How Revolut Shops works

Open RevPoints → Shops, activate the specific merchant offer, follow its instructions and pay through an allowed Revolut card route. For an online offer, complete payment within 30 minutes of opening it. Do not start at the retailer’s website.

Revolut says Shops points are normally credited within an hour. The legal Shops terms allow up to seven days, and the live in-app offer always controls the merchant, multiplier, payment method and exclusions.

Official UK sources checked 18 July 2026Independent guideOffers vary by account

First move: Activate in Shops
Online checkout: Within 30 minutes
Points timing: Usually within 1 hour

Use a Shops offer in five steps

Treat every offer as a tracked journey. Starting in the app and matching the offer’s channel are what connect the purchase to your RevPoints account.

Activate RevPoints first
Shops earns RevPoints only after you have joined and activated the RevPoints programme on an eligible Revolut Personal account.
Open the merchant inside Shops
In the Revolut app, tap RevPoints, then Shops. Select the merchant and read the live offer terms, including the earn rate, channel, eligible products and payment method.
Start the tracked shopping journey
For online shopping, follow the offer link from the app and keep cookies and tracking available. For an in-store offer, activate that store’s offer before paying.
Pay through an allowed route
Use your Revolut card directly or through a route the offer permits. Revolut’s UK help page currently lists Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal and RevPay for online offers when available.
Wait, then investigate if needed
Points normally appear within an hour. Keep the receipt and offer details; if nothing appears after seven days, contact Revolut through in-app support.

Online offer

Open the retailer from the Shops offer, not separately.
Keep cookies enabled so the affiliate journey can be tracked.
Complete payment within 30 minutes.
Pay with the Revolut card route listed by the offer.

In-store offer

Check that in-store earning is available for your country and account.
Enable location sharing if the feature asks for it.
Activate the nearby store offer before checkout.
Pay in store with your Revolut card or an allowed digital wallet.

Do not cross the channels. Revolut says an online payment is not eligible for an in-store offer, and an in-store payment is not eligible for an online offer.

What “20x” could mean for your plan

A Shops multiplier applies to your plan’s normal debit-card earn rate. It does not mean every plan earns 20 points per £1. Revolut currently publishes UK base rates from 1 point per £10 on Standard and Plus to 1 point per £1 on Ultra.

20x Shops illustration

Choose a plan and purchase amount to see the mathematical 20x result. This is an illustration, not a quote: only use it when the live offer in your app actually says 20x and the purchase meets every condition.

Revolut plan

Eligible purchase amount (£)

Illustration formula: purchase × published plan base rate × 20. Revolut says additional multiplier points are added once the transaction is completed. The app’s live rate, cap, exclusions and final awarded amount take precedence.

The eligibility checklist that prevents most misses

The card payment alone is not enough. Shops also needs the offer activation, tracked journey and offer-specific instructions to line up.

Keep these aligned

An active, unrestricted Personal account and activated RevPoints.
The exact merchant offer opened inside Shops.
The right online or in-store channel.
Cookies and tracking enabled for the online journey.
The payment rail and deadline shown in the app.

Pause before doing these

Opening the retailer directly or switching to an untracked tab.
Paying after the 30-minute online window.
Using a third-party promo code without checking the offer terms.
Splitting payment, using buy now pay later or starting a subscription without checking how each transaction qualifies.
Assuming another person sees the same offer or multiplier.

Why cookies matter: Revolut’s Shops terms say affiliate partners use cookies and other tracking technologies to connect an eligible purchase to the offer. Those partners receive limited transaction and device information, while Revolut may share pseudonymised transaction data with the merchant to verify the purchase.

Promo-code caveat: the Shops terms say an offer may be reversed when a promotional code not supplied by Revolut is used. Unless the in-app offer clearly permits a code, choose between the Shops offer and the outside discount rather than assuming they stack.

When points arrive — and when they can disappear

A pending card transaction, delayed merchant charge or later refund can move the points timeline. Keep enough RevPoints available if a purchase might be returned.

Normally

Revolut’s UK Shops help page says RevPoints are credited within an hour.

The legal terms describe offers as normally arriving instantly unless the in-app offer says otherwise.

