ITV competitions: how to enter for free
ITV competitions feature some of the biggest prizes in the UK – £100,000 cash, cars and lots of holidays. The prize draws are widely advertised on TV on shows like This Morning and Tipping Point, and online, text and phone entries cost a pricey £2 each.
But did you know you can send ‘free’ postal entries for most of the ITV competitions, if you don’t want to spend £2? I’ll keep this post updated with details of the current postcard entry ITV competitions.
All entries – phone, post or website – have the same chance of winning ITV comps as each one is assigned a unique ID number. The winning ID number is chosen at random from all entries using a winner selector tool, under independent supervision. Most of these comps will receive in excess of 100,000 entries!
Note that a postal entry is still classed as a free entry, even though fast-rising stamp prices mean that from 3 April 2023 even a second class postcard will cost you a whopping 75p to send!
Do people win ITV competitions with postcards?
Absolutely! Although the prize draws get thousands of entries, it is possible to win with a postcard. SuperLucky reader Andrea had a £15,000 cash win, and in April 2022 lucky Lorna from my Lucky Learners Facebook group won £80,000! Compers News magazine readers have also reported winning big prizes with postal entries.
How do I send a postal entry?
To find the address for your postal entry, head to www.itv.com/win, click on the prize you’d like to enter for and then click the postal tab. Each prize has a different code, so entries can be sorted when they arrive. Or simply skip to the end of this post, where I’ve listed the postal addresses for all current ITV comps!
For ITV postal entries, you can use:
- a picture postcard
- a plain postcard
- an envelope
Be green – recycle used birthday and Christmas cards or product packaging for your competition postcards!
If it’s plain card, write the PO Box address on the front, then your details on the reverse. You only need to put your name and phone number as ITV will call up their winners – no address details are required.
If it’s a picture postcard then lay it out like below, with your details on the left (not my real number, by the way!).
If you write details vertically, there’s no risk of the Royal Mail machines confusing the sender’s details with the destination address. I do this as a matter of course with all my postcard entries, even if I’m not including my full postal address.
If you don’t have a postcard, it’s ok to send an envelope – either seal it and write your details on the reverse, or write your details on a piece of paper and put it inside the envelope.
You must use a stamp on your entry! If you use a second class stamp, post early – it could take up to 3 working days for your entry to arrive.
For more postcard tips, see my blog post How to send a postcard entry.
Who is eligible to enter?
All residents of the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man aged 18 and above can enter the ITV prize draws.
Are multiple draw entries allowed?
Yes. Although there are limits on paid entry methods, you can enter each ITV prize draw by post as many times as you like – this was confirmed to me in communications with ITV in 2021.
Each entry must be sent on a separate stamped postcard (or envelope) – if you put multiple postcards or entries into a single envelope (bulk entries), they will not be entered into the draw.
Can I enter the Winsday draw by post?
The Winsday draw is a weekly bonus draw for anyone who has paid to enter one of the main ITV prize draws (these draws have the Winsday flash).
You can’t enter Winsday by post because you’re automatically entered when you pay for an entry. If you send a free postal entry for a main ITV prIze draw, you won’t be entered into the bonus Winsday draw. As you don’t pay money to enter the Winsday draw, ITV do not need to offer a free postal entry route.
What prizes can I win in ITV competitions?
The majority of the ITV competitions offer huge cash prizes, usually accompanied by a car or a holiday! Here’s my pick of the current prizes and the closing date for postal entries (this is a few days later than online or phone entries) – full details and T&Cs for all these comps can be found on the ITV website.
