In short
The terms are the contract between you and the operator, so they decide what happens if something goes wrong. Before entering, check who can enter, how the free entry route works, whether the closing date can move, how the winner is picked, what the cash alternative is, and who pays for delivery, insurance and tax on the car. If a site makes its terms hard to find or vague on any of those points, treat that as a warning sign.
Why the small print matters
When you buy a ticket, you’re agreeing to the operator’s terms whether you’ve read them or not. In the vast majority of draws that never causes a problem. Where disputes do happen, though, they almost always come back to something written in the terms: a draw that was extended, a prize that turned out to have conditions attached, or an entry that was disqualified on a technicality.
We review the terms of competition sites as part of how we decide what to list, and over time the same handful of clauses keeps coming up. Below we’ve grouped them in roughly the order you’d want to check them.
Who can enter
Eligibility clauses set out who is allowed to take part. You’ll almost always see a minimum age of 18, and operators that follow the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Voluntary Code of Good Practice are expected to carry out reasonable age checks. Most competitions are open to UK residents only, and some exclude certain parts of the UK or the Channel Islands, so it’s worth confirming your address qualifies.
Employees of the operator and their families are usually excluded. Less obvious is the rule on identity: many terms say the winner must be the account holder and must be able to prove it. If you enter using someone else’s account or card, a win could be voided.
The skill question and the free entry route
UK competitions avoid being classed as lotteries in one of two ways. Some ask a question meant to test skill or knowledge, while most offer a free way to enter, usually by post. Often you’ll see both.
The terms should explain exactly how the free route works: what to write on the card or letter, where to send it, how many free entries you can submit and the deadline for receipt. A reputable operator will state that a valid free entry has the same chance of winning as a paid one. Pay attention to the details, because postal entries are commonly rejected for missing information, illegible handwriting or arriving late, and the terms will usually say there’s no right of appeal.
Where a skill question applies, the terms normally say that a wrong answer means your entry isn’t included in the draw, and that you won’t get a refund for it.
Ticket limits and pricing
Most competitions cap the total number of tickets available and the maximum any one person can buy. Both figures matter. The total tells you your odds per ticket, assuming the draw sells out, and the personal cap stops any single entrant from buying up a large share of the pool. If a competition doesn’t publish its maximum ticket numbers, you have no reliable way of knowing your chances.
Closing dates, extensions and cancellations
This is the clause we’d encourage everyone to read twice. Older or less careful terms sometimes give the operator the right to extend a closing date, or run the draw only once a minimum number of tickets has sold. That can leave you waiting far longer than expected.
The DCMS voluntary code addresses this directly. Operators that have signed up to it agree not to change the date a draw ends or cancel a draw because sales were low. If a site hasn’t signed the code, check its terms for any extension or minimum-sales wording before you buy.
How the winner is chosen
The terms should describe the draw method, typically a random number generator or a live-streamed draw, and say when and where it takes place. Good operators publish the results with the winning ticket number and keep a record of past draws. The voluntary code also expects prize allocation to be fair and independently verified.
You’ll often find a clause allowing the operator to redraw if the winner can’t be contacted within a set period, or fails verification. Make sure your contact details are up to date, and note how long you’d have to respond.
Winner verification and publicity
Before handing over a car, operators will usually ask for photo ID and proof of address, and sometimes proof that the payment card used belongs to you. This is normal and protects against fraud.
Many terms also include a publicity clause, asking the winner to take part in photos, videos or social media posts. Some make this a condition of receiving the prize; others ask politely and let you decline. If privacy matters to you, check how this is worded before entering.
The prize itself
With cars, the description in the terms can differ from the marketing. Read for the exact model, specification, colour, mileage and age if it’s a used vehicle, and whether any warranty is included. Terms often reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised one becomes unavailable.
Also look at what’s included. Delivery, first-year insurance, road tax, registration and any fees may or may not be covered, and on high-performance cars insurance alone can be a significant cost for a winner to absorb.
Cash alternatives
Most car competitions offer a cash alternative, and the voluntary code expects operators to provide either the advertised prize or a reasonable cash equivalent. The figure is frequently lower than the car’s retail price, which is fair enough given the operator may have bought the car below list. What matters is that the amount is stated clearly in advance, not decided after the draw. In general, prizes won in UK competitions are not treated as taxable income for the winner, though if your circumstances are unusual it’s worth confirming with HMRC or an accountant.
Refunds, changes and disputes
Most terms state that tickets are non-refundable once bought, except where a draw is cancelled. You’ll also usually see a clause letting the operator update its terms; well-run sites explain that changes won’t apply to draws already in progress.
Look for a complaints procedure and the governing law, which for most UK operators is England and Wales. If an operator doesn’t resolve your complaint, you can report misleading advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority, which enforces the rules on promotional marketing, or raise concerns about a code signatory with DCMS.
What we look for when we list a competition
Before a competition appears on our site, we check that its terms are easy to find and written clearly, that the free entry route is properly explained, that the maximum number of tickets and the cash alternative are stated, and that the draw method is transparent. We also note whether the operator has signed the DCMS voluntary code. If you spot something in a listed competition’s terms that doesn’t look right, let us know and we’ll review it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to read the terms before entering a car competition?
You’re bound by them either way, so it’s sensible to. You don’t need to read every line, but checking eligibility, the closing date wording, the cash alternative and what the prize includes takes only a few minutes.
Can a competition extend its closing date?
It depends on the operator’s terms. Operators signed up to the DCMS voluntary code have agreed not to change the end date of a draw or cancel it due to low ticket sales. Others may still reserve that right, so check before you buy.
Is the free postal entry route genuine?
At reputable operators, yes, and a valid free entry should have exactly the same chance as a paid ticket. Follow the instructions in the terms carefully, as incomplete or late postal entries are often rejected.
Will I have to pay tax if I win a car?
Competition prizes are generally not taxed as income in the UK. Ongoing costs such as insurance, road tax and servicing are another matter, so check what the terms say is included.
What happens if the winner doesn’t respond?
Most terms give the winner a fixed period to reply, after which the operator may redraw. Keep your account contact details current.
Who can I complain to if an operator breaks its own terms?
Start with the operator’s complaints process. If that doesn’t resolve it, you can report misleading promotions to the Advertising Standards Authority, contact DCMS about a code signatory, or get free advice from Citizens Advice.
Last reviewed: October 2026. This guide explains common clauses in general terms and isn’t legal advice. Always read the full terms of the competition you’re entering.