Zilch is not only an Amazon workaround. Its card can be used for eligible shopping online or in store, and Zilch can award Rewards when you choose Pay now and pay in full from a linked debit card.
The useful part is the reach: search for a retailer in the Zilch app to see its live rate, or use Zilch Anywhere when a shop is not listed. Amazon is simply one retailer among many.
Zilch’s current help page says both people receive £5 in Rewards when the new member signs up through the referral, completes identity checks, is approved and has their card issued within 30 days. Referral amounts can change, so the invitation screen and in-app terms take priority.
How to earn Zilch Rewards when shopping
- Open Zilch.
Complete the account, identity and card setup if you are new.
- Choose Online or In-store.
Search for the shop inside the Zilch app before checking out.
- Select Pay now.
This takes the full purchase amount from your linked debit card immediately, rather than borrowing it.
- Enable the card.
Confirm the retailer’s displayed Rewards rate. Zilch says the initiated rate is guaranteed for two hours.
- Pay with Zilch.
Use the Zilch card details online or the supported digital-wallet card in store, then keep the receipt.
What “shop anywhere” means
If the retailer is listed, selecting it and enabling the card can unlock its higher advertised rate. If it is not listed, Zilch Anywhere lets you use the card at many eligible Visa retailers online or in store.
Zilch’s current help centre says Standard customers can earn up to 0.5% on Pay now shopping when they do not enable a retailer first, including Tap & Pay or Anywhere purchases. Rates, account plans, merchant exclusions and spending limits can change, so confirm the exact figure displayed in your app before paying.
Rewards rates can change
Zilch currently advertises up to 5% back in Rewards for eligible Pay now purchases on its free Standard plan, with different rates for paid plans. The amount varies by retailer and by how you activate the card. Trust the live rate in your app rather than an old screenshot or percentage quoted elsewhere.
Rewards are loyalty points, not cash you can withdraw. One Reward is currently equivalent to one penny when applied to eligible Zilch purchases. The Pay now terms say Rewards normally expire 12 months after they are awarded, and a refund or cancellation reverses the Rewards earned on that transaction.
Current £5 Zilch referral reward
Zilch’s referral help page, checked on 29 August 2026, says both the existing member and eligible new member receive £5 in Zilch Rewards after the new member:
- follows the unique referral link;
- completes identity checks;
- is approved for a Zilch account; and
- has their Zilch card issued within 30 calendar days.
The amount is based on the promotion available when the new member signs up and may change. This is £5 in Zilch Rewards, not £5 deposited into a bank account.
Spending Zilch Rewards
Standard members can currently apply Rewards at eligible stores listed in the Zilch app. Extra and Plus members have broader options. Toggle Rewards on before enabling the card; Zilch applies as much of the available balance as the purchase can use, with any remainder staying in the account.
Do not choose a paid membership or a credit option purely to chase a small reward. Compare the subscription cost, any borrowing fee and the cashback value first.
Pros
- Works with many retailers online and in store.
- Pay now does not add a borrowing balance.
- Listed retailers can offer a higher live rate.
- Rewards arrive quickly on eligible Pay now purchases.
Cons
- The rate is not fixed and can be low for Anywhere shopping.
- Rewards cannot be withdrawn as cash.
- Rewards normally expire after 12 months.
- Refunds reverse earned Rewards.