Is the Chip refer a friend bonus worth it in 2026?
Yes for anyone with £1,000 to set aside for three months. Chip pays £50 on top of what the money earns, and it can wait in a tax-free Smart Cash ISA at 4.56% AER for new customers. It suits UK residents 18+ who are new to Chip: join with CHIP-TCE575 or via https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/chip.
Key takeaways
- Chip pays £50 to the new customer and £50 to the referrer once £1,000 has stayed in eligible accounts for 90 consecutive days.
- The code is CHIP-TCE575; https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/chip applies it automatically if you sign up within 30 days with the email you enter there.
- Eligible: Smart Cash ISA, Instant Access, Prize Savings, General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA. Not eligible: the pension and Easy Access.
- A deadline of 120 days from referral covers the whole process, and any dip below £1,000 restarts the 90-day count.
Our pick here: Chip pays £50 bonus, verified against its own terms.
The short answer
For a saver with £1,000 ready, Chip's referral is one of the better returns available for doing very little. The deposit stays yours throughout, earning interest or prize entries, and after 90 consecutive days Chip adds £50. Join with CHIP-TCE575 or through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/chip, and the code is attached from the first day.
What makes it good value
Set against the deposit, £50 on £1,000 for one quarter is a 5% gain before interest. Put the money in the Smart Cash ISA, which pays new customers 4.56% AER for 12 months (a 3.50% base and a 1.06% boost), and roughly £11 of tax-free interest accrues over the same 90 days. Nothing has to be bought and no paid plan is needed; Chip's free Basic plan is enough.
The conditions, in order
- Get the code on the account. Through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/chip: enter your email, then sign up in the app with that address within 30 days. By hand: type CHIP-TCE575 into the app within 14 days of installing it.
- Fund it. £1,000 or more across the Smart Cash ISA, Instant Access, Prize Savings, General Investment Account or Stocks and Shares ISA. The pension and Easy Access accounts sit outside the scheme.
- Wait 90 days. Keep the total at £1,000 or above throughout; a dip resets the count.
- Finish inside 120 days of being referred.
- Keep Instant Access or Prize Savings open, because that is where the £50 is paid.
How it compares
Other apps pay faster but smaller or less certain sums. Monzo gives a new personal customer £10 for one card purchase within 30 days. Trading 212 gives free fractional shares worth £8 to £100 for a £1 deposit within 10 days, with capital at risk. Chip's £50 is the largest fixed cash figure of the three, in exchange for the 90-day hold.
The verdict
Worth it for UK savers aged 18 or over who have never had a Chip account and can commit £1,000 for three months. Deposit early, choose the Smart Cash ISA for the strongest combined return, and leave it alone. Code: CHIP-TCE575. When investing, your capital is at risk.
How it compares
| Chip | Trading 212 / Monzo | |
|---|---|---|
| New customer gets | £50 cash | Free shares worth £8–£100 / £10 cash |
| What it takes | £1,000 held 90 days | £1 deposit in 10 days / one card purchase in 30 days |
| Code or link | Code CHIP-TCE575 or link | Link / code |
| Paid as | Cash in Chip savings | Shares (capital at risk) / cash |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chip £50 referral worth it?
Yes if you can leave £1,000 in Chip for 90 days: that is a 5% return in one quarter before any interest. Join with CHIP-TCE575.
What Chip code gives £50?
Referral code CHIP-TCE575, entered in the app within 14 days of downloading, or applied automatically through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/chip.
Where should I keep the £1,000 for the Chip bonus?
The Smart Cash ISA pays new customers 4.56% AER tax-free for 12 months, roughly £11 on £1,000 over 90 days. The Instant Access and Prize Savings accounts also qualify, as do the two investment accounts, where capital is at risk.
Can I take money out during the 90 days?
Yes, provided the total in eligible accounts never drops below £1,000. If it does, Chip restarts the 90 days once the balance is back to £1,000.
Do I need ChipX for the referral?
No. The bonus works on the free Basic plan.
Compared, verified and link-tested — here's where to go next.
Last checked 1 October 2026 by Behzad Hosseini, Editor-in-Chief. Figures verified against each brand's own terms. How we check.