Bill-paying trick that could earn you money back on utilities and even rent

Bill-paying trick that could earn you money back on utilities and even rent 'Payment maxing' could help you earn cashback or points on payments you already make - Vicky Parry looks at what is available and whether the rewards outweigh the costs Rent day rarely feels rewarding. Neither does watching the gas, water and council tax payments leave your account. But depending on how you pay, some of those unavoidable bills could give you a little something back. It is sometimes called payment maxing: checking whether the payments you already make qualify for cashback or points, without spending more to chase a reward. The important bit is matching the right account to the right payment. A reward for Direct Debits will not necessarily cover rent paid by standing order, and points are not the same as cash. Which accounts give cashback on household bills? Santander Edge pays 1% cashback on selected household bills paid by Direct Debit, including energy, water, council tax, mobile and broadband bills. Bills cashback is capped at £10 a month. There is a £3 monthly account fee, and you must pay in at least £500 a month and have two active Direct Debits. On £500 of qualifying bills, the cashback would be £5, leaving £2 after the account fee. Zopa’s Biscuit current account offers another route, with no monthly account fee. Customers can choose 3% cashback on up to £150 of qualifying Direct Debits each month, giving a maximum of £4.50 a month, or £54 a year. That is a higher percentage than Santander’s, but it applies to a smaller amount of spending. Check which payments qualify before assuming every bill will count. Nationwide FlexDirect offers eligible customers £5 in a month when they pay at least £300 by Direct Debit during their first 12 months. There is a separate £5 monthly reward for making at least £500 of eligible debit card purchases. The account has no monthly fee, but you must pay in £1,500 a month and meet the other conditions. Utilities and council tax can help towards the Direct Debit threshold. NatWest Reward is different again: it pays £4 a month in rewards for two or more Direct Debits of at least £2 each, plus £1 for logging into its app. It charges £2 a month and requires a £1,250 monthly pay-in to an eligible NatWest account. If you meet both reward conditions, that is £3 a month after the account fee. Can you earn anything on rent? Rent is usually paid by standing order, so the Direct Debit offers above are unlikely to be the answer. Yonder has introduced a separate scheme that gives eligible members points on rent payments, including those on its free debit and credit card plans. Yonder says renters who pay by standing order can enter their payment details, after which it collects the money and sends it to the landlord or agent. It says there is no handling fee. Its standard free-plan reward is 200 points a month, with a boosted 1,000 points a month for eligible new members until 31 December 2026. Its Premium plan offers more points but costs £17.99 a month for new members. The welcome offer has exclusions and terms. That could be interesting if rent is your biggest monthly outgoing, but calculate the value of rewards you would actually use. Do not treat points as cash, and do not pay a membership fee solely because the headline number sounds generous. Check that the arrangement works for your tenancy and that your landlord or agent will receive the rent on time. If rent is taking up too much of your income, rewards will only go so far. It may be more useful to look at ways to reduce the other costs of renting, from energy bills to insurance. Is payment maxing worth the effort? Start with a month of your own bills. Note which are Direct Debits, which are standing orders, and how much you pay. Then compare the annual reward after account fees, rather than the advertised cashback rate. If you are considering moving your current account too, check the switching conditions separately: a welcome bonus and ongoing bills cashback are different offers. Before changing how you pay an energy bill, check whether you would lose a cheaper Direct Debit tariff. If a supplier or payment service charges a card fee, factor that in too. And if you use a credit card for eligible purchases, repay it in full and on time: interest can undo months of rewards. Offers change, so it is worth revisiting your bills rather than setting up an account and forgetting about it. You can also get regular money-saving ideas and deal updates by email if you would rather have new opportunities brought to your inbox. Payment maxing will not transform the cost of rent or utilities. But for payments you must make anyway, a few minutes checking the account they leave from could put some money back in your pocket. - Offers and terms checked on October 16 and may change. Eligibility, exclusions and account conditions apply. This article is general information, not personal financial advice.