Best broadband deals with free gifts and reward cards
Broadband deals with free gifts can reduce the overall cost of switching provider. Current broadband special offers include shopping vouchers, prepaid Reward Cards, switching credit and discounted monthly prices.
Some exclusive offers are only available when you order through a tracked online link. The reward can be more valuable than the one available directly from the provider, but the package with the largest gift is not always the cheapest.
Best broadband deals with free gifts
| Plan | Gift | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre 2Gbps Avg 1Gbps download speed £20 a month 24-month contract Free setup | £170 Choice of Voucher Ends 21st September | See deal |
| Plusnet Full Fibre 145 Avg 145Mbps download speed £22.99 a month 24-month contract £20 setup fee | £165 Plusnet Reward Card Ends 3rd September | See deal |
| EE Full Fibre 1.6Gbps Avg 1.6Gbps download speed £33.99 a month 24-month contract £30 setup fee | £170 EE Reward Card Ends 10th September | See deal |
| Vodafone Full Fibre 910 Avg 910Mbps download speed £25 a month 24-month contract Free setup | £125 Choice of Voucher Ends 7th September | See deal |
| Sky Full Fibre 150 Avg 150Mbps download speed £24 a month 24-month contract Free setup | £95 Choice of Voucher Ends 3rd September | See deal |
Benefits and drawbacks of broadband gift offers
Free gifts can improve a broadband deal, particularly when the package already has a competitive monthly price. They can also introduce claim deadlines and spending restrictions that do not apply to an ordinary price discount.
Benefits
- A voucher or Reward Card can reduce the effective contract cost.
- Exclusive offers can include a larger reward than the provider’s direct deal.
- Choice of Voucher deals allow spending with several retailers.
- Selected deals combine a free gift with switching credit.
- Reward Cards offer greater spending flexibility than single-retailer vouchers.
Drawbacks
- A large gift can distract from a higher monthly price.
- Most rewards are restricted to eligible online orders.
- Vouchers and Reward Cards come with expiry dates.
- Cancelling or downgrading during validation can cancel the reward.
- Setup charges and scheduled price increases can outweigh the gift.
Types of broadband rewards and free gifts
Broadband rewards come in several forms. The way you receive and spend the reward depends on whether it is a voucher, prepaid card, bill credit, cashback or physical gift.
Shopping vouchers
Shopping vouchers let you spend the reward with one retailer or select from several participating brands.
Choice of Voucher offers can include supermarkets, department stores, entertainment services and online retailers. Some also let you select a prepaid Mastercard.
The voucher cannot normally be exchanged for cash. The available retailers depend on the specific exclusive offer.
- Usually offered by: Community Fibre, Sky, Vodafone, TalkTalk and Three.
- Currently offered by: Community Fibre, Sky, Vodafone and Three.
Prepaid Reward Cards
A Reward Card is a prepaid card that can be used with retailers accepting the relevant card network.
It offers greater spending flexibility than a single-retailer voucher, but it is not the same as cash in a bank account. Cash withdrawals, bank transfers, gambling payments and recurring subscriptions are normally excluded.
BT issues a virtual Reward Card. Plusnet sends a prepaid card, while EE uses Giftcloud to issue its Reward Cards.
- Usually offered by: BT, EE and Plusnet.
- Currently offered by: BT, EE and Plusnet.
Bill credit
Bill credit is added to the broadband account rather than paid as cash. The provider deducts future monthly charges from the credit balance until it has been used.
Virgin Media frequently includes bill credit with selected new-customer offers, but none of the featured deals currently includes it as a standard sign-up reward.
- Usually offered by: Virgin Media.
- Currently offered by: None.
Cashback
Cashback is paid by bank transfer or cheque after the broadband order passes validation. Some offers require a separate claim before the deadline.
Plusnet occasionally uses cheque cashback instead of a Reward Card. Virgin Media also offers £50 through its refer-a-friend scheme, although this is not an ordinary new-customer broadband reward.
- Usually offered by: Plusnet and Virgin Media.