Up to 7 days

The Shops terms allow up to seven days for an offer to arrive. Contact in-app support after seven days if it is still missing.

Keep the offer screen, order confirmation and card transaction available for the investigation.

After a refund

If the purchase is returned, refunded, reversed or declined, Revolut can reverse the RevPoints.

If you already spent them, your balance can become negative.

Negative balance

Current UK RevPoints terms require you to bring the balance back to at least zero without delay.

If it is not fixed within 10 days, Revolut may debit your Personal account to buy points; a value above £10 or suspected abuse can trigger immediate recovery under those terms.

Practical rule: do not transfer or spend newly earned Shops points if the underlying purchase is likely to be returned. Recovery under the current UK terms is capped at no more than £0.02 per point, but a negative balance can still create a real cash debit.

Shops is not Revolut Pay or Gift Cards

All three can involve brands and RevPoints, but the direction of the points and the checkout flow are different.

Comparison of Revolut Shops, Revolut Pay and Gift Cards
Feature	What happens to RevPoints	How it starts	Key check
Shops	You earn extra RevPoints on an eligible purchase.	Activate a merchant offer in RevPoints → Shops.	Tracking, channel, payment rail, time window and offer terms.
Revolut Pay	Depending on the live feature or campaign, you may redeem RevPoints for a checkout discount or earn through Revolut Pay.	Choose Revolut Pay at a participating checkout.	Read the checkout quote and any separate Revolut Pay or campaign terms.
Gift Cards	You redeem RevPoints for a gift card benefit.	Choose a brand under RevPoints → Gift Cards.	Check whether it is a code or an auto-applied gift card and read its redemption rules.

Simple distinction: Shops is mainly an earning journey. Revolut Pay is a checkout method that can have its own earning or redemption offer. Gift Cards are a RevPoints redemption. Never assume the conditions from one feature apply to another.

Why your Shops screen may look different

Revolut can vary activities and rates by plan and location. It also personalises the rewards feed, so screenshots from another customer are not a reliable offer quote.

What can shape the feed

Revolut says personalisation can use your plan, country, age range, in-app activity, spending patterns and RevPoints activity to rank or highlight offers.

What you control

You can manage individual RevPoints personalisation under Profile → Privacy → RevPoints personalisation. Turning it off still leaves broader group-based rewards rather than a guaranteed universal list.

The app is authoritative. Offer availability, multiplier, merchant instructions and payment method can change. Check the offer again immediately before buying, even if you used the same merchant before.

Revolut Shops questions

Do I have to activate a Revolut Shops offer before buying?

Yes. Open RevPoints, tap Shops, choose the merchant and follow the live offer instructions before paying. A card purchase made without activating the offer is not eligible.

How long do I have to complete an online Shops purchase?

Revolut’s UK help page says an online purchase is not eligible when payment happens more than 30 minutes after opening the offer. Start again from Shops if the window expires.

Can I use Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal with Revolut Shops?

Revolut’s UK help page currently allows a Revolut card directly or a Revolut card through Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal or RevPay when the campaign is available. The payment method shown in the live offer takes precedence.

Can I use a promo code and still earn Shops RevPoints?

Do not assume so. The Shops terms say an offer may be reversed when a promotional code not supplied by Revolut is used. Check the merchant’s in-app offer terms before applying any code.

How long do Revolut Shops RevPoints take to arrive?

Revolut’s UK help page says points are credited within an hour. The legal Shops terms allow up to seven days; contact in-app support after seven days if the offer is still missing.

What happens to Shops points after a refund?

Revolut can reverse points after a return, refund, reversal or declined payment. If you have already spent them, your RevPoints balance can become negative and the current UK terms allow Revolut to recover the shortfall.

Is Revolut Shops the same as Revolut Pay or Gift Cards?

No. Shops is an activated merchant-offer journey that can earn extra RevPoints. Revolut Pay is a checkout method with separate earning or redemption offers, while Gift Cards use RevPoints for a gift card benefit.

Does everyone get the same Shops offers and multipliers?

No. Availability can vary by plan, location and account, and Revolut personalises the rewards feed. Use the offer shown in your own app as the current quote.