WHEN retiree Michael Ellis signed up to an online postcode lottery in January 2016, he couldn’t have imagined he’d find himself celebrating a win of more than £5,000.
The 61-year-old, who formerly worked in local government, lives in Charing, Kent, with his wife, Michelle, 64, and their dog, Jack.
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Michael told The Sun: “I signed up to PickMyPostcode just under a decade ago after seeing it recommended by Martin Lewis on MoneySavingExpert.com.
“But I never actually expected to win big.”
For years, Michael visited the lottery website religiously – to see if his postcode had been “drawn”.
“Finally, after checking every single day – and building my bonus through surveys – my postcode was picked on what is known as the ‘Stackpot’ draw.
“This meant I bagged an unbelievable £5,331.61, completely for free.”
PickMyPostcode is a free online alternative to traditional lotteries.
This draw is funded by adverts, in the same way as a newspaper or TV channel is.
To date, the lottery has given away more than £3million to lucky winning members, including an extra pot of money known as a “bonus”.
This is an additional pot of money which members grow themselves by visiting the website daily, completing surveys, and taking up extra offers.
When Michael found out that he’d won, he was filled with a mix of emotions.
“At first there was disbelief that my postcode had actually come up on the ‘Stackpot’ draw,” he said.
“This was followed by lots of whooping and punching the air. My wife was left wondering what on earth had happened.”
According to the lucky prize-winner, he has, over the years, invested quite a bit of time and effort into PickMyPostcode to build his sizeable bonus.
“I’ve lost count of the number of surveys I’ve completed,” he said.
“I also got quite competitive with myself on the leaderboard.
“It started as a bit of fun in my spare time, but as my bonus grew, I was challenging myself to climb the leaderboard.”
Michael already has big plans in terms of what he’s going to do with his winnings.
He said: “Michelle and I have not had a proper holiday for quite a few years, and Michelle has a yearning to go to Italy.
“So that is where we’ll spend some of the money – along with sharing some with family, friends and favourite charities.”
The main cause he plans to donate to is the Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity.
“This is a condition I suffer from,” said Michael.
“I already support the RNLI, SmileTrain, Action Aid and Dogs Trust, so will continue to support these charities, too.”
The retiree’s advice to other members of online lotteries is to remain patient.
“I always hoped to win, but never expected to,” said Michael.
“My words to all the ‘nay-sayers’ who believe that PickMyPostcode is a scam, are that ‘you have to be in it to win it.’
“What’s more, this lottery is completely free. All it takes is just a few minutes of your time to check the various draws on the site.”
PickMyPostcode offers multiple opportunities for your postcode to be picked every single day.
In Kent alone, the lottery has 14,009 active members. And, since 2011, residents from that county have won a total of £98,965.09.
Across the whole of the UK, PickMyPostcode has more than three million members – and more than 37,000 winners.
Thanks to the “roll-over” system and the member’s “bonus building”, the largest individual win on the site to date is £8,660.21.
However, the majority of prizes come from smaller, everyday wins which can often be around £200.
At the same time, via the site’s “Double and Donate” scheme, members can opt to send their winnings directly to a charity of their choice, and PickMyPostcode will double the amount the cause receives.
What you need to know about the online postcode lottery
PICKMYPOSTCODE is a competition that has been running daily since 2011.
Anyone over 18, who lives in the UK – or on any islands that uses the British postcode system – can join the site. All you need is a registered postcode and an email.
There are several draws each day, and all are completely free. With certain ones, you can bag between £5 and £100, while the main jackpot, picked at random at noon every day, is £200.
You need to check online before midday the next day to claim your prize.
If the prize money isn’t claimed that day, it will roll over.
This applies to four draws on the site – the ‘main,’ the ‘survey,’ the ‘video’ and the ‘bonus’ draw. So if, for example, the £200 ‘main draw’ prize isn’t claimed today, tomorrow’s prize amount will be £400 instead – and so on until it is claimed.
Should multiple winners with the same postcode make a claim the prize pot is split.
You get 3p added to your bonus daily for checking the main, survey and bonus draw.
In addition, you can add to your bonus by doing surveys and taking up certain offers on site.
Just note that you’ll only actually get that bonus if you’re lucky enough to win.
The site also runs Win A Dinner, a free food lottery. All you need for that one is an email.
Every day at 4pm, winners are chosen to get £25 gift cards for restaurants and other food service locations of their choice.
PickMyPostcode is completely funded by advertising so you’ll never be asked to spend a penny.
All members need to do is come back and check the draws daily to see if they have won. To date, more than £3million has been won.
If your postcode comes up trumps, you will see a large ‘collect’ button.
You need to press that so your winnings can be paid into a PayPay account. Alternatively, you can opt for a gift card.
While there are other postcode lotteries, most involve you having to pay.
One of the main ones is the People’s Postcode Lottery – which pays out bigger amounts. But in order to play, you have to pay.
How do I know my details are safe?
PickMyPostcode will never ask members to provide any bank details or personal information.
May McWhirter fromPickMyPostcode, said: “We just give prizes, pure and simple.”
Winners are paid via PayPal using their email address.
This means you don’t even need to hand over your name to be entered. You only have to give your postcode and email.
May added: “Michael’s win proves that checking PickMyPostcode every day is worth it.
“It only takes seconds but could make a huge difference.”
On MoneySavingExpert.com, Martin Lewis describes PickMyPostcode as “a fun competition,” adding that it sounds “too good to be true, but it’s legit.”
Other ways to win
As we reported previously, it’s also possible to win big on another postcode-related draw, the Postcode Lottery.
We recently revealed the luckiest town with the most Postcode Lottery winners.
Earlier this month, we also reported on the locations of unclaimed National Lottery and UK EuroMillions tickets.
Elsewhere, we offer tips on how to find your most profitable numbers when trying to win the EuroMillions jackpot.
Whichever site or lottery you choose, remember to always gamble responsibly – and keep spending within limits.
If you need help, you can get support at GambleAware.org.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
