Student discounts UK: every discount students can actually get

Discount rates, verification rules and partner lists change often — the details below were correct at the time of writing, so always check the current terms on the scheme’s own site before you sign up, pay for anything, or rely on a specific saving.

What counts as a student discount

“Student discount” covers a few different things, and it helps to know which is which:

• Free verified-student apps — UNiDAYS and Student Beans. No cost, just proof you’re a student, and you get a code or link for a long list of retailer partners.
• A paid student card — TOTUM. A membership fee unlocks a different (and sometimes overlapping) set of partner discounts.
• Sector-specific student perks — things like a railcard for train travel, a cheaper Prime for Amazon, discounted software licences, and extra perks some banks attach to student accounts. These aren’t “discount schemes” in the same sense — each is run by a single provider with its own rules.

Most of the above need proof you’re currently enrolled — commonly a university email address, sometimes a photo of your student ID or a quick verification check instead. Exactly what’s accepted varies by scheme, so check the sign-up page if you’re not sure you qualify.

The free apps: UNiDAYS and Student Beans

• UNiDAYS — free once you verify you’re a student. Good coverage in fashion, tech and food, with a code you copy from the app or site at checkout.
• Student Beans — also free for verified students. Its partner list overlaps a lot with UNiDAYS but isn’t identical.

Because both are free, there’s no reason to pick one — hold both and check each for the retailer you’re actually buying from, since a partner covered on one isn’t always covered on the other. See our full comparison of discount membership schemes for how these sit alongside Blue Light Card and other eligibility-based discounts.

TOTUM: the paid student card

TOTUM (formerly the NUS extra card) is the paid option for students, sold as a membership over 1, 2 or 3 years. There’s a limited free tier, but the headline discounts sit behind the paid membership, and it leans into a different set of partners from the free apps — some food, travel and high-street names.

It’s only worth paying for if you can name two or three partners you’ll genuinely use that aren’t already covered free by UNiDAYS or Student Beans — otherwise start with the free apps first, and only add TOTUM if you keep hitting discounts it covers and they don’t.

Other student savings worth knowing about

• A 16-25 or 26-30 Railcard — a paid card that cuts the price of most train fares once you’re travelling. The cost and the exact discount are set by National Rail and do change, so check railcard.co.uk for the current price and terms before buying.
• Amazon Prime Student — a cheaper version of Prime aimed at students, usually with a longer free trial than standard Prime. Pricing and trial length change, so check Amazon’s Prime Student page directly.
• Student software licences — many software providers (office, design and developer tools among them) offer a discounted or free student tier once you verify your enrolment. Availability and pricing vary a lot by provider, so check directly with the software you actually need.
• Student bank account perks — some banks add extras to student accounts, such as an interest-free overdraft buffer or a sign-up incentive. This isn’t financial advice, and offers change often and vary a lot between banks, so compare current student account terms directly with providers (or a comparison site) rather than choosing one on a single perk.

Stacking a student discount with cashback and gift cards

A student discount is just one layer — it doesn’t use up your other savings. The usual order: activate cashback by clicking through a cashback portal first, then apply your UNiDAYS, Student Beans or TOTUM code at checkout. Paying with a discounted gift card can often go on top of that too.

The one thing to watch: a few retailers exclude gift-card payments, or certain codes, from cashback tracking — so check the retailer’s terms if you’re combining all three on a single order. Our full stacking method covers the order that works best across every type of discount, not just student ones.

Let DealStacker check the rest of the stack

DealStacker works out the genuinely cheapest stacked price for a product across cashback, discounted gift cards, vouchers and loyalty — on top of whatever student discount you’re already using. Search a product to see what a full stack saves you.

How we make money: DealStacker is free. When you click through to a retailer or partner and buy, we may earn a commission. It costs you nothing extra and never changes which deal we rank cheapest.

Student discounts — FAQ

Is UNiDAYS or Student Beans better?

Neither comes out ahead overall — both are free for verified students, and their partner lists overlap a lot but aren't identical. Because there's no cost to either, the simplest approach is to hold both and check each one for the specific retailer you're buying from before you decide which code to use.

Do you need a .ac.uk email for student discounts?

Usually, but not always. Most schemes verify you're a current student through your university email address, and some also accept a photo of your student ID or a quick third-party verification check if you don't have a .ac.uk address to hand. Exactly what's accepted varies by scheme, so check the sign-up page if you're not sure you qualify.

Can you use a student discount and cashback together?

Often yes. The usual order is to click through a cashback portal first, then apply your student discount code at checkout — the two are normally independent. Paying with a discounted gift card can sometimes be added on top too, though a few retailers exclude gift-card payments from cashback tracking, so it's worth checking the retailer's terms before you rely on all three combining.

Are student discounts worth it after you graduate?

Generally no — verified-student apps and codes are tied to your enrolment, so most stop working once your student status can't be reverified. A handful of schemes offer a short graduate grace period or separate graduate deals, but don't assume it — check the specific scheme rather than relying on discounts continuing after you finish studying.