Broadband reward cards: how to claim and fix problems

Reward schemes usually have three clocks: when you can claim, how long you have to claim, and how long you have to activate and spend. Miss one and the reward can be lost for good. Here's how the main schemes we checked work (checked October 2026; offers and terms change, so the terms on your own order are the ones that count):

BT's pages need reading together: its full fibre offer terms count three months from your order, but its claim page says you can only start once your broadband has worked for 30 days, so a late installation squeezes the window. (Its FAQ for broadband installed on or before 31 October 2021 gave 90 days from the order.) Check your order confirmation or My BT and claim as soon as the 30 days are up; BT says that once you've claimed, there's nothing else to do.

Being late usually costs you the reward. Plusnet says an unclaimed reward expires after two months; Virgin Media says an unredeemed code can't be reissued after 90 days; and BT and Plusnet both say money left on an expired card is lost.

Make a reward diary on the day you order

On order day, put these in your calendar: the go-live date; the earliest and latest claim dates; the date the claim email or code should have arrived by; an activation reminder; a spend-by reminder a few months before expiry; and the name of the company that will email you, so you can search for it.

The details differ, but most claims follow the same pattern:

1. Save the offer terms and order confirmation. The advertising rules for promotions (the CAP Code) say significant conditions, such as the closing date for claims and any proof-of-purchase requirement, must be made clear. Save your own copy so you can show what you were promised.
2. Check you're eligible. BT says eligibility shows on the order confirmation email or in My BT. If the reward isn't mentioned on your order, raise it straight away.
3. Wait for the service to go live. BT's claim opens after 30 days of working broadband; Plusnet's claim email and Virgin Media's voucher email follow activation or installation.
4. Watch your inbox and spam folder. Plusnet's card emails come from plusnet@purecard.com, and Virgin Media says to look for email@codes.edenred.co.uk. BT and Virgin Media send rewards to the email address on your account or order, and Plusnet sends its claim email to the address you gave when you signed up and says rewards can only be issued in the account holder's name.
5. Claim. For BT, log in with your BT ID on the BT Reward Card page; for Plusnet, follow the claim email; for Sky switching credit, send your evidence (see below).
6. Activate the card. BT virtual cards are activated at bt.purecard.com with a code sent by text or email; a Plusnet card can't be used until activated online. The activation deadline is separate from the expiry date.
7. Keep a record of the claim date, any reference and the confirmation email.

Reward emails from unfamiliar companies are easy to fake, so if one looks odd, reach the reward page through your provider's own website.

These conditions come from the providers' own pages. Not every provider spells out every condition, so if yours isn't covered, read your offer terms or ask in writing.

• Changing your order or claiming twice. Plusnet says changing product or deal during sign-up may make you ineligible or change the reward, some offers need an online sign-up, and if you pick more than one reward you'll normally get only the last one chosen.
• Cancelling too soon. Sky says its switching credit offer is invalidated if you cancel your Sky services before the credit is processed. With Sky's refer-a-friend scheme, neither you nor your friend is rewarded if the friend cancels before their services are installed and the first bill is paid.
• Getting a referral wrong. Sky says the friend must order through the unique link, then go back to it and enter their new account number; the referrer must stay an active Sky customer; and posting links in open social media groups can lead to rewards being cancelled. You can refer up to 30 people in 12 months.
• Not being eligible. BT's card terms say you can lose the right to use the card if BT finds you weren't eligible.
• Asking for it to go somewhere else. Virgin Media says gifts can't be redirected: vouchers go to the sign-up email address and hardware goes to the name and address on the order.

If you signed up by phone or online (not in a shop), you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days without an early termination charge, though Citizens Advice says you're likely to pay for any service you've already used. Using that right is your choice, but don't count on a reward for a service you've cancelled: Sky's terms rule it out for its switching credit and refer-a-friend offers. Our guide to the broadband cooling-off period explains how the 14 days work and what you might still pay.

