Sidekick referral code UK: what you get and how to claim

Last updated: 15 September 2026

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Want the Sidekick sign-up reward?

Open your account through the link below and the code a27wj4mp is applied for you. Then pick one path: save £1,000 for three months, or invest £5,000 for six.

Get the Sidekick referral reward

How the Sidekick referral code works

Sidekick runs one referral scheme with two separate routes, and the route your friend picks decides what you both get. They enter your code when they sign up. After that the clock starts, because the reward depends on the balance staying put.

Your friend chooses one or the other, not both. Sidekick pays the reward in cash into your Sidekick Wallet at the end of their holding period, so nothing lands on the day they join. A single code can be used ten times, which caps a referrer at £1,000.

The catch, and it is the holding period

Most sign-up offers ask for a small deposit and pay within days. This one does not. To earn £100, your friend has to commit £5,000 for half a year. To earn £25, they have to leave £1,000 alone for a quarter. So the reward is real, but it is payment for patience rather than a quick bonus.

Two things follow from that. First, the money has to be money they can genuinely leave alone, because pulling it out early forfeits the reward. Second, the investing path exposes £5,000 to the market for six months. A 2% fall there costs more than the £100 reward pays.

What Sidekick actually is

Sidekick is a UK wealth app that puts savings and investments in one place. On the savings side, Multi Shield is the flagship. It pays 3.23% AER (variable) and takes a minimum of £1, with unlimited next working day withdrawals. It spreads your balance across three partner banks in a fixed order: HSBC first, then Lloyds, then Santander Financial Services. Each holds up to £120,000, so the cover reaches £360,000. Sidekick's partner Bondsmith handles the allocation. There is also a Cash ISA and a fixed term account.

On the investing side there are managed portfolios such as Smart Cash and All Weather, plus self-directed options including themed and custom index portfolios. Sidekick also offers a Bitcoin ETN and a Private Equity LTAF to eligible investors only. Those two sit in a different risk bracket from everything else above.

Fees, and what the reward is really worth

Sidekick charges no membership fee. Savings carry no customer fee at all. Sidekick is paid by the partner bank, or keeps the spread, and the rate you see is the rate you get. Investing is where the charges sit. Managed portfolios cost 0.50% of assets a year including VAT. Self-directed costs 0.25% for core investments and 0.50% for personalised ones, and those fees are waived on self-directed balances under £3,000.

Run that against the offer. Take the investing path. £5,000 held for six months in a core self-directed portfolio at 0.25% costs roughly £6 in platform fees, so the £100 reward clears it comfortably. Underneath that sit ETF charges, an estimated 0.10% market spread, and UK stamp duty of 0.5% on electronic purchases of UK shares. None of those wipe out £100, but market movement can.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future.

Is your money protected?

This needs care, because the answer differs by product. Sidekick is the trading name of Sidekick Money Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under FRN 984829. You can check that yourself on the FCA Financial Services Register.

Importantly, Sidekick cannot hold client money itself. Cash sits with partner banks and investments are custodied by a partner firm. For savings, eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per eligible person per UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union by the FSCS (since 1 December 2025). With Multi Shield, that limit applies separately at each of the three partner banks. For investments, eligible investments are protected up to £85,000 per person per FCA-authorised firm by the FSCS. The two limits are different and they do not combine.

Who this suits, and who it does not

It suits someone who already has £1,000 or £5,000 sitting idle and a friend in the same position. The savings path asks least of them. Multi Shield is easy access, and the £25 comes on top of interest they would have earned anyway.

It does not suit anyone stretching to hit the threshold. Committing £5,000 you might need in four months to chase £100 is the wrong trade, and so is opening an investment account purely for a reward. If you want a faster, smaller bonus, our Monzo referral page covers an offer that pays on a much lower bar.

Sidekick referral code: frequently asked questions

Where do I find my Sidekick referral code?

It lives in the Rewards tab of the Sidekick app. Unlike some apps, Sidekick uses a code your friend types at sign-up rather than a one-off link.

How many people can I refer?

Ten. Your code stops working after ten successful referrals, which caps you at £1,000.

When do I actually get paid?

At the end of your friend's holding period, in cash, into your Sidekick Wallet. That is three months after they save, or six months after they invest.

Can a friend do both paths and earn £125?

No. Each friend picks one path, saving or investing, and earns one reward.

Is the Sidekick referral code the same as the Investa one?

No, and the two work differently. Sidekick pays cash after a holding period, while Investa pays reward options over its own unlisted shares once a £250 balance is reached. Our Investa referral code page explains that offer and its risks.

What happens if my friend withdraws early?

The reward is not paid. The balance has to stay in place for the full qualifying period.

More from CoolCuration

• Best savings options for the new tax year if you want to know whether 3.23% is actually competitive right now.
• Premium Bonds versus investing for the same safe-versus-growth decision, weighed up side by side.
• Freetrade referral code if you would rather have a free share than a cash reward.
• Chip app guide for automating the saving before you think about investing.
• How to start investing in the UK for the basics before you commit £5,000 to anything.

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