UNiDAYS operates as a prominent digital platform designed to provide verified students with access to a wide range of discounts, offers, and potential freebies across various retail and service sectors. The platform functions as a centralised hub where students can verify their status to unlock exclusive deals from over 300 partner brands. Unlike traditional student discount cards, UNiDAYS is entirely digital, accessible via its mobile application or website, and requires no physical card or ID for access. The service is free to join for current students, with verification required to ensure that only eligible individuals access the benefits.
The core mechanism of UNiDAYS involves a verification process. Students register using a personal email address and verify their student status, which grants them access to a 12-month period of exclusive deals. Verification methods typically involve logging into a university account or using a valid student email address. Once verified, users gain access to a digital "UNiDAYS iD," which functions as a digital coupon card. This ID can be presented in-store or used to generate unique discount codes for online shopping. Re-verification is required annually to maintain access to these benefits.
Categories of Offers and Freebies
While UNiDAYS is primarily associated with percentage-based discounts, the platform also facilitates access to free samples, no-cost trials, and promotional freebies. These offers span multiple categories relevant to UK consumers, including beauty, food and beverage, technology, and wellness.
Food and Beverage Trials
UNiDAYS partners with several meal kit and food delivery services to offer substantial discounts and free trials. For example, HelloFresh offers students 55% off their first box plus free shipping via UNiDAYS. Similarly, Home Chef offers 50% off the first four boxes, effectively providing a significant number of free meals. Huel, a provider of nutritionally complete food and drinks, offers a 10% discount on purchases over £75 (or £20 off the first purchase via a specific link) upon student verification.
For ready-to-eat meals and delivery, UNiDAYS provides access to discounts with services such as Uber Eats (£10 off the first order) and DoorDash (50% off DashPass, reducing the monthly cost to £4.99). GrubHub+ Student offers free delivery on orders over £18, and in some cases, users with Prime Student may receive GrubHub+ for free. Additionally, the source material mentions that many fast-food establishments offer unadvertised student discounts, often requiring students to ask locally.
Beauty and Personal Care
Although the specific chunks provided focus heavily on food and technology, the platform's description confirms its coverage of the beauty sector. UNiDAYS is described as providing deals on "Fashion, Travel, Food, Technology," and implicitly other lifestyle categories. The platform's FAQ confirms that if a student wants a particular brand, "chances are we've got it," suggesting a broad inventory that includes beauty and personal care products. The mechanism for accessing these offers—verification and use of the UNiDAYS iD—applies universally across these categories.
Technology and Software
Students can access significant savings on software and productivity tools through UNiDAYS. Microsoft Office 365 is available for free for three months, followed by a 50% discount. Prezi offers a 79% discount on its presentation software, reducing the cost to £4 per month. For budget management, You Need a Budget (YNAB) provides a free one-year subscription to qualifying students. Furthermore, Amazon Student Discount provides a free 6-month Prime membership, followed by a reduced annual rate, offering benefits such as free delivery, streaming services, and exclusive discounts.
Wellness and Fitness
Mental health and fitness are also catered to. Headspace offers a significant 85% discount, reducing the yearly subscription to £9.99. For physical fitness, Adaptiv offers 50% off monthly or yearly subscriptions for personalised workouts.
Eligibility and Verification Rules
Eligibility for UNiDAYS offers is strictly limited to current students. To join, individuals must be studying at one of the available institutions recognised by the UNiDAYS system. A valid student ID card or institutional email address is typically required for verification. The verification process is automated and usually takes only a few minutes.
Once a student graduates or leaves their institution, they can no longer re-verify their student account. Consequently, access to student-exclusive discounts and freebies ceases after the current 12-month verification period expires. It is important to note that while UNiDAYS verifies student status, the UNiDAYS iD is not an official institution-issued student ID. Therefore, it cannot be used for accessing physical university buildings, libraries, or other facilities that require an official student card.
How to Access Offers
Accessing offers through UNiDAYS involves a straightforward process:
- Download the App: The UNiDAYS app is available for free download from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. The app is the primary interface for managing the account and accessing deals.
- Registration and Verification: Users register with a personal email address and complete the student verification process.
- Browsing and Selection: Once verified, users can browse available deals by category or brand.
- In-Store Usage: For in-store purchases, users display their UNiDAYS iD (a digital QR code or barcode within the app) at the checkout. Some brands may require the student to generate a specific in-store code for scanning.
- Online Usage: For online shopping, users generate a unique discount code within the app to apply at the retailer's checkout.
Data Privacy and App Usage
The UNiDAYS app collects data linked to the user's identity, including contact information, user content, search history, identifiers, usage data, and other data types. Additionally, the app may use data to track user activity across apps and websites owned by other companies, specifically usage data and other data types. Diagnostics data is collected but not linked to the user's identity.
Limitations and Considerations
While UNiDAYS offers a wide variety of discounts, the availability of specific offers can change frequently. The source material explicitly advises confirming discounts before making purchases, as deals may be updated or removed. Furthermore, some offers, particularly those in the food category, are highly region-specific. For example, Chick-fil-A and Domino's Pizza savings vary by location and availability. Students are encouraged to inquire with local establishments regarding potential unadvertised discounts.
It is also noted that other platforms, such as Student Beans, exist as alternatives to UNiDAYS. Student Beans operates similarly by verifying student status to unlock discounts, such as 25% off Crocs or 10% off Anthropologie. Students may wish to verify which platform offers the best deal for a specific brand, as partnerships can vary.
Conclusion
UNiDAYS serves as a comprehensive digital solution for UK students seeking to save money through discounts, free trials, and promotional offers. By verifying student status, users unlock a 12-month window of access to exclusive deals across food, beauty, technology, and wellness categories. The platform eliminates the need for physical discount cards, replacing them with a digital ID accessible via a free mobile app. While the platform offers substantial value, users must remain aware of annual re-verification requirements, regional limitations on certain offers, and the distinction between the UNiDAYS iD and official institutional student identification.