How to Earn Cashback on Your Rent

Rent is usually your biggest monthly expense, but with a little creativity, you can claw back a chunk of that cost in cashback. The trick? Pay by card instead of bank transfer, or use tools that reward your rent payments. Here’s how.

1) The Easy Win: Ribbon Rewards (1% + £25 Bonus)

If your landlord doesn’t accept card payments, Ribbon Rewards (also known as Scraye Rewards) is the simplest option.

• Earn 1% cashback on every rent payment
• Get a £25 gift card after your first payment (even a small test payment qualifies)
• Free account provided by Griffin Bank (FSCS-protected)
• Rent is forwarded instantly to your landlord

✅ We’ve tested it—rewards are genuine. Curious to see how the process works? Check out our guide here.

2) Bigger Wins with Card Payments (Trading 212, Amex, + DD Cashback)

If your landlord or letting agent accepts card payments (e.g., Stripe, Square), the rewards can be higher:

🔹 Trading 212 Card — 1.5% back (cap £15/month)

Opt in to Cashback Investing and earn 1.5% cashback on eligible spend, capped at £15/month.

• £1,000 rent =£15 back in one payment (cap hit instantly)
• Cashback auto-invests into Trading 212 (you can sell it if you want cash)
• Promo extended until 5 September 2025

🔹 Amex Gold — Big sign-up bonus

Want rewards points instead? The Amex Preferred Rewards Gold card is popular.

• 22,000 Membership Rewards points after £3,000 spend in 3 months (offer-dependent)
• Extra perks: lounge passes, dining credits, etc.
• Check the live offer before applying

🔹 Direct Debit Cashback (Zopa Biscuit)

If you’re stuck paying by Direct Debit, look for banks that reward them.

• Zopa pays 2% cashback on Direct Debits, up to £1,500/year =£30 back
• Guaranteed rate for 12 months

3) What to Ask Your Landlord or Agent

Most rent goes by bank transfer (zero rewards). But many agents already use Stripe/Square—they just don’t mention it. Try asking:

“Do you accept rent by card (Stripe, Square, etc.)? If not, would you consider setting up a simple Stripe payment link so I can pay via card each month?”

💡 Once a Stripe link is sent, you can usually reuse it every month. Bookmark it and you’re set.

4) Step-by-Step: How to Earn Cashback on Rent

Option A — Fastest Setup (No card needed)

• Open Ribbon Rewards and verify your account
• Pay rent into Ribbon → forwarded instantly to landlord
• Earn 1% cashback+£10 gift card on first payment

Option B — Bigger Cashback via Card

• Ask landlord/agent for a Stripe/Square link
• Pay using Trading 212 card→ £15 back on £1,000 rent
• Optional: Use Amex Gold for a sign-up bonus if moving in soon

Option C — Direct Debit fallback

• Open Zopa account → get 2% back on Direct Debits (worth £30/year)

5) Real Math Examples

• £1,000 rent via Trading 212 card: £15 back (cap hit instantly)
• £1,200 rent via Ribbon: £12 cashback + £10 bonus gift card =£22 in month one
• £1,200 rent via Zopa DDs:~£30/year cashback

Cashback Calculator

You can total up your expected cashback here with our Cashback Stacking Calculator.