You can make your broadband switch that much sweeter if you keep your eye out for special free gift offers. At Broadband Genie, we work hard to track down the best deals for new customers. On this page, you'll find tips for getting a great bargain and other things to bear in mind.
Can I get broadband with free gifts?
Yes! It’s worth shopping around to find a great broadband deal that comes with the perfect gift to suit you. These perks can squeeze more value from your provider when you buy or switch broadband.
What free gifts can I get with my broadband plan?
There are lots of perks and bonuses to choose from. Let’s run through the main ones:
Shopping vouchers and gift cards
Vouchers for specific stores, or high street vouchers, are easy to spot when browsing broadband packages. Amazon gift cards are the most common, but recently supermarket vouchers for the likes of Sainsburys, Tesco and M&S are popular, too!
Reward cards and prepaid credit cards
Prepaid credit cards like the BT Virtual Reward Card are a fantastic bonus as they can be spent almost anywhere.
Bill Credits
Bill credit deals give you a discount on the monthly payment, with the money automatically applied to your broadband bill until the credit is used up. These aren't as common as reward cards but are often found with free gift deals from Virgin Media in particular.
Free months
Some providers offer to make your first few months free to motivate you to make the switch. These deals tend to come around during special sale events such as Black Friday.
Free gadgets: speakers, TVs, games consoles, and more
These increasingly uncommon, but occasionally an internet deal will include a free gadget. In the past, we’ve seen free Bluetooth speakers, televisions, games consoles, Apple TV boxes, and even free laptops.
Cashback
Cashback deals give you a cash payment after you sign up, usually in the form of a cheque. These are also fairly uncommon nowadays.
Which broadband providers offer free gifts and vouchers?
All of the big players in the broadband world offer perks and freebies. Here’s a round-up of recent deals we’ve found using our Broadband Genie comparison tables:
- BT: Reward cards up to £110.
- Sky: Shopping vouchers worth up to £100.
- TalkTalk: Shopping voucher worth up to £100.
- Virgin Media: Bill credit up to £200.
- Vodafone: Shopping vouchers up to £125.
- BeFibre: Love2Shop voucher worth up to £75
- Hyperoptic: 3 months free broadband
- Three: Shopping vouchers up to £30
In addition to the free gifts given by broadband providers, you can also add more value with our Broadband Genie exclusive offers.
We regularly offer extra vouchers on top of a freebie from a broadband provider. These special vouchers are only available on packages bought online through us.
Set a reminder to check our Black Friday Broadband Deals page in November. This is where we highlight the best pre-Christmas offers.
Broadband and free gifts: how to get the best deal
If you're looking for a particular added bonus with your next broadband package, we've got you covered. Let’s run through some of the things that are always helpful to consider when searching for a great deal.
Broadband speeds
It’s irritating if your home broadband won’t run as fast as you need. Guarantee yourself a stress-free switch to a new provider and find a broadband deal that’ll give you the right speed.
We’ve got a helpful rule of thumb you can follow to figure this out.
- ADSL/Standard broadband (~10Mb): Suitable for a single user*, or a couple of people only using the internet occasionally.
- Basic fibre (~35Mb): Suitable for 2-3 users at the same time. These entry-level fibre broadband packages are our recommended minimum for most homes.
- Faster fibre (~65Mb): Suitable for 4-5 simultaneous users.
- Full fibre/FTTP & Virgin Media (100Mb+): Ultrafast fibre broadband is suitable for 6+ users at the same time.
*When we’ve used the term ‘user’ here, what we mean is a device streaming HD television, gaming or video calling. Essentially, any activity you carry out using your broadband that’ll use a lot of bandwidth.
Here are some more factors to consider when shopping for a bonus with your next package:
Monthly cost
The best way to get value from an internet deal is to look for a low monthly cost.
The cheapest broadband deals are usually ADSL internet services. This kind of internet package offers cheap broadband using traditional landline telephone cables that span the UK.
However, this technology wasn't designed with data in mind and is slow by modern standards. ADSL will struggle with anything more demanding than web browsing, especially if more than one person is online at the same time.
-
What does ADSL mean?
ADSL stands for ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’. It’s broadband technology that allows the transfer data across regular telephone lines. You can make calls at the same time as being connected to the internet.
An ADSL line will, at minimum, allow for a broadband connection of up to 8Mb. These days, that’s pretty slow and won’t allow you to do much other than emailing or basic web searches.
ADSL2+ is now available at nearly all exchanges across the UK with slightly faster data transfer rates of around 10-11Mb.
Fibre broadband is much better value for money. It's widely available, provides far better download speeds, and prices start at around the same cost as an ADSL service.
