Curve Review – Cashback Card + £10 Bonus
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I’m always on the look out for free money – that’s why I’m raving about the curve card! I recently discovered Curve and now it’s one of my favourite money saving hacks! Expect free money, cashback and various seasonal offers from the Curve cashback card.
Curve is for people who want to be smarter with their money. It’s a secure app and contactless mastercard that offers rewards and added functionality when you buy something.
Everything you need to know is included in this Curve review including and how to get yourself on-card cashback from a variety of everyday retailers.
Curve Review: The Curve free bonus is a great incentive to sign up and see what the app has to offer
What is Curve?
Curve is a smart app that allows you to store all your cards, rewards & cashback in one place. The app also enables you to switch the bank card you paid with after each transaction is complete – meaning you can organise your money how you want.
If you have an existing card that rewards you (such as Chase, a Santander All in One or TSB Platinum Purchase credit card) you can still earn these rewards while using Curve – meaning you can earn double the rewards!
If you don’t know about cashback already, check out my guide to cashback, it could save you £££’s!
Is Curve Safe?
Curve is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) so your data is protected by the security regulations in place by the FCA.
But while I think that Curve is fab and well worth signing up for there are a few things to be aware of, including the loss of Section 75 consumer protection and overseas fees.
Section 75 credit card protection. Normally when you buy something costing £100- £30,000 using a credit card, you get Section 75 protection. Using Curve invalidates this protection.
Overseas spending fees and cash withdrawals. If you use it abroad, Curve uses the Mastercard exchange rate, but charges a 1% fee on top. It also adds a £2 charge for overseas ATM withdrawals.
Curve Standard vs Black vs Metal
There are 4 different types of Curve accounts, each come at a different cost and include different features.
Spending your Curve cashback
I’ve earned over £1000 in cashback over the past few years. To use any earned cashback (or to redeem your Curve free bonus) you need to select Curve Rewards on the app as your preferred payment method. Then purchases on the card will use any bonus money/cashback that you’ve earned.
You can use your earned cashback to make any purchase instantly, just remember to select ‘rewards’ as your payment method.
Once you’ve created your account you’ll also be given your own referral link. The referral programme is constantly changing so you’ll need to watch this space to find out what incentives this will include in the near future.
How do I apply for a Curve Card?
To get one of the cards you need to:
- Download the app (available on Android and iOS)
- Register & add existing cards to the app (you can add most Mastercard, Visa debit, credit or prepaid cards).
- Add your curve card to your apple wallet for convenience.
- Use your Curve card for all your spending and earn 1% cashback for 30 days, then cashback at selected retailers.
You’ll get a £10 free bonus if you make your first £10 transaction within 14 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Curve safe?
Curve is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), meaning they’re as safe as any other FCA-regulated body but If you’ve got any questions, queries or concerns about data protection issues, you can email their Data Protection Officer (DPO@curve.com)
What is Curve cash?
Curve Cash is a rewards program that allows you to earn cashback on when spending at specific retailers with your Curve card. You can use Curve Cash to cover the cost of a future purchase.
How does Curve make money?
Curve makes money through interchange fees (money for processing each transaction made with its card) and currency exchange (money on overseas spending and withdrawal charges).
How do you get a Curve Lounge Key?
Curve offers different premium plans with various benefits, including LoungeKey access. To gain access to the network of Lounges offered by Mastercard® you’ll need to be a Curve Metal card holder.
Is Curve a credit card?
Curve works like a debit card that you can link to your existing debit or credit cards. They did announce the arrival of a Curve Credit Card in 2023.
Is the Curve card free?
The Curve standard plan has no monthly fee, the only cost is the £4.99 delivery charge to post your physical card out to you.
More free Money Offers
- Updated List of Free Money Offers – lots of companies offer free money to encourage you to sign up to their service. Check out my free money offers for £100’s of freebies.
- TopCashback – TopCashback earn commission for referring you to a retailer when you shop online and hand this commission back to you. More info on TopCashback here.
- Airtime Rewards – Earn money when you shop to pay off your mobile phone bill. Enter code D4E3EPAA when you download Airtime Rewards for a bonus.
- Shopmium – the best free food app! Claim a free tub of Pringles (as well as other freebies) when you download the Shopmium app.
- SnapMyEats – Earn gift cards for uploading receipts. Upload 5 receipts to earn £1. Download SnapMyEats.
- Honey – A browser extension that searches for discount codes when you reach the checkout of an online shop. Create a Honey account.
I’m a big fan of Curve their customer service is great and they also offer seasonal bonuses from time to time. Have you signed up for the Curve sign up free bonus yet? What will you be spending your free money on?