Online Competitions

Worak/Flickr

Entering online competitions is a great way to nab free prizes for very little effort. They’re usually fast and fun to enter, and your chances of winning are often much higher than you’d imagine. Right now there are lots of people out there snapping up all the prizes you could be winning, but as the saying goes ‘you gotta be in it to win it!’

Warning, warning, warning!

If you enter an online competition you’ll be asked to include your email address. This generally means that your inbox will soon be flooded with spam – lots and lots of it. To avoid this problem all you have to do is set up a separate email account, try Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail for a free email account. This can be your ‘competition account,’ where everything competition related gets sent. That way your personal email account gets left alone, and you still get the chance to win big prizes. Don’t let the spam win! Do also note that for some of these competitions you have to give your phone number. Not all these companies give you the choice of opting out of receiving marketing texts etc., so make sure you check the terms and conditions if you hate receiving them.

Current picks

Win a year’s free car insurance with Moneysupermarket! Enter here.
Win a portable digital Wifi internet radio – enter here.
Win a massive box of 8 dozen mini cupcakes, just name this cupcake! Enter here.
Win free eye laser surgery courtesy of Optical Express (one new winner picked every month!) – enter here.
Win £200 from The Daily Telegraph for your travel writing article (no more than 500 words) – enter here.
Win a year’s free shopping from Tesco – enter here.
Win a luxury family holiday for four to the stunning Lake Garda in Italy. Enter here.
Win a trip for two for Las Vegas for five nights plus £500 cash! Enter here.
Win tickets to the crucial final Six Nations 2012 clash between England and Ireland on 17 March. Enter here.
Win £200 worth of Clinique products. Enter here.

Here are some different types of competitions to consider entering:

Online competitions are generally the easiest to enter. Since these are geared towards generating traffic, all they really want is your email address which is easy to provide.

Tip 1: You MUST set up a separate email account to enter online competitions, or you’ll find your inbox clogged up with nasty spam, try Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail for free.

Tip 2: Concentrate on reputable brands or companies. Competitions like the chance to win a year’s FREE shopping at ASDA is a good one to get started with, and we like the look of this competition to win a Philips HD ready TVand a DVD of Footloose, enter here.

Tip 3: Never pay to enter an online competition. If you like browsing through competition sites, stick to ones which offer free entry like Freepostcodelottery.com. This is a great little site which gives away £10 every day at noon to one of the postcodes on their list. There’s no catch, the only downside is that you have to check each day to see if your number has come up. This increases the site’s traffic which helps them get advertising on it. So if you can be bothered to keep checking the site you could win at least £10 – or even more if it keeps rolling over!

Competitions in newspapers and magazines

Newspaper and magazine-run competitions are very similar to online competitions. For the most part all you have to do is visit their website and answer a simple question, or fill out a postcard and mail it in to enter. Again, you’ll need to register your details as the whole point of the competition for them is to generate traffic and boost subscriptions.

Tip! It’s a good idea to grab free postcards whenever you can to enter competitions where you have to send in your answer. These sort of entry-form competitions take a bit more effort – and therefore have far fewer entrants. So if you do come across them, get your answers in as you have a greater chance of winning. Don’t be put off by the big ticket items – remember, fewer people enter these competitions believing the odds of winning are slimmer. Check out these current competitions on offer:

Newspapers

The Mirror – win a luxury Caribbean holiday for two, a stylish Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4, a year’s free petrol, exclusive sports tickets and loads more…
The Sun – chance to win an HD TV every day this week, a 3D HD camcorder, a Haven family holiday and tickets to a Premiership football match of your choice plus accommodation and spending money.
The Daily Telegraph – win a dream family holiday to the French Atlantic coast, a Wii console and Wii Fit package and £100 in National Book Tokens.

