Can you get rewards for paying rent in the UK?

For most renters, rent is the biggest monthly expense — and historically, the most thankless one.

You pay on time, every month, often for years… and get nothing back.

No points. No perks. No recognition. Meanwhile, almost every other type of spending — flights, groceries, credit cards — comes with rewards.

So the obvious question is:

Can you actually get rewards for paying rent in the UK?

Short answer: yes, but only recently, and only in a specific way.

Let’s break it down.

Why rent has never earned rewards in the UK

In the UK, rent has traditionally been “invisible” to reward systems for a few reasons:

  • Rent is usually paid by bank transfer, not card
  • Card-based rewards (points, cashback) rely on interchange fees
  • UK interchange fees are capped and low, making rent rewards uneconomical via cards
  • Landlords and agents don’t run loyalty schemes for tenants (shock)

So while renters in the US have seen card-based rent rewards for years, the UK simply didn’t have the infrastructure to support it.

Until open banking.

How open banking changed everything

Open banking allows apps (with your permission) to read specific transaction data from your bank account, securely and read-only.

That means a platform can now:

  • Detect that a rent payment has happened
  • Verify the amount and frequency
  • Do this without moving your money or communicating with your landlord

This one change unlocked something renters in the UK have never had before:

The ability to earn rewards just for paying rent.

So… can you get rewards for paying rent in the UK today?

Yes, but it doesn’t work like traditional cashback.

There’s no:

  • Paying rent on a credit card
  • Switching landlords
  • Changing how you pay rent

Instead, modern rent rewards work like this:

  1. You connect your bank account securely via open banking
  2. Your rent payment is automatically recognised
  3. You earn points each month for paying rent
  4. Those points can be redeemed for real-world rewards

All without changing your rent setup.

What kind of rewards can renters earn?

This depends on the platform, but in practice, rent rewards usually mean:

  • Discounts or free items at local cafés, restaurants, or gyms
  • Gift cards or everyday rewards
  • Partner offers that make monthly life cheaper
  • Occasionally, bigger rewards like giveaways or experiences

The key difference vs. cashback apps is that rent rewards recognise rent as an achievement, not a shopping decision.

You’re being rewarded for consistency, not consumption.

Is this the same as cashback?

Not quite.

Cashback apps:

  • Reward individual purchases
  • Focus on retailers and shopping
  • Usually pay pennies per transaction

Rent rewards:

  • Reward a fixed, recurring life expense
  • Recognise renters specifically
  • Anchor rewards to something you already do every month

Think of rent rewards more like a loyalty system for renters, rather than a discount engine.

Is open banking safe?

This is one of the most common (and fair) questions we get asked.

In the UK:

  • Open banking is regulated
  • You control access and permissions
  • Platforms can’t move money unless explicitly authorised
  • Access can be revoked at any time through your bank

Most rent rewards platforms only use open banking to verify that rent has been paid, not to see or control anything else.

Why this matters for renters

Renters make up a huge part of the UK population, yet have historically been left out of:

  • Rewards
  • Recognition
  • Financial upside

Rent rewards don’t make rent cheaper overnight — but they do start to rebalance a system that’s ignored renters for too long.

It’s a small shift with a big psychological impact:

“If I’m paying this much every month, at least it should count for something.”

The bottom line

So, can you get rewards for paying rent in the UK? Yes.

Thanks to open banking, renters can now earn points, perks, and real-world rewards simply for paying rent on time — without changing how they pay or who they rent from.

It’s not a gimmick.
It’s not cashback.
And it’s long overdue.

Want to see how rent rewards work in practice?

You can learn more about how Brick rewards renters for paying rent — and how points can be earned and spent — here.

‍