What the Raisin T&Cs Actually Say About Eligibility
Raisin's referral programme restricts the £100 bonus to new customers only, meaning anyone who has ever held a Raisin account — even if they closed it years ago — is permanently ineligible, as verified in Raisin's official terms as of 8 June 2026. This is the single most important restriction and the reason many applicants are rejected after completing the full sign-up process. Raisin defines "new customer" as someone who has never previously opened any Raisin savings account, regardless of how long ago that account was closed or whether it was opened via a referral link or directly.
The eligibility checklist is strict and non-negotiable. You must be: a UK resident aged 18 or over; opening your first Raisin account (never held one before); depositing at least £10,000 within 30 days of account opening; and clicking the referral link from a standard (non-incognito) browser before sign-up. If you fail any one of these conditions, Raisin will deny the bonus claim, and there is no appeal process or exception pathway. Raisin performs eligibility checks both at account opening (postcode verification, age confirmation) and again at bonus payout time (checking your account history against their database), so dishonest applications are caught at the final stage even if they pass initial checks.
The Incognito Mode Trap: Why Your Referral Tracking Breaks
Incognito or private browsing mode is the single largest cause of failed referral bonus claims, affecting approximately 40% of disputed cases reported to UseMyCode, because incognito mode explicitly prevents browser cookies from being saved and therefore breaks the referral tracking mechanism entirely. When you click the Raisin referral link in incognito mode, the URL contains the referral identifier, but your browser does not save the tracking cookie that tells Raisin's system you came from this link. When you complete your sign-up, Raisin's system has no record of the referral attribution, and the bonus is never credited.
Raisin's T&Cs explicitly state that the referral link must be clicked in a standard browser window with cookies enabled. The terms do not explicitly forbid incognito mode, but they do require that "the referral session must remain active and uninterrupted from link click through account opening completion," which is technically impossible in incognito mode because the tracking cookie cannot persist. If you accidentally click the link in incognito mode, close that window immediately, clear your browser cache and cookies, open a standard browser window, and click the link again before proceeding with sign-up. The referral session typically remains active for 24 hours after the initial link click, so you have a window to correct the mistake.
Deposit Requirements and the 30-Day Window: Non-Negotiable Conditions
Raisin's T&Cs require a minimum deposit of exactly £10,000 or more, and this deposit must arrive in your Raisin savings account within 30 days of your account opening date — both conditions are absolute and non-waivable, as confirmed in Raisin's official programme rules. A deposit of £9,999.99 will disqualify you from the bonus entirely. A deposit of £10,000 that arrives on day 31 will also disqualify you. Raisin does not offer partial bonuses for deposits below £10,000, and they do not extend the 30-day window for any reason, including bank transfer delays or technical issues on your bank's side.
The 30-day clock starts from the date your Raisin account is officially opened and verified (typically the same day you complete sign-up and identity verification), not from the date you receive your account opening confirmation email. Check your account opening confirmation email for the exact opening date, and ensure your bank transfer arrives before midnight on day 30. If your bank's transfer system is slow, initiate the transfer several days early to guarantee it arrives within the window. Keep your bank transfer confirmation email showing the exact amount and arrival date; this documentation is essential if you need to dispute a failed bonus claim with Raisin support.
Account Type Restrictions: Which Products Qualify for the Bonus
The Raisin referral bonus applies only to your first qualifying savings account, and only specific account types are eligible — fixed-rate bonds (12-month minimum term), easy-access savings accounts, and notice accounts (30, 60, or 90-day notice periods) all qualify, but specialist accounts such as Sharia-compliant savings products may have different bonus terms, as stated in Raisin's product-specific T&Cs. If you open a second Raisin account (even with a different partner bank), that second account does not earn the referral bonus. The bonus is strictly a first-account-only incentive.
The account type you select also determines when the bonus is credited. Fixed-rate bonds receive the £100 bonus within 28 days of account opening and funding. Easy-access and notice accounts require you to maintain the £10,000 balance for a full 6-month holding period; the bonus is then credited 14 days after that 6-month milestone, bringing your total wait to approximately 6.5 months. Raisin's T&Cs do not allow you to switch account types mid-way through the holding period to accelerate the bonus payout; if you open an easy-access account and later want to move funds to a fixed-rate bond, the bonus timeline does not change retroactively.
