How we make money: one referral reward, fully disclosed
By Chris
This site has one source of income: Chip’s £50 referral reward, paid to us when someone joins Chip through our link or code and qualifies. They get £50 too. There are no adverts and no paid placements. Here is how it works and why it does not change what we write.
The one reward we earn
Chip runs a refer-a-friend scheme for its customers. Chris is a Chip customer, so he has a referral link and the code CHIP-XUD314. When someone who has never held a Chip account before joins through either, deposits £1,000 or more into the Smart Cash ISA, the Instant Access Account or the Prize Savings Account and keeps at least that much there for 90 days in a row, Chip pays £50 to both of us. Current offer runs 1 October to 31 October 2026.
The bonus is paid at Chip's discretion, and Chip can change or end the offer at any time. The full mechanics, including the 90 days reset rule and why the Easy Access Saver does not count, are on the Chip referral code page. The rules themselves are in Chip’s refer a friend terms. If you are not sure whether you qualify, the bonus checker asks five questions and tells you.
There is no cap
Chip’s terms say there is no limit on referrals. In principle, then, every qualifying reader earns us £50, and a site like this could be tempted to push Chip harder than it deserves. We think the opposite is true. A reader who joins, puts money in the wrong account or takes it out on day 80 gets nothing and neither do we. A reader who would have been better off with a fixed rate or a bank they already use will not stay. Accurate pages are the only kind that earn anything over time.
What we do not do
- No adverts, ever. No display ads, no sponsored posts, no ad pixels or remarketing tags. Our Google Analytics, where enabled, runs with advertising features turned off. The privacy policy has the detail.
- No paid placements. No provider can pay to appear on a page, to be ranked higher or to have a criticism removed.
- No affiliate links to other providers, yet. Links to Plum, Moneybox, Trading 212, Monzo, Chase and NS&I are plain links that earn us nothing. If that changes, see below.
- No investment promotion. The site covers savings only. Chip’s investment accounts are mentioned as a plain list and never recommended.
What it means for objectivity
We would be lying if we said the referral has no effect. It is the reason Chip has its own section and the reason the referral code page exists. What it does not do is decide what we say about Chip. The Chip review includes the downsides, including slow in-app support, and every boosted Chip rate on the site appears next to the standard rate it drops to when the boost ends.
We earn the same £50 whether a page praises Chip or criticises it, and nothing at all when it sends you elsewhere. That is a real conflict of interest, so we deal with it by being specific: exact figures from primary sources, the date we checked them, and a clear line between what Chris has used and what is researched. The editorial policy sets out the rules we follow.
How we cover competitors
Every comparison is written from the other provider’s own pages, and it says where that provider wins. Sometimes another app has a higher standard rate once the boosts end. Premium Bonds are backed by HM Treasury, which no app can match. If you already bank with Monzo or Chase, keeping your savings there may simply be easier. The best savings apps comparison and the Chip alternatives page exist for readers Chip does not suit, and they earn us nothing.
One group we always point elsewhere: anyone who has held a Chip account before. They cannot get the £50, so the honest answer is usually to compare the standard rates, which the savings app offers page helps with.
Joining without our link
You never have to use our link. You can download Chip from your app store or go to getchip.uk directly. The difference is that without a referral, from us or from a friend, you will not get the £50 sign-up bonus. If a friend already uses Chip, using their code instead of ours is fine; the bonus works the same way.
How we label it
Every referral button says it is a referral link and where it goes. The pages that discuss the bonus repeat who qualifies near the button. Links to Chip that carry the referral are marked as sponsored for search engines. The footer of every page links here.
If this changes
If Chris opens an account with another provider that has a genuine referral or affiliate scheme, we may add it. If we do, the link will be labelled at the point you click it, this page will be updated to list it, and the comparison pages will not change their verdicts because of it. Anything that changes how the site earns money will also be noted in the news section.
Sources
- Chip Refer a friend terms and conditions (£50 Referral Bonus, 1 October 2026 to 31 October 2026)
- Chip Group Terms of Business (2 April 2026)
Figures last checked 16 October 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
Related reading
- Editorial policyHow we research, which sources we accept, how we date and re-check rates, and how to request a correction.
- AboutWho writes this site, why it exists, what we have first-hand experience of and how we stay independent.
- Referral code (£50)Chip referral code and link for October 2026: £50 each when you save £1,000 for 90 days. Which accounts count (not Easy Access) and the reset rule.
- Best savings appsThe best UK savings apps compared on rates, boosts, withdrawal rules, FSCS protection and fees, including when another app beats our pick.