- Currently offered by: None of the featured new-customer deals.
Free televisions and technology
Providers occasionally include televisions, games consoles, speakers or tablets with broadband and TV bundles.
Technology gifts are less common than broadband vouchers. They usually accompany more expensive broadband and TV packages rather than broadband-only deals.
A bundle can cost more over the minimum term than a broadband-only package plus the same device bought separately. The device can also come with separate delivery and cancellation conditions.
- Usually offered by: Virgin Media, BT, EE and Sky with selected broadband and TV bundles.
- Currently offered by: None of the featured deals.
Switching credit
Switching credit contributes towards early cancellation charges from the previous provider. It is not a guaranteed free gift because the customer must have an eligible charge and submit evidence.
The provider pays no more than the eligible cancellation charge, subject to the maximum credit available.
Currently offered by major providers: Vodafone, Sky, EE, Virgin Media and Three.
Providers currently offering broadband rewards
| Provider | Current reward |
|---|---|
| Community Fibre | £90 Choice of Voucher with 100Mbps, £170 with 1Gbps and £220 with 2Gbps |
| Vodafone | £105 Choice of Voucher with Full Fibre 150, £115 with Full Fibre 500 and selected 5G packages, and £125 with Full Fibre 910 |
| Plusnet | £165 Reward Card with Full Fibre 145, £150 with selected faster Full Fibre packages and £80 with Fibre Broadband |
| Sky | £95 Choice of Voucher |
| EE | £140 Reward Card with Full Fibre 900 and £170 with Full Fibre 1.6Gbps |
| BT | Reward Cards worth £80 with Fibre 2, £100 with Full Fibre 150, £130 with Full Fibre 500 and £140 with Full Fibre 900 |
| Three | £50 Choice of Voucher with Three 5G Hub Unlimited Home Broadband |
Are broadband gifts and rewards worth it?
Broadband gifts are worth having when the package already meets your speed requirements and costs less over the minimum contract.
Treat the gift as a discount rather than the main reason for choosing a provider. Broadband availability, average speeds, upload speeds, router quality and monthly prices remain more important.
Does the largest reward offer the best value?
No. A package with a £150 voucher can still cost more than a package offering no reward.
Use this calculation:
- Total contract cost = all monthly payments + setup charges ? reward value
- Divide the result by the contract length to calculate the effective monthly cost.
[Insert broadband reward cost calculator]
The calculator should include:
- Initial monthly price
- Contract length
- Scheduled price changes
- Setup charge
- Voucher or Reward Card value
- Effective monthly cost
Switching credit should only be deducted when the customer has an eligible early termination charge.
Does a voucher have the same value as cash?
Not always. The personal value depends on the available retailers and the purchases you intend to make.
A supermarket voucher can replace spending that would have taken place anyway. A retailer voucher that you are unlikely to use offers less personal value.
A prepaid Mastercard offers greater flexibility, although cash withdrawals, bank transfers and certain transactions remain unavailable.
Do exclusive offers offer better value?
An exclusive broadband offer can include a larger voucher or lower initial price than the provider’s standard deal.
The total contract cost still decides whether it offers better value. A larger exclusive voucher cannot compensate for an unsuitable speed, expensive setup charge or significantly higher monthly payments.
Checks before choosing a free-gift broadband deal
Does the monthly broadband price increase?
Yes. Most featured providers increase the monthly price during a 24-month contract.
Community Fibre, Vodafone and Three apply increases in April. BT, EE and Plusnet apply their changes at the end of March. The deals table includes the confirmed future monthly prices.
Sky can change the price during the minimum term without listing a fixed future monthly amount when the order is placed.
Does the deal include a setup charge?
Some special offers include free setup, while others charge for activation or equipment delivery.
The current Community Fibre, Vodafone, Sky and Three deals have no setup charge. BT, EE and Plusnet charge the amounts listed in the deals table.
The setup charge forms part of the total contract cost even when it is taken as a separate initial payment.
Is the broadband speed suitable for the household?