Magazines

Marie Claire – win a romantic weekend trip to Dublin, a tailor-made suit and 2012 olympic tickets.
Glamour – win Bliss Skincare beauty prizes every single day in March.
Tesco magazine – win a Caribbean holiday, a trip to Namibia, a spa break at Champney’s and lots more.
Elle – win £1,000 to spend at Hugo Boss, £500 to spend at Accessorize, a LookFantastic beauty hamper worth over £1000, a River Island collection and lots more.
Red Online – win an iPad 2, luxury spa treatment, £500 to spend at Westfield shopping centre and loads more.

Slogan competitions

Think you’ve got a bit of creative genius in you? Slogan competitions are terrific for the keen comper who’s ready and willing to put in a little more effort than simply typing in an email address or sending back a postcard. Companies love to use slogan competitions as a way to market their products at low costs and encourage consumers to think positively about what they’re selling.

With most slogan competitions, the sponsor company will begin by having you answer a few simple questions to determine whether or not you are fit for the task. You may be asked to complete some part of a phrase in an “apt and original” manner.

Once again, because so few people make an effort to enter, slogan competitions are a dream for the avid comper.

How YOU can create knock-your-socks-off slogans:

CompersNews monthly newsletter publishes thousands of prize-winning slogans. Have a look at those that have won in the past to help you get an idea of the kinds of slogans that companies look for.
Winning slogans typically have rhyme, rhythm or a pun. Go out and grab yourself a rhyming dictionary and dictionary of English idioms at Amazon, which takes all the hassle out of creating history’s next greatest slogan!
Remember that the point of the slogan is to advertise the product in a positive light. Your slogan should always make the product look good.
Word limits are key! Slogans that surpass the given word limit will not be considered. Always stick to the competition rules.
If possible enter more than once. But be careful – don’t send in several horrible slogans. Instead come up with two really good ideas that are different in their approach – for example one that is clever and witty and one that is more direct and serious. Be careful to check the terms and conditions of each competition as some specify that you can only make one entry.
Remember – the more obscure or difficult the competition, the fewer the entrants and the better chance you have of winning.
Join websites like Loquax and CompersNews for free details on upcoming competitions. Magazine Stand also has details of lots of prize-heavy publications.

So, remember: set up a seperate email address for any unwanted junk mail, and enter as many online competitions as you can, the more you enter, the more likely you are to win!

35 Responses to “Online competitions”

ali says:

July 3, 2011 at 12:38 pm

happyali105@yahoo.com
hello
i m ali 35 years old
i would like to participate to your won prize ,
i hope i will be selected to win
ali kharraz
bloc4n105cite sidi mohamed(ihchach)
agadir-80.000
Morocco
Matt says:

June 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm

Hi all,

Matt here from Compers News (the competition listings magazine). We’re running draws to win prizes plus a £100 draw (ends 31st July 2011) over at facebook.com/compersnews

Hope to see you there.
- Matt says:
  
  June 29, 2011 at 11:37 am
  
  Hi (again),
  We are running daily draws this week (w/c 27th June 2011) too. Simply ‘Like’ our Facebook page to find out more: facebook.com/compersnews
Competitions says:

June 1, 2011 at 1:41 pm

This is a very nice competition site.I hope it will help people to raise their funds.
Andrew says:

May 29, 2011 at 12:25 pm

Forever Manchester is offering people the chance to win a limited edition piece of artwork, exclusively designed by renowned illustrator Si Scott.
The iconic poster features the lyrics ‘Don’t Wanna Live Life in the Shade’ from Badly Drawn Boy’s ‘Another Pearl’.

Just go to http://www.largemanchester.com/forever-manchester-competition.html and enter your details for a chance to win…..and ‘SKIN’ no I haven’t heard of anyone winning in those publications but I’m somebody must (I hope)
skin says:

May 26, 2011 at 6:47 pm

My dad and I have been entering all the competitions in Chat and Take A Break magazines for years and years but have never won anything, starting to think they are just a scam or we are just not that lucky. Does anyone no anyone who’s won something from them?
Charlie says:

May 21, 2011 at 3:25 pm

I tried to get the book, from beginners to winners, but it’s not available on amazon, does anyone know where it can be found?
Laura says:

