40+ comping tips

What is comping – and is it worth it?

Think of comping as a potentially rewarding hobby, not an underpaid job

It's crucial to realise you won't immediately be frolicking on a bed of £50 notes. Unlike other money-makers, such as eBay Selling, Facebook Selling, Survey Sites, Vinted Selling, Earning Cash Online and other ways to Boost Your Income, the rewards aren't guaranteed.

The spirit of comping is that it's a bit of fun, rather than a dead cert money-spinner. Hours can be long, payouts poor and your eyes won't thank you for staring at a screen all day.

That said, for those who catch the bug, these become minor details as they enjoy the spirit of community on the board, and hopefully wins flooding in. It's also fun to drool over all those lavish prizes.

'I won a £5,000 trip to Washington DC'

While we don't want to give the impression that comping is a sure-fire way to make cash, it is possible to win big.

Examples of what forumites have already won include tickets to the Brit Awards, a holiday to Dubai, £1,000s in cash, a woodburning stove and... 19 cans of Pringles. Lady Luck has recently gazed down on these MoneySavers:

Here are a few more big wins we've heard of:

• £50,000. Forumite 1659 netted one of the biggest single prizes we've seen in the MSE Forum.

• A £10,000 wedding. Forumite LaurainLondon and husband Nick tied the knot after winning a wedding package worth £10,000. See the 'I won my £10,000 wedding on the MSE Forum' MSE News story for all the details.

Where to find free competitions

Hundreds of competitions in one place

The Competitions Time forum board is where this site's most dedicated compers post thousands of contests.

There's a real community there, with hundreds of enthusiasts who love to share the competitions they find. They know it diminishes their chances of winning that contest, but sharing their research increases opportunities for everyone.

When looking for comps, you may come across websites and magazines charging to view lists of contests. Never pay to register with a competitions site. Often they just focus on obvious contests, and can't compete with the army of kindred spirit compers using this site's forum.

Hunt for your own finds too

Competitions are everywhere: apps, brand websites, social media and TV/radio. Keep an eye on product packaging, in-store displays, flyers and supermarket shelves too. The more obscure the publication or product, the better chance of you being the first to post it on the forum.

Browse magazine shelves and local publications. Brands often tuck giveaways into email newsletters, so scan them for comps too. If you spot a comp that is suitable for the forum, search first to make sure it has not already been posted.

The Competitions Time board is mainly for free online, email and social-media competitions. It also has a separate section for post, phone and text entries where there is no free online route. Though never use premium-rate calls or texts.

Check apps you already use

Supermarket, retailer, mobile-network, travel and loyalty apps increasingly run free prize draws and instant wins for their customers.

So start with those already on your phone. Open the menu and look for sections labelled ‘Offers’, ‘Rewards’, ‘Benefits’, ‘Competitions’ or ‘Play and Win’. You might find a prize draw, quick challenge or a spin-to-win game.

Use your library card to uncover hidden comps

Your local library's not just for books. Many now give members free digital access to magazines and newspapers through apps such as Libby, PressReader or BorrowBox. That means you can browse titles you would not normally buy.

Check to see if your library is signed up to an online service, then log in with your library-card details. Search for magazines you like, flick through recent issues and keep an eye out for promo pages.

FREE £200+ daily prize lottery

Try a local comping club

Some groups meet to swap tips, celebrate wins and flag local or low-entry competitions. Search online for one near you, ask on the forum, or gather a few like-minded friends and start your own.

Focus on prizes you actually want

It may sound obvious, but focus your time on competitions with prizes you can use. Many prizes are non-transferable, so if the prize is VIP Coldplay tickets and you'd rather spend the evening reorganising your cutlery drawer, let a fan have the win.

Of course, with some contests there is the option to try to sell the prize on eBay. But you're entering the contest based on someone else's efforts to find it, and by doing so diminish their chances. So consider the ethics before entering just to flog. It helps to have a comping wish list to keep you motivated.

Before you enter - five things to check

Before entering, ask yourself these five key questions ...

1. Is it genuinely free to enter? Check if the comp involves a costly text, call, purchase or fee.

2. Who can enter? Do you fit the age, UK residency, household and entry-limit rules?

3. Can you actually use the prize? Look at dates, travel, accessibility, exclusions and extra costs.

4. How and when will winners be contacted? Also check if you need to claim quickly.

5. What data are you giving away? A competition rarely needs your bank details to enter. Marketing should usually be optional.

