Health workers have their Blue Light Card discounts – a wonderful way to reward key workers and help them save money – but what do teachers have?

A lot, is the answer. From discount cards, to vouchers, to teacher discount membership sites, to local council discounts, and more, you could cut your spending by hundreds and more each year.

Taking 10 minutes to read this article during a free period or while sipping a coffee in the staff room could be the most profitable thing you do this year.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

The ABCs of Teacher Discounts

You work hard to help shape the future. As a small token of appreciation, hundreds of businesses have stepped up to the mark to offer exclusive discounts to all those who work in our education system.

This is for not only teachers, but dinner staff, caretakers, nursery staff, domestics, and those retired from the education system, too.

From bookstores to digital resources, electrical gadgets, clothing, gym memberships, travel, dining, and more, these discounts will help you make your hard-earned money stretch further.

To take advantage of these discount opportunities, the first step is to understand what types of discounts are available to you. Let’s start with teacher discount cards.

Online Teacher Discount Sites

Teacher discount sites are the keys that unlock the gateway to exclusive deals and discounts. But which should you join?

Some deliver savings across hundreds of retailers and services, while others are more niche, focusing on specific products or resources.

Discounts for Teachers

One of the older and more established teacher discount sites, Discounts for Teachers claims its members can save more than £2,250 per year. It has more than 820,000 members, and has been partnering with brands for more than 20 years.

Not only can you save money by using discounts at retailers such as JD Sports, New Look, Hotpoint, and Clarks, but you can also access exclusive discounts on travel, motoring, mobiles phones, finance, and more.

As if this isn’t good enough, register for the exclusive ode cashback card, and you could receive cashback at retailers such as Boots, Argos, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Five Guys – with cashback rates typically around 2.5% to 4%.

Teacher Card

The new kid on the block, Teacher Card has already made a splash after diving into the teacher discount market in July 2023. It’s operated by an Assistant Head Teacher and her husband, and maintains a list of brands and discounts that is updated every month.

Hundreds of brands offer Teacher Card members discounts of up to 50%, and you can also download discounted gift cards for a vast number of brands, including the likes of Argos, Boots, Foot Locker, Vintage Inns, Tesco, Costa, and more.

Membership is £7.99 per year, a fee that can be more than recouped with a single discount.

Teacher Perks

Teacher Perks is free to join, and works with some of the most important education organisations in the UK, offering an entire range of perks for anyone who works in education.

Not only can you use its discounts to save money, but you can also access a wealth of free resources (including lesson plans), and even earn extra money by filling out surveys or taking part in focus groups.

You’ll have dozens of perks made available to you, with discounts on activities like shopping, entertainment, and travel. (At the time of writing, discounts include 30% off gym membership at Nuffield Health; 20% off meals at TGI Fridays; thousands off a new car financed via Motor Source; and up to 30% discount on stays at Hilton Hotels.)

Public Sector Discounts

Sign up for a free membership at Public Sector Discounts (PS Discounts), and you can access more than 7,000 discounts, including from supermarkets and local shops.

You can use the PS Discounts Black Card to take advantage of exclusive discounts online or in store, from retailers including Marks & Spencer, Boots, Thorntons, and Waterstones. There are cashback offers of up to 5%, too, or you could use exclusive voucher codes at big brand names across the country.

Boundless

First established in 1923, Boundless is the UK’s premier club for public sector workers, including teachers. Membership is £40 per year, but this provides exclusive discounts and access to some of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew, WWT centres, and more.

You can also benefit from savings on the high street and in supermarkets, as well as discounts on Boundless holiday properties and motoring and insurance deals.

CSSC Sports & Leisure

Especially for public sector employees, CSSC is a scheme that offers discounted gift cards for many of the UK’s major retailers. But it doesn’t stop there. You can also access cheap days-out deals, discounted cinema tickets, and earn up to 10% cashback.