May 16, 2011 at 2:33 pm

*Rolls eyes* seriously instead of actually complaining about this article, try actually reading it!! Jasmine DID write that you are best setting up a different email account because of the risk of Spam. Plus there was also an answer to the £4.50 text message and the answer was Don’t put in your mobile number and you won’t get charged.simples!
Emily says:

May 13, 2011 at 10:31 am

I find that when I enter competitions for cash I don’t often win… however, when I enter compatitions for vouchers I have been quick lucky! Its really great as vouchers don’t quickly go out of date and they always come in handy eventually! My favorite site is surveyfriends Just because they do a voucher competition everyday so you have great chance of winning!
Andrew says:

May 9, 2011 at 12:02 pm

LargeManchester are giving away 2 tickets to see Dylan Moran (black books, run fat boy run, etc) in Manchester on the 16th June
Enter here http://www.largemanchester.com/win-two-tickets-to-dylan-morans-stand-up.html
Andrew says:

April 26, 2011 at 1:11 pm

Great competition from LargeManchester where you can win a trip to Finland for 2, visit the site and enter to win, couldn’t be easier
http://www2.largemanchester.com/win-a-weekend-in-finland-for-two.html
Scott says:

April 5, 2011 at 9:51 am

Great read!
Helen O'Mahony says:

March 14, 2011 at 8:02 pm

I save money by spending an hour or two in the kitchen at the weekend and making cookies and flapjacks for the kids lunch boxes for the week. So much cheaper than buying cakes at the supermarket, and far healthier.
Alex J Chappel says:

March 14, 2011 at 4:04 am

My top money-saving tip: I put a stove kettle on the electric hob after cooking and capture the lost heat by heating up water and storing it in a flask.
abraham kreuzer says:

January 31, 2011 at 11:01 pm

The best way to earn “A Good” income is , learn a trade(one that involves doing something you enjoy), they usually pay you 50% to twice what you can earn in an “ordinary” job; trust me, I have now more than doubled my income in just three years! Always do a “Good job”, and the work just keeps coming in.
- Ranj says:
  
  March 13, 2011 at 1:32 pm
  
  Hi Abraham just read your comment in moneymagpie,could really do with some extra money is there any way you could help? Thanks..
Jan says:

January 25, 2011 at 10:48 pm

On the bottom of supermarket receipts it tells you what you have saved on your shopping. I religiously save this amount each week and this pays for my christmas.
darren kelly says:

January 24, 2011 at 3:29 pm

thank you
Helen says:

January 23, 2011 at 1:55 pm

Hello

I really enjoyed your article on how to win prizes and freebies and signed up to Get Me A Ticket but when I tried to enter the competitions it was asking me to fill in a survey which would entail receiving text messages charged at £4.50 for 2 billed text messages and you have to text back STOP to stop getting them and being charged any more.

This pretty much means that the competitions are not free and you do have to ‘purchase’ the texts to be in with a chance of winning.

Unless I have misunderstood something here, please could someone confirm whether or not this is truly the case?

Many thanks.

Helen
- Lauren Forbes says:
  
  January 25, 2011 at 1:53 pm
  
  Hi Helen,
  
  Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. I’ve contacted ‘Get Me A Ticket’ and will keep you updated regarding their response. In the mean time I will take down our mention of them until we know the answer.
  
  Lauren, Moneymagpie team
  - Lauren Forbes says:
    
    January 25, 2011 at 3:14 pm
    
    Hi Helen,
    
    I’ve just received this response from ‘Get me Ticket.’ I hope this helps to clear things up for you:
    
    “Hi Helen,
    
    Thank you for your email. I’m very glad you sent me this, as we’d like to clear up any confusion here.
    
    When entering a competition, our members will be invited to fill out a small number of surveys in order for their entry to be validated. Each one will have the option to answer ‘no’ or ‘not interested’, and any person who responds negatively can expect not to have any correspondence from the company in question.
    
    We do have a small number of subscription offers on the site, and I think the comment below is regarding a survey from one of our partners which advertises entry to a £25,000 cash draw prize for £4.50 a week (to be charged to a mobile).
    
