Airtime Rewards Review: Is It Worth Using In 2024?(+ Referral Code)

Fancy getting money off your phone bill each month every time you shop? Airtime Rewards is a really easy cashback app that has helped me pay off my entire monthly phone bill several times since using it.

It’s been around since 2016, but can it still really help you save money on your phone bill in 2024? Let me show you how it works and help answer any questions you have about Airtime Rewards…

What is Airtime Rewards?

Airtime Rewards is an app that rewards you with cashback every time you shop in-store and online with 150+ popular UK retailers and restaurants featured on the app, including Argos, New Look, Morrisons, Deliveroo, and many more.

You can then transfer the cashback that you’ve made within the app into a voucher to redeem against your monthly phone bill.

My experience using Airtime Rewards

I really rate Airtime Rewards, as it’s such an easy way to make extra cash on things you’re buying anyway, and it’s unique in the way you put your cashback towards something useful that can genuinely help you save money on your phone bill.

I’ve just bought things I normally would from my favourite shops and have been rewarded cashback for spending with these retailers. So buying like my weekly food shop at Morrisons, clothes from ASOS, and nappies from the Co-Op with Amazon Fresh. I’ve even got cashback on regular coffees at Caffè Nero and the occasional cheese and onion pasty from Greggs.

Once I’ve got enough cashback in my account (£10 threshold), all I have to do is convert the cashback I’ve made from these purchases into a voucher to put towards my phone bill. I can choose anywhere between £10-30.

While a £10 threshold sounds quite high to reach, I think it’s really easy to reach this amount, especially if you’re spending regularly with retailers on there.

I shop at Morrisons quite a lot, for example. It’s our nearest big supermarket so I’m always in there topping up on berries for our fruit-guzzling two toddler, or picking up something quick for tea. The clothing section in there is also very tempting! As a result, I’m getting lots of cashback there at the moment.

Plus, if you use my promo code PPBMT7HU you’ll get a 50p welcome bonus, and £1 bonus if you spend with a partner retailer in the first 7 days.

Personally, I also think it’s a great feature that you can select between £10-£30 because you can break it up if you would like to split your savings across a few months.

I’m currently on a SIM only monthly contract deal with O2, and my phone bill is £8.50. I find I can easily reach that multiple times over. I’ve made well over £100 using the app and I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re new to the world of cashback and a little unsure, then this is a great entry level app for anyone to start using.

The one thing I love most about this app is how little effort it requires. It’s such a great way to earn passive cashback. Many cashback sites require you to physically log in, click through and track offers manually.

While I do tend to use other apps and cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco for bigger purchases, it’s nice to know that Airtime Rewards is ticking away nicely in the background.

With Airtime Rewards, you simply set up the app and link your debit card and mobile phone account, and it does all the hard work for you. All you have to do is log into the app to redeem your cashback and pay it towards your phone bill, which literally takes seconds to do.

What I like about Airtime rewards

• It’s super easy to set up and free to use
• You can earn cashback both online and in-store
• It offers boosted rates and flash cashback days where you can earn generous bonus deals
• The referral scheme is also low effort (unlike others which can have you and the person you’re referring jumping through hoops!)
• You can connect multiple debit and credit cards on the app, and use Google Pay and Apple Pay with selected retailers

What I don’t like about Airtime rewards

• Cashback can take up to 90 days to fully track and become payable towards your phone bill
• There used to be more popular retailers on there, which have now disappeared
• While the referral scheme is easy, it’s quite low, only offering £1.50 per user referred
• If you don’t check in on the app regularly, your account can be deactivated, and you’ll lose cashback
• It doesn’t work on all networks, which was a real bummer when I was on Tesco Mobile

How does Airtimes Rewards work?

Ready to start using Airtime Rewards? Here is how to use the app:

Step 1: Download the app

Start by downloading the app on your phone wherever you get your apps from. It’s 100% free to download and use, and it works on both iOS and Android phones.

Use my referral code PPBMT7HU to get a 50p welcome bonus. Plus, get an additional £1 bonus if you spend with a partner retailer in the first 7 days, so that’s £1.50 towards your next phone bill already!