It boasts more than 130,000 members, with more than 4,000 ways to save money. All you need to do is show your membership card to receive exclusive discounts of up to 70%.

Included with your membership is unlimited family entry to English Heritage and Cadw sites. All this for £4.99 a month.

Education Organisations With Discounts

Membership of a teachers’ union or other educational organisation does more than simply help you in pay bargaining, workplace disputes, and educational resources. It delivers discounts and money saving offers, too.

National Education Union

Are you an NEU member? Apart from the tremendous work it does on behalf of its members, you can also benefit from the rewards it offers.

These include deals on gym membership, mobile phones, car hire, dining out, takeaways, cinema tickets, magazine subscriptions, travel and holidays, financial advice, and discounts at high street retailers.

Exclusive offers are updated regularly, and you’ll also receive complimentary insurance protection.

The International Teacher Identity Card

The International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) is designed for teachers. Sign up, and you open a world of discounts.

These include offers on travel, accommodation, transport, and food. The virtual card costs £12, and you can request a plastic card for an additional £3.

Is it worth it? With discounts such as 20% off National Express travel, 50% off breakdown insurance, 15% off Samsung smartphones, and 40% off a Fitness First membership, the answer is yes.

Direct Discounts for Teachers in the UK

As well as becoming a member of a discount site for teachers or paying your union fees, there are many UK retailers who will give you a discount at the checkout. Each company has its own process for doing so.

Therefore, it’s best to check with the retailer before you shop. As a general guideline, though, be prepared to show documentation such as proof of employment, a pay slip, or union membership card.

These discounts are subject to change, but here’s what we consider to be some of the schemes available today:

Apple

Not a direct discount scheme, but as a member of UNiDAYS (yes, as a teacher you can sign up), you’ll get access to the Apple Education Store, with some great deals available (though these do change regularly).

Dell Advantage

If you’re not an Apple fan, it could be worth considering Dell Advantage to receive a 20% discount on items such as desktops and laptops, as well as great deals on accessories and monitors.

Microsoft

You may know that teachers can get free access to Microsoft Teams, but did you know that you can also receive a 10% discount on many devices and accessories from Microsoft too?

This could save hundreds of pounds over the course of a year.

Morrisons

Morrisons may not offer a general teacher discount any longer, but you can join its Morrisons More for Teachers Club.

You can join online or instore, and immediately receive up to 30% off selected groceries and other items. You’ll receive these exclusive deals on the Morrisons More app or the Morrisons website.

You’ll need to monitor your club membership to keep abreast of the best deals as they change regularly.

O2 Open

Receive up to 25% discount off the O2 Airtime Plan (data, minutes, and texts). That’s like getting three months of free mobile access every year!

EE Discounts

Offered via Beans iD, you can get 20% off Airtime Only with Flex Plans or any 12/24-month SIM only plan.

Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse operates a voucher scheme for key workers, including teachers.

Discounts at the time of writing this article include a £12 Currys Gift Card when you buy a 12-month Vodafone SIM only contract, and a £40 Currys Gift Card with any pay-monthly handset contracts.

Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit Cosmetics offer a 15% discount in its Benefit shop. All you need to do is verify your employment.

Tier1

If you fancy a wider choice of technology products than shopping at Apple Dell or Microsoft, then you could get 10% off when you spend £300 or more at Tier1 Online.

Vision Express

Shop online with Vision Express and receive a 20% discount on all your eyewear, including prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.

Motor Source

Do you need a new car? Check out Motor Source for exceptional deals on new and used cars, and lease cars.

You can save thousands on new cars, and with an easy-to-use search screen you can see just how good the deals are in seconds. They also offer finance, though you might get a cheaper APR by shopping around for a loan.

Taylor Wimpey

Just when you thought you’d come to the maximum savings possible, we come to the teacher discount that owns them all! Taylor Wimpey will give you up to £15,000 off a new home, though this doesn’t apply to all its developments.

