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I refuse to pay full price for a coffee, so I use a handful of schemes to get cheap coffee whenever I’m out and about.
Although I love a matcha, paying over £5 for one never feels like a good use of money. Say you buy a £4 drink three times a week. That adds up to £624 a year. If you’re building a budget that doesn’t need a spreadsheet, your coffee habit is a good line to look at first.
The short version: join the loyalty scheme at the chain you already use, then add the weekly rewards and cashback offers below on top. Details were last checked on 14 October 2026. Offers change often, so check the app before you head out.
Disclaimer: This post includes referral or affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more in my affiliate disclosure.
Become a Three Customer for a Cheap Coffee Every Week
Three customers get two chances a week to pay less for a drink through the Three+ rewards app. Three+ works with Pay Monthly, Pay As You Go and Home Broadband accounts. You must be 18 or over. If you’re on Pay As You Go, you need to top up at least £10 every 90 days to keep your access, according to Three’s Three+ page.
Recently, I jumped on a boosted cashback offer with TopCashback to get an 80GB monthly SIM for free for 12 months. That offer has gone. You can still look for cashback on Three SIM plans through TopCashback. When I first wrote this post in July 2026, the cashback brought the cheapest 30GB plan down from £7 a month to about £4. Cashback rates change, so check the current rate before you sign up.
A coffee perk is a nice extra, but it is not a good reason to switch networks on its own. Work out the full cost of the contract first. Three’s SIM page shows planned price rises each April on the plan it lists, so look at the price after the rise too.
Three+ Caffè Nero Coffee Deal
Every week, Three+ releases Caffè Nero codes. Three’s page lists the deal at £2 for any barista-made hot or cold drink, with your choice of syrup, milk and extras. This used to be a £1 deal, so the price has gone up.
You get one code a week. Codes are first come, first served, and having a code does not guarantee a drink. Once you claim a code in the app, you have one hour to use it in store. Codes go quickly, so open the app early in the week. Check the terms in the app to see whether a voucher drink earns a Caffè Nero stamp.
Three+ £1 Coffee Network
Three has also teamed up with cafés across the UK. Each week you get one unique link in the Three+ app. It opens the £1 Coffee Network site, where you can search for nearby venues and unlock a single-use voucher. You have one hour to use it once you activate it.
Three’s page lists this deal at £1, although one graphic on the same page says £2. Check the price in the app. Look at the venues near you before you plan around it.
Octopus Energy: A Monday Scratchcard With a Free Coffee Prize
If you’re an Octopus Energy customer with a smart meter, you can join Octoplus, its rewards scheme. Every Monday you can scratch a card for a chance to win a free coffee from Greggs or Caffè Nero. The card has other prizes too, such as a chocolate bar or an ice pop, so a coffee is not guaranteed (Octopus Energy).
Not with Octopus yet? Learn more about them here and get £50 off when you sign up. Compare the tariff price first, though. A scratchcard is a bonus, not a reason to pay more for your energy.
If you’re comparing suppliers anyway, there are other ways to save money on your bills worth a look.
Coffee Shop Loyalty Schemes That Give You Free Coffee
There’s no point spending hundreds on coffee and getting nothing back. Sign up for the loyalty scheme at any coffee shop you visit more than once.
It’s not just the big chains. I find a lot of local independents have their own version. A few of mine do stamp cards, where you collect stamps and claim a freebie after a set number of coffees. Plenty of schemes also give a sign-up reward, so you could get a free coffee before you’ve spent anything.
Starbucks Rewards
You earn 10 Stars for every £1 you spend, whether you pay in the app or scan it at the till. A free filter coffee, hot tea or Americano costs 150 Stars, which is £15 of spending. A free handcrafted drink costs 600 Stars, or £60 of spending. A bakery item costs 350 Stars. The 150 Star reward covers the standard drink only, so extras cost extra. Stars also expire two years after you earn them (Starbucks Rewards terms, updated 3 September 2026).
