Postcode Lottery Exposed — Is It Worth Your Postcode and Pound?
Postcode Lottery Review
You’re probably wondering why a lottery has a “postcode” in its name.
Well, it’s exactly what it says! Postcode Lottery runs lotteries that are based on your postcode.
It’s sold as a monthly subscription though you can purchase more than one.
It’s run by “People’s Postcode Lottery” which manages society lotteries on behalf of charitable bodies. They support good causes (their words, not mine) all over Britain.
Anyway, let’s all take a step back and see what exactly Postcode Lottery is about.
🤔 What do people think of 24Lottos?
How Does Postcode Lottery Work?
Players participate in the People’s Postcode Lottery through a subscription model.
By registering with their postcode and paying a monthly fee of £12, members are automatically entered into numerous draws. This subscription ensures that you are included in every draw, with no need to purchase individual tickets for each game.
Prizes are awarded daily, with each day of the week bringing new opportunities to win. From Monday to Friday, players have a chance to win £1,000 each day. The excitement peaks over the weekend: Saturdays offer the chance to win a share of £1 million, and on Sundays, each winning player in a postcode can take home £30,000.
Additionally, every month features a massive draw where players in a postcode sector share a prize pot of £3.2 million or more, with the amount being divided equally among tickets in the winning postcode and postcode sector.
Participation is straightforward—your ticket is your postcode, and only those postcodes that are actively playing are entered into the draws. If your postcode is drawn, every participating household in that postcode wins, fostering a sense of community among neighbors.
Importantly, there is no contract involved, allowing players to opt in or out as they wish.
Who Can Play?
Anyone who has a British postcode is eligible to play.
It’s easy for UK residents to sign up on the lottery’s official website. Direct Debit, Debit Card and PayPal are accepted for purchasing subscriptions.
How to Sign Up for Postcode Lottery
You can sign up by using their website or by calling their customer service on their toll-free number.
When you sign up, you should receive a confirmation email containing important information about your subscription(s).
If you do not receive any email from them, check your spam folder, and if it is still not in there, call their customer service.
What Happens when You Win a Prize?
When you win a prize with the People’s Postcode Lottery, you will be notified through various channels depending on the type and size of your prize.
Notifications come via email, SMS message, letter, or phone call.
Significant prizes, such as the Street Prize, the weekly £1 Million prize, or the monthly Postcode Millions, will prompt a more personal contact, typically through a phone call or a letter.
For discussions about prize wins over the phone, winners must answer two security questions to confirm their identity.
Importantly, at no point will sensitive bank information, such as bank account PINs, be requested over the phone. This policy helps protect both the integrity of the transaction and the privacy of the winners.
How to Claim Get Postcode Lottery Winnings
When you win with the People’s Postcode Lottery, the process for claiming your prize money is straightforward and efficient.
For players who pay by Direct Debit or those who signed up using other payment methods but have already registered their bank account details, the prize money is transferred directly to their bank accounts within 28 days of winning.
If a winner has not registered their bank details, they can easily do so by calling the provided freephone number, 0808 109 8765. The customer service team is available to help arrange the payment of winnings, guaranteeing that all winners have access to their funds promptly and securely.
Postcode Lottery’s Website
The website is pretty simple and straightforward to navigate around.
The major sections that an intending player (or just a random person) may need information about are at the top of the website and on every web page. Overall, it has a simple layout anyone can understand.
Customer Service at PostCodeLottery.co.uk
Postcode Lottery has its telephone number all over its site. You can ring them or complete a form asking them to call you back at a specific time. People can also sign up for regular emails for Postcode Lottery news, updates, and results.
Changing Address on Postcode Lottery
Considering the fact that this lottery is based on postcodes, you may want to know what happens if you change your location and still want to participate in the lottery. All you have to do is call their customer service or send them an email, and provide the following information:
- Your full name
- Your date of birth (as a security check)
- Your previous address
- Your full new postal address – please note, that we need you to tell us your complete new address
- Your new playing postcode
- Your up-to-date phone numbers and email address
They’ll reach out to you with information on how soon you can start playing.
So, Where Does the Profit Go?
The People’s Postcode Lottery has made a significant impact through its dedication to supporting charitable causes.
Players of the lottery have collectively raised over £1.3 billion for various good causes to date, showcasing the powerful role that community-focused gambling can play in philanthropy.
The lottery operates under the management of 20 Postcode Trusts, each contributing to a range of charities. The beneficiaries of these trusts are diverse, covering sectors such as education, environmental conservation, health, and community development.
Why You Should Register With Postcode Lottery
Pros:
Simple Sign-up Process: Joining the lottery is straightforward, with an easy registration process available on the website or via a toll-free customer service call
Community Impact: A substantial portion of the proceeds goes to charitable causes, with over £1.3 billion raised for various good causes, making each ticket a contribution to community development and support
Frequent Prizes: The lottery offers daily, weekly, and monthly prizes, increasing the chances of winning. Significant prizes include daily wins of £1,000, weekly shares of £1 million, and a monthly prize pot of £3.2 million or more
No Numbers to Pick: The lottery uses postcodes as entries, removing the need to pick numbers and making the game simpler and unique
Multiple Payment Options: Players can pay via Direct Debit, Debit Card, and PayPal, providing flexibility in payment methods
Effective Customer Support: The customer service is responsive and helpful, with multiple contact options available for assistance and queries
Why You Should Not Register With Postcode Lottery
Cons:
Geographic Limitation: Only those with a UK residence can register and play, limiting participation to those within the United Kingdom
Lack of a Mobile App: There is no dedicated mobile application, which might inconvenience players who prefer accessing services via their smartphones
Not Designed for Huge Jackpots: While the lottery provides frequent payouts, it’s not structured to offer large jackpots like some other national lotteries, which might be a drawback for those looking to win big
Is Postcode Lottery Legit?