Local Council Discounts

Many local councils run discount schemes for their employees. You could use council facilities at knock-down prices, as well as access discounted deals that councils have negotiated with suppliers.

You’ll need to speak to your council to find out if they run a discount scheme.

9 Tips to Maximise Your Teacher Discounts

Recently, I was speaking to someone about teacher discounts, and they told me that they don’t make as many savings as they thought they might from their discount memberships. When I asked why, they told me that they forget to check the discounts before they shop!

Incredibly, they had booked a holiday at full price, and then realised they could have got the same holiday with a 30% discount! That’s quite a chunk off the balance due.

To avoid making a similar costly mistake, I’ve put together this list of tips to help you maximise the teacher discounts available to you:

1. Join Multiple Teacher Discount Sites

Sign up to as many teacher discount platforms as you can. Many are free, and the more choice you have, the more potential there is to take advantage of the best discounts.

2. Consider Teacher Discount Member Clubs

Membership clubs like Boundless and CSSC offer a vast range of discounts, not only on shopping but on many leisure activities, too.

3. Take Advantage of Your Education Organisation Memberships

Your membership of a teachers’ union or other educational organisation could be worth hundreds in discounts and savings.

4. Leverage Online Shopping

Some of the best discounts will be found online, so waiting a few days for delivery can really pay. Always check for the best deals available by doing an internet search.

5. Compare Discounts Between Memberships & Discount Sites

Before you make a purchase (especially the big-ticket items), compare the discount available from your different memberships and teacher discount sites. A few minutes could make a significant difference to how much money you could save.

6. Get Involved with Discount Forums

People love to share their money-saving tips through social media and discount forums. Stay tuned to these to learn about the latest high-value discounts available.

7. Plan & Prioritise Your Spending

Keep abreast of the best deals for teachers and plan your spending to prioritise for these. This may mean using a variety of supermarkets or bringing forward a major purchase to beat a discount expiry.

8. Always Ask!

Get into the habit of always asking a shop or service if they give a discount for teachers. The worst answer you’ll get is a no. Many shops who don’t officially give a discount for teachers may offer a discount if you ask.

9. Review Your Membership Regularly

Finally, review your memberships regularly – I’d recommend at least every six months. If you aren’t making use of a paid membership, it’s a waste of money!

The Bottom Line

As a teacher (or other worker in the UK’s education system), you have an array of discount opportunities available to you. These range from membership sites and direct retailer discount schemes, to benefits provided by education organisations and local councils.

It only takes a little effort and strategic planning to maximise the savings potential of multiple teacher discount memberships. Use this article as the springboard to saving hundreds, or even thousands, each year.

You’re helping to shape our future – don’t you deserve a little extra reward today?

Nectar Points are the currency of the Sainsbury’s rewards program. And it’s not just for shopping in Sainsbury’s – you can use them to unlock savings at a multitude of UK retailers, including Argos.

Earning points using your Nectar card can be effortless, and as you collect Nectar points, you get closer to discounts and special offers that could save you money – and we all want to save money, don’t we?

In this article, I discuss the best ways to collect and spend Nectar points.

How Do Nectar Points Work?

When you present your Nectar card either physically or digitally with participating retailers and services, you earn Nectar points. One point is awarded for every £1 you spend, though there are ways to earn extra points – which I’ll cover later in this article.

There are several ways to redeem your points – using them when you shop, taking advantage of special offers, or exchanging them for rewards. How you spend your points is up to you – you can either hoard them until you have a big stash, or use them regularly.

Redeeming less than 500 points would typically give you £2.50 off your shopping. Not a bad little discount, but I personally like saving for longer for that bigger discount at the checkout!

(Our editor Lindsay saves her Nectar Points all year every year, and uses them for her Christmas food shop! Last Christmas she converted her points on Christmas Eve and got nearly £100 worth of shopping paid for, all from Nectar points!)

Checking Your Balance

There are several ways to check your points balance. You’ll find it printed on your receipts, and also on your Nectar app or your online Nectar account.

