Zilch UK has been around for a few years now. I first discovered it in 2022 and have been using it to check if the merchant is listed with Zilch for my online shopping. I’ve earned over £200 in Zilch rewards and I’ve spent them on latte chocolates at Hotel Chocolat and funky bedding at Joe Browns. However, I just wish I had done better with the friend referrals. If you want, please sign up with my referral link and earn £5 in Zilch rewards to spend at thousands of online retailers, or even in any high street shop. It used to be £15 (1500 Zilch rewards) for signing up, then they reduced it to £10 (1000 Zilch rewards), and now just £5.

How does Zilch UK work?

Okay so it has a cashback option where you can earn between 2 to 5 percent per retailer, and there are thousands of these from TEMU and eBay to Next and LEGO, but there is also a buy now pay later (BNPL) option called pay over six weeks. There is often a fee of £3 to use the pay over six weeks feature, but some retailers like Amazon have no charge. The more you use Zilch for your online shopping, the more your Zilch rewards will accumulate, until you have a nice amount to spend at your favourite store.

The Downsides of Zilch UK

Sadly, their Zilch Anywhere option reduced from 2 percent in Zilch rewards to just half a percent. I believe this plays into the agenda to discourage people from going out to the shops to buy stuff, and buy it all online. However, at the time they offered 2 percent through Zilch Anywhere, I was earning cashback buying groceries and petrol. I think you can earn more with the 1 percent cashback offer from the AMEX Platinum Everyday Credit Card. Visit New Promo Codes to find money saving deals and shopping blog posts.

How to sign up to Zilch

1. Earn 500 rewards points just for signing up. This is equivalent to £5 to spend in your favourite store. Choose from thousands of online or in-store retailers. Sign up here.
2. Enter your name, email, and address.
3. You will be given a spending allowance. If your credit history is good and you want a ‘raise’ then add your bank account and let Zilch UK do a credit check.
4. Verify your email address.
5. Add a debit card.
6. Add a picture of your ID. This could be from a driver’s licence, passport or ID card. After this you will be asked to give permission for your card to take a selfie. This is to check whether the ID picture matches your selfie.
7. Once verification is complete. which can take up to 5 days, and you have made your first tap & pay (contactless) payment, you’ll have instant access to your £5 reward.
8. Each time you click on a merchant at the Zilch website or app, you will be asked whether you want to pay over 6 weeks, or pay now. Choose your preferred option and enter through to the merchant.
9. You will need regular access to your virtual Zilch Card (MasterCard) so try to memorise this, if you can. Each time you want to make a purchase online or in store, find the merchant in the Zilch app or Zilch website, and when it comes time to pay, use your Zilch Mastercard (paid from your Debit Card) to pay in six weeks (which can have £2.50 fees) or pay now, earn up to 5% cashback every time.
10. Please note, that if you choose a buy now pay later option, pay over six weeks, you will not earn cashback on your purchase.