I’ve been finding free and cheap food hacks since I started this blog back in 2012 — and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that not every “free food app” actually gives you food for free. Some do, straight away, no strings attached. Others just dress up a loyalty scheme as a freebie and hope you don’t notice you had to spend £30 first to get there.
So I’ve split this list the honest way: genuinely free apps (no purchase needed) first, then sign-up freebies, then spend-to-earn loyalty apps — so you know exactly what you’re getting before you download a single thing.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: what are the best free food apps UK?
If you only download three: Olio (completely free, no spend, no catch), Too Good To Go (heavily discounted surplus food, not technically free but close), and Shopmium (cashback that makes specific grocery items free). Everything else on this list is a bonus on top.
Genuinely free — no purchase required
These are the only apps on this list where “free” means free.
Olio
Olio connects you with neighbours and local businesses giving away surplus food — actual free food, listed by real people near you, no purchase required. It’s the closest thing to true free food this list has. Download it, set your notifications, and check it daily around dinner time when local shops list unsold stock.
Too Good To Go
Worth including even though it’s not strictly free — you’re paying £3–£6 for a “magic bag” worth considerably more, sold by restaurants and shops clearing surplus stock before it goes to waste. I use this weekly in London and it consistently works out to 60–70% off. If your budget is £0, this isn’t it. If your budget is “as cheap as physically possible,” it’s excellent.
Shopmium
Shopmium refunds you the full price of specific products after you buy them and scan your receipt — effectively making that item free. Use my code 25T4Y when you sign up. You’ll need to claim one cashback offer first to unlock your welcome freebie, but after that it’s genuinely simple: buy, scan, get paid back to PayPal or your bank.
Green Jinn
Same cashback-on-receipt concept as Shopmium, with a rotating weekly list of qualifying items. The catch: claims must go in by Sunday night, because the offers reset every Monday. Set a weekly reminder or you’ll miss it.
Apps that give you free food when you sign up
These give you something free the moment you download and register — no purchase, no waiting. This is what most people searching for “free food apps” actually want on day one.
- Subway — a free sub or cookie on your first order after downloading the app (the exact reward rotates). You then earn 10 points per £1 spent, with 150 points converting to £1 of credit.
- Taco Bell — a free taco within a month of signing up, plus 50 Supreme Rewards points (150 points gets you free churros or cinnamon twists).
- KFC — join the Colonel’s Club and collect chicken stamps; 3 stamps gets you a free side like hot wings, popcorn chicken, or fries.
- Krispy Kreme — a free doughnut just for joining Rewards, collectable in-store or from a Krispy Kreme counter inside Tesco.
- Burger King — a free Whopper with your first £3 spend, effectively a buy-one-get-one on your opening order.
- Dunkin’ — a free medium drink when you sign up through the app.
Loyalty apps: free food after you’ve spent a bit
Nothing wrong with these — you’ll get real freebies eventually — just know you’re earning them, not getting them instantly.
McDonald’s
Collect 5 stamps buying hot drinks and your 6th is free. New app users also get 20% off their first order, plus regular Monday offers and Monopoly-style instant win promotions.
Costa Coffee
Use invite code WRB9Z when you register the Costa Coffee Club app for 5 free beans towards your first reward (8 beans = a free drink). Bring a reusable cup and your first 4 coffees count double towards it. You’ll also get a free cake on your birthday.
Caffè Nero
Not app-based but works the same way — 350 Nectar points gets you any size hot drink, which works out to roughly £1.75 per drink once you account for the points value. Given their frappés run close to £4, that’s a solid trade.
Greggs
The Greggs app rewards loyal customers with regular free-item stamps — you’ll need nine purchases in the same category to unlock a freebie, so it’s slower than most, but worth having if you’re already a regular.
Restaurant freebies through loyalty and cashback cards
- Tesco Clubcard — 50p in points converts to £1.50 spent at Zizzi, Prezzo, ASK Italian, Bella Italia, Pizza Express, and Café Rouge.
- TopCashback Dining Out Card — access to 1,700+ venues including Browns, Nicholson’s, All Bar One, Harvester, and Toby Carvery.
- Tastecard — 2-for-1 or 50% off at 6,000+ UK restaurants including Pizza Hut, Zizzi, Bella Italia, and Prezzo. Comes with a 60-day free trial — set a calendar reminder to cancel, or it renews at £5.99/month (annual membership is £39.99 if you decide to keep it).
- Gourmet Society Card — 25% off dining and cinema, same 60-day free trial structure as Tastecard.
Mystery dining: get paid to eat out
Sign up with agencies like Marketforce or iShopForIpsos and you’ll occasionally be offered mystery dining assignments — eat at a restaurant, leave honest feedback, and the meal cost is reimbursed. It’s less predictable than the apps above, but worth having in your rotation if you eat out often.
Birthday freebies
Loads of restaurant apps give you something free in your birthday week, usually triggered by registering for their newsletter or app in advance. I’ve got a full breakdown of which chains do this and what to expect in my birthday freebies guide.
FAQ: free food apps UK
Do I need to spend money to get free food on these apps? No — Olio, Too Good To Go, Shopmium, and Green Jinn require no prior spend. Sign-up freebies from apps like Subway, Taco Bell, and Krispy Kreme also require no purchase. Loyalty apps like McDonald’s and Costa require some spend first before the “free” kicks in.
What’s the best app for free food on your first order? Subway and Burger King both give you something free on your very first order after downloading their app, with no loyalty stamps needed first.
Are there any apps that give completely free food with zero catch? Olio is the closest thing — it’s food shared by real people and local businesses with no purchase required at any point.
Is Too Good To Go actually free? No, it’s heavily discounted, not free — usually 60–70% off. It’s the best option if your goal is “as cheap as possible” rather than £0.
Which app should you download first?
If you want free food today, start with Olio and check it daily. If you’re happy to spend a little to save a lot, add Too Good To Go and Shopmium. Then layer in whichever fast food apps you already visit regularly — there’s no point collecting ten loyalty schemes for chains you never eat at.
Know a free food app I haven’t covered? Let me know — I keep this post updated as new ones launch.
Related reading:
Supermarket price comparison sites — compare food prices
This article has been originally published on 20/6/22 and refreshed on 17/7/26.