Referral Plug · Updated 2026
UK voucher codes and discount codes, the honest list
If you searched for a voucher code, discount code, or promo code for one of the brands we cover, here’s the honest answer: most of them don’t run public codes at all. A few run occasional promotions. A small number, mostly subscription and hardware brands, run near-permanent percentage-off campaigns.
Referral Plug isn’t a voucher code aggregator. We cover 17 UK brands that Seb Place uses personally, and for almost all of them the refer-a-friend reward is the real sign-up saving, not a code you paste at checkout. This page sorts every brand into one of three honest buckets, each with a link to the full breakdown and the date we last checked it.
Brands that don't run public discount codes
For these brands, no public voucher or promo code exists. The refer-a-friend reward is the only sign-up saving, and it's often worth more than a typical checkout discount.
Monzo
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays a £20, £50 or £100 mystery cash reward.
Yonder
No public codes. Refer-a-friend gives up to 10,000 points, £10 off and two months free.
Octopus Energy
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays £50 in bill credit (£75 for business).
InvestEngine
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays a £20 to £200 investment bonus.
E.ON Next
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays a £50 retail voucher.
Zilch
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays £5 in Zilch rewards.
Motorway
No public codes. Refer-a-friend pays a £50 Amazon gift card when your car sells.
giffgaff
No paste-at-checkout codes. Refer-a-friend pays £5 (up to £15 on contract).
Freetrade
No public codes. Refer-a-friend gives a free share worth £10 to £100.
Tide
No public codes. A refer-a-friend code pays £50 in account credit.
THE OUT
No public codes. A refer-a-friend code gives £50 off your first booking.
Brands that run occasional promotions
These brands run the odd promotion or welcome offer, but nothing you paste at checkout day to day. The refer-a-friend reward is the standard, reliable saving.
Brands where public discount codes are the standard
These brands really do run public discounts, so the search intent is legitimate. We describe the structure and a typical range; the brand's own site stays canonical for the live number.
How to evaluate a UK voucher code site
Voucher code sites are not all the same, and the difference matters. Some are auto-scraped aggregators that list thousands of codes with no human checking whether they still work, so a large share are expired or simply don’t apply at checkout. Others are editorial or community-driven, where a smaller set of codes is actually verified.
When you land on a voucher site, the questions worth asking are: does anyone here actually test these codes, when was this page last updated, and is the affiliate relationship disclosed? A long list of codes is easy to generate; a short list of working ones takes effort.
Why referral codes often beat voucher codes
For the brands on this page, a refer-a-friend reward is usually better value than a public discount code would be. A typical checkout voucher might take 10 or 15% off a single purchase. A refer-a-friend reward is often a flat cash amount, free months, or bill credit that lands once regardless of how much you spend, and it rewards the person who referred you too.
The difference between a referral code and a voucher code is worth understanding before you sign up. You can also compare every UK referral code we track side by side.
Voucher and discount code FAQ
Are UK voucher code sites trustworthy?
It depends on the site. Auto-scraped aggregators tend to carry a high share of expired or non-working codes, because no human verifies them before they go live. Editorial and community-driven sites, where codes are actually checked, are generally more reliable. The honest test is whether a site shows when each code was last verified and whether it discloses its affiliate relationships. For the brands we cover, most don't issue public codes at all, so the most reliable saving is the refer-a-friend reward, not a code from a third-party site.
What is the difference between a voucher code and a referral code?
A voucher or promo code is a public discount that anyone can use at checkout, and it usually benefits only the buyer. A referral code is tied to a specific existing customer and rewards both sides when a new customer signs up. For most brands we cover there is no public voucher code; the refer-a-friend code or link is the only way to get a sign-up reward.
Which UK brands actually run public discount codes?
Among the brands we cover, the ones that genuinely run public discounts are Surfshark (near-permanent percentage-off VPN campaigns), Ledger (seasonal hardware sales), and Affordable Mobiles (rotating contract deals). For these, our referral reward applies on top of whatever discount is live. Every other brand we cover runs no public code, so the refer-a-friend reward is the saving.
Is Referral Plug a voucher code site?
No. Referral Plug is an editorial site covering UK refer-a-friend schemes for brands Seb Place uses personally. We don't scrape or list public discount codes. For checkout discount codes at high-street retailers, a cashback or editorial deals site is usually the better place to look. For sign-up rewards on the brands we cover, the refer-a-friend reward is what we verify and track.
Do referral codes expire like voucher codes?
Refer-a-friend schemes can change or pause, but they tend to be far more stable than public voucher codes, which often expire within days. We show the last-checked date on every brand on this page and re-verify the schemes regularly. If a scheme is paused, we flag it.
Referral Plug founder · Personal finance writer and UK consumer savings specialist
I specialise in finding people the best deals to cope with the ever-increasing cost of living. I like to review companies from everyday industries like banking and energy and try to provide a fresh mix of facts and unbiased opinions.
Last updated: 28 May 2026 · Each brand shows its own last-checked date on its referral page.