Personalised Offers

One thing that the Nectar card does (like all supermarket loyalty cards) is enable Sainsbury’s to track your spending, and get an idea of your spending habits. This also enables Nectar to make special offers to you, which helps to maximise the value of your points.

How to Collect Nectar Points

Being savvy about collecting Nectar means doing more than ensuring you scan your Nectar Card. The Nectar alliance includes a variety of partners and online platforms.

Here are the most popular:

Shopping at Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s isn’t merely a store to load a trolley with groceries. It’s where you can bring in the bacon when it comes to collecting Nectar points.

The one point per pound spent still holds true, but you should also keep your eyes peeled for special promotions that will help you scalp even more points.

You also get discounted prices for being a Nectar cardholder. You’ll see a big difference as you walk around, and be glad you have one!

Filling Your Tank at Esso

Filling up at Esso also boosts your points balance. You’ll earn yourself one point for every litre of fuel you purchase, but that’s not where it stops.

Every pound you spend in the shop at a participating Esso service station will win you another two points. What a great way to energise your points accumulation.

Earning Points with British Gas

There’s nothing to cheer about high energy prices, is there? Unless you’re a customer of British Gas, that is.

According to British Gas, here’s how each year a typical customer will be rewarded:

• Dual Fuel – 800 points
• Homecare 400^TM – 600 points
• Submitting quarterly meter readings for every fuel – 800 points, or 960 points for monthly EnergySmart^TM meter readings
•  Booking boiler annual service online – 200 points
• Annual bonus – 200 points

You’ll also earn 500 points if you switch to paperless bills. Oh, and watch out for special promotions on new services and products, because these are usually rewarded with extra Nectar points, too.

booking Experiences & Travel

Do you book experiences, meals, hotel stays, and more through Groupon? It’s a great way to get bargain prices, isn’t it? But did you know you can also earn Nectar points on those smart deals?

Similarly, Nectar has teamed up with others like Expedia and Lastminute.com to help your travel spending go just that little bit further, with a boost to your points balance when you book hotels, flights, and more.

Boost Your Balance When You Shop Online

Fancy a bit of online shopping? Shop with your favourite retailers via the Nectar website and, you guessed it, you’ll earn Nectar points. A fantastic way to earn extra points on spending that you would be making anyway.

Financial Services & Insurance Products

Nectar has also teamed up with a host of financial companies, and you can earn Nectar points for doing things like opening a new bank account, purchasing car insurance, or switching energy providers.

A great way to build points while shopping around to save money on the best financial deals.

Special Offers & Promotions with Nectar’s Partners

Nectar has partnered with many of the UK’s favourite retailers to allow you to collect points when you spend on goods and services that range from dining to entertainment and more.

You’ll soon find out that these partners run regular promotions and special offers that could give a big boost to your points balance. However, you’ll need to be vigilant because these offers are time limited. Once they end, you never know when they may return.

By diversifying your approach to collecting Nectar points across these channels, you transform every pound spent into a step towards valuable rewards.

From your daily coffee to your annual holiday, leveraging these strategies ensures your Nectar points balance is always on the rise.

Bonus Points from Weekly Offers

Here’s something I like most about the Nectar points program – its weekly offers.

Each week, you’ll see new offers for the week ahead on your Nectar account. Usually these are product-specific, like 50 extra points if you buy organic potatoes, or 10 points on any salad product.

Often, these extra points are for everyday produce (such as bread and milk) and personalised to your shopping habits.

You may also receive bonus rewards offers, like an extra 100 points for spending £30 instore. Which can make quite a difference to your bank balance, especially if you would be shopping at your local Sainsbury’s over the weekend.

(Tip: You’ll need to save the offers to your Nectar account to collect the points – just press the ‘Save all offers’ button. The app makes this super easy, and notifies you when new offers are ready to load.)

