The ultimate guide to winning online competitions

Entering and winning online prize draws – or comping, as enthusiasts call it – is a popular hobby across the UK. Every day, thousands of free competitions are available, offering everything from gift vouchers to dream holidays. And yes, real people do win these prizes. In fact, some dedicated “compers” have won hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of rewards over their comping careers​. These seasoned winners treat comping as more than just a flutter – it’s a passionate hobby with its own strategies, community, and insider secrets.

If you’ve ever wondered how some people seem to constantly win competitions while others never hear back, this guide is for you. We’ll pull back the curtain on what successful compers do differently. You’ll learn how to find competitions before they get thousands of entries, how to maximise your chances (legally and fairly) without falling foul of the rules, and how to stay organised and motivated even when luck doesn’t seem to be on your side. We’ll also arm you with tips to spot scam “competitions” so you can comp with confidence and stay safe online.

What to expect in this guide:

• We’ll start with firsthand insider tips from successful compers, including genuine advice from some of Britain’s prize-winning pros.
• Next, we’ll cover techniques for discovering competitions before they become crowded, ensuring you always have fresh contests to enter.
• We’ll then delve into maximising your entries – how to increase the number of valid entries you make while staying within the rules (no cheating needed!).
• After that comes organising your comping schedule – turning random entries into an efficient routine.
• We’ll explore the psychology of staying motivated through losing streaks, with science-backed advice to keep your spirits high.
• Finally, we’ll devote a chapter to identifying and avoiding fake competitions and scams, with a checklist of red flags and UK-specific resources (like the ASA and CAP Code) to keep your hobby safe and fun.

You’ll find actionable tips in every section, all aimed at helping UK-based compers like you level up your competition game.

A quick note on terminology: In this guide, competitions generally refers to free-to-enter prize promotions, including random prize draws, giveaways, and contests requiring a bit of skill. We use compers to mean people who enter competitions as a hobby. When we say comping, we mean the act of finding and entering competitions – a uniquely British term for this pastime.

So whether you’re a relative newcomer looking to win your first big prize, or a seasoned comper seeking that extra edge, get ready – this ultimate guide will equip you with strategies and secrets to supercharge your comping success. By the end, you’ll have a comprehensive plan for finding more competitions, entering smarter, staying organised and upbeat, and avoiding pitfalls. Let’s turn you into the next competition success story. After all, as one experienced winner wisely said: “People think you never win, but if you don’t enter, you won’t.”

Let’s dive in and start with some insider wisdom from the winners who do it best.