Answer first
Use Tide referral code REFER200 through the approved partner route to work towards up to £200. The first £75 requires at least £100 of eligible Tide card transactions within 30 days. The separate £125 requires you to open Tide Instant Saver, deposit at least £5,000 within seven days and keep the qualifying balance for at least 30 days. Meeting one condition does not automatically meet the other.
Approved partner route
Check the offer before starting your application.
You must use the correct route, pass Tide’s checks and comply with the live terms. This page cannot promise account approval, offer eligibility, the transaction treatment of a particular payment or a reward payment.
REFER200New customers only. Terms, eligibility and payment timing apply.
The two milestones
Treat these as two different tasks.
The most common mistake is to read the £5,000 transfer as the whole second task. It is not. The £125 route involves an Instant Saver account, an initial timing requirement and a holding period. The table below is designed to be used as your checklist, not as a substitute for Tide’s live terms.
| Reward | What to complete | Deadline | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|---|
| £75 | At least £100 of eligible Tide card transactions. | Within 30 days of account opening. | Card transaction history, merchant names, amounts and settled dates. |
| £125 | Open Tide Instant Saver, deposit at least £5,000, then keep the qualifying balance. | Deposit within 7 days; hold for at least 30 days. | Instant Saver opening confirmation, transfer receipt and balance history through the full hold period. |
Who should proceed
Check eligibility and fit before you chase the reward.
You may be a fit if…
- You must apply through the approved REFER200 partner route and complete Tide’s onboarding checks.
- The offer is for qualifying new Tide members only and may not be combined with another Tide offer.
- You must remain compliant with Tide’s account and Instant Saver terms until the reward is validated.
Pause if…
- You cannot comfortably set aside £5,000 for at least 30 days.
- You need certainty of approval, a branch-led service or a particular banking feature before opening an account.
- You are considering transactions solely to manufacture the £100 threshold without checking how Tide classifies them.
Step-by-step
How to complete both milestones without guessing.
- 01
Start from the approved REFER200 route.
Before submitting details, confirm the code appears on the provider journey or that the route states it is applied. Save a dated screenshot of the landing page and any on-screen offer confirmation.
- 02
Open the Tide business account and record the opening date.
Your 30-day and seven-day windows are calculated from account opening under the offer wording. Do not rely on the date you first saw the advert or started an unfinished application.
- 03
Complete £100 of eligible Tide card transactions.
Use the Tide card for genuine business purchases only after reviewing the provider’s exclusions. A normal merchant card purchase may be an example of card use; it is not a promise that a particular merchant category, refunded item, transfer or cash-like payment will qualify.
- 04
Open Tide Instant Saver, fund it and leave the qualifying balance in place.
Open the Instant Saver after the business account, deposit at least £5,000 within seven days, and retain the qualifying balance for at least 30 days. Keep the funding trail and do not assume a balance moved out early will still qualify.
- 05
Keep evidence until Tide validates payment.
Store your route screenshot, account-opening confirmation, transaction history, Instant Saver records and conversations with support. Provider terms determine validation and payment timing, and an account must remain in good standing where required.
Instant Saver evidence checklist
Keep a record that proves timing and balance, not just a transfer.
The date and time the Tide business account was opened.
The date Tide Instant Saver was opened and its account identity.
A receipt or statement showing at least £5,000 arrived within seven days.
Balance history showing the qualifying amount was maintained for at least 30 days.
A copy of the offer landing page, code and current terms seen at application.
Any provider communications about qualification, validation or payment.
If the code is not applied
Troubleshoot before you finish the application.
Stop and check
Confirm you started from the approved route and that REFER200 is visible or confirmed. Do not assume a generic Tide promotion is the same offer.
Keep a record
Take screenshots of the URL, offer panel, code and error state. Note the time, browser and device in case support asks for context.
Ask Tide before acting
Use Tide’s official support route to ask whether a code can be applied or whether the relevant partner route is still live. Do not create duplicate applications to force a result.
REFER200 and Tide Refer a Friend
Do not mix a partner offer with an app-issued referral.
This page describes the REFER200 partner route. Tide’s public Refer a Friend terms describe a separate programme that uses a unique referral code issued through the Tide app and has its own reward and spend conditions. Use the route and terms that match the promotion shown to you; a code from one scheme should never be presumed to activate another.
Tide, ClearBank and FSCS context
Understand which arrangement protects your balance.
Tide is not a bank. Tide states that its business current accounts powered by ClearBank can have eligible deposits protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £120,000 per depositor per bank. This is not an automatic promise for every balance or product: eligibility matters, and eligible balances held with ClearBank through different products or intermediaries may be aggregated. Check your statement, product terms and the provider’s current FSCS information before relying on protection.
Tide referral code FAQ
Questions founders ask before they apply.
What is the Tide referral code on this page?
REFER200 is the partner-route code displayed on this page. It is intended to unlock up to £200 when the provider’s qualifying conditions are met: £75 for the card-transaction milestone and £125 for the separate Tide Instant Saver milestone. Check the provider landing page and terms before applying because promotions can change.
What do I need to do for the £75 Tide reward?
Complete at least £100 of eligible Tide card transactions within 30 days of opening the account. Tide’s current terms decide which transactions are eligible, so do not assume every payment, transfer, cash-like transaction, reversal or refund will count.
What do I need to do for the additional £125?
Open a Tide Instant Saver account, deposit at least £5,000 within seven days of opening the Tide business account, and keep the qualifying balance for at least 30 days. This is separate from the £75 card-transaction milestone.
Is REFER200 the same as Tide Refer a Friend?
No. This page concerns the REFER200 partner route. Tide’s standard Refer a Friend scheme uses a unique app-issued referral code and has separate published conditions, so do not substitute one route or code for the other.
Are Tide balances automatically protected by FSCS?
No. Tide is not a bank. Eligible deposits in a Tide Business Current Account powered by ClearBank can be protected by FSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank, subject to eligibility and aggregation with other ClearBank balances. Check your statement and the relevant product terms for your arrangement.
Advertising disclosure
UK Startup may receive a referral fee if you open a product through this page. That compensation does not change the provider’s terms or the price you pay. We publish the conditions, practical constraints and alternatives so you can decide whether the account is right for your business rather than applying solely for a reward. See our advertising disclosure and business bank account comparison before choosing.
Sources and review
Check the provider copy before you apply.
This page was reviewed on 25 August 2026. It is a task guide, not the provider’s terms. The offer landing page, account terms and any in-app messages shown to you control eligibility, exclusions and payment. Recheck the provider information immediately before you apply.