You can also write to us and request a replacement Bond record if you aren’t registered for our online or phone services.
What is the number for premium bond holders?
Your holder’s number can be found on your Bond record or by logging onto your account. Your holder’s number is made up of 10 or 9 digits, or 8 digits and a letter. When utilizing our Premium Bonds prize checker app, you can only use your NS&I number to see if you’ve won a prize.
Without a holder’s number, how can I obtain Premium Bonds?
*If you know your Premium Bond number, go to the NS&I website’s prize checker area or download the prize checker app from the App Store or Google Play. There’s also a Premium Bonds prize checker skill on Amazon Alexa if you have one.
Clients are encouraged to utilize their Prize Checker online to check for rewards and help keep call center capacity available for customers who have an immediate financial need during the pandemic. Customers should only send anything to NS&I via mail if they have no other option.
‘Agent Million’ will contact you if you are one of the two monthly jackpot winners. Expect no knock on the door in these days of social alienation, but NS&I claims they are “well-equipped” to convey the good news. You can choose to have any future winnings paid directly into your bank account if you’re registered for the online and phone service. If you win, NS&I will contact you by email or text message.
*You can locate your NS&I number on an old letter from NS&I if you don’t know your Premium Bond holder’s number. Log in to NS&I online using your surname and password, then look for your holders number on the account details page.
*If you cannot locate your holder’s number or account number, contact NS&I at 08085 007 007 or write to get a replacement bond record. Give as much information as possible about your previous addresses, where and when you purchased the Premium Bonds, and how much they are worth.
*Alternatively, you can track down your Premium Bond information through the NS&I Tracing Service or My Lost Account.
What is my NS&I number and how can I find it?
How to find your NS&I number Your NS&I number can be found on any letter you’ve received from us since you registered. It will have 11 digits and will begin with 11, 21, 31, or 41. Using your name, date of birth, and postcode, you may instantly acquire a reminder of your NS&I number online.
Are there any disadvantages to Premium Bonds?
Since 1957, National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has marketed Premium Bonds. They are a risk-free option to save because NS&I is supported by HM Treasury and is part of the government.
Premium Bonds do not pay interest, but they do have a monthly prize draw with prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million.
Each bond costs £1 and includes a unique reference number that is used to enter the draw. That implies that for every pound you invest, you may be eligible to win a prize once a month (though it is highly unlikely).
Limitations
Premium Bonds are only available to those who are 16 years old or older. They can, however, be purchased on behalf of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and kept by an adult until the child reaches the age of sixteen.
Popularity
In 2008, premium bonds were a big issue. People were looking for a safer way to save during the financial crunch, and Premium Bonds, which are backed by the government, cannot lose their value. People were also drawn to the product because of the increased chance of winning more money.
There are presently 74 billion Premium Bonds in circulation, with approximately three million winning a prize each month.
Potential returns
Prizes range from £25 to £1 million, with lower-value awards being granted more frequently than higher-value prizes.
It’s vital to keep in mind that there’s no assurance that you’ll win anything. The monthly prize pool determines the “average rate of return,” which is now 1.4 percent.
It’s not as simple as assuming that if you buy Premium Bonds, you’ll get a 1.4 percent return. There are several factors that go into determining your exact chances of receiving prize money in that amount, but we estimate that you’ll need to invest roughly £20,000 in bonds to get close to the average return.
This calculator can be used to determine your chances of winning and potential profits.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Is it worthwhile to invest in Premium Bonds? It is entirely up to you to make that decision. Before making any decisions, it’s a good idea to consider all of the possibilities:
You will not see any rewards on your investments if your Bonds are not picked in the monthly prize draw.
Everyone enjoys the prospect of winning a large sum of money! The thrill of the prospect of winning £25 to £1 million for each Bond held is enough to entice some investors.
While the mathematics required to determine your chances of winning are complex, it is currently believed that the possibility of winning any prize is 1 in 24,500 for each individual Bond held.
Premium Bonds are backed by the government, hence there are no risks involved. In the worst-case situation, the bonds purchased are never selected as a reward, and the account balance remains unchanged.
