PREMIUM BONDS DECEMBER *edited from Nov by MNHQ*

[Blondeshavemorefun]

PB have been about since 1957
Been 30yrs (April 2024) since a million was then the highest prize
nsandi-corporate.com/news-research/news/30-years-premium-bonds-ps1-million-jackpots#
Each bond is £1. You have to buy in minimum of £25 so means 25 chances to win every purchase - years ago you could buy £1 at a time.

Odds of winning £1 million on Premium Bonds at face value are 1 in 2,489,469,818 if you have £25 in PBs.
However most people have more than £25 so the odds depend on how much you do hold.

If you have £100 the odds in any given month are 1 in 49,563,028
£1,000 in PB the odds are 1 in 4,954,991
£50,000 in PB the odds are 1 in 96,839
To win anything odds are 1 in 22000
So providing you have more than £100 you have better odds than winning the lottery 😄
And obviously far better than the lottery - you don’t lose your stake !!!!!!

Bonds have to be in for a clear month before going into the draw
If you want to cash bonds in then usually takes 3 days to go into your account

Winnings can be reinvested if holdings are under £50k

This means they will go into the next months draw without losing a month
Or sent to named bank account if winnings take over FH /want winnings in bank account
More info here
www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/premium-bonds

The best time to buy premium bonds is on the last day of the month, as this means they are only held by NSI for one month and one day, without being entered into the prize draw.

Martin Lewis’s opinion on pb - quite an interesting read
https://www.saga.co.uk/money-news/premium-bonds
PB to me is the fun and thrill each month of what if I win big and a millionaire - to then hoping win thousands to a day or two later being grateful if win £25😂

I have nowhere near the maximum and probably never will unless I win £50k + on pb

But only takes one £1 to win that million !!!

I love seeing the low holdings win high amounts

We've seen over the years £100 holding win a million (March 25) also a £100 holding win £100k and £50 win £25k and even £1 won £10k

Maximum is £50k per person so some do have all for family- mum dad and 2 kids so £200k etx

Those on the thread are varying from few hundred /few thousand - to 20/30k to full holdings of £50k

Everyone is welcome to join in whether small or full holdings

One would expect if had full holdings of £50k to win something every month and think over the year to earn the same as if in a high interest account to win around £1925 in prizes at 3.9%
If have £5k average luck is £175 winnings a year

If have £1.5k average luck is £25 once a year

Obviously some people have better 'luck' than others and some worse - Ie full holdings and not winning anything a month or two or even longer

PB odds calculator below

https://moneymarvel.co.uk/calculators/premium-bonds/

shows the interest rate of the winnings - obv anything over 4% is good as if in an account you wouid be taxed so be more like 3%)

In August 2023, NS&I hiked the prize fund to a 24-year high of 4.65 per cent from 4 per cent, a level not seen since 1999 🙀🙀🙀🙀

But it has been steadily falling since, and of August 2025, the prize fund rate - the amount of the total fund paid out in prizes - is 3.6 %

Estimated prizes in August compared to June:
£1m - same
£100k - 4 less
£50k - 8 less
£25k - 15 less
£10k - 38 less
£5k - 78 less
£1k - 780 less
£500 - 2340 less
£100 and £50 - 16,5872 less each
£25 - 371,737 more.
So many of us may win £25 from August but means the higher value prizes are way less 🙀😢

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/nsi-premium-bonds-rate-changes-31317737

From google (august 2023) - The consistent winners are the 1.16 million people who have the maximum £50,000.

They hold almost half of all premium bonds and, at current odds of 1/22000 can expect a monthly stream of tax-free prizes: two a month and three almost every other month, 28 or 29 a year totaling £1925 (3.9% interest on £50k)
From google (Jan 2024) Tho equally With Premium Bonds, for every person who wins £1 million, a lot of people have to win nothing. So the median average will always be lower than the mean average.

This means that, with average luck, most people will win less than the prize rate each year, regardless of how many bonds they hold

To work out your own personal % rate
Take your total prizes, divide it by the number of months and x by 12.
Then divide that figure into your total holding and x 100.
So say £500 prizes in 6 months / 6 x 12 = £1000.
Holdings £30,000 = 1000/30000 x 100 = 3.33% interest rate.

But many on here do have £50k and then consider moving it to an account that pays 4% if their bonds aren't doing very well as would then def get extra money

But remember savings /interest get taxed
PB and their winnings don't
So anything over 3% in winnings is considered good.

People dither whether to pull out from pb and put in high interest account if not winning anything so that they will def earn x amount of interest

But then lose the what if won a million or £100k

If you have PB but not sure if you have ever won esp if moved about a lot
you can write to NS&I. Include these details in the letter:
Current name

Current address

Premium Bond holder number 

All previous addresses where you might have registered bonds

Your signature 

You can send your letter to:
NS&I,
Sunderland
SR43 2SB.

There are 2 apps afaik
Cream - prize checker and if won previous month will show a pic - which we all get excited over 😂😂😂

Blue - the app its self works but the showing early often doesn't work for me but those who reinvest their winnings say it shows if won the day before app shows 🙀🙀🙀

Seems the higher the winnings the earlier it shows and can be from 6pm the night before the app shows
And to confuse things I have a White app that is a bookmark - which shows info/list 😄😄😄

Now this has been debated on MANY times but seems to be correct
When do we find out if going to get a visit from AM 😂

The two winners of the £1million prizes will be contacted by Agent Million (AM) 😂😂 the day before the first working day of the corresponding month.