Postal entry details for current ITV competitions
NEW! Win £90,000 & a Mercedes
- Send your postcard to DY12, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 4 May 2023
NEW! Win £100,000
- Send your postcard to SAT2, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 20 April 2023
Win £120,000
- Send your postcard to BK11, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 27 April 2023
Win £40,000 and a camper van
- Send your postcard to DY11, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 6 April 2023
Win £20,000 and tickets to 4 racing events
- Send your postcard to HR1, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 8 June 2023
Win £75,000 and a trip to Orlando for the finale of Saturday Night Takeaway
- Send your postcard to SAT1, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 23 March 2023
Win £60,000
- Send your postcard to NT02, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 17 April 2023
Win £12,000
- Send your postcard to NT04, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 18 May 2023
Win £50,000 & Rugby World Cup and Six Nations tickets
- Send your postcard to SN23, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 24 March 2023
Win £60,000
- Send your postcard to NT02, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 17 April 2023
Win £50,000 & £10,000 holiday voucher
- Send your postcard to LVE 23, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 30 March 2023
Win £120,000
- Send your postcard to DOI 23, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 30 March 2023
Win £50,000 & 4 FA Cup Final Tickets
- Send your postcard to CUP 01, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ
- Postal entries must arrive by 27 April 2023
Winners are usually contacted by telephone a day or two after the closing date!
You can also find details of completely free-to-enter online ITV comps there (no postcard required!), including the Spin-to-Win competition, where the winner receives a phone call live on air and must answer with the phrase of the day to win a prize. And for Wake Up a Winner, you register for free online and Andi Peters could be knocking on your front door with £3000 the following day!
If you love to enter cash competitions, I recommend you check out my blog post how to win cash prizes in free online competitions, which is full of tips on entering to win big money online!
I worry that anyone can see my name and number on a postcard. if anyone calls me and says I have won, they will then ask for my bank details. It could be anybody.
The only people who would see your phone number are Royal Mail staff and ITV staff, and why would they want to scam you? Sophisticated scammers these days use software that will contact thousands of random phone numbers anyway, so nobody is safe from receiving dodgy calls or texts I’m afraid. If you’re not happy handing over your phone number, get a new SIM card/number specifically for entering competitions and pop it into an old handset, just make sure you keep it charged up and close by!
Hi Di,
I thought you wouldn’t need a stamp as the addresses are PO BOX addresses?
Or is that only for Freepost addresses?
thanks in advance.
You need a stamp for any address that doesn’t include FREEPOST!
Hi! I’ve been using cheap ‘revision cards’ – they cost £1 for 50 cards so are much cheaper than post cards. Are they acceptable though? They’re white with blue lines on them – which does help to keep my handwriting neat! I’ve sent out loads, but never won anything.
So I have all texts messages , some times I’ve entered competitions more then 6 times , just left Scratching my head , I work Hard in then Sainsbury’s Leave my phone in the locker im check to see if anyone is called , 4 yers whit no win
Joseph, texting these comps is a waste of money – each one probably gets more than 100,000 entries! Try free entry competitions, and look out for on-pack promotions while you’re at work (although you won’t be allowed to enter the Nectar ones!)
Free entry is not too free these days with the extortionate price of stamps and another price rise due in April. However postal entries are less than half the cost of text or phone entries. I have won a number of prizes via free entry methods. One must be lucky to win any competition regardless of the method of entry.
I’ve been paying 4 yer now , all competitions, Thousands of entries In four years & no win honestly. I’m still paying, I hope I’m win come soon, Friends and family telling me not to play anymore I have screenshots for four years ago up to date, just love to win that’s all
Hi Di, I won a 25.00 voucher with 7 up, which I’ve added to my Uber account, but every time I try and use it, it is saying that there is a problem.
Do you know if anyone else has had this issue.
Thanks .
Yes – lots of people! If you check the chat thread in Lucky Learners there’s some advice. Try sending 7 Up a DM on Twitter. https://www.facebook.com/groups/luckylearners/posts/5093076494104490/
Thanks a lot Di. This is really useful.
I live in Switzerland
Is it allowed to enter these competitions in the UK
I have looked at the Terms and Conditions for you and I can confirm the competitions are only open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
Hi Can I write my details on a Piece of paper and place it in an address envelope and post it?. I have been doing this all the time but not sure if my entry is ever included. I have also do online entries not much luck.
Yes, it’s fine to do this!
Ok, thanks for your quick response.
Just stuff the envelope close and address on front name address phone no on back
With PTO on front so it’s turned over…
I read/heard recently that itv had been fined as they had not included postal entries in the main draws. Not sure if it was one or many draws.
It was the postal entries from 6 competitions (0.3% of their comps) – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53734255
A con in other words.