Average speeds between 100Mbps and 150Mbps give many typical households enough bandwidth for 4K streaming, gaming, video calls and everyday downloads across several devices.
Packages offering 500Mbps or more are better for larger households, frequent game downloads and several simultaneous high-bandwidth activities.
A faster and more expensive package is not automatically better value simply because it includes a larger voucher.
Is the reward available at the home?
Community Fibre rewards are restricted to premises served by its full fibre network. Three and Vodafone 5G packages require suitable mobile coverage.
Providers using Openreach can also offer different packages according to whether full fibre has reached the premises.
The postcode results display the available speeds, prices and rewards for the selected home.
Does the order need to be completed online?
Yes. The featured rewards apply to eligible online orders. Completing the order by telephone normally removes the online gift.
The purchase should be completed through the deal link in one browser session. Blocking cookies, using a VPN, changing device or returning through a saved quotation can prevent an exclusive voucher from tracking.
Save the order confirmation and the reward value shown when placing the order.
Do you need to claim the reward?
The claim process depends on the provider.
- Community Fibre sends its Giftcloud email 90 days after successful installation.
- Plusnet normally emails the claim link within 10 working days of activation. The link remains valid for two months.
- BT customers claim through their BT account after activation. The virtual card can take up to 30 working days to arrive.
- EE requires the broadband line to remain active and all bills to be paid for at least 140 days. Giftcloud then sends the reward email.
- Sky, Vodafone and Three Choice of Voucher offers are sent after the order passes validation.
- Exclusive partner vouchers can take up to 120 days from installation.
Reward emails can enter the spam folder. Retain the confirmation details until the gift arrives.
Does the reward expire?
Yes. Vouchers and Reward Cards come with activation and spending deadlines.
- Community Fibre customers have 90 days to activate the reward and one year to spend the selected voucher.
- Plusnet customers have two months to claim the Reward Card, three months to activate it and 12 months to spend the balance.
- BT customers have three months to activate the virtual Reward Card and 12 months to use it.
- EE customers have 90 days to activate the Reward Card and 12 months from activation to spend the balance.
- Choice of Voucher offers issued after affiliate validation normally allow 90 days for activation.
Can you cancel or downgrade without losing the gift?
Cancelling before installation or during the validation period normally cancels the reward.
Community Fibre customers who leave during the 30-day satisfaction period do not receive the voucher. Moving to an ineligible package during validation can also cancel a pending reward.
Cancelling after the gift arrives can result in early termination charges when the minimum contract has not ended.
Does switching credit pay the full cancellation charge?
Switching credit pays no more than the eligible early termination charge, subject to the maximum amount offered.
A customer with a £120 cancellation charge can claim no more than £120 from an offer worth up to £200. A customer without an early termination charge receives no switching credit.
The previous provider’s final bill must show the charge. The customer normally pays the bill first and then submits the evidence to the new provider.
Broadband free gift FAQs
- Can existing customers receive broadband rewards?
Most broadband voucher deals are reserved for new customers. Plusnet sometimes includes rewards with selected existing-customer renewal offers, but the new-customer values do not automatically apply.
- Can a voucher and switching credit be claimed together?
Yes, when both are listed with the broadband deal. The voucher is a sign-up reward, while switching credit repays an eligible cancellation charge from the previous provider.
- Does the broadband router count as a free gift?
No. The standard router forms part of the broadband service and can need to be returned after cancellation. It is only an additional gift when the special offer includes upgraded equipment that normally costs extra.
- Does the reward arrive with the router?
No. The router normally arrives before activation, while the reward is sent after installation and validation. The waiting period prevents customers from cancelling immediately and retaining the gift.
- Can the selected retailer voucher be changed?
No. Once a Choice of Voucher has been converted into a retailer voucher or prepaid Mastercard, the selection cannot normally be changed.
- Can more than one reward be claimed for the same order?
Only the rewards listed together with the chosen deal can be claimed. Placing the order through separate voucher or cashback routes does not create several rewards. The final tracked order route decides which offer applies.