The rules
The free postal entry route: how it works and how to use it
Nearly every UK competition must let you enter for the price of a stamp. Few people use it, but knowing how it works tells you a lot about a site.
Somewhere in the terms of almost every UK competition is a paragraph headed "free entry route" or "postal entry". It usually says you can send your details on a postcard or in a letter, and receive one entry into the draw, without paying a penny for the ticket itself.
It exists because of the law: offering a genuine free route stops a paid prize draw from being an illegal lottery. For you, it is both a real way to enter and a handy test of whether a site plays fair.
What a fair free route looks like
- It is easy to find. Each competition page or the footer links to it; it is not buried twenty screens deep in the terms.
- It costs no more than an ordinary first or second class stamp. You should not be asked to use recorded delivery, a premium-rate phone line or a paid app.
- You get the same chance as a paid entrant. Postal entries go into the same draw with the same ticket allocation.
- The instructions are complete: which address, what to include, the deadline, and how many entries one envelope can contain.
- You hear back. Good sites confirm postal entries by email or in your account and show your ticket number.
What to include in a postal entry
Always follow the exact instructions in the terms, because each site words them differently. Most ask for the following, handwritten or printed clearly:
- The name of the competition you want to enter.
- Your answer to the skill question.
- Your full name, postal address and date of birth (to confirm you are 18 or over).
- A phone number and the email address linked to your account, if you have one.
Timing and practical tips
Postal entries must arrive before the competition closes, not just be posted before. If a draw sells out early it may close earlier than the advertised date, so send entries in good time. Many sites limit postal entries to one per envelope, so if you want two entries you need two stamps and two envelopes.
Keep a note of what you sent and when. A quick phone photo of the card before posting costs nothing and helps if you later need to query why an entry did not appear.
Red flags around free entry
- No free route mentioned anywhere.
- A free route that only works via a paid text, a paid app or by buying something else.
- Rules that free entries go into a "separate" or "secondary" draw.
- Postal entries that are "subject to approval" with no explanation of what that means.
- An address that is a PO box with no company details anywhere on the site.
If a competition does not offer a genuine free entry route and does not rely on real skill, it may be operating as an unlawful lottery. You can report concerns to the Gambling Commission and to Trading Standards.
General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Questions or corrections? [email protected]