wait

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Whether you need cash fast or want to steadily top up your income, making an extra £100 is more achievable than you might think. Here’s how.

  1. Take advantage of sign up bonus deals

    Keep an eye out for websites, products and apps that offer a sign up bonus when you first register with them. Banking app Revolut, for example, gives you £20 when you create an account and spend £20. There are many similar apps and services out there that offer incentives.

    Brand Product typeOffer 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
    XTB new
    		 Investing Get 5 free Vanguard ETF shares Get deal
    Capital at risk
    IG
    		 Investing Get up to £1,000 in free shares
    Show code
    Capital at risk
    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
    IG
    		 Investing Get up to £300 cashback on investments
    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
    Monzo Business new
    		 Business banking Get £600 when your limited company joins Monzo Business Get deal
    eToro
    		 Investing Get a £50 free share Get deal
    Capital at risk
    IG
    		 Investing Get up to £300 cashback on investments
    Show code
    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 plus 1 month free
    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
    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
    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. Take advantage of switching offers

    Several banks offer switching incentives if you shift your existing current account to one of theirs – and in many cases, the reward is more than £100.

    However, it’s important to read the terms and conditions first as you may need to meet certain criteria to qualify. This can include paying in a set amount each month, setting up direct debits on the account, and opening a savings account – you’ll usually need to do all this within a certain timeframe.

    You often need to complete the switch using the Current Account Switch Service too. However, this makes the process much easier as your switch should be completed within 7 working days and your new bank will take care of everything for you.

    Brand Product typeOffer 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

  3. Refer friends to apps and services

    Many apps and services offer referral schemes where you can earn some extra cash by getting a friend to sign up. This won’t necessarily be as much as £100 but if you do a few, the payments can soon add up.

    At the time of writing the savings platform, Raisin, for example, pays you £100 for each friend you refer, subject to them meeting specific requirements. British Gas also offers £100 to share between you and a friend if they switch their gas and electricity to the energy supplier.

  4. Use a cashback website

    If you regularly shop online, use cashback websites such as Quidco or TopCashback to earn a percentage of the amount you spend each time. You simply find the retailer you want to make a purchase from on the cashback site and click through to make your purchase as normal. This is then tracked, the cashback site gets a commission and it passes some (or all) of this on to you.

    Cashback rates tend to vary depending on the retailer, and you might earn more if you’re a new customer of that particular shop.

    How quickly you can earn £100 depends on what you’re spending where. But as you can use these sites when you pay for anything from clothing to a holiday, if you have a large purchase to make, you could earn that £100 fairly quickly.

    These sites often offer welcome bonuses or referral payments too.

  5. Use a cashback card

    We’ve already mentioned this briefly, but if you apply for a cashback card, you can earn a percentage of your spend back whenever you use it.

    Just keep in mind that cashback rates are usually only around 0.5% to 1%, so it can take some time to earn £100.

    To speed up the process, you’ll need to whack all your everyday spending on your card, so only use a cashback credit card if you’re confident you can repay the balance in full each month. Otherwise the interest you’ll pay will far outweigh the cashback you earn. Also watch out for cashback credit cards that charge annual fees – you’ll need to earn more than this in cashback to make the card worth it.

    The good news is that cashback debit cards are also available. At the time of writing the Chase current account comes with a debit card that pays 1% cashback on some of your day-to-day spending such as groceries and transport. You can earn up to £15 a month, so you could receive your £100 within 7 months.

Bottom line

Earning an extra £100 can be straightforward and easy to do with the right approach. From switching bank accounts and using cashback sites to referring friends and taking advantage of sign-up bonuses, there are plenty of legitimate ways to build up that cash – just make sure you always read the terms and conditions before signing up.

Our “Best for” picks highlight top options in specific categories based on our independent evaluation (see our full methodology), while “Promoted” tags indicate sponsored placements. Selected products may not suit everyone. We track selected market offers, which may not cover every product. Products are listed in no particular order unless specified, and inclusion or ordering may be influenced by popularity or commercial agreements. Most comparison table data is provided by Defaqto or sourced directly from providers. Always evaluate your own circumstances and consider independent advice before making major financial decisions.

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Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time. See full bio

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