Earning Points Without Spending

Here’s something you’ll really like (I know I do): earning points without spending! Here’s how:

Points Booster

When you go shopping and tap your Nectar card, you’ll get points for it. But a few minutes later, your Nectar card will offer the chance to boost these points.

It’ll send you a notification, take you to the app, and a screen will appear. Rub the screen like a genie lamp! (I quite like doing it, but you can opt not to rub!)

When you do this, you’ll reveal whether you’ve won a boost, such as 5 extra points, 40 extra points… all for not much effort at all. You don’t always win a boost, but I’d say 95% of the time you do – and they get instantly loaded to your balance.

Turn Daily Activities into Nectar Points

If you enjoy taking surveys and polls, or doing online competitions, you can earn yourself a points bonus.

These are often quick, so you can slip a survey into a coffee break, for example, to add points whenever it’s convenient.

Save the Planet for Nectar Points

Some of Nectar’s partners reward you with Nectar points for being green and recycling. Making sustainable choices has never been so rewarding!

Referrals & Feedback

Sainsbury’s and its Nectar partners are keen to hear the views and opinions of their customers, and you’ll earn Nectar points for giving feedback. It’s nice to be appreciated, and even better when rewarded with a few bonus points.

Engaging with Partner Apps & Websites

Are you a web surfer? You could earn Nectar points for browsing through partner websites, or completing tasks on partner apps.

Watch a promotional video, download an app, or register for newsletters, and you could see your points balance ride the waves to new heights.

Special Events & Promotions

More special events and promotions to watch for! There are often plenty of points available for taking part in seasonal contests and interacting with online events.

Seriously, the ways you could earn Nectar points without making a trip to the shops are almost endless.

How To Spend Nectar Points Wisely

You’ve worked hard and used every trick in the book to maximise the points you earn and boost your points balance as high as you can get it. Now it’s about finding savvy ways to maximise the highest value from your points as you possibly can.

Here’s how to unleash that value:

Groceries at Sainsbury’s

Perhaps the easiest way to redeem your points is to ‘spend’ them at Sainsbury’s. Present your Nectar card at the checkout, and ask for your points to be applied to your total. The better you’ve collected points, the bigger the reduction to your bill.

If you’re shopping online, the process is a little trickier if you’ve never done it before. You’ll need to convert your points into a coupon, which you then apply to your basket at checkout.

Fuel & Holidays

Redeeming points at Esso can reduce the cost to fill up, making driving that little bit more economical.

You can also convert Nectar points into travel vouchers to be spent with partners like Expedia. Earn and save enough, and you could find yourself on a free flight to a destination of your choice.

Or maybe use your points when booking hotels or holiday packages.

British Gas Bills

Lower your utility bills by using your Nectar points when paying for energy from British Gas. Yep, they pay you points for being a loyal customer and using their services, and you get to use those points to pay less!

Exclusive Experiences

Let’s look beyond the most practical ways to redeem your Nectar points. Your points could also be the gateway to exclusive experiences and luxury items.

Fancy VIP tickets to gigs or the theatre? Maybe a gourmet dining experience is more you. Or you’ve got your eye on the latest electronic gizmo.

You can use Nectar points on a whole range of out-of-the-ordinary purchases – helping you to create memories as well as saving money.

Maximising Your Nectar Points: Tips & Tricks

To really squeeze every ounce of value from your Nectar points takes a blend of strategy, timing, and awareness. Here are my top five tips to becoming a Nectar points star:

Earn Points on Promotional Offers

Watch for those special offers and promotions, and ‘double-dip’ by earning bonus points on top of basic points. For example, shop at Sainsbury’s during a Points Power Up event, when you can convert your points to ‘Double Up’ vouchers.

Whether it’s a seasonal promotion at Sainsbury’s or a special offer from a partner like British Gas, these opportunities can offer substantial rewards.

Play the Long Game

Plan your spending around points accumulation. You may need to delay some purchases until a bonus event takes place, or shop with partners that are offering higher points per spend.

