Frequently asked questions

What is KidStart?

KidStart is a free shopping club that gives you money back for your children, grandchildren, friend's children or child to be, when you shop online at a wide range of retailers / other companies.

For example: Spend £100 at H&M through KidStart, and KidStart will give your child/children £4!

How much does KidStart cost?

KidStart is completely free to join and use. We are paid by the retailers not by members.

What if I don't have any kids?

You can register as a member and earn KidStart Savings even if you do not have any children. If you are expecting, you can either accumulate your savings in your KidStart account until the child is born; or register yourself as the child until you have the child's details. KidStart Savings can also be donated to a school of your choice or to one of a number of children's charities.

What is a Kiddybank?

A Kiddybank is KidStart's name for your account. When you make an eligible purchase, KidStart automatically adds the appropriate KidStart Savings to your Kiddybank. If you have registered children, a school or charity against your account, the balance will automatically flow into your Kiddybank once KidStart has received the money from the retailer.

How do I add a child that I would like to save for?

To add a child, use Manage Account in the My KidStart menu.

How do I save for someone else's child?

In order to save for someone else's child, you need to get permission from the parent of that child. Ask the parent to use the Invite Family & Friends page to invite you to save for their child. When you receive the invitation email, click on the link within the email to complete the process.

How do I save for a school or charity?

To save for a school or charity use Manage Account in the My KidStart menu. You can search for any UK school by first entering the county of the school and then entering part of the school's name. Please contact us if you cannot find the school or would like to suggest a new charity.

How do I earn KidStart Savings?

KidStart savings are earned on eligible purchases made at retailers listed on KidStart's shopping section. Each retailer has their own information page and this contains information on what savings are available, which transactions are eligible and how transactions are tracked by KidStart.

We track transactions in a variety of ways. The main ones are as follows:

1

Through the website or the mobile app / website, you must click the Shop Now button next to the retailer. We send a unique code to the retailer when you click this button which allows the retailer to report any purchases you make back to us. Note: In these cases if you go to the retailer’s website directly without clicking on the KidStart link or if you subsequently click on a link through google or another website to the same retailer then your purchases will not be recorded.

2

Through the KidStart Savings Prompt; you will be prompted if the retailer is part of the KidStart Savings Prompt and as above, you must click the button when prompted.

3

For a few retailers, we track your purchases using credit or debit cards. You can earn KidStart Savings at these retailers online and/or in store when you use your registered cards. These retailers have a card picture on their retailer information page. To register your cards, simply add your Visa or Mastercard card details in the Registered Cards tab in the Manage Account section and wait 48 hours before using them.

4

For a few retailers it is necessary to quote a reference number (either over the phone or online) in order to obtain your KidStart Savings. This will be made clear on the information page for the retailer.

How do I know if a transaction has been registered?

We will automatically know when you are due KidStart Savings when:

1

You shop online via a link on this website. The retailer reports to us the information on the purchase and this is automatically added to your account.

2

A participating card partner notifies us that you have paid with a card you have previously registered with us.

3

You will typically see the transaction shown against your account the day after the purchase. However some retailers take longer to report to us so please wait 10 days before querying any missing transactions.

How do I register my credit cards?

You can register your cards in the Registered Cards tab in the Manage Account section. We only ask for the card number and expiry date. We never ask for the 3 digit card security (also known as CCV) code.

You can register and Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard or Maestro card and can register up to 10 cards in total

Why are some transactions shown as pending?

Recent purchases are shown as pending to allow for returns and to give time for the retailer to pay KidStart the KidStart Savings. This normally takes between 2 and 3 months depending upon the retailer and type of purchase. Some retailers take longer to pay us, and we try to show this on the retailer information page.

Do my KidStart Savings expire?

No. Unlike many other loyalty programmes, KidStart Savings do not expire.

Do KidStart Savings rates change?

KidStart strives to get the maximum KidStart Savings for its members' children. Retailers do change what they offer us so KidStart Savings rates do occasionally change both up and down. However you will always receive the rate that was advertised at the time that you made the purchase.

What is the KidStart Savings Prompt?

The KidStart Saving Prompt is a free web app available to KidStart members. When downloaded to the member’s computer, it works on all the major internet browsers to prompt members that KidStart savings are available:

1

When the retailer appears in google search results

2

When visiting the retailer site directly.

Members can then choose to click the link in the prompt if they wish to collect KidStart Savings on purchases made at that retailer.

The KidStart Savings Prompt also contains a 'dashboard' giving the member access to information on recent purchases, balance and quick links to KidStart.

What does it cost?

Nothing - it is free to install and use

Can I close my KidStart account?

You can close your account by emailing KidStart using the contact page or by writing to us at our contact address. If you provide details of a bank account number and sort code, we will electronically transfer any remaining KidStart savings in your Kiddybank to this account less an admin fee of £2.00 which covers the costs related to us making the payment. If your KidStart Savings is below £2.00, then we will close the account without transferring the balance.

Is it safe to use?

Yes. The Savings Prompt does not record or store any personal information.

Which browsers does it work with?

It can work with Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, Chrome and Safari on PCs and Macs. It works with all recent versions (but not with very old versions of these browsers).

Does it work on mobile phones or tablets?

No. Please use the KidStart App which is available from here

Are all KidStart retailers on the Savings Prompt?

Some retailers have asked us to not to include them in the Savings Prompt. Don’t worry as you can always go to KidStart and find them there.

How do I install the Savings Prompt?

