Is the Voi referral code worth it in 2026?
Yes, where Voi is the operator on your street — which is most of England outside the big cities. £2.50 is the smallest reward in this category, but Voi runs roughly two-thirds of England's e-scooter trials, so it is frequently the only offer you can actually spend. Credit that works beats credit that does not.
Key takeaways
- £2.50 of ride credit lands on your account at sign-up — before your first trip, not after it.
- Voi operates about two-thirds of England's rental e-scooter trials, the widest reach of any operator outside London.
- A rental e-scooter needs a rider aged 18+ with a provisional UK licence (category Q); Voi's rental e-bikes are 16+.
- Credits are one per account, non-transferable and cannot be combined with another offer.
Our pick here: Voi pays £2.50, verified against its own terms.
Judged purely on the number, Voi loses this category. £2.50 is less than Lime's £4 and a quarter of Forest's £10. Judged on whether you can actually use it, Voi wins more often than either — and that is the judgement that matters.
Coverage is the whole argument
Forest is London and nothing else. Lime concentrates on London and a handful of major cities. Voi runs roughly two-thirds of England's rental e-scooter trials, which means the market towns, the university cities and the mid-sized places the other two never reached.
If you live in one of those, the comparison is not "£2.50 versus £10". It is "£2.50 versus nothing", because there is no Forest bike within fifty miles of you. A smaller reward you can spend this afternoon beats a larger one you cannot reach.
The credit lands before you ride, not after
A small but genuine advantage: Voi applies the £2.50 at sign-up. You do not complete a qualifying trip first and wait for the reward — the balance is there when you open the app, so your first journey is already discounted. Forest makes you ride first and credits afterwards.
The asymmetry to understand is the other side: the person who invited you receives £5, and theirs only releases once you complete a first paid Voi trip. Your £2.50 is not conditional on that. Theirs is.
The licence rule catches people out
This is the single most misunderstood thing about UK scooter hire, so it is worth being precise. A rental e-scooter requires a rider aged 18 or over holding a provisional UK driving licence with category Q entitlement. That is not Voi being strict — rental scooters are only legal at all under a Department for Transport trial, now extended to May 2028, and the licence requirement is part of it.
Voi's rental e-bikes are different, open to riders aged 16 and over under its User Agreement, with no licence needed.
And a point worth stating plainly because it trips up a lot of new riders: a privately owned e-scooter is still illegal on UK roads, cycle lanes and pavements. The trial covers rental vehicles only.
What the credit will and will not do
Voi publishes no universal expiry on the credit, which makes it more forgiving than Forest's seven-day clock. The trade-offs are that credits are one per account, non-transferable, and cannot be combined with another promo code or discount. You also need a payment method on file before you can ride, even with credit in the balance.
Where Voi is the wrong pick
If you ride in central London and nowhere else, take Forest's £10 instead — it is four times the money in an area saturated with bikes. If you are in a big city with good Lime coverage, Lime's £4 and its far more generous 60-day window make it the better claim.
The verdict
The Voi referral code is worth it wherever Voi is your operator, which is most of England outside the largest cities. Treat the £2.50 as what it is — a modest opener on the network with the broadest reach — and check which operator runs on your street before you choose. The right ride-share offer is a question of geography, not of headline figures.
How it compares
| Voi | Forest | Lime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reward to you | £2.50 | £10 | £4 |
| When it lands | At sign-up | After first ride | At sign-up |
| Coverage | ~2/3 of England's trials | London only | London + major cities |
| Vehicle | Scooters + e-bikes | E-bikes | Scooters + e-bikes |
| Licence | Provisional (scooter) | None | Provisional (scooter) |
| Credit window | No published expiry | 7 days | 60 days |
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Voi referral code give you?
£2.50 in ride credit, applied to your account when you sign up rather than after your first trip. The person who invited you receives £5 once you complete a first paid Voi journey.
Is Voi's £2.50 worth less than Forest's £10?
On paper, yes — but only if you can reach a Forest bike. Forest operates in London alone. Voi runs in roughly two-thirds of England's e-scooter trial areas, so in most of the country Voi credit is spendable and Forest credit is not.
Do I need a driving licence to ride a Voi scooter?
For a rental e-scooter, yes: you must be 18 or over and hold a provisional UK driving licence with category Q entitlement, because scooters run under the Department for Transport trial. Voi's rental e-bikes are open to riders aged 16 and over under its User Agreement.
Can I combine Voi credit with another discount code?
No. Voi credits are one per account, non-transferable, and cannot be stacked with another promotional offer. The £2.50 applies on its own.
Are privately owned e-scooters legal in the UK?
No. Only rental e-scooters within an approved trial area are legal on public roads, and the trial has been extended to May 2028. A privately owned e-scooter remains illegal on UK roads, cycle lanes and pavements.
Compared, verified and link-tested — here's where to go next.
Last checked 21 September 2026. Figures verified against each brand's own terms. How we check.