Though the numerical value of your savings cannot be reduced unless you remove money, the real-term value can. Because the cost of living is rising, a stable investment value that does not rise will lose purchasing power over time.
Savings are always tax-free, which is one of the key benefits of bonds: higher-rate and even basic-rate taxpayers can invest substantial sums with no tax consequences.
Since the Personal Savings Allowance was introduced in 2016, most savers have seen no tax liability on their returns. That means savers can invest in vehicles that provide higher returns, and the lack of tax is no longer a distinguishing or compelling feature.
Premium Bonds are backed by the government’s promise to buy them back at the same price you paid for them. That means you can take your money out whenever you want and not worry about being penalized.
After the bonds have been held for a full prize cycle, they are entered into their first reward draw. This implies that Bonds purchased in March will be retained until the prize draw in May. Borrowing from your Premium Bonds could result in you missing out on a successful month.
Is it possible to cash in Premium Bonds at the post office?
After July, savers will no longer be able to purchase premium bonds in Post Office offices, according to National Savings & Investments.
Since 1956, the bonds have been sold over the counter, allowing savers to deposit money in a government-backed account in exchange for a chance to win up to £1 million every month rather than receiving interest.
The present contract with the Post Office, however, will not be renewed when it expires on July 31, 2015, due to shifting consumer demand and cost-cutting efforts, according to NS&I.
After that date, bonds can only be purchased directly from the government’s savings provider, via its website, phone, or mail, or by a regular standing order.
One out of every five premium bond sales takes place in a Post Office branch. Over the counter transactions accounted for 750,000 in 2014-15, while direct transactions accounted for 3.2 million. In the same time period, £3.9 billion in bonds were sold in post offices, accounting for a third of all sales by value.
Customers who have recently purchased premium bonds from a post office would be written to and notified of the cessation of over-the-counter sales, according to NS&I’s chief executive, Jane Platt.
She stated, ” “As our partnership with the Post Office comes to an end on July 31st, I’d want to express my gratitude for their support and service to our customers over the years, and I wish them continued success.
“The majority of our clients already purchase premium bonds through direct channels, so NS&I’s move to 100 percent direct sales is a natural next step. Given that these clients already manage and repay their premium bonds directly with us, it should be simple and natural for them.”
Customers have been unable to cash in bonds or make administrative adjustments at the post office since 2013, and have had to deal directly with NS&I for everything but the initial purchase, since 2013.
Despite revisions to premium bonds that cut the smallest reward paid out in half to £25, the savings lottery has remained popular with investors, with over 20 million individuals owning them. The maximum amount that can be stored in bonds has just been increased by £10,000 to £50,000 per person.
The conclusion of the NS&I contract, according to the National Federation of Subpostmasters, demonstrated the Post Office’s issues and the necessity to modernize.
It stated in a statement: “This is very upsetting news, especially for our elderly and more vulnerable clients who rely on subpostmasters for face-to-face assistance with these types of transactions.
“It’s a shame for Post Offices as well, but it’s not surprising. NS&I has made their position clear in recent years, and it is consistent with the government’s larger reluctance to support the Post Office in delivering front-line public services.”
What is the best way to find out if a deceased relative had Premium Bonds?
If you’ve misplaced your holder number or are looking for bonds owned by a deceased relative, you’ll need to contact NS&I and request a tracing service.
Please sign and return the form to: Tracing Service, National Savings and Investments, Glasgow, G58 1SB.
Depending on how many facts about the bonds you can provide, the tracing service will take four to six weeks to provide a result. If an account is located but no signature is on file (which could be the case if the bond was formed for you as a child), NS&I will ask for a witnessed signature or another form of identification. The account details will be released to you after this is provided.
How long do Premium Bonds go unclaimed?
Claims have no time limit, so you can go back as far as you like. Here’s how to get your hands on any prizes that haven’t been claimed yet: To begin your claim, call 08085 007 007 if you are a registered user of NS&I’s online and phone services.
Is there any value in premium savings bonds?
