Meerkat trick: Spend £2ish to get 2for1 at cinemas AND restaurants for a year

Anthony Hill

23 April 2019 | Updated 19 January 2021

Meerkat Movies gets you 2for1 at cinemas and now restaurants too FOR A YEAR when you buy via comparison website Compare The Market.

And we’ve a trick to get it for £2ish...

It came about when we asked ourselves, what’s the cheapest product you can buy in order to qualify for Meerkat Movies? (And now Meerkat Meals, which works the same way).

The T&Cs state you'll be eligible for both for 12 months as long as:

You purchase any of the following insurance – car, van, bike, caravan, taxi, motorhome, home, pet, life, health, over 50's, income protection, landlord, business or travel insurance.
OR you switch any of the following – domestic energy (gas and/or electric), broadband, home telephone or digital TV.
OR you successfully apply for – a credit card or loan or mobile phone contract.

Car and home insurance were too pricey – there are better rewards and cashback offers available elsewhere. So we homed in on travel insurance.

Remember, we’re not necessarily encouraging you to use these policies as they may not provide the cover you need – see our Cheap Travel Insurance guide for more info. The point of this is just getting 2for1 cinema tickets and restaurant meals as cheaply as you can.

So, one night’s UK cover for one person does the job. Do a quick search on Compare The Market* for a single-trip travel insurance policy.

The cheapest quotes when we last tried it on Tue 19 Jan:

£2.02 – Coverwise ‘Single Standard’ (24-25 Feb)
£2.69 – Flexicover ‘Single Standard’ (24-25 Feb)
£2.83 - Spectrum 'Single Standard' (24-25 Feb)

At these prices, the insurance is far cheaper than the price of a second cinema ticket or a second main course, so in most cases you'll save even if you use it once.

Do bear in mind the year's membership begins from the date you made a purchase, and you can only have one active membership. If you make any subsequent purchases during the 12 months, it'll reset the clock - so you never get more than 12 months.

Will it always work?

Since first sharing this trick six years ago, we've been swamped with countless successes from MoneySavers (like Geraint below, who tweeted in 2019), yet at the time we didn't think it would last - a year's 2for1 for £1 seemed too good to be true. Six years later, it's still working... touch wood.

Just got 1 day travel insurance from Compare the market for £1.01 and got a whole year 2-4-1 meals & movies! Thanks @MSE_Deals 👍🏻
— Geraint Rogers🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@GezRogers) 27 January 2019

So while we can't guarantee it'll go on forever, as Compare The Market could technically close the loophole anytime it wants, it seems likely it'll keep going for a while longer yet.

If you want to learn more about how Meerkat Movies and Meals actually works (once you've done the trick), we've included a full step-by-step guide in 'More info' below. See our Cheap Cinema Tickets and Restaurant Vouchers pages for related deals.

More info

Once I’ve done the trick, how does Meerkat Movies and Meals actually work?

1. After making a qualifying purchase at Compare the Market (see the full list*), download the Meerkat app to activate your membership. Your 12 months’ 2for1 starts from the date you made the purchase. Activation can take at least 48 hours.

2. Claim your cinema voucher code online or via the app when you want to see a film (as regularly as once a week either on the Tuesday or Wednesday). Or select a restaurant via the app when you want to dine out (as many times per week as you like between Sunday and Thursday). You can use both Meerkat Movies and Meals on the same night.

3. Print the cinema voucher code or show it on your smartphone at a participating cinema. If you're dining out, check to see whether you need to book in advance (this will be indicated clearly when you search for restaurants on the Meerkat app). You should notify the restaurant that you're a Meerkat member when booking. You’ll need to present your digital Meerkat Meals membership number, via the app, to your waiter when you ask for the bill. To get this, click on 'Meals' at the bottom of the app and then click the golden 2for1 in the top right corner.

Generally, your Meerkat Movies 2for1 will be valid every Tue/Wed at all the big chains (eg, Odeon, Vue, Cineworld, Showcase), plus many independent cinemas, though some cinemas may have their own rules on how you can use it and which films, if any, are excluded. If you’re unsure, please check with your local cinema before buying.

Generally, your Meerkat Meals 2for1 will be valid every Sun/Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu, but there are some exclusions, including: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, plus certain days in December at selected participating restaurants. These exclusions will be indicated clearly when you search for participating restaurants on the Meerkat app.

Join the MSE Forum Discussion

2for1 Meerkat Movies and Meals trick

Have your say

This is an open discussion but the comments do not represent the views of MSE. We want everyone to enjoy using our site but spam, bullying and offensive comments will not be tolerated. Posts may be deleted and repeat offenders blocked at our discretion. Please contact fbteam@moneysavingexpert.com if you wish to report any comments.

What the * means above
If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.

You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How This Site Is Financed.

MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited (registered in England No. 3157344) is MoneySupermarket House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited.

How this site works

We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We're a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.
We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first.
We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content.
Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the Moneysupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally binding MSE Editorial Code.

Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy, How this site is financed and MSE's Editorial Code.

Deals Hunters

Meerkat trick: Spend £2ish to get 2for1 at cinemas AND restaurants for a year

Will it always work?

Once I’ve done the trick, how does Meerkat Movies and Meals actually work?

Have your say

Related Articles

Recent Blogs

Blog Topics

Archives

How this site works

More tools from

Premium Bonds Calc

eBay Local Deals Mapper

Credit Club

Credit Card & Loans Eligibility Calculator

Cheap Energy Club

Compare Travel Money

Compare Broadband Deals

Income Tax Calculator