National Lottery players who play in shops and win £500.01 to £50,000 can have their money paid directly into their bank account for the first time.

The option has been made available, in a partnership between Allwyn and payments provider Bottomline. Allwyn said the decision followed the “Post Office’s decision to no longer pay ‘mid-tier’ National Lottery retail prizes between £500.01 and £50,000”.

Last year, the lottery operator paid out over 45,000 mid-tier prizes, equivalent to more than £50m in prize money.

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Eligible winners can go to claims.national-lottery.co.uk, enter their email address and fill in a claim form. They will be asked details about the winning ticket and be prompted to upload an image of the winning ticket. After then providing their bank details, the payment will be processed within 24 hours on weekdays, or two to three days on weekdays.

Winners can still opt for their prize to be paid by cheque.

Allwyn operations director Jenny Blogg said: “Not only will this see these prizes paid faster than ever before, but it also drastically cuts down on administration and postage costs. This cost efficiency will see more money going to the Good Causes that The National Lottery supports and see prize money in players’ pockets in record time.”

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