TOTUM UNiDAYS Student Beans

Why use TOTUM, UNiDAYS and Student Beans

University is expensive. According to the NUS Cost of Living Survey 2024, 14% of UK students used a foodbank in the 2023/24 academic year and 45% are living on less than £50 a month after housing costs. With that little headroom, every percentage off matters.

The UK student discount market is dominated by three platforms: TOTUM, UNiDAYS, and Student Beans. They partner with thousands of brands so you can claim discounts on tech, fashion, food, gyms, train tickets and software. Most savvy students sign up for all three because each platform has different exclusive partners.

For more on managing your money at university, see our Student Money hub. If financial pressure is affecting your wellbeing, Student Minds offers free, confidential support.

TOTUM vs UNiDAYS vs Student Beans

UNiDAYS is free and strongest for fashion, tech and major chains. It partners with Apple, ASOS, Adobe, Samsung, Spotify and Apple Music among many others. Verification is fast: an .ac.uk email or your university portal login.

Student Beans is also free. Its headline offers change week to week. In late September 2026 it carried 50% off Pizza Hut pizzas over £15 and 55% off a first HelloFresh box, and our best student discounts list keeps the current ones. It is the strongest platform for food and takeaway promos.

TOTUM is the official discount card of the National Union of Students. The free digital tier is fine, but the paid TOTUM+ tier is the one worth weighing: it gets you a physical PASS-approved 18+ proof of age ID and a 1-year digital ISIC for international travel discounts. Prices on totum.com: £14.99 for one year, £24.99 for two years, £29.99 for three years.

TOTUM pricing verified 27 September 2026 from totum.com.

How to save real money with these apps

Having the apps installed is only step one. Most students under-use them. A few habits will make a real difference:

• Check both UNiDAYS and Student Beans before any purchase. The same brand often runs different rates on each platform.
• Stack student discounts on top of sale prices. Many retailers allow it. Always test the code at checkout.
• Time big purchases for August to October. Apple, Dell and Samsung run their largest education deals in the back-to-university window.
• Install the browser extensions. UNiDAYS and Student Beans both auto-apply codes at checkout on partner sites.
• Always ask in-person at independent cafes and shops. Many do a quiet 10 to 15% off if you flash a university ID, but never list it online.

Tip: If a discount fails to apply at checkout, do not assume the code is dead. Often the brand has just removed certain product lines. Try a different item from the same retailer or check the terms inside the app.

For other ways to cut spending, browse our Discounts and Deals hub.

What these apps save you in practice

A new laptop for your degree

The entry MacBook Air is £1,299 at retail and £1,199 on Apple's education store, a £100 saving. The 2026 back-to-university offer (13 August to 22 October) adds an Apple Gift Card worth up to £120 with a Mac or iPad, and students save up to 10% on AppleCare+. That is £100 off plus a gift card worth up to £120.

A typical student week

Dinner out at £20 with a 25% Student Beans code at a partner chain saves £5. Three coffees at £10.50 with a 10% TOTUM code at a partner chain saves £1.05. A £40 clothes order with a 10% code saves £4. Weekly saving: around £10. Over a 30-week academic year that is £300, even before adding tech or train tickets.

Plug your own income and costs into our Student Budget Calculator to see where you stand.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Buying things you do not need. 20% off a £100 jacket is not £20 saved. It is £80 spent. The discount is only a saving if you would have bought the item at full price anyway.
2. Forgetting to re-verify. UNiDAYS and Student Beans require you to confirm your student status every academic year. If you forget, codes silently stop working when you go to check out.
3. Skipping the small print. Many codes exclude sale items, gift cards, or specific product lines. Read the terms inside the app before you fill your basket.
4. Falling for fake discount sites. Only claim through the official apps. Links in social posts and unsolicited emails are where students get caught, and the NatWest figures below show how often.
5. Sharing your account. Both UNiDAYS and Student Beans monitor for unusual activity. Multiple logins from different devices can get your account permanently suspended.

If you have been targeted, Citizens Advice has a free, confidential scam reporting service.

Warning: Never give bank details to verify a student account. UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM only ever ask for an academic email address, a university portal login, or a student ID document.

Is paid TOTUM+ worth it?

It comes down to whether you want a physical proof of age ID and an ISIC for international travel. UNiDAYS and Student Beans cover most online and in-store deals for free. TOTUM+ at £14.99 a year only really pays for itself if either of the following is true:

• You go out regularly and would rather take a £14.99 card on a night out than a £102 passport.
• You plan to use the included 1-year digital ISIC abroad. ISIC gets you discounts at hostels, museums, transport, and student tour operators in over 90 countries.

If you already use a UK driving licence as ID and you are not travelling abroad as a student, the free digital tier of TOTUM plus UNiDAYS and Student Beans is enough.

Note: Your student discount status usually expires the September after you graduate. Make any big-ticket purchases (laptop, train season ticket, software licences) before your university email is deactivated.