National Savings and Investment’s Premium Bonds are one of the country’s most popular savings products, but how do you check for Premium Bonds that may have been forgotten about, and how do you go about retrieving any unclaimed prizes?
How to check for Premium Bonds
Premium Bonds will always be valid until they are cashed in, so even if you think you may have some from decades ago, it is well worth trying to track them down.
To track down lost Premium Bonds, visit nsandi.com/forms and look for the ‘Form to track down lost savings’. You can complete this form online or download and print a copy to complete by hand.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
If doing the latter, send your completed form to: Tracing service, NS&I, Sunderland SR43 2SB
Once completed, NS&I will be in contact and tell you whether you have any lost Premium Bonds.
Alternatively, you can use mylostaccount.org.uk. This is a free service from UK Finance and the Building Societies Association that helps you track down lost accounts or savings. The service is not only for NS&I products, so it may be worth a visit if you have other lost accounts.
If you’re trying to track down Premium Bonds on behalf of someone else, then make sure you are legally entitled to act on their behalf, for example under a Power of Attorney or as an Executor. NS&I says to call them for advice on how to trace someone else’s accounts or investments.
Premium Bonds can still be owned by people who live abroad so it is still worth checking whether you have any unclaimed prizes or lost Premium Bonds even if you have left the UK.
If you need more help or guidance, NS&I has a helpful list of contacts who may be able to steer you in the right direction.
How to check for Premium Bond prizes
There are a number of ways to check for prizes – both online and by post.
NS&I website or app
The easiest way is through the nsandi.com prize checker or the official prize checker app, available on either Android or iOS. Both of these methods will show you the prizes on offer that month and any winnings you may have had over the past six draws as well as any unclaimed prizes.
You will need your Premium Bonds holder’s number to use the website and your NS&I number or holder’s number to check via the prize checker app - it has either 9 or 10 digits, or 8 digits followed by a letter.
If you don’t have your Premium Bonds number to hand, do not worry. You can use your NS&I number on the app to check for prizes – it is 11 digits long and starts with an 11, 21, 31 or 41.
Use your Alexa
You can also use your Alexa-enabled device to check if you’ve won, so long as you have a supported device and have successfully set it up. Once given the command, Alexa will be able to tell you whether you have won a prize and how much it's worth, as well as details for any upcoming draws.
To get it set up, you’ll need to activate the NS&I Premium Bonds prize checker skill on your Alexa app and enter your NS&I number. After that, you will be able to use your smart speaker to stay updated on all things Premium Bonds.
How to check for unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes from years ago
As there is no time limit for investors to claim prizes from Premium Bonds, you may find that you have some long-forgotten rewards left from years ago.
In March 2025, NS&I said there are 2,530,260 prizes worth £95,312,325 still to be claimed.
Beyond using NS&I’s website, app or Alexa to check for prizes, there are some other ways of finding out whether you have any cash waiting to be claimed.
If you’re registered for online or phone services, you can call NS&I for free on 08085 007 007.
If you aren’t registered, you can write to NS&I and ask if you have any unclaimed prizes. To help them track any potential prizes down for you, your letter must include:
- Premium Bonds holder's number
- Your current name
- Any previous names
- Your current address
- Any previous addresses where Bonds may have been registered
- Your signature
Send your letter to: NS&I, Sunderland SR43 2SB.
Any prizes will then be sent to your home address - they cannot be sent directly to your bank account.
How will my prize be paid?
Your prizes will be paid according to your preference. For example, those who have opted for automatic payments will get their cash prizes paid into their bank account. Alternatively, you might have set your winnings to be reinvested.
NS&I says more than nine in 10 prizes are paid directly into winners’ bank accounts or automatically reinvested into more Premium Bonds.
If you haven’t opted for either, you will receive a cheque – so it’s worth checking your address is updated. You can change your payment method on the NS&I website if you wish.
-
How much should I have in emergency savings?When your boiler breaks or your car won’t start, you can find yourself paying a hefty bill. How much should you have in emergency savings to cover unexpected costs?
-
ISA investments by age: should I invest more in my stocks and shares ISA?Stocks and shares ISAs are a great way to grow long-term wealth, but are they overlooked compared to cash savings? We look at the average ISA investment by age and if you should have more.
-
Millions of Premium Bonds prizes are still unclaimed. Could some be yours?More than £95 million sits in unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes. Could you have unknowingly won a prize in the Premium Bonds draw? Here's how to find out.
-
One-year fixed savings drop below 6% - have they reached their peak?The best one-year fixed-rate savings deals have fallen below the 6% mark. Find out if saving rates have reached their peak and the current top rates on the market.
-
NS&I cuts interest rate on Green Savings Bonds - where can you get a better deal?News The state-backed bank has slashed the interest rate on its Green Savings Bonds from 5.7% to 3.95%
-
November NS&I Premium Bonds winners - check now to see what you wonIf you have money saved in NS&I Premium Bonds you can now check to see whether you have won a prize in the November prize draw. Here’s how to check your Premium Bonds.
-
October NS&I Premium Bond winners - have you claimed your prize yet?October NS&I Premium Bond winners were announced earlier this month - but have you claimed your prize yet? Here’s how to check you have not missed out
-
Act fast: HSBC to pull its 5.7% one-year bondSavers have until Wednesday to apply for HSBC’s one-year fixed-rate bond. The withdrawal of the account follows NS&I’s decision to pull its market-leading one-year bonds earlier this month. We explain why you need to act fast to secure the best rates.
-
NS&I withdraws market-leading 6.2% one year fixed bond - what are the alternatives?National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has now dropped its one year fixed bond paying a table topping 6.2% interest rate a month after launch. Here’s where to find the next best alternative for one year fixed savings
-
October NS&I Premium Bonds winners - check now to see what you wonNS&I Premium Bonds holders can check now to see if they have won a prize this month. We explain how to check your premium bonds
