The Premium Competitions insights
Where to find free competitions worth entering
Find free competitions through directories, forums and original organisers, then check the rules before entering.
A useful competition source helps you discover a prize and reach the original promotion. Start with a few sources you enjoy, then check each competition on the organiser’s own page.
Start with a category, not an endless list
Decide what you would like to win before browsing. A search for a short break, garden equipment or theatre tickets is easier to act on than a feed containing every possible prize. Our prize guides help you work out what each kind of offer should include.
Use a directory for discovery
Online Competition brings together free-entry listings and links to the original promotions. Browse a relevant prize category, read the summary, then follow the organiser’s link to check the rules and enter. Loquax and The PrizeFinder offer additional places to browse. Check the entry conditions for each result rather than assuming that every promotion uses the same free route.
Keep a distinction between the directory and the promoter. A listing is a useful lead; it is not the full legal wording of the promotion, and details can change after a listing is written.
Read competition forums with context
The MoneySavingExpert Competitions Time forum is another place to discover promotions discussed by compers. Read the first post and relevant replies, which may contain corrections or practical entry information.
A forum answer is still something to verify where it matters. Confirm the current closing date, eligibility and required entry steps on the original promotion rather than relying on a copied summary. If an entry question needs research, check the answer rather than assuming a reply must be right.
Go directly to the organisations you like
Look at the official websites and newsletters of museums, venues, publishers, retailers and travel businesses you already enjoy. Competitions may appear in a news section, on a dedicated promotion page or in a newsletter.
Choose newsletters because their content interests you as well as for possible prizes. Read the subscription wording and use the unsubscribe route when you no longer want the messages. You do not need to join every mailing list to have a worthwhile comping hobby.
Treat social posts as a route to the rules
Check that an account is the organiser’s genuine account, especially when a post arrives through a share or private message. Follow the linked terms and confirm whether entry takes place in a comment, through a form or elsewhere. Do not assume that a lookalike account contacting you is connected to the original draw.
If you cannot find the full conditions, the organiser’s identity or a clear explanation of how the winner is selected, leave the offer on your “check later” list rather than filling in personal details.
Use the same final checks wherever you discover it
- Is the promotion still open, including any time-of-day deadline?
- Is the entry route free without a purchase, and are there postage costs?
- Do you meet the age, residency and other entry conditions?
- Could you use the prize on its stated dates and terms?
- Are you on the genuine organiser’s page?
For background on promotional practice, the Advertising Standards Authority’s prize draw guidance is a useful official reference. For your own routine, our ten practical comping habits focus on useful choices rather than promises of wins.