A prepaid reward card works like a bank card, with limits. From the BT and Plusnet card terms (checked October 2026):

• Where you can use it. BT's card works wherever Mastercard is accepted online or by phone, but its virtual cards (sent by email for installs from 1 November 2021) can't be used in shops or added to digital wallets. Plusnet says its card can be used online and in most high street shops that show the Mastercard symbol.
• No split payments. BT says split payments online aren't supported, so keep each purchase within the balance.
• Things it can't pay for. BT lists cash withdrawals, cashback, subscriptions, gambling, pay-at-pump fuel, toll roads and car park machines. Plusnet's list includes cash withdrawals, cashback at tills, self-service terminals such as pay-at-pump, toll roads, car parks and train ticket machines, subscriptions or regular automatic payments, foreign exchange and gambling.
• Two deadlines. Both cards must be activated within three months or you lose access to the money, and both are valid for 12 months from issue, after which unspent money is lost. A Plusnet card can't be used at all until it's activated online, and you see your PIN once activation is done.
• Fees and losses. BT's card terms list some fees, such as for a replacement card, and say lost or stolen cards must be reported immediately.

Plan what you'll buy before the card arrives and spend it soon after activating. A reward is only worth what you actually spend.

Some providers will cover the early termination charges (fees for leaving before your minimum term ends) your old provider charges. You're reimbursed after joining, and only with proof. With Sky it comes as credit on your account, not cash.

Sky switching credit

Sky's help page (checked October 2026) says:

• pay your old provider's early termination charges first;
• within 90 days of your Sky service being activated, email switchingcredit@sky.uk with the subject "Switch credit request", or post your claim to Sky;
• include your name, address and Sky account number, a final bill from your old provider that itemises the charges for leaving early, and proof that you paid them, such as a bank or credit card statement;
• successful claims are usually processed within 14 days, then credited to your Sky account.

The credit is capped at what you were charged for monthly payments due after you left (not outstanding call charges), up to a fixed maximum set in Sky's terms, with separate maximums for broadband and TV. There's no cash alternative, it's for UK residential customers only, and the offer is invalidated if you cancel your Sky services before the credit is processed. Anything your old provider charges above that cap isn't covered. Check the current maximum on Sky's page before you rely on it, and our Sky broadband deals page has more on the provider.

Other providers run their own exit-fee offers from time to time, often for a limited period. If one is part of the deal you're considering, look for the same three things in its terms: how long you have to send proof, what counts as proof, and whether you get cash, credit or a voucher.

Getting the paperwork right

Ask your old provider for a final bill showing the exit fee as its own line, pay it, and save the bank statement entry. Chase a slow final bill early, because the new provider's clock is already running. Our guide on leaving broadband without paying an exit fee covers whether you need to pay one at all.

These have more conditions than sign-up rewards, because two people must do things in the right order. With Sky (checked October 2026), both of you are rewarded only if the friend joins through the unique link, has services installed and pays their first bill. Sky says rewards are emailed two weeks after the friend's 31-day cooling-off period ends (its legal terms say 45 days after activation). If a code shows as invalid, check it hasn't been used or expired, then contact Edenred at helpdesk-UK-VBR@edenred.com quoting the 16-digit code. Sky says you spend the reward through its rewards portal, which offers e-vouchers and some physical vouchers for shops.

Hyperoptic's website describes a refer-a-friend scheme paying vouchers to both customers, plus partner perks in a Rewards section of My Account (checked October 2026). Check its referral terms in My Account before you share a link. You can read more about the provider on our Hyperoptic broadband deals page.

Most missing rewards are fixed with one contact to the right team. If not, there's a clear route to take it further.

A reward only adds value if you claim and spend it. Before you order, check:

• The claim and activation deadlines, and who will email you.
• What you must do to qualify, such as signing up online, keeping the exact package or sending proof of exit fees.
• The form of the reward (card, voucher or bill credit) and what it can't be spent on.
• The full cost over the contract. Our guide to reading a broadband contract summary shows how to work it out, counting a reward only if you're sure you'll claim it.

When you're ready to compare, our broadband deals with a free gift page uses our partner's comparison to show live deals for your postcode. We don't handle claims or switch you ourselves; reward terms are set by the provider you choose. You can also compare BT broadband deals, Plusnet broadband deals, Sky broadband deals and Virgin Media broadband deals, or browse all UK broadband providers.