Upfront costs
Many providers offer free setup. But setup costs aren't usually too expensive, so this is less impactful than a low monthly cost and added perks. However, do keep an eye out for reduced or free setup on broadband and TV bundle deals, as this can add up to a bigger saving.
Contract length
Contract length is also worth considering. Deals tend to come in 12, 18 and 24-month contracts. Short-term options are available, but they tend to be worse value than these longer-term options. The main benefit of sticking to a shorter contract is you can switch earlier to get a better deal if you spot one. Generally, the longer you sign up for, the more value and perks you can unlock.
So, if you've got a fantastic monthly price, you may want to lock that in on a longer broadband contract.
Unfortunately, mid-contract price rises are now likely with most broadband providers. If you see a great deal with a 'fixed price promise', pounce on it!
Bundling
With a bundle deal, you can add a TV or phone package to your broadband plan and save more money. We can’t guarantee it, but we’ve noticed bundles can also offer higher rewards than equivalent broadband-only packages.
Data limits
Finally, a key factor to consider is data. We always recommend unlimited broadband so you can rest assured you won’t have your browsing limited or get caught off guard by fees.
We only list unlimited providers on Broadband Genie.
So, should I get a cheaper deal over a free gift?
Here’s some of our advice when weighing up whether you should get a cheaper deal over a free gift.
- Don’t be swayed by a freebie: While gifts offer a nice extra, it’s important to choose a package with the right features for you at an affordable price. This is where looking at 'effective monthly cost' is useful, so you get an idea of the deal's true value.
- Go for vouchers you’ll definitely use: Pre-paid reward cards win as these are a lot more flexible than shopping vouchers.
- Take your time to shop around on Broadband Genie: It can pay to consider all of the deals available to you. Cheaper deals often have longer contracts, but rolling-monthly contracts are also available if you can't commit to 12 months at a time. Enter your address and see what’s on offer in your area.
- Add everything up: Take into account the full cost of a broadband package, including setup and other upfront fees. Don't neglect crucial features, such as the speed and data usage limit. If you've got a cheap deal for your phone and TV already, you could also look at broadband only deals.
Your best bet is to find your ideal package first. Then, if it also has a free gift, consider it a bonus! Try it now and see what's great deals are available in your area by entering your address:
How do I claim my gift?
The process for claiming a freebie varies.
Some providers may ask you to enter an email address, others have a lengthier process. Some vouchers and discounts are automatically applied to your bill.
Read the terms and conditions carefully to make sure you understand the process and are aware of any time limits. You might also wish to take screengrabs of the offer, or keep emails and other promotional material, in case of a dispute.
If the offer is a Broadband Genie exclusive, you can read our guide to claiming your broadband reward. If you’ve got any questions, please contact us, a member of the team would be happy to help you make the most of your freebie.
When will my provider send my gift?
Free gifts such as vouchers, cards and gadgets will typically be sent a few weeks/months after the service has been activated. Because of the time some providers can take to confirm eligible sales, we advise this process could take up to 120 days. But it is often a lot quicker!
However discounts and cashback in the form of bill credits will be applied at the appropriate time. Again, make sure to read the small print to get an idea of the time frames.
What free gifts are available now?
You can always keep up to date with the latest broadband deals by bookmarking our broadband rewards and cashback page.
Here are some of the best free gift offers available at the moment:
Frequently asked questions about broadband rewards
-
Will I get a free Wi-Fi router?
Most internet packages include a Wi-Fi router at no extra cost. The free router is used to access the internet and share the connection around your home. Some providers ask for a small payment for postage.
-
What are prepaid cards, and how do they work?
Prepaid cards, or reward cards, are credit cards that come preloaded with credit. These may be better for you than shopping vouchers as the money can be spent in a range of stores.
However, in some cases, you might get an electronic virtual card. In which case, you may only be able to spend this online.
-
How do I find what gifts are currently available?
To begin your search, enter an address into our comparison table, so we can show you the broadband packages available in your area.
You can find out which deals come with gifts by looking at the ‘offers’ section in our comparison table. To view more information about the gift, click ‘offer details and pricing’.
We’ll also highlight the best offers on our Twitter / X page.
Expert Summary
There are some fantastic perks and freebies to be found when shopping on Broadband Genie for your next package. While they make a great extra, always compare a few options and weigh up whether it represents the best value to you overall.
Consider any unseen costs, contract length and broadband speeds before being swayed by a voucher. If your broadband deal is a perfect fit, and it comes with a free treat that you’re excited about, then that’s fantastic!
Got questions about a Broadband Genie voucher you signed up for? Use our voucher tracker to get the most up-to-date information.
Need more information about Broadband Genie free gifts and vouchers? Head to our vouchers page or get in touch with us.