You gotta have a system

Keep track of what you've entered

Some promoters exclude people who enter multiple times. To keep track of completed contests, press the green 'Entered' button at the bottom of the post. Next time you visit the board, it will show a green tick next to that comp. Alternatively, press X to skip one. You must register and log on to the forum to do this.

Always read terms and conditions to check if it's one per household – rules vary for every competition.

And don't forget to thank the MoneySaver who posted the comp by pressing the Comp-liment button at the bottom of the post.

How to post your own finds

The Competitions Time board is a community, and etiquette dictates you post your own finds, as well as looking at the ones already posted. It's unscientifically believed that posting your own comps increases your chances of winning.

Don't worry too much. The board is a friendly place, and you're allowed to walk before you can run. If you don't find any comps, you can still help by researching answers.

How to post in the free online competitions forum

First use the search function to check it's not duplicated, otherwise some people may accidentally enter twice. At the top of the forum, there's a search box. Use a few different terms to be doubly sure.

There's a specific format to post comps in, so people can search and track competitions. When writing the title, first put the end date, then a description of prize, like this:

If there's an age restriction, add this to the end of the title, eg, (U16). If a comp has an end time, as well as date, post this in the title too.

Then just post a link to it, explaining in your own words what the prize is. Be aware some firms complain about copyright infringement when details are copied and pasted wholesale.

Dodge the inevitable spam

Let's be frank – companies usually set up competitions to get your email, number and other personal details. So take steps to avoid being deluged with marketing bumf.

Set up a dedicated email address

Never use your normal email address. It'll be immediately flooded with spam. Instead, set up a dedicated email account. As a powerful free option, Gmail is among the best. Make sure you keep access to it - it may be where a promoter contacts you about a win.

There's usually a way to choose not to get 'further communications' to avoid most of the marketing. Be careful with the wording though. Sometimes adjacent check-boxes mean different things – the first an 'opt in', the second an 'opt out'. If there's no way to opt out, consider whether you really want to enter.

Grab a cheap SIM

If you don't want to give out your main mobile number, consider a cheap pay-as-you-go SIM or eSIM used only for competition communications. Keep it active and check it regularly if you use it. See our Pay-as-you-go Sim guide for more.

Junk the junk

The Mail Preference Service is free and can reduce unsolicited addressed direct mail, though it does not block overseas or unaddressed mail, or mail addressed to 'The Occupier'. It says registration can take up to three months to take full effect.

The Telephone Preference Service can help reduce live marketing calls. Full info plus more ways to stop unwanted mail, texts and calls in the Stop Spam guide.

If a widget asks you to sign in with a social account, check the permissions and data access before accepting.

Enter faster without breaking the rules

Most browsers can save basic contact details and fill them into forms. Set this up only on a personal, password protected device, and review every field before you submit. Double check marketing boxes and any field that asks for more information than the competition appears to need.

Quick email contest entry

For email entries, draft and save a template with the details normally required - name, address, email and telephone number - so you can fire it off quickly. Remember to leave a space for the answer and check the promoter's exact requirements before sending.

Use AI to comp smarter - not to cheat

Another option's using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google's Gemini or Microsoft's Copilot. AI can help sort the gems from the duds, uncover prize catches and organise your wish list. However, promoters are usually wise to automation, so make the final entry your own. Here are some ways to enlist it:

• Turn lengthy terms into plain English. Ask it to pull out the closing date, eligibility, entry limit, prize restrictions and how the winner is contacted.

• Let AI sort the prizes from the pointless. Give it your comp list plus your must-haves such as school-holiday dates, accessible breaks, local days out or kitchen kit. Then ask it to put the keepers top.

• Create a prize dashboard. Ask AI to track closing dates, claim-by deadlines, prize values and the original terms, so a win does not slip through the net. You could send it screenshots so you know what you've entered (with your details removed).

• Use AI to help crack quiz questions. Use it as a starting point, but double check with a reliable source.

• Spot scam signals. Paste a suspicious message and ask for red flags. Yet treat this as a prompt to verify, not proof that a message is genuine.

Don't enter personal details, account passwords or sensitive documents into an AI tool. Never use AI to flood a draw with entries, pretend to be someone else or dodge anti-bot checks. And if a comp wants something creative and the rules allow AI, use it for ideas, not creating a finished entry.

Boost your chances with social media and extra-effort comps

Win prizes on social media

Social media is a godsend for compers. Contests abound on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X, so it may be worth signing up if you haven't already. A crash course ...

• Follow your faves. Start by following a small number of brands, venues and creators whose prizes you would genuinely like to win. The Competitions Time board is another handy place to find current social comps.

• Read the entry instructions twice. A promoter may want a comment, hashtag, direct message or tagged friend (check with your mate first).