Over time, these strategies can pay significant points dividends.

Keep Up with the Latest Nectar News and Offers

Check the Nectar website regularly, allow app notifications (I don’t feel pestered with these at all) and subscribe to newsletters. You’ll never miss a first-class points collection or points redemption offer again.

Plan Your Points Strategy

Set goals for your Nectar points. Maybe you want to save for a big-ticket item, or reduce your Christmas shopping bill.

You might be accumulating points to help pay for a family holiday. Whatever your goal, keeping focused will help to motivate your efforts to collect Nectar points at every opportunity.

Don’t Overvalue Your Nectar Points

Always remember that your points have a monetary value when you redeem them (e.g. 500 points = £2.50 when shopping at Sainsbury’s).

Always think about the cost of redeeming your points against the cost of paying with cash or credit to make sure you are getting the best value.

The Nectar Card Conclusion

It’s not just a piece of plastic. Your Nectar card is a key to unlocking a world of savings and rewards.

(Did I mention the SmartShop app yet? No? Look for ‘My Nectar Prices’ in the Nectar app, make a note of your offers, and use the SmartShop app when shopping to get up to 30% discount!)

To get started on your path to Nectar stardom, follow these four steps:

• Sign up for a Nectar Card online or instore.
• Complete your registration online if you have a temporary card from in store.
• Activate your card by following instructions sent to you.
• Link your card to your accounts with Nectar partners to streamline the points collection process, especially if you order your shopping online with Sainsbury’s.

What are you waiting for? Get more reward honey for your money with one of the best grocery loyalty programs around.

Cashback apps have become more and more popular in the UK over the last decade, with one app boasting over 2 million members enjoying over £200 in cashback every year.

What would you do with an extra £200 a year?

I can tell you now that there are plenty of ways to earn more than that if you use these apps wisely. But in order to do that, you need to know what you are doing – you need to know the best cashback apps to use.

Finding the best cashback apps is easier said than done, though. There are dozens out there, each offering different welcome bonuses and varying amounts of cashback for varying numbers of retailers – it can be an absolute minefield.

So I thought it would be helpful to focus an article on exactly what a cashback app is, how they work, and some of the best ones out there for you to try.

You could be saving money on all of your purchases online, without having to do much more than clicking on a few links – so let’s get you on your way.

We’ll kick off with our top apps and then get into the details of how to use them.

The Best Cashback Apps in the UK

Let’s dive into the best cashback apps in the UK for you to look over. I’ll take a look at each one and see if you can pick a few that you think will work best for you and help you earn some great cashback!

Cashback UK

Best All-Round Cashback App

We’ll kick things off with the app that is seen by many as the king of all cashback apps.

Over £1 billion gets spent through Cashback every year, and my guess is that if you know someone who is already signed up to an app for cashback, they are signed up to Cashback. It’s massive.

There’s a good reason for its success – it’s a really good app. You don’t need to link any of your bank cards to your Cashback app; you just select the retailer you want, click on the link and away you go! It’s free to sign up, and you get a decent bonus of £25 for every friend you refer (and they get £10 just for signing up).

The best thing about Cashback is the sheer number of retailers that you can pick from – huge names like eBay, JustEat, ASDA, Expedia, Currys, Travelodge, Iceland, and Tui. This is a great all-round cashback app, with surveys to fill in to earn extra money as well as regular special offers.

Signing up for Cashback is a no-brainer. Do it today.

Quidco

Best Overall Alternative To Cashback

Quidco is probably the biggest rival to Cashback. It is one of the biggest cashback apps out there, paying out over £2 million in cashback every year.

It’s free to sign up for (although there is a premium option for £1 a month that offers better rates – not sure that would be worth it unless you are a serial shopper), and there are loads of retailers to choose from.

The great thing about the rivalry between Quidco and cashback is that they are often competing for your business, striving to give you the most exclusive deals. As consumers, we are the winners in this little battle!