If I put my postcard with my details in an envelope will it be included in the draw. Don’t really like having my phone number out there on a postcard.
Yes, as it says above “If you don’t have a postcard, it’s ok to send an envelope – either seal it and write your details on the reverse, or write your details on a piece of paper and put it inside the envelope.”
The link to the £36’000 now takes you to the new £100k competition, does anyone know the PO box for the £36’000 if i send 1st class today I can still get it it before the £36k comp closes? TIA
M21, PO Box 7558, Derby DE1 0NQ is the address you need – closing 9 April!
Hey Di, great article. Something I wanted to ask was about the Wednesday draws on the ITV website is that they say “Wednesday Draw tickets are not available with Postal entries” but still provide an address. I thought that legally they had to provide a postal entry route? Do you know whether they still have to accept the postal entries? Thanks, Olivier
The Winsday draw is a weekly bonus draw for anyone who has paid to enter one of the main ITV prize draws (these draws have the Winsday flash). You can’t enter Winsday by post because you’re automatically entered. If you send a postal (not paid) entry to a main ITV prIze draw, you don’t get entered into the bonus winsday draw. As you don’t pay to enter the WInsday draw, it’s fine for them not to offer a free postal entry route.
I am sure that an ITV competition for £300,000 finished on the 4th March. I cannot see a winner for this competion on the Iist of winners. Do you know if the winner has been anounced? P.S. I am really not expecting to win it!
Thanks, Sheena
I’m not sure how soon after the end date that they call people I’m afraid Sheena!
Hi Sheena,
ITV usually select a winner within 1 week of the competition ending, however as this one has been more then a week I think they may have picked a winner already but do not publish the details until the winner has verified themselves by providing the required documentation such as proof of ID etc.
Dee
Hi Di,
I’ve been doing postal entries for the last year and usually send of 10 (sometimes more) postal entries for each of the big cash comps on ITV.
I’m assuming the ITV broadcast competitions receive a lot more entries in total then the non-broadcast competitions.
Would you happen to know roughly as an estimate how many entries in total ITV receive via all methods of entry for their broadcast and non-broadcast competitions?
Thanks for all the info and help you provide on this website to help all us readers – it is much appreciated especially in these times!
Regards
Dee
I asked them how many entries they get when I called Dee – but unfortunately they couldn’t disclose that information!
Hello there, I read in these pages last year that you could enter as many times as you like by post for itv competitions!!!!! Hmmm… so other ways of entry are capped at 30 including free bonus entry. So obviously I thought Greatest chance is by post…. BOOM… off goes a hundred entries at 65p each…
I have entered several draws so far, then wondered if indeed you were actually correct in your statement as it seemingly implies a legal unfair advantage over the capped paid route!!!!
Well SHOCKER for postal itv terms and conditions … bulk entries are void…. it does not state how many postal entries are allowed.. I would likely have to surmise that this would indeed infur that only one entry by post was the limit…. so hoping you could contact your person at ITV and get definitive confirmation on exactly how many postal entries are allowed… thankyou so much, as I appear at the moment to of spent several hundred pounds on entries that have by the looks of it not been entered, due to possible incorrect information given out by yourself…. thanks again for anticipated confirmation of the actual itv rules for number postal entries allowed…. yours sincerely Jamie
Jamie, I called ITV last year to check this and they said you can send as many individual stamped postcards as you like – there’s no cap on postal entries (if there was, it would be clearly stated in the T&Cs). Sending more than one postcard is not a ‘bulk’ entry. Bulk entries are where separate entries are posted together to arrive as one batch – so postage is only paid once. These are NOT allowed for any ITV competitions.
Ok that’s great… it was confusing because in the t n c it stated that multiple entries in one envelope not allowed as you say with postage only paid once….. which is obvious, but then a few sentences further on it then states bulk entries void.. so that’s where I got confused as why say the same thing twice … thankyou for clearing that up because in one of your comments further down the page you also said ‘as far as I know you can enter as many times as you like by post’ which was not a definitive comment…. so thanks again and good luck to you and everyone else who has been playing…. great websites.. thankyou Jamie
Hi Jamie – just wanted to get back to you again on this, I wanted to confirm this is still the case I got an email response from ITV:
“You can enter as many postal entries as you wish, they’re unlimited. With regards to ‘bulk entries’, several entries in one envelope will not be counted.”
