Best birthday freebies for free food and discounts – from Greggs to New Look

MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares the latest hot freebies and discounts you can claim for your birthday

Birthday freebies are a brilliant way to add a little bit of luxury to your special day without breaking the bank. In fact, many retailers and suppliers offer birthday deals and discounts throughout your entire celebration month, so brace yourself for a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget!

Many of these freebies require you to sign up to a newsletter or app. It’s always best to set up a fresh email account just for signing up to things like this – it helps control the spam from your normal email and gives you the choice when you want to read the marketing emails. Do remember to check it though – you could nab some extra freebies and discounts!

Best restaurant birthday freebies

Combine a new sign up deal with a birthday freebie with Las Iguanas to stack your rewards. Sign up to the mailing list to be emailed a surprise freebie, such as a bottle of prosecco or a free main course – and as a new subscriber, you also get a 2-for-1 on mains voucher. You need to sign up at least a week before your birthday to get the reward.

TGI Fridays is always a good bet for great discounts and family dining offers. Sign up to their Stripes Rewards app and get a free dessert on your first visit, while you can claim a birthday treat TWICE in a year – they send one on your birthday AND your ‘half birthday’. They also run an all-year-round kids eat free offer, with children getting free meals for each adult main meal paid for – and check out special days of the year, too. If you head to TGI Fridays between 28th – 30th March, for example, you can claim a free glass of prosecco or cocktail for Mothers’ Day.

Free sweet things

Grab your birthday lunch from Subway with their Subway Rewards app. If you sign up and claim straight away, you get a free cookie worth 99p. But if you’re a Subway regular, you can earn more points towards your birthday treat. If you spend up to £150 in a year, you’ll be able to add a bag of crisps to the birthday reward, and those spending £350 or more can claim a free six-inch sub sandwich, too.

One lasting favourite that has run for years is the free Krispy Kreme doughnut. All you need to do is download the app, and you can claim a free glazed ring doughnut on your birthday from your nearest Krispy Kreme store. (Not available at concessions).

You can nab a further sweet treat from Greggs with their rewards app, too. Choose from their sweet menu for a single serving item like a cookie, doughnut, or pastry (the sweet kind, not a steak bake!). You don’t need to get this exactly on your birthday – your voucher is valid for a month.

Sweet tooth still not satisfied? Sign up to the Gail’s app for a free sweet treat during your birthday month. Sign up and add your date of birth to claim your reward, and choose from the Sweets and Cakes or Morning Goods ranges. If you sign up to the app for the first time to claim your birthday treat, you’ll also be able to claim a free coffee just for getting the app.

Free cocktails or drinks

If you like to go out and about for your birthday, make sure you sign up to these offers before your big day rolls around as some require you to be registered a few weeks before your special day. Make the most of it with group booking offers and deals. Be At One currently offers a free Raspberry Beret birthday sharer when you sign up to their rewards programme – the voucher is sent via email but will also be on the app wallet.

If you sign up to Revolution’s newsletter, you get three gifts: 25% off your bill, a free drink on your birthday, and for big birthdays like ages 21, 25, 30, 40 etc) a free bottle of Prosecco. If beer is more your thing, BrewDog lets you drink for free if you bring three friends and book via BDAY PARTY: FREE DRINKS. That’s a free drink every time you order a round not just one free drink overall!

If you’re more of a non-alcoholic drinks person, sign up to the Starbucks app to get a free coffee of your choice, though you will need to have made purchases to earn enough points first. Or, show your loyalty card and ID with your date of birth on it at your local Boost to claim a free juice or smoothie.

Retail birthday freebies

For beauty lovers that sign up to the MySephora app, they can claim a free gift, £5 voucher or charity donation. The more you shop at Sephora, the higher tier you’ll be – and the better your gift. In a similar vein, Space NK reward shoppers who have signed up to NK Indulge and spent something (no minimum limit) in the last 12 months. You’ll get a ‘trio of gifts’, but if you’re a ‘Deluxe Tier member’ who spends over £1000 in a year you get a full-size item as your gift.

Boots gives customers double points their entire birthday month if they add their birth date to the Advantage Card app, while Superdrug Health and Beautycard holders get a ‘birthday freebie treat’.

Loads of fashion retailers offer birthday discounts, too. Sign up to New Look, SimplyBe, Yours Clothing, Nike, and JD Sports before your birthday to have access to unique birthday codes. If you have a favourite retailer you buy from, make sure you check out their birthday rewards and freebies, as many will offer them.

If you love chocolate, remember to sign up to Lindt’s Rewards app to get 10% off on sign up and a free birthday surprise voucher sent for redemption in store or online. Hotel Chocolat offer a free £5 voucher for signing up to their scheme, too.

Sign up to newsletters for more birthday deals

Retailers and suppliers change their offerings all the time. That’s why it’s a good idea to sign up to deals and discount newsletters, as well as the apps or newsletters of your favourite places, to make sure you’re maximising your birthday freebie opportunities!

Some of the brands and websites we mention may be, or may have been, a partner of MoneyMagpie.com. However, we only ever mention brands we believe in and trust, so it never influences who we prioritise and link to.