How to Get Freebies
By Ella Woodward · Updated 5 July 2026
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The smartest, scam-free ways for UK students and graduates to get products, food and software for £0.
"Free" is one of the most over-used words on the internet. Most freebie sites are data-harvesting traps and the useful UK freebie playbook is shorter than you think. We have verified each route below in April 2026.
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1. Amazon Prime Student (6 months free)
The single most valuable freebie on this list. Amazon offers a 6-month free trial of Prime Student that includes free Prime delivery, Prime Video and exclusive student discounts on textbooks. After the trial it is £4.49 a month (50% off the standard £8.99 Prime price), and you keep the discounted rate for up to 4 years total. Cancel anytime in your account settings.
2. Free professional-grade software
Software companies want students to stay loyal once they enter the workforce, so they give away the expensive stuff for free. Start with Microsoft 365: most UK universities provide a free institutional licence covering Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, so check your university IT portal before you pay for anything.
If you do anything technical, the GitHub Student Developer Pack is the big one. It bundles several hundred pounds of tools: free private domains, cloud hosting credits, twelve months of Canva* Pro and dozens of premium developer services. JetBrains separately gives verified students a free 1-year licence for its entire IDE suite, including IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate and PyCharm Pro, and Autodesk Education does the same for AutoCAD, Revit, Maya and Fusion 360. Notion is worth a look too: a free Notion Plus plan with unlimited AI for anyone with a verified .ac.uk address.
3. Streaming free trials worth claiming
The big audio and video services all run a 1-month free trial for new accounts (sometimes longer for student-verified accounts), and the trick is to set a calendar reminder to cancel before day 30 if you do not want to keep paying.
Spotify Premium Student gives you a month free, then £5.99 a month against the standard £11.99, for up to 4 years. Apple Music Student is also £5.99 after its free month. YouTube Premium Student runs a month free then £7.99 (standard is £13.99). Apple TV+ only offers a 7-day trial, but comes free for 3 months when you buy any new Apple device. NOW (Sky) does not have a fixed offer; it frequently runs free trials of Entertainment, Cinema or Sports, so check the homepage on the day.
Verified prices on each provider's UK site, 25 April 2026.
4. Zero-waste food apps (free or near-free meals)
Olio
Olio is the leading UK app for free food sharing. Tesco partners list surplus stock that is approaching its expiry date. Neighbours offer leftovers from over-shopping or moving house. Browse, request, collect. No payment, no catch.
Too Good To Go
Not strictly free (Magic Bags cost £2 to £4) but offers around £10 to £15 of food from chains like Greggs, Costa, Morrisons and Pret. The cheapest reliable way to stock a fridge if you live in a city. toogoodtogo.co.uk.
Society and freshers' fair food
Society launch nights, society AGMs, careers fairs and freshers' fairs almost always include free pizza, snacks, or drinks. Check your students' union calendar weekly during term.
5. Cashback sign-up bonuses
If you are buying something anyway, route through a cashback site. TopCashback and Quidco both offer £10 to £20 sign-up bonuses for new members who hit a small qualifying purchase. They also run "Free Cashback" sections where you earn pennies for actions like comparing insurance quotes or starting free trials.
The real money is on contracts you were going to take out anyway. Phone contracts often pay £100 or more in cashback through TopCashback or Quidco, broadband signups typically £75 to £150, and car, home and travel insurance routinely pay £20 to £75. Cashback on a bank switch often stacks on top of the bank's own switching bonus, which is the best double-dip on this page.
6. Bank account switching bonuses (free cash)
This is the highest-return category on the list. Switching incentives change quarterly, but the typical 2026 offers, verified today: Santander Edge Student comes with a prize-draw entry (£20 minimum) plus a free 4-year 16-25 Railcard worth £115, and a £1,500 0% overdraft in years 1 to 3. NatWest Student pays £85 cash plus a 4-year Tastecard, with a 0% overdraft of up to £2,000. HSBC Student offers no cash, but its 0% overdraft grows from £1,000 to £3,000 across the degree, which is worth more than a one-off bonus if you actually use it.
For non-student switchers, current account bonuses from First Direct, Lloyds and NatWest regularly run between £150 and £200. Use the Current Account Switch Service (CASS), which moves all direct debits automatically within 7 working days.
7. Birthday freebies (set up in advance)
The trick is to sign up for loyalty apps at least 2 to 4 weeks before your birthday. Verified today: Greggs Rewards gives you a free sweet treat or doughnut, Krispy Kreme a free doughnut, Costa Club a free slice of cake, and Tortilla a free starter or side. On the non-food side, The Body Shop's "Love Your Body" scheme sends a birthday voucher worth around £5, and Space NK's NDulge programme a birthday gift that is often a sample-sized luxury item.
Use a dedicated freebie email address. These signups generate marketing email volume.
8. Direct brand sampling (Send Me a Sample)
Big brands (Nivea, Gillette, Cadbury, Carex, Persil) run sampling campaigns on Instagram, TikTok and through "Send Me A Sample" smart-speaker integration. The realistic strategy:
- Follow the brand on Instagram or TikTok.
- Engage with a few recent posts so the algorithm starts targeting you.
- Watch for "Sponsored" posts offering a free sample. Fill the SoPost or "Send Me A Sample" form.
- Samples typically arrive within 14 to 28 days.
Avoid "freebie aggregator" sites that demand a credit card or full address before you have selected anything. Those are scams.
Final tips for freebie hunting
A few habits make all of the above work better. Keep a dedicated email address for signups so your main inbox stays clean. Diary the cancellation date the moment you start any free trial, because almost all of them auto-renew. Be patient with samples, which can take up to 28 days to arrive. And never pay a "small admin fee" for a freebie; legitimate brand giveaways do not charge.
Disclaimer: Offers and prices verified on 25 April 2026 from each provider's own UK site. Terms can change. Always confirm before signing up.
Frequently asked questions
What freebies are easiest for UK students to claim?
The 6-month Amazon Prime Student trial, the GitHub Student Developer Pack (worth several hundred pounds), Microsoft 365 free through your university IT portal, and freshers' fair samples (typically Red Bull, Pot Noodle, snacks). All require minimal effort and zero payment.
Are freebie sites and survey panels worth my time?
Mostly no. Survey panels pay around £2 to £4 an hour and many freebie aggregator sites are data-harvesting fronts. Stick to brand-direct sampling (SoPost, Send Me A Sample), official cashback sites (TopCashback, Quidco), and verified bank switching bonuses for the best return.
How can I get free food at university?
Society launch nights, careers fairs, and SU events almost always include free pizza, snacks, or drinks. Check your students' union calendar weekly. Olio (free) and Too Good To Go (£2 to £4 Magic Bags) cover most of what is left.
Do I ever need to pay anything to claim a freebie?
No reputable freebie programme requires payment, deposit, or credit card details before sending a sample. If a site asks for a fee or full bank details up front, it is almost always a scam or a misleading subscription trap. Stick to brand websites and verified UK aggregators.
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