Hope that puts your mind at rest – although of course, sending a hundred entries would be pretty expensive!
Hi again ok thanks that’s cool… is there any way that we can see proof via an external authentication that our postal entries do in fact receive individual Id and are 100 % entered… does itv have to keep proof records or something . Just wondering as I read the other day about entries not being entered and wondered whether more stringent methods had been adopted since then thanks…
Hi Di,
It says that postal entries are not available for Windsday Draws. That includes the prize draws you listed above.
It says in small text: “NB: Winsday Draw tickets are not available with Postal entries.”
Winsday is a confusing part of the ITV wins page! The Winsday draw is a weekly bonus draw for anyone who has paid to enter one of the main ITV prize draws (these draws have the Winsday flash). You can’t enter Winsday by post because you’re automatically entered. If you send a postal (not paid) entry to a main ITV prIze draw, you don’t get entered into the bonus winsday draw. All prize draws listed above can be entered by post! You get your entry into that prize draw, but you won’t get an entry into the winsday draw.
Hi I am just starting to do my postal entries 🙂 For those who think that postal entries don’t ever win, I always think that the older people that win surely they’re not texting in or entering online? So there is hope that postal entries work…!!
When using postcodes , I make sure that I cross out any postcodes, other than mine or the one you are sending to.
I don’t write sideways nor to and from. Doing so smacks of ‘professional comper. x
They don’t even look at the postcards though Sylvia – they’re numbered and filed away, and your card will only be taken out if you win, under independent supervision. I would argue that a little sticker with your name and address typed on it is more an indication of a comper than writing sideways!
I really meant that the machine at the sorting office picks the postcode that is lowest on the card, for delivery – my Postie told me that, years back. when a flimsy Avon comp came back to me. Of course, things change and technology is updated. xxx
For years, I’ve sent my home-made postcards, with my details written sideways on, exactly as you do, Di. Annoyingly though, every so often, I will get a boomerang postcard. Only yesterday, I received two home made cards, returned to me. Both had my name and address details sideways on and the words ‘To’ and ‘From’ , in the appropriate place, so it was really frustrating.
I toddled off to my local sorting office and politely asked if they could put them through again, which the helpful guy on the desk agreed to do. The machinery was blamed, probably correctly but I’m at a loss as to how to avoid such a problem, in the future.
Hi Di, just for info, recent article re ITV postal entries, not great from ITV but I’m hopeful this would/will have been corrected and issues don’t occur in future after all it is still 65p. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53734255
Yes, this was big news although it only affected 6 draws – I’m certain they’ve improved their organisation since then! I have a suspicion that many of the postal entries for the raffle-type websites never make it into the draws though, those are the ones I would be more concerned about!
This is a brilliant article Di, thank you. It’s great to have all the information in one place. I’ve been lucky enough to win a number of lovely prizes recently and feel very fortunate to have such a great hobby that brings not only me but other people and charities a boost in these difficult times. E.g as a result of your article on a reverse advent calendar for food banks, I made a donation. If I’m lucky enough to win anything I try to make sure other people benefit too.
It’s great when others can benefit from our hobby! My prizes often go to the school or football club raffle and my neighbours, family and friends! And thanks for taking part in #FoodbankAdvent!
I have noticed when I enter free competitions expecially spin to win I get lots of spam messages and phishing phone calls
All it takes is entering one dodgy prize draw, and your contact information sold on to a company, and unfortunately that can lead to hundreds of people getting your details! I still get at least one phone call a week from utility/loan companies asking to speak to Di John – I’ve been married and had the surname Coke for 13 years, so it’s details that are still being sold on from when I entered comps in my maiden name! It’s just one of those things you have to get used to I’m afraid. I tend to block any callers like that straight away.
I have been entering this itv competitions over 10yrs and I have never ever won anything.
Hi Su.