The Savings Prompt is available when you are logged into KidStart so please register if not already a member. Once you have logged in, navigate to the KidStart Savings Prompt on the menu and click "Install Savings Prompt."

How do I uninstall the Savings prompt?

Please click here for instructions.

Why is there an unallocated amount in my Kiddybank?

There are several reasons why KidStart Savings may be shown as unallocated:

1

You have not set-up any children within your Kiddybank.

2

A recent purchase has not yet been allocated by the system. This normally happens at the start of each working day.

3

Depending on the number of children you have set-up, not all KidStart Savings can be exactly divided. For example if you had 3 children and were saving evenly between them, only savings that were exactly divisible by 3 can be completely allocated.

How do I set the allocation of my Kiddybank?

After you have registered recipients in the Saving For tab under Manage Account, click on the link marked "allocation". You can split the allocations evenly by ticking the even allocation box, or divide your savings according to a percentage split by entering the appropriate percentages next to each recipient.

How do I invite someone else to save for my children?

To invite someone else to save for your children use the Invite Friends and Family tab within the Share KidStart section of the members site. You can use this to send an email under your name to anyone you choose along with a personal message. When the recipient clicks on the link within the email and accepts your invite, they are automatically able to save for your children.

How do I change my account details (e.g. my address)

You can use the My Profile tab in the Manage Account section

How do I unsubscribe / subscribe from emails?

You can use the My Profile tab in the Manage Account section.

How do I link my child's JISA / CTF / savings account?

After you have added a child, you can link a savings account by clicking on "link a savings account" next to the child's name in the Saving For tab in Manage Account.

KidStart can link to any Child Trust Fund account, most JISAs and any savings account that accepts electronic cash payments. These include bank accounts and most Building Society accounts. If you have a savings plan for your child which does not accept electronic payments (eg: a long term savings bond) then we would suggest you link your own bank account and transfer the money with your existing payments.

What if I don't have a savings account for my child?

Don't worry, you can still save using KidStart. You can use your own bank account to receive savings if you would like.

When do KidStart Savings get transferred into savings account?

We automatically deposit money into the savings account that you have chosen. KidStart checks the balance of each child's Kiddybank at the beginning of the month, and if the balance exceeds the minimum deposit level, the balance is transferred. Funds will usually be accounts by the middle of the month, as we wait for confirmation from the bank that there were no problems with your bank account details. KidStart's minimum deposit level is normally £10, but some accounts have higher minimum deposits.

We'll email you to confirm that we've updated your Kiddybank to reflect the transfer out - or in the rare instances when payments are returned, we'll email you asking you to check your linked account details.

Who can save for my school or charity?

Once registered as a KidStart member, members can select to save for any of the charities listed on our website or any school in the UK. There is no restriction on the number of children, schools or charities a member can choose to give to.

How can I tell other people about saving for my school?

If you represent a school or PTA, KidStart can help you in telling parents, alumni and others about the opportunity to use KidStart to support your fundraising efforts. In particular, we can send an automated invite to your email list with your school pre-registered and we can also provide you with your own dedicated fund-raising page. Please Contact Us to discuss the opportunities.

I'm interested in my charity becoming part of KidStart. What do I do?

If you represent a children's oriented charity and wish to be part of KidStart, please Contact Us.

When do savings get paid to schools and charities?

KidStart pays accumulated KidStart Savings given by members to schools and charities twice a year.

How does KidStart make money?

KidStart receives slightly more from retailers than the rate advertised to members. This allows us to cover the costs of operating the service and charges we incur for making payments to member's nominated accounts and so on. There are no charges for members - your children receive all the KidStart Savings you have earned.

How do I contact KidStart?

See Contact us for information on how to contact us.

What does FCA authorisation mean?

KidStart is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to carry out some regulated activities such as arranging investments on your behalf. (Ie: if we put money into a child trust fund which is invested in share or unit trusts, this is a regulated activity). The FCA oversees KidStart in carrying out these regulated activities to ensure that they are performed appropriately. The FCA does not regulate all of our activities but we ensure that we comply with or exceed all of the FCA's requirements. We are not authorised to hold money on behalf of members.

Who owns KidStart?

KidStart is primarily owned by employees of KidStart most of whom are parents of young children themselves (none are yet grandparents!). KidStart is also backed by a leading venture capital firm, Delta Partners.

How do I contact KidStart?

See Contact us for information on how to contact us.

What do I do if I have forgotten my username or password?

Please click on the Forgotten Username or Password link and follow the instructions there

I made a qualifying purchase but I have not received enough/any KidStart Savings?

If you believe that you are due KidStart Savings that has not appeared in your Kiddybank within 10 working days, simply go to Contact us and fill in the required information.

We process thousands of transactions per day, but unfortunately a small number of transactions do not track properly. We will endeavour to credit missing transactions as soon as possible, but please do bear with us as it can take a number of weeks for retailers to get back to us to confirm purchases.

Missing transactions are often caused by firewalls or virus software that has been set to block our cookies which are used to track purchases. You can test if your system accepts our cookies with our block checker. If you get the message 'YES' then your cookies are being tracked correctly. If you get the message 'NO' then they are being blocked. If they are being blocked you will not be able to earn KidStart Savings at most KidStart retailers until you unblock them. You may be able to do this by changing your firewall or virus software settings.

If you added items to the basket before you clicked out from KidStart to a retailer then they may not track. You need to add items to the basket after clicking out from KidStart when making a purchase.