Where to find student discounts for international students

Do you want to know how to get student discounts on clothes, electronics, food and so much more around the world? Look no further – we’ve got you covered.

Grace McCabe

Content Writer, THE Student

July 28 2022

Student life can be expensive with living away from home, a busy social life, grocery shopping and bills. You may have applied for your student bank account but to help you manage your money we have found all the best student discounts around the world so you can save wherever you choose to study.

Universal discounts

Amazon, Hulu and Spotify all offer student discounts on their annual and monthly plans. Prime Student offers students free membership for the first six months. Additionally, Audible offers a free audiobook when you sign up and Apple Music is available half price to students.

International students can also apply for the International Student Identity Card, which will vary in cost depending on your home country. This card is accepted in 130 countries worldwide and provides offers and discounts in a range of areas including travel, meal kits and restaurants.

Educational software such as Notion for Education and Adobe Creative Cloud also offer student payment plans.

UK student discounts

The main sources of student discounts in the UK are UniDays or Student Beans. Students can sign up any time from their final year of high school up until the end of their time at university. Once you have an account you will have access to student discounts, tips, advice and occasional giveaways.

For discounts at high street stores such as Boots and Curry’s, the Student Discount website offers regular deals that do not require any login details.

The majority of discounts are verified before they are posted on the website. These discounts are also offered to key workers and NHS workers with valid ID, meaning medical students can also enjoy savings.

Another source of discounts for students in the UK is Save the Student, where there are regular offers on everything from books and electronics to days out and travel.

For travel inside and outside the UK, Student Universe provides offers on flights, hotels, and tours and the 16-25 railcard provides one-third off the price of train tickets. Throughout the UK, it is common for university campus shops and surrounding businesses to offer student prices or student discounts.

US student discounts

If the US is your chosen university destination, your student ID card can help you sign up for numerous discounts.

Like in the UK, you can use UniDays to browse online retailers in the US. In addition, for US$20 each year, you can sign up to the Student Advantage Card, which provides additional discounts for shops and travel.

Some clothing stores such as Banana Republic and Levi’s offer discounts when you show your student ID card.

Many entertainment destinations and food chains also offer deals and discounts for students, such as AMC Theatres, Cinemark, Burger King and Domino’s.

Finally, students can make great savings on electronics such as laptops, phones and tablets through Dell, Microsoft and Apple.

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Australia student discounts

Depending on where in the country you choose to study, Australia can be quite expensive when it comes to living costs. So, several companies offer student discounts to help you save wherever possible.

Popular among international students is Optus. This phone company offers discounts on SIM-only phone and data plans, which is perfect for topping up when you can rather than paying monthly.

Other popular phone companies in Australia include Vodafone, Telstra and Samsung. They offer regular student discount codes or student discount packages throughout the year.

For electronics, students can use JB Hi-Fi, the biggest home entertainment store in Australia. They offer deals on all their products.

For fashion, many Australians enjoy shopping at The Iconic. Not only do they offer student discounts, but they also release regular discounts and coupons for other major brands such as Topshop and Levi’s.

Fitness First offers student memberships so you can exercise at a discounted rate and Universal Traveller offers exclusive travel deals to full-time students living in Australia. For travel inside Australia itself, check out ISIC for discounts on public transport and other local offers.

Canada student discounts

For places to eat, Canadian students can get discounts at Subway, Chipotle, Burger King, Buffalo Wild Wings, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen and Qdoba, among others.

Many clothing brands offer discounts to students worldwide but some others available to students in Canada include Roots, Eddie Bauer and TOMS Shoes. All you need to do is show your student ID at the till and you can receive up to 20 per cent off all year round.

Along with all the popular phone and electronic companies many other countries have, there are also student deals with Shaw and Best Buy to help you keep your internet and technology costs down.

If you love to travel and want to see more of Canada, these discounts can help you save:

GO Transit – Student PRESTO cards are available with 40 per cent off for members aged 13-19 and then the full PRESTO card is available to adults of any age and those in full time education can then save 40 per cent too.
StudentUniverse – Find great deals on fares on Air Canada flights
VIA Rail – Travel across Canada with an Unlimited Semester Pass ($499)

Finally, students can enjoy regular discounts for local museums, cinemas and car rental.

Europe student discounts

International students who choose to study in Europe will benefit from many of the companies and discounts mentioned above. However, arguably one of the best perks of studying in Europe is the ability to travel to many other countries easily. And here are some of our favourite European student discounts for travel.

With an International Student Identity Card, students in Europe can make use of:

It’s important to note that the Interrail ticket is still charged at full price and there is no student discount.

Although student life can be daunting and managing a budget is a new skill that all first-time students learn, these discounts aim to support students during their studies and make sure that while you work hard, you can play hard too.