Step 2: Verify your number 

Once you’ve downloaded the app and opened it for the first time, you’ll be asked to enter your mobile phone number. You’ll then be sent a PIN number via text to enter into the app to verify your number.

Step 3: Choose your network 

Next you’ll be asked to select what network your phone uses, e.g. EE, and whether you’re on a pay monthly contract or pay as you go account.

Step 4: Link your card(s)

You can add as many Visa and Mastercards as you like to your account, meaning you can really take advantage if you have various debit cards, credit cards, and pre-paid accounts. You can also link cards from digital bank accounts like Monzo. The only card that isn’t compatible is American Express.

Your cards will become active within 24 hours after you’ve linked them and you should start to see your activity on your account after 24 hours.

Step 5: Start spending as normal

Now it’s time to shop! The app has various retailers from all types of categories from womenswear to sports, pets, children’s, and everything in between. Once your card is linked, every time you spend with a retailer featured on the app, this will automatically be tracked and you’ll see it on your account.

Step 6: Redeem your cashback

You can redeem anywhere between £10-£30 at a time by checking your balance and selecting the amount you’d like to put towards your phone bill. Once you confirm how much you would like to redeem, this will be applied directly to your mobile bill after 24 hours.

What networks use Airtime Rewards? 

Airtimes Rewards works with all major networks, including:

• O2
• Three EE
• giffgaff
• Vodafone
• Lebara PAYG
• Now PAYG
• Lycamobile PAYG

The app does not work with certain networks, including Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, or Voxi.

Which retailers are on Airtime Rewards?

There are currently over 150 brands on Airtime Rewards across all categories. You can view these on the ‘discover’ tab on the app.

To give you an idea of what retailers are on there, here are some popular brands across all categories:

Food & drink:

• Morrisons
• Thorntons
• Amazon Fresh (Co-Op, Iceland & Morrisons)
• Greggs
• BrewDog
• Carluccio’s
• Deliveroo
• GBK
• Gusto
• Laithwaites
• YO! Sushi

Health & beauty:

• BrandAlley
• ELEMIS
• Estee Lauder
• GHD
• L’Occitane
• Molton Brown
• NARS
• Sephora
• Clinique
• Pharmacy2U

Womenswear:

• ASOS
• Coast
• Crew Clothing
• Dr. Martens
• Jack Wills
• Nasty Gal
• New Look
• Ted Baker
• Kate Spade

Menswear:

• BoohooMAN
• Burton
• Charles Tyrwhitt
• Hawes & Curtis
• Mainline Menswear
• MandM

Travel & entertainment:

• Alton Towers
• Big City Saver
• Inspire Travel
• Legoland Windsor Resort
• London Eye
• Madame Tussauds
• Mega bus
• SEA Life
• LNER
• National Express
• P&O Ferries

Tech:

• Acer
• Google Store
• Maplin
• Hughes

Sports & fitness:

• American Golf
• Foot Locker
• Hussle
• Sports Direct
• Under Armour
• Kitbag

Home:

• Argos
• Bensons for Beds
• Carpetright
• Emma sleep
• Habitat
• Roseland Furniture
• Silentnight
• Joseph Joseph
• Wilko.com

Kids:

• Clarks
• Mamas & Papas
• Waterstones

Gifts, luxury & jewellery:

• Arena flowers
• BrandAlley
• Ernest Jones
• F. Hinds
• Funky Pigeon
• H Samuel
• Harvey Nichols
• Papier

These are correct at the time of publishing, but they are subject to change so make sure you check before you shop. For example, they used to have Primark, Boots, IKEA, Tesco, and Pizza Express on there, but these have since disappeared. They might return, but it’s good to check the app regularly.

How much can you earn? 

Retailers on the app pay a varying percentage of cashback. There is a base rate for each retailer between 1-20%. And then there are flash boosted rates, which offer more when you spend more. E.g. you might get 5% as a base rate, but 10% if you spend over £20 with a specific retailer.

From what I’ve found, the base rate hovers around the 3-5% mark, but these change regularly. To show you some examples of what you can earn on the app, I’ve pulled the current rates for 10 popular retailers:

Retailer	Cashback rate
Argos	2%
ASOS	2.5%
BoohooMAN	13%
Clarks	5%
Deliveroo	5%
Greggs	3%
L’Occitane	7%
Morrisons	2%
New Look	3%
Waterstones	6%

Is Airtime rewards safe to use? 