There may however be exceptions to this, such as when the first working day of the month is a bank holiday, for example.

So
AM - Day before first working day - Millionaire knock /call
LIST - First day of working month showing all winners million to £1k winners - which I always put up for those who can't find it
APP - Day after first working day , including weekends - cream app showing all winnings

You can also check to see if have won via this link with your holders number
www.nsandi.com/prize-checker

Hopefully I've covered everything
Good luck one and all 😄

Onky £2.5k which probably explains it!!

Morning all, house tidy for AM to knock.

Only won £25 on FH last month so need a big one. Also yes another expensive month (my fault haha - buying tickets for events next summer) so could do with a big win.

All the best to everyone.

Thank you. I'll have my fingers crossed for both of us. And everybody else of course.

@velvetcoat it has puzzled me many times. Basically it’s done under a lie /bending the truth of the draw date

• The draw itself (when ERNIE picks all winning numbers, including the two jackpot ones) takes place a day or two before the official “draw date” you see on NS&I’s site — usually at the end of the previous month or the first working day of the new month.
• 📞 NS&I then quietly contacts the two jackpot winners in advance, typically a few days before results are made public.
• 🤐 Those winners are asked to keep the news confidential until the official announcement.
• 💻 The rest of the results (all other prize tiers) go live on the NS&I website, app, and prize checker around the 2nd working day of the month.

So yes — the £1 million winners do find out early, usually a few days before the general public knows.

Seems we don’t need to be cleaning or baking for a possible AM anymore

🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀

Originally, yes, in the early years of Premium Bonds (especially from the 1950s–1990s), the £1 million jackpot winners were often told in person by NS&I representatives. Staff would sometimes make a special house visit or arrange a local meeting to deliver the news face to face — complete with cameras if the winner agreed to publicity.

But today, that’s no longer standard practice for privacy and security reasons. Here’s how it works now:

🕰 Then (Old system)

• NS&I or a local “Agent Million” would personally visit the winner’s home or workplace.
• Sometimes the visit was filmed or photographed for promotional purposes (with permission).
• Winners would often be handed a ceremonial cheque for £1 million.

💻 Now (Modern system)

• NS&I still has “Agent Million”, but the process is much more discreet.
• There are two official “Agent Millions” — trusted NS&I representatives whose job is to personally inform jackpot winners.
• They may visit in person, but only after making contact by phone first to verify details and arrange a suitable time — for security reasons.
• Some winners choose to do everything by secure phone call or private meeting, rather than a home visit.

So yes — you’re partly right:
➡️ The £1 million winners are still told by a real person (“Agent Million”), and often in person if the winner agrees.
But it’s done quietly and pre-arranged, not as a surprise doorstep knock like in the old days.

so we only need to bake or clean if we get a phone call first

I’d love that job :)

If they contact by phone first then I wonder if that means before the Sunday when they would arrive in person?

Aha! I thought something didnt quite add up- thank you!!

I wonder why they cant just be transparent about it? seems really odd to pretend otherwise

Good to see you back and a belated welcome @TheLivelyRose welcome also to @Shenanigansandbonds and good luck to all.

I bought a new phone a few days ago via a 0% interest payment plan - I budgeted for it but a win of £100 or more would be really appreciated to get it paid off that bit sooner.

This feels like it’s been the longest month ever as I added quite a lot to my holdings last month which go into the November draw. I’m still a relatively small holder with under 15k but have been checking the app for the how many days countdown since about 10th October 😂 will be genuinely perturbed if I don’t win anything this month (though I know chances are that I won’t!!).

to Shenanigans - and - bonds · Yesterday 16:25

A £20k dining table ?

yes - they do exist

to still Teetering-on-the-brink45 -- I agree !

Oct 2025 -- This still feels like it really has been the longest month ever

I wonder how much in PBs .... Andy + Fergie and the 2 daughters have ?

That was for something else. Imagine 20k dining table😱
The rest is not to be touched so only win goes towards dining table.

Maybe they rang am and you are so stunned you cancel all plans anyway and wait for them to come knocking

Have I missed something royal ?

It does ecplain if the draw is like laat or dqy before last of the month why you cannot withdraw after cut off towards the end of the month (which they seem to fail to mention in "withdraw anytime" part)

Could really do with the 1 million tomorrow. Please agent million 🙏

Does the change of pic mean I’ve won a prize I wonder? Has anyone who won one month not won the following month even when the pic in the white app changed?

Does not mean anything, unfortunately.

My pic changed x2 today
I had apple bobbing child earlier, and now have a sparkler girl !!!
I think I have won a million 😆😆

Means nothing. You get a pic change if won last month

doesn’t mean will win this month

I’m off to work shortly for a 12 hour shift. Would quite like a phone call so I can put my notice in 🤣🤣

This is a little bit disappointing- always liked the idea of agent million hanging around incognito, waiting for me to come home.

I agree it’s a bit disappointing as it’s now almost given that it isn’t me as I would have got a phone call by now ☹️

I'm refusing to believe it until it happens to me personally!