How competition winnings are paid

Cash, straight to your bank

Every prize is paid by bank transfer to the account in the winner's name. The figure advertised is the figure that arrives: a £1,000 prize pays £1,000, with no fees taken off the top and no tax deducted, because a UK prize is a tax-free windfall.

There is nothing to ship, collect or insure. Cash removes the whole awkward middle step that physical prizes create.

How long it takes

We aim to pay within one working day of the draw being settled and the winner verified. The bank transfer itself usually clears the same day or the next, depending on the banks involved.

The only thing that slows a payout is verification, which is why it helps to have your details ready.

The checks before a payout

Before a first payment we confirm two things: that you are who you say you are, and that you are 18 or over and a UK resident. It is a light-touch identity check, there to make sure a prize reaches the real winner and no one else.

These checks are standard and apply equally to paid and free postal entries. Winning by post is paid exactly the same way as winning on a bought ticket.

Why we pay cash and not prizes

Physical prizes look good on a poster and cause problems in real life: a car has to be delivered, taxed and insured, a watch has to be sold on if you would rather have the money, and both have to be valued and stored in the meantime.

Cash skips all of it. You get the amount, in your account, to do whatever you like with. It is the simplest, and to our mind the fairest, way to hand someone a win.

Common questions

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