- Have a large sum of money to set aside (the more bonds you have, the bigger your chance of winning a prize)
- Interest on savings is taxed (and have already used up your annual cash ISA allowance)
- The concept of a prize draw appeals to me (you could win big, but you also may not win anything)
It all boils down to your personality. Do you get a nice feeling from the element of surprise? What if you didn’t win anything? How would you feel?
What is the procedure for receiving my Premium Bonds in my bank account?
- Premium Bonds holders who are still receiving paper warrants must take measures to ensure that their awards are paid automatically.
- Customers can also choose to have their prize money re-invested into more Premium Bonds, increasing their chances of winning in future drawings.
- Almost three-quarters of Premium Bonds awards (74%) have already been remitted to consumers’ bank accounts or automatically reinvested. Payment by BACS is more cost-effective and ecologically friendly than sending warrants through the mail.
- There are currently over 1.8 million Premium Bonds awards worth over £67 million that have gone unclaimed. Rewards won by new Premium Bonds customers will be paid by BACS, which will reduce the number of prizes that go unclaimed.
Starting with the December 2020 prize draw, NS&I will begin to transfer clients to having Premium Bonds rewards paid directly into their bank accounts, which will be a faster, easier, and more secure method of receiving prizes. By March 2021, the issuing of paper warrants (similar to a check) for the payment of prizes won in monthly Premium Bonds prize draws will be totally phased out.
Customers with Premium Bonds can continue to have any rewards reinvested in further Premium Bonds, up to a maximum holding of £50,000. Customers will be notified of any prize wins through email or text message, as desired.
Premium Bond holders have had the option of having their rewards paid directly into a UK bank account in their name since 2011. Almost three-quarters (74%) of the 3,856,040 rewards were transferred directly into clients’ bank accounts or reinvested into more Premium Bonds in the September 2020 prize draw.
“Premium Bonds awards are paid directly into clients’ bank accounts, which is faster, easier, and more secure. It also means we’ll be able to reduce the amount of Premium Bonds rewards that go unclaimed because we don’t know the winner’s current address. Customers can also have any prize winnings reinvested into new Premium Bonds up to the £50,000 limit in order to boost their chances of winning in future drawings.
“Although there is an understandable attachment to receiving rewards by mail, nearly half a million customers have converted from receiving paper warrants to having their awards paid immediately into their bank accounts or automatically reinvested since March. This adjustment will allow NS&I to manage Premium Bonds prize distribution more cost-effectively and with a lesser environmental impact, which will benefit our consumers.”
Premium Bonds customers must ensure that NS&I has their up-to-date UK bank account data, as well as an email address or UK mobile phone number, so that they can be notified of any prize winnings. Customers are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, as the issuing of paper prize warrants will be phased down starting in December 2020 and will be completely phased out in March 2021. Customers will never be called by NS&I and asked for their bank account information.
Because NS&I is discontinuing the use of prize warrants, some Premium Bonds customers will stop getting them in December 2020, and all customers will stop receiving them in March 2021. Instead, these customers will receive a prize claim letter with instructions on how to arrange for payment of their prize. The prize warrants for the February 2021 Premium Bonds prize draw will be the last ones issued by NS&I.
Customers who do not have access to the internet should phone NS&I at 08085 007 007 to provide their bank account information or to register to manage their savings, including Premium Bonds, with NS&I.
- NS&I is one of the largest savings institutions in the UK, with 25 million customers and a variety of savings and investing options. Because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury, all products provide 100 percent capital security.
- Over 21 million consumers have invested over £88 billion in Premium Bonds.
- The yearly Premium Bonds prize fund rate is 1.40 percent, with a 24,500 to 1 chance of winning any prize. The prize fund rate and the chances of winning are both variable and can vary at any time.
- The NS&I media team has photos of ERNIE 5, prior ERNIEs, and Premium Bonds, including the Premium Bonds app, in high-resolution jpeg format.
- Customers could be notified of any Premium Bonds prize wins by text message, according to NS&I’s announcement in February 2020.
- In February 2020, NS&I announced that parents or guardians of children under the age of 16 who had Premium Bonds purchased for them would be able to have any rewards earned directly deposited into their bank account.