Smarkets: 0% Commission for 60 Days
What you'll learn
- How the Smarkets COMMFREE welcome window gives 0% commission for 60 days
- How to time your bookmaker free bet extractions to fall inside the two-month window
- How much extra value 0% commission adds vs. the standard 2% rate
Offer Summary
What You'll Need
- A new Smarkets account (never signed up before) and the promo code COMMFREE
- A photo ID and proof of address for verification
- A debit card (or instant banking) for the qualifying £10+ deposit
- Around £50–£100 in starting funds for lay liability
- A matched betting calculator with an adjustable commission field
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Plan the 60-day window before you sign up
The value of this offer depends entirely on how much you actually lay during the 60-day window. Before creating the account, list out the bookmaker sign-up offers, reload offers, and free bets you expect to extract over the next two months. Time your Smarkets registration to overlap with a busy matched betting patch rather than signing up and forgetting.
Sign up to Smarkets with promo code COMMFREE
Create a new Smarkets account using real personal details and enter the promo code COMMFREE during registration. You'll be asked to verify your identity before withdrawing, so upload ID and proof of address early to avoid holding things up later.
Make a qualifying debit-card deposit
Deposit at least £10 using a debit card or instant banking. Skrill, Neteller, PayPal and virtual prepaid cards (including Monzo) do not qualify for the promotion — the payment method matters. Once the qualifying deposit is through, your 0% commission window is active.
Confirm the 0% commission window is live
When you place your first lay bet, Smarkets should display 0% commission on the market rather than the standard 2%. Double-check on the bet slip before placing your first real lay so you know the promotion applied.
Top up liability funds if needed
The £10 qualifying deposit usually isn't enough to cover several concurrent lay bets. Top up to £50–£100 so you have room to lay across multiple bookmaker sign-up offers stacked together.
Set your calculator to 0% commission
When calculating lay stakes for qualifying and free bets, change the exchange commission field from the default 2% to 0%. This gives you slightly smaller lay stakes and a larger guaranteed return per free bet — if you leave it at 2% you'll slightly over-lay and leave money on the table.
Lay bookmaker free bets at Smarkets during the window
Work through your queued list of offers. For each one, place the back bet at the bookmaker and the lay at Smarkets. Every pound of winning lay activity during the window saves you 2% compared to your normal exchange, which compounds quickly across a busy two-month stretch.
After 60 days, revert to standard 2%
Once the window ends, Smarkets reverts to its standard 2% commission. Smarkets and Betfair Exchange both sit at 2% for most users, so pick whichever offers better odds and liquidity on the specific market you're laying.
Worked Example
Here's how the 0% commission saving shows up across a busy 60-day window of matched betting.
| Activity | Details | Extra vs. 2% commission |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up free bets (x4–5) | Major bookmaker welcomes laid at Smarkets | +~£4–£6 |
| Reload free bets | 8–10 reload or weekly free bets during the window | +~£3–£5 |
| Qualifying bets | Close-matched qualifiers with small winning lays | +~£1–£2 |
| Total extra value | Across a moderately active 60-day window | ~£8–£15 extra |
Smarkets-Specific Tips
- Front-load your busiest matched betting stretch into this 60-day window. Time your Smarkets sign-up so it overlaps with a big reload run (Cheltenham, Grand National, Euros, World Cup).
- Set your calculator's commission field to 0% while the window is active — if you leave it at 2% you'll slightly over-lay and leave profit on the table.
- Use the Smarkets mobile app for placing lay bets quickly — the web interface is fine, but the app refreshes odds faster on live markets.
- Liquidity on Smarkets is strong for football, tennis and major horse racing, but thinner on niche sports. Check back/lay spreads before relying on it for obscure markets.
- Once the 60 days end, Smarkets and Betfair Exchange both sit at 2% — pick whichever gives you better odds and liquidity on the specific market.
Payment method matters — use a debit card
The COMMFREE promotion only triggers for qualifying first deposits made by debit card or instant banking. Skrill, Neteller, PayPal and virtual prepaid cards (including Monzo) do not qualify. If you fund your first deposit with the wrong payment method, you'll be paying 2% commission from day one and customer service is unlikely to reinstate the promo after the fact. Double-check the card type before depositing — that one step decides whether the next 60 days are commission-free or not.
Key takeaways
- Smarkets gives 0% commission for 60 days when you sign up with promo code COMMFREE
- Requires a min £10 first deposit by debit card or instant banking — e-wallets don’t qualify
- Change your calculator’s commission field to 0% during the window so you don’t over-lay
- Plan the two-month window around a busy reload stretch for maximum value
- After 60 days Smarkets reverts to 2% — in line with Betfair Exchange; pick whichever gives better odds per market
Related guides
- Matchbook welcome offer — low-commission exchange, a natural secondary.
- Betfair Exchange welcome offer — the deepest liquidity exchange in the UK market.
- Betting exchanges explained — background on how exchanges differ from bookmakers.
- Smarkets vs Betfair Exchange — head-to-head comparison to help you pick.