    Only people who select the answer ‘yes’ and then go on to enter a phone number will be entered into this prize draw by our affiliate.
    
    In short, all competitions on Get Me A Ticket are indeed free to enter, unless a person specifically signs up to one of the few subscription offers on our site. Answering negatively to any survey or offer will not affect a person’s chances of winning Get Me A Ticket prizes whatsoever.
    
    I hope this clears things up a bit!
    Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any other queries.
    
    Kind Regards,
    
    The Get Me A Ticket Team
Amy says:

January 1, 2011 at 3:38 pm

a great way to save money is to shop around. I know it sounds obvious but it can save you a great deal. For example, napoleana pasta is currently 75p for a pack in Iceland, whereas in Tesco it is normally £2.00! Big savings if you take note of different prices. I promise!
david mitchener says:

December 31, 2010 at 6:16 pm

Hi,
A month before Christmas my wife is gift wrapping…and complaining!!
You never help me etc..
OK,next year will be different,I’m doing it over the year.
I’ve already got the wrapping paper,one third off,and a very nice
cheese board and knife at half price…and it’s wrapped.
The cards have been bought at half price.
We’ll be looking in the spring and summer sales with the present list.The gifts will be wrapped straight away.
What a relief it’s going to be next year when we open the Christmas
box..take out the cards already addressed.and the gifts all wrapped.
OK,it’s not a new idea, but it will certainly make for harmony in the house…we hope.
Marta says:

November 18, 2010 at 2:57 pm

I do online surveys, it works. Use different websites and get gifts, vouchers or cash.
Won £10 voucher yesterday from SurveyFriends
MR Bean says:

October 31, 2010 at 2:26 am

I won a Mini.
Mags says:

October 27, 2010 at 3:20 pm

I recently won a sat nav on Get me a Ticket, completely free to enter, occassional emails from them, no spam as a result …. thrilled, have recommended to all my family and friends
rat says:

September 19, 2010 at 11:16 pm

Hi, Are these competitons spam? Will one end up spending money instead of winning some!!!
Jo Jones says:

September 7, 2010 at 3:13 pm

moneysavingexpert has a free competition forum that is very good. It lists lots of free to enter competitions & is a very friendly site that welcomes newbies! I have won lots of prizes via the site, eg Wii, Apple ipod, Delonghi coffee machine. People now always keep asking what I have won when they see me. You have to be in it to win it!!
This is Me says:

July 4, 2010 at 9:21 pm

Poor article. Fails to mention that the ‘freebie’ giveaway of 250.00 vouchers means signing up to a subscription service that costs 4.50 a week. Martin Evans would be ashamed of you.
- Lauren Forbes says:
  
  July 5, 2010 at 11:00 am
  
  Hi,
  
  We have searched through the terms & conditions but cannot find any mention of the £4.50 subscription fee. Where abouts on the website did you see it? We have contacted the team running these offers and will keep you updated.
  
  Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
  - Ruth says:
    
    July 7, 2010 at 1:07 pm
    
    Hi, It does indeed advise that their will be a £4.50 montly subscription to your phone, when you entered your phone number in (i entered a mobile) i didn’t go on any further, am scared that i will now get charged this money to my account
    - Lauren Forbes says:
      
      July 8, 2010 at 9:41 am
      
      Hi Ruth,
      
      The competition has now been removed. Please do let us know if you get charged.
      
      Lauren
Jane says:

June 29, 2010 at 1:16 pm

poor research Jasmine. I’ve signed up to Free ASDA promo before & they spam me daily

I’ve signed up to lot’s of these types of prizes. I change my first name each time so I can who is spamming me (sometime they eamil from random domains). So I know some firms who provide these prizes don’t spam but this offersclick/asda certainly do & it’s the one you pushing the hardest.
Matt says:

May 3, 2010 at 9:09 pm

A very useful article, thanks. I’ll be using my lunch hour to enter comps !!
chetna surti says:

November 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm

any chance of vouchers for healthy eating places?