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Editorial standards

Editorial policy

Every code, deal and guide on HonestCodes meets one standard: it is real, it is current, and it says exactly what the brand's own terms say. This page sets out how we choose what to list, how we verify it, how we keep it current and how we put things right.

Our promise to readers

  • Every offer we list is real and available to UK customers today.
  • Every figure — the amount, who gets it, the qualifying step and the deadline — matches the brand's own published terms.
  • Every page shows the date it was last checked, and when an offer changes or ends we aim to correct or remove it within one working day.
  • We never swap a better offer for one that pays us more. If a commission link would lose you a reward the brand gives new customers, we use a link that keeps it.

What we list — and what we don't

We list UK brands with a genuine, currently available offer for UK customers: discount and promo codes, welcome offers, refer-a-friend rewards and cashback sign-up bonuses, across banking and payments, mobile and broadband, travel and transport, food and shopping, software and subscriptions, and fitness.

We do not list:

  • gambling, betting or lottery products;
  • payday or high-cost short-term lending;
  • unregulated crypto or investment schemes;
  • codes a brand has not issued or published — leaked, private, employee or student codes shared without permission;
  • anything that breaches UK advertising rules (the ASA CAP Code).

How we verify an offer

Before an offer is published, it passes five checks:

  1. Source check.We open the brand's own published terms — its website, help centre, app or official offer page. Never another code site's listing, a forum post or an old screenshot.
  2. Figure transcription. The amount, who gets paid, the qualifying step and the time limit are copied from those terms and cross-checked against the wording the brand shows in its own sign-up flow.
  3. Eligibility and regulation.We record the new- or existing-customer rules and the relevant protection — FCA authorisation and FSCS cover for banks, e-money safeguarding for payment apps, ATOL for flights — so the page is clear about what is and isn't covered.
  4. Link check. We confirm the code or deal link applies the offer the page describes.
  5. Final check.The finished page is checked line by line against the brand's terms before it goes live.

The page then goes live showing the date it was verified.

Keeping offers current

  • Daily:an automated check opens every brand's code or deal link. The “Verified” date on a brand page is the most recent day that link was confirmed working — last checked, not last changed. A link that has gone dead keeps its old date and is fixed or removed.
  • Monthly:we re-read every offer's terms against the brand's own website, help centre or app, and update the page if anything has changed.
  • Time-limited campaignscarry their end date; when the window closes the page switches to the brand's standing offer automatically, so it never asserts a deadline that has passed.
  • Ended offers are removed. A brand without a live offer has no page rather than a stale one.

How we rank and compare

Rankings, “best” lists and head-to-head verdicts are ordered by what the reader actually receives — the value of the new-customer reward, how easy it is to qualify and how quickly it arrives. Where a referral offer pays only the existing customer, we say so, and we never headline a reward the reader doesn't get.

Independence and commercial relationships

HonestCodes earns commission when readers sign up or buy through our links — see how we make money. That relationship never buys a listing, a ranking, a verdict or a review. Brands and their agencies may send us offers, terms and exclusive codes; we verify every one independently before it is published, and the page says when a code is exclusive to HonestCodes readers.

Financial and regulated products

For banks, payment apps, investing platforms and insurance, we describe the provider's own offer in the provider's own wording and link to its terms. Our pages are general information, not financial advice. Where capital is at risk, the page says so.

How we use technology

We use software, including AI tools, to monitor links, track changes to offers and help us research, draft and update pages. Whatever produced the first draft, every figure, term and verdict is checked against the brand's own published terms before it goes live, and every page is held to this policy.

Corrections

If something on HonestCodes is wrong, email hello@honestcodes.co.uk. We aim to correct or withdraw the affected page within one working day, and a significant correction updates the page's verified date.

Last reviewed 23 September 2026.