I have also being playing ITV competition for over 4yrs and now i have also NEVER WON ANYTHING am really badly out of pocket now. I am thinking of COMPLETELY STOPPING ENTERING these ITV Competitions now aswell.
To be honest, if you have 65p to spend on a stamp, I would suggest you DON’T send an ITV entry and you spend your money on a product from the compers shopping list instead. The chance of winning a prize (albeit a much smaller prize!) is better and you’ll also have the product to use! https://superlucky.me/compers-shopping-list/
Thanks Di really useful, obviously the more times you enter the more likely you are to win but how many times roughly do you enter the same competition by sending a postcard? Just once or more?
I think most people only send one per competition, otherwise it could end up getting quite expensive. As far as I know though, you can send as many as you like!
Hello, do you think cutting up cereal boxes & using as postcards is ok?
I read somewhere else it was; but it’s not listed here?
Thank you for your help 🙂
Yes, absolutely! The front of greetings cards, bits of cardboard or the back of product packaging are all fine to use and might even get you Brownie points with some promoters for recycling! I would try and keep them to around A6 – regular postcard sixe – though!
That’s great – thanks so much for your help Di 🙂
I would like to enter in any competition that there is
There is also the option of entering these competitions via the Wins Day draw ( every Wednesday) , all you need to do is view some adverts / ITV promotions click on a wining ticket which gives you the chance to enter these comps depending upon whether their scanner states your ticket is a winner / looser Good Luck e.one ;0)!!!!!!!!
I must have had at least 150 goes on the Winsday draw to no avail, however I did win a £250 supermarket spend on the bonus tokens comps. It came just after I started applying online instead of by phone text and at the time I wondered if this was co-incidence. I wonder what the incidence of BIG prize winners is online as opposed to phone entries??
Hi Di – I write(well type) all mine on one A4 piece of paper, then fold it in half so as the address fits in the window of the envelope – is this Ok? i’ve tried asking ITV if this is Ok but had no reply – do you know? x
Hi Di!
That’s so interesting about postal entries, I had no idea that we could enter as many times as we liked by post. I don’t know where I read we were only allowed to enter once by post. Now I know i was wrong, thanks so much! x
What number do itv call you from if you’re lucky enough to win ?
Would be really helpful to know the number as I have had 020 numbers from London calling but have not answered in case of spam. But I have been wondering if it could have been for a competition I entered.
I did here from a winner that a number and message were left for you to return the call. If you didn’t respond after 2 missed calls, someone else was contacted.
If you’re entering competitions you should answer every phone call you receive. If it’s spam, just block the number so they won’t call again! A lot of winning calls come in as ‘Witheld number’ and you wouldn’t want to miss out!
This is laura from Liverpool we in Liverpool don’t ever win anythink on tv shows so I am a bit hacked of entering I shop each day for my elderly neighbours so I wouldn’t no if my phone was ringing
I don’t believe postal entries ever win
1. Most of the TV draws ask you for name and phone number only so you may treat a winning call as a scammer or spammer. They may leave a message or they may ring back once more but will probably choose another entry to be their winner. Andrea would know if this is correct.
2. I stockpiled nice normal size postcards in the 90s when lots of public places had them and always use these for free prize draws. If I had, for some reason, to use an LWE. I would put all the info on the front. I have won stuff because the promoter liked my card. Quite against the rules but who am I to argue.
3. Since 1975, I’ve only ever had one entry returned to me – that was a flimsy Avon ‘card’ that was included with the product that I bought but didn’t want.
4. Our local newspaper competition editor said that if entries were too big for the ‘hat’ they went in the bin.
5. I have always believed that ‘last in – first out’ is a sensible rule to follow, but these days all the entries may be amalgamated on a typed out list and a random selector used. Di would know.
Thanks Sylvia! regarding point 5, every entry is given a unique ID number and that number is uploaded to an online random winner selector tool – so the postcards aren’t physically ‘drawn’ at all.
I use envelopes, but write my details on a piece of paper and seal it inside. Is that wrong?
I’ve confirmed with ITV that it’s absolutely fine to write your name and number on a piece of paper and place it inside of an envelope!