In case you’re wondering, “is Postcode lottery a con?” It isn’t.
However, this is not a lottery that is going to make you a millionaire but it will provide some fun and it’s kind of cool that one doesn’t have to try to figure out what their lucky numbers could be.
It’s a little lottery that the average person can play and be happy about, especially knowing that they are supporting charities.
But, the bottom line is you must have a UK address to play!
Also, you may want to check out the complaints about the lottery before giving it a try. The experiences of others are quite informative and it’s up to you to interpret the information.
We Want to Hear From You: Share Your Experience!
Are you a player of the People’s Postcode Lottery? We would love to hear about your experience!
Sharing your reviews and stories can help others understand the impact of their participation, not just in terms of winning potential but also in contributing to the wide array of good causes supported by the lottery.
Whether it’s about the excitement of the draws, the ease of participating, or the joy of contributing to charity, your feedback is invaluable.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts with us and help build a community of informed and engaged players.
Your insights could inspire someone else to start playing and contributing to these worthy causes.
I have tried to stop direct debit payments for 3 months now and pcl are still taking the money, even though the bank is charging them, this has got to stop how many people are you doing this to!!
Hi Jean, If you sign up to internet banking with your bank, you can then go into your account. and cancel the direct debit yourself. It is also useful,if they, or others set up a direct debit without your previous consent. Good Luck.
There are strict rules in the UK regarding the collection of monies by Direct Debit.
If a business takes money from your bank account by Direct Debit and you have not specifically authorised them to do so, report them in writing to your bank immediately.
If a business sets up a Direct Debit on your bank account they must advise you of the Direct Debit Guarantee either by reading the whole thing to you over the phone or by posting you a copy. If they don’t do this, report them in writing to your bank immediately.
As the bank account holder, you can cancel (or instruct your bank to cancel) any Direct Debit without agreement from the beneficiary (eg: Peoples Postcode Lottery). The beneficiary must then contact you to obtain any agreed payment by some other means.
If a company takes the wrong amount from your bank account by Direct Debit or they take the amount more than once, first of all try to resolve the issue with them. If they do not resolve the issue within 10 working days, report them in writing to your bank immediately.
A recurring PayPal payment is not the same as a Direct Debit. If you have any problems with a PayPal recurring payment, contact PayPal Customer Services immediately.
As noted by another poster, Postcode Lottery sounds more like a raffle than a lottery, so each ‘ticket’ does not have an equal chance of winning a prize.
They tricked me into giving them my bank details, claiming that it was just to set up an account and that they wouldn’t use them to set up a Direct Debit till I said it was OK. Then they took money out of my account.
The company is legit but their methods are not. DO NOT TRUST THEM!
I have just cancelled my account with postcodelottery after 1 month, first of all I could not access my account, and after five new passwords I finally achieved access, I made a one off payment for a ticket to see how things went and then they helped themselves to Decembers ticket cost without my saying so. An email I sent to them has not been answered in the 3 days they said it would be (now on day 8) and on phoning them to cancel my account immediately I was subjected to a several minute monolgue as to why I should remain with them.
I would class them as unprofessional and only interested in getting hold of your money, the phone conversation ended with saying my account would be canceled on 11 Jan 2014 WATCH THIS SPACE!
I spoke to an agent online today asking about the double direct debits, the way it works, as they have preset DD dates each month so, for example, I signed up at the end of November, my ticket would not be eligible till the 7th of December but a second debit (I presume) for January’s ticket, would be taken on the 10th of December.
Now, this is the confusing part: My brother signed up last night (the 4th of December) but he’s not eligible for the draw which takes place on the 7th of December, in fact his ticket will not be eligible for any draws until the 4th of January, yet he will have a second debit taken from his Pay Pal account on the 10th of December.
I asked the agent to confirm that, should a DD be cancelled, the last DD taken, on any given date, would be used for a “final draw”; e.g. if my brother cancelled his DD after the 10th of December, but before the 4th of January, he would be entered into all draws from the 4th of January through till March.
The agent could not confirm this, my suspicion is that they probably outsource their customer care and the people dealing with it have no reference point.
In regards to people asking about how the draw works, my instincts tell me this is more of a raffle than a lottery, so if your postcode is in the draw it has a chance of being picked, if no one in your street or postcode area purchases a ticket then it’s impossible for your postcode to be drawn. The more tickets purchased for a particular postcode increases the chances of that postcode being picked and, seeing as lottery’s are the easiest way to get money from those within a particular wealth bracket, it would not surprise me if there were more winners from particular areas, the proof of this is the fact that Romford, Enfield and Dartford have produced the most lottery winners after which it was northern cities which tookover.