Yes it’s 100% safe to use! As with all recommendations, there is absolutely no way I would recommend it without having tried and using it myself. Plus, 3 million+ users are currently using it, which to me, speaks volumes.

They are also PCI compliant and actually work directly with VISA and Mastercard to keep your details encrypted and secure. There aren’t any sneaky hidden fees either!

If you have any concerns, you can always contact their support team. They are amazing and super quick to respond!

How long does it take to get paid with Airtime Rewards

Once you’ve made a purchase and the cashback has tracked, it can take up to 35 days for it to track and become available to pay towards your phone bill. However, it can take up to 90 days.

You can see an estimated date of when your cashback will clear within the account and added to your rewards. You can also check the progress of your cashback by tapping on each transaction.

The reason it takes so long is because the retailer needs to confirm you’ve not returned any items for a refund. If you have, they need time to recalculate the amount of cashback you’ll receive as a result.

When does the money come off my phone bill?

There is a cashback threshold of £10 on your account, which you need to reach before you can submit any money towards your phone bill. Once you’ve hit your £10 threshold, you can go back into the app and select how much you would like to put towards your phone bill balance in the ‘Rewards’ tab.

Your chosen amount is then deducted from your phone bill or added as pay-as-you-go credit. It usually comes off your account within 24 hours, but should come off your next phone bill, depending on when you submit your cashout. If it’s really close to your phone bill payment day, it might roll over to next month.

Can you withdraw money from Airtime Rewards? 

No, you cannot withdraw your earnings for money or as a gift card on Airtime Rewards. The whole point of the app is to help you save money on your phone bill.

So the cashback goes directly towards your reducing the cost of your monthly contract or pay as you go bill. You can share your rewards with another Airtime Rewards user, though.

Do I still get cashback if I return my purchases?

This goes back to my previous point about how long it takes to track cashback. If you return your items, unfortunately, your cashback will be deducted and will not count towards your final amount. Once you’ve returned your items, Airtime Rewards will recalculate your amount and send you a notification to say they’ve tracked your return.

Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay with Airtime Rewards?

Yes, you can use both Apple Pay and Google Pay with Airtime Rewards, but only with certain retailers on the app. Some allow the use of digital wallets, whereas others only accept physical debit or credit cards. I would always advise checking this before you make a purchase, so you don’t miss out on any cashback rewards.

What happens if you redeem more than your bill total?

This happened to me the first time I cashed out. My bill is only £8.50 and the minimum amount I could redeem is obviously £10. But don’t worry, If you make a payment higher than your total bill, anything remaining, so in my case £1.50, will return back to your account as credit and can be submitted towards your next bill. 

What do I do if Airtime Rewards says my account is inactive?

If you don’t use the app for over six months, Airtime Rewards will mark your account as inactive. Has this happened to you? Don’t panic! You can easily resolve this by contacting the Airtime Rewards customer service team.

However, to avoid this happening, it’s worth opening the app regularly and checking all your bank cards are still linked and all your information is up to date. This will help you avoid losing out on any valuable cashback.

How to boost your savings on Airtime Rewards

Just when you think it couldn’t get any better! There are ways to earn even more cashback on the app:

Refer your friends

Just as I’ve shared my code with you. When you sign up, you’ll also get a code to share with your friends and family. Any referral credit will be automatically added to your balance.

Look out for flash bonus days & challenges

Airtime Rewards offers exclusive flash cashback rates on various retailers throughout the year. They also host challenges, where you can make £5 extra for example if you shop with a number of retailers within a certain time period.

(It’s worth noting that this shouldn’t tempt you to spend more, but these offers can be used wisely if you plan to spend with these brands anyway.)

Double up on cashback

Increase your earnings even more by shopping online with cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco. If you log in and click through and shop via their link, and pay with the same card linked to Airtime Rewards, you’ll receive cashback from both sites and apps.

Use a cashback credit card

If you can afford to pay off your monthly balance in full, a cashback credit card can help you earn double the rewards when you spend with a retailer that is featured on the Airtime Rewards app.

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