How to check for Premium Bonds
NS&I’s Premium Bonds prize draw makes two people millionaires overnight every month. It's worth knowing how to check to see if you’ve won any cash this time


National Savings and Investment’s (NS&I) Premium Bonds are one of the country’s most popular savings products.
Since their inception in 1957, savers have been awarded more than 749 million prizes worth over £35 billion, according to data from NS&I in December 2024.
Every month, NS&I awards millions of prizes in its Premium Bonds draw, ranging from £25 to the two jackpot payouts of £1 million.
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
In July’s prize draw alone, Premium Bonds winnings made two more millionaires overnight and over £417 million was distributed between almost 6 million winners.
These prizes are picked by ERNIE, NS&I’s sophisticated computer which uses quantum technology to randomly select the winning bonds in around 12 minutes.
The lucky winners of this prize draw are announced on the first working day of the month, with savers being able to check if they scooped a prize on the day after.
However, if you are one of the two savers who win £1 million every month, you are notified of your newfound wealth by Agent Million, an anonymous NS&I employee who travels up and down the country to find the jackpot winners.
But how do you check for Premium Bonds that may have been forgotten about, and how do you go about retrieving any unclaimed prizes? We explain.
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.
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 suggests calling 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.
You can rest assured that your Premium Bonds are safe with NS&I as the money is 100% backed by the Treasury.
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 Amazon 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 July 2025, NS&I said there are 2,598,139 prizes worth £103,270,175 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.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Daniel is a digital journalist at Moneyweek and enjoys writing about personal finance, economics, and politics. He previously worked at The Economist in their Audience team.
Daniel studied History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and specialised in the history of political thought. In his free time, he likes reading, listening to music, and cooking overambitious meals.
-
How does the Lifetime ISA work? Key LISA rules
What is a Lifetime ISA (LISA) and how much could the government bonus boost your savings by? We look at the perks and the pitfalls.
-
AJ Bell: a fine British fintech going cheap
Opinion Don’t overlook investment platform AJ Bell, a significantly undervalued British business with an excellent financial base
-
How long does it take to win a Premium Bonds prize?
It could take much longer than you think to win something in the Premium Bonds prize draw
-
Premium Bond winners – who won the November £1 million jackpot?
NS&I unveils November’s Premium Bond winners. Who bagged the jackpot and what other prizes are on offer?
-
NS&I to cut Premium Bond prize rate to 4.15%
The odds of winning a prize will fall to 22,000 to 1 for the December draw, while NS&I is also slashing the rates on other savings products. We have all the details
-
Premium Bond winners – who drew the October £1 million jackpot?
NS&I unveils October’s Premium Bond Winners. Who bagged the £1million jackpot and what other prizes are on offer?
-
Premium Bond winners – who won the September £1m jackpot?
NS&I reveals September's Premium Bond Winners. Who won £1million in this month’s draw and what other prizes are up for grabs?
-
August Premium Bond winners – who won the £1m jackpot?
Two lucky NS&I Premium Bond winners have bagged £1million. See what you have won this month
-
NS&I overshoots financing target - could we see more Premium Bond rate cuts?
Are NS&I Premium Bond prize fund rate cuts on the horizon? An attractive one-year savings bond plus ever-popular Premium Bonds meant NS&I raised too much money for the government last year
-
Revealed: the luckiest Premium Bond areas in the UK – do you live in one?
NS&I has made 532 millionaires over 30 years. What UK area has been the luckiest for Premium Bond holders, and do Premium Bonds remain worthy of your cash?