• Keep your profile human-looking. A clear profile photo and short bio can reassure a promoter you are genuine. You don’t need to make your personal account public or fill it with private information just to enter. Don't open extra accounts or use multiple identities if this breaches a site's rules.

Enter safely

Social-media contests can be a useful source of competitions, but they are also a common route for scams. Be wary of lookalike accounts, copied posts and messages that claim you have won but ask for money or details. Enter from the promoter’s official account or website where possible.

If in doubt, go to the brand’s genuine website or verified social account to check. Don’t use the link in the message.

Boost your chances with extra-effort comps

Lots of people are lazy, so anything involving a smidgeon of extra effort attracts fewer contestants.

Need to pen a poem, complete a tie-breaker or snap a photo? Try your luck – you might be the only entrant. Highly localised competitions may also have fewer entrants, such as a local paper offering tickets to a nearby theatre.

Pen witty tie-breakers

A host of competitions require tie-breaker slogans. If you're a wordsmith, this can be an easy way to boost your chances.

Keep them short and punchy. Read through the company's own marketing literature. It has often spent time developing the brand, and will want something that fits it, so that's your clue.

Search engines, official brand information and reference sources can help with quiz questions. AI can be useful for ideas but never submit AI-generated copy where the terms require original work.

Shine in photo or video comps

For photo and video comps, take a moment to check whether the winner is picked at random or judged before putting heaps of effort in.

Read the brief carefully. Good light and a tidy background can beat fancy equipment if the idea fits the theme. Follow any required tags, captions or formats. Finally, make sure anyone in the picture is happy for it to be shared and don't include any copyrighted music or logos.

Count your winnings

Depending on a contest's end date, you could be notified the next day or next year. The small print usually explains whether you will be contacted by email, phone or post. Often the postie just turns up with a parcel (every door knock is exciting).

For a tiny minority of competitions, promoters ask people to return to the site to see if they've won. This will be in the terms and conditions. You could also try Googling your name to see if wins appear.

And don't forget to post on the I won! I won! I won! board to share the good news and thank the forumite who originally posted the comp.

Don't miss a winning message

To help sort 'you're a winner' messages from spam, set up rules to filter winning emails into a special folder. These emails often feature the words 'congratulations', 'won' or 'winner', so automatically move messages with these words in the body or subject line into a competition wins folder. This option's usually found under Edit, Options or Tools on your email account's menu bar.

Check your spam folder

So many prize wins could be missed by not checking your spam folder on a regular basis. The folder clears after a certain amount of time (depending on your email provider), so check frequently. On social media platforms, also check private messages.

Could a prize be taxable?

Just like betting on sport, your winnings in the UK are tax-free. The exception's if your employer runs an incentive competition for staff – for example, the salesperson who sells the most cars wins a trip to Ibiza. If you're unsure, get professional advice.

Dodge scams and know how to fight back

If you have any suspicions about a competition, flag up your worries with seasoned compers on the Competition Time forum board.

Look for proper terms, a promoter you can contact independently and an official web and social presence. For a UK company, a Companies House search is a useful extra check, though it's not a guaranteed scam detector. A PO Box or basic website are other reasons to look closer.

How to spot 'you've won a prize!' scams

Some scammers impersonate a genuine brand, pouncing on people who have entered its competition. A competition may be real, yet a fake account can still target entrants afterwards. A genuine win may need a few details, but never money or security codes.

Some red flags to watch out for ...

• You are asked to pay a release fee, postage, tax, deposit or anything else before your prize is sent.

• It wants your password, bank details, card security code or a one-time passcode.

• The account name, web address or spelling is slightly different from the real brand's.

• It asks for much more personal info than you'd expect.

• A supposed delivery company asks you to click a link or pay before it can deliver a prize.

Go to the source

The golden rule is not to reply or click a link in a winning message that you're unsure about. Instead, find the promoter’s official site or social account and check the original competition post. Then contact it through details you found independently.

A simple safeguard is to note, when you enter, how and when winners are meant to be contacted. If a supposed win arrives a different way, be sceptical.

Be wary of 'free' holidays

A common timeshare company ruse is to say you've won a totally free, no-strings-attached holiday... but first you need to listen to a presentation. These are best avoided.

How to complain

If you have an issue, first politely prompt the company (contact details should be in the terms and conditions). If that doesn't work and the competition has been unfairly run, get in touch with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It says to provide details and a photo, video or screenshot of the promotion.

If there’s an issue with the prize itself, the ASA says to contact Trading Standards. Citizens Advice can also help.