Earn 2,500 Stars in 12 months and you reach Gold, which is £250 of spending. Gold gives you free syrups, sauces, toppings and extra espresso shots. It also gives you a coupon for a free handcrafted drink on your birthday, valid for 30 days. Add your birthday to your account, or you will miss the coupon. Starbucks also runs Bonus Star promotions, so check the offers in the app.
Costa Club Beans
Costa Club gives you 1 bean for every Costa-crafted drink you buy. Ten beans earn a free drink. Bring a reusable cup and you get a bonus bean, so you need only five drinks instead of ten. Your free drink stays in the app for up to three months (Costa). Treat drops in the app often give double beans, and members get birthday treats such as free cake.
Not a member yet? Use this link or enter code S38SW to get 5 bonus beans on your first drink purchase.
Caffè Nero App Stamps
The Caffè Nero app builds a digital loyalty card as you buy drinks. Which? reported that nine stamps earn a free drink, and that your own cup earns a double stamp.
Don’t have the app? Download it with my referral link to get a free drink after you use the app for the first time.
Which Loyalty Scheme Gets You a Free Coffee Fastest?
Say your drink costs £4. Caffè Nero needs nine drinks, or five with your own cup. Costa needs ten drinks, or five with your own cup. Starbucks gives you 40 Stars a drink, so a free filter coffee arrives after four drinks. A free handcrafted drink takes 600 Stars, which is 15 drinks.
The best scheme is the one for the chain you already use. Changing where you buy coffee just to chase a free drink can cost more than it saves.
Best Cheap Coffee in the UK: Look Beyond the Menu Price
The cheapest cup depends on where you live, how often you go and which schemes you use. Work out the price per drink after rewards. A £4 drink in a nine-stamp scheme works out at £3.60 a cup, because nine drinks for £36 gives you ten. That beats a £3.80 drink with no rewards.
If you want a low menu price with no app, Wetherspoon’s own site lists tea and coffee with free refills at £1.81 a drink or less. The price does not apply in airports, shopping centres or service stations. It varies by pub, so check your local menu.
Cashback Gift Cards: Turn Cashback Into Coffee
Did you know you can take your cashback as gift cards? Sometimes the gift card payout is boosted, so you get even more money.
TopCashback is free to join. You click through to a retailer and shop as normal. The retailer pays TopCashback a commission, and you get it as cashback. You can withdraw it once it becomes payable, as TopCashback explains.
When I first wrote this post, taking cashback as a Starbucks, Costa or Caffè Nero gift card gave at least 4% extra. That bonus changes, so check the current rate in your account before you cash out. New members can also get a welcome bonus. Join TopCashback here and check what’s on offer when you sign up.
This way, you buy coffee with bonus money from spending you already planned to do. For more of the apps I use, see the cashback sites and reward apps I use.
Cheap Coffee FAQs
How do I get cheap coffee in the UK?
Join the loyalty scheme at the chain you already use. Then add the weekly rewards from your phone or energy provider, and take your cashback as coffee gift cards.
Can you get free coffee in the UK?
Yes. Starbucks, Costa and Caffè Nero all give a free drink after you collect enough Stars, beans or stamps. Octopus Energy customers with a smart meter can also win one in the Monday scratchcard, though a prize is not guaranteed.
Which coffee loyalty scheme is best?
It depends on the chain you visit. Costa and Caffè Nero need nine or ten drinks, or five with your own cup. Starbucks gives a free filter coffee at 150 Stars, which is £15 of spending.
How much is a coffee with Three+?
Three lists the weekly Caffè Nero drink at £2 and the local café network at £1. You need an eligible Three plan, and each code or voucher has to be used within one hour.
Offers like these change, so I share the deals worth knowing about in my fortnightly newsletter. You can also browse more ways to save money.
Here’s to being savvy spenders and still getting our coffee treats! What’s your favourite way to get cheap coffee? Let me know in the comments.