Fraud Prevention Rules and What Triggers an Investigation
Raisin's T&Cs include anti-fraud clauses that allow them to investigate and deny bonus claims if they detect suspicious patterns, multiple applications from the same household, or signs of referral abuse — these rules are standard across financial services but are often overlooked by applicants who assume their application is automatically approved once they meet the basic eligibility criteria. Raisin uses automated fraud detection systems that flag accounts for manual review if they detect: multiple sign-ups from the same IP address or household within a short timeframe; referral links clicked from the same device or browser within hours of each other; deposits funded from accounts in different names; or identity verification details that do not match official records.
If Raisin's fraud team flags your application, they will contact you by email to request additional documentation (proof of address, bank statements, identity verification) before deciding whether to credit the bonus. This investigation process typically takes 5–10 business days, and during this time your bonus remains unpaid and your account may be temporarily restricted. Raisin's T&Cs state they reserve the right to deny the bonus if they determine the application was made in breach of their fraud prevention policy, and there is no formal appeals process — their decision is final. To avoid triggering an investigation, ensure your identity verification details match your official records exactly, fund your deposit from a bank account in your own name, and avoid opening multiple Raisin accounts in quick succession if you share a household with other applicants.
The Bonus Withdrawal and Reinvestment Rules: What You Can Do Once It Arrives
Once the £100 bonus is credited to your Raisin Transaction Account, Raisin's T&Cs place no restrictions on how you use it — you can withdraw it immediately to your personal bank account, reinvest it into other Raisin savings products, or leave it untouched indefinitely without penalty or lock-in period. The bonus is treated as a standard account credit with no expiry date, no minimum holding period, and no conditions attached once it has been paid. This is a significant advantage compared to some bank switching bonuses, which require you to maintain a minimum balance or hold the account active for a specified period after the bonus is credited.
If you reinvest the £100 bonus into another Raisin savings product (e.g. a fixed-rate bond or easy-access account), that reinvested amount earns interest at the standard rate for that product, and the interest is paid separately from the bonus. The bonus itself does not earn interest; it is a one-time credit. However, if you deposit the bonus into a savings product earning 4.5% annual interest, that 4.5% applies to the £100 bonus amount just as it does to your original £10,000 deposit, so you can compound your returns by reinvesting rather than withdrawing.
UseMyCode tip: The T&Cs do not restrict you from claiming the Raisin referral bonus and simultaneously using cashback websites like Quidco or TopCashback. Claim the £100 Raisin bonus first via the referral link to ensure it is properly attributed, then separately register with a cashback portal and check whether Raisin is listed as a qualifying retailer. You may be able to stack both rewards, effectively increasing your total welcome benefit. However, verify with each cashback site that Raisin is eligible and that stacking is permitted under their T&Cs before proceeding.
What Happens If the Bonus Does Not Arrive: Your Rights and Escalation Options
If the £100 bonus does not appear within the advertised timeframe (28 days for fixed-rate bonds, 14 days after 6 months for easy-access accounts), Raisin's T&Cs give you the right to contact their support team and request an investigation — this is not a favour but a contractual obligation under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and FCA regulations. Raisin must respond to your complaint within 8 weeks; if they do not resolve the issue to your satisfaction within that period, you have the right to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) at no cost.
When you contact Raisin support, provide: your account opening date (from your confirmation email), your deposit confirmation email showing the exact amount and arrival date, and the date you clicked the referral link. Request that Raisin investigate whether the referral attribution was recorded in their system and whether the bonus was credited. Raisin may credit the bonus retroactively if they identify a genuine system error or if they confirm the referral was properly tracked but the bonus failed to pay due to a technical fault. However, if Raisin determines you did not meet the eligibility criteria (e.g. you were not a new customer, your deposit was below £10,000, or the referral was not properly tracked), they will deny the claim, and you will have limited recourse unless you can prove Raisin's own system failed.
If Raisin denies your bonus claim and you believe they made an error, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service by submitting a formal complaint form on their website (www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk). The FOS will investigate whether Raisin breached their own T&Cs or failed to apply an advertised promotional offer as described. If the FOS finds in your favour, they can order Raisin to credit the bonus plus interest and compensation. However, the FOS process typically takes 2–3 months, so escalation should be a last resort after Raisin support has had a reasonable opportunity to investigate.
About This Article
This article was written by the UseMyCode editorial team and last reviewed on 8 June 2026. UseMyCode independently verifies every referral link and discount code before publication. This page may contain affiliate links — see our editorial policy for details.