Personally, if I am making a big purchase, Cashback and Quidco are the two cashback apps that I first check to see where the best deal is. They are both great apps.

Sprive

Great For Homeowners (with a mortgage)

Sprive is a cashback app with a difference. The objective here is to help you pay off your mortgage, and it uses cashback as one of the tools to do that.

It’s important to highlight that cashback is just a small part of what Sprive offers – the main goal here is that you get the best possible deal on your mortgage, and you make payments that you are able to afford.

It links up to your bank account to automatically put money aside for your mortgage, based on your spending – even overpaying when you can afford it with the goal of you becoming free of your mortgage more quickly.

Anyway, the cashback side helps with that – when you are making a payment, you can do it through the Sprive app and you will be rewarded with cashback. And this money can go towards paying off your mortgage.

It’s a neat little twist on the cashback idea, and is great for people who want to take control of their finances. The list of retailers is pretty good, and the added mortgage features means that this could be a really valuable app for you.

JamDoughnut

Best For Finding Retailers Not On Other Cashback Apps

JamDoughnut works in a slightly different way to most of the other cashback apps that we are going to look at on this list.

You won’t be clicking on a link that will take you to the retailer’s website.

Instead, once you have decided on what you want to purchase, you head to JamDoughnut to purchase a gift voucher for that retailer, and then use that to pay for your goods.

Then you will be rewarded with cashback.

I know what you’re thinking – this all seems quite fiddly compared to the other way. And you’re right, it is – you have to find out exactly how much you are paying before you buy the gift voucher, which is non-refundable, so you can’t make a mistake.

However, the big selling point of JamDoughnut is that it can get you cashback for lots of retailers that aren’t on other sites.

My advice is this: sign up to JamDoughnut (it’s free) and if you can’t find any cashback for a purchase you are going to make, use jamDoughnut as your last resort. You’ll be surprised how often it comes up trumps.

KidStart

Best For Building Up Child Savings

This is another little twist on the cashback model, similar to the Sprive app. KidStart, as you may have already guessed, is focused on saving money for your children.

The principle is exactly the same as with Cashback – you select the retailer you want to shop with, click on the link, and you will be credited with cashback when you complete your purchase.

There are over 2,300 retailers to choose from on KidStart, which is a decent selection. Many are similar to Cashback like eBay and Argos.

I use this app to earn cashback on anything I buy for my boys. It seems a fair way to do it – all of the cashback goes into their bank accounts (which they can’t touch for now), so it’s just a way to keep topping up their savings for when they are old enough for me to trust them with it!

Airtime Rewards

Best No-Fuss Cashback App

Airtime Rewards is a cashback app that boasts a massive 2.8 million users, and it is another different take on the cashback theory in a couple of ways. 

First of all, to earn the cashback, you don’t click on a link to go directly to the retailer’s website, but instead you link your bank card to your Airtime Rewards account.

The great thing about this is that you will earn cashback whether you’re in store or shopping online. This is not the case for many cashback schemes, and it is really useful.

The other difference is that the money you earn is saved up until you have enough (£20), and then that money is sent to pay off your mobile phone bill.

The only issue is that not every phone company is part of the scheme, so be sure to double-check that yours is before you sign up. The main ones (EE, O2, 3 and Vodafone) all are there.

I really like Airtime Rewards because you don’t need to think about it – you just spend as usual and it slowly tops up in the background. Also, you can ‘stack’ your cashback – just because you get cashback through Airtime Rewards doesn’t mean you can’t also earn through one of the other apps as well.

easyfundraising

Best For Charity Donations Including Schools

Yet another version of the classic cashback set-up is easyfundraising – a scheme where you don’t actually get the money yourself, but the money instead goes to a cause of your choosing.

This won’t be for everyone, obviously – the entire point of this website is to help people gain more control over their own finances, rather than diverting money to other causes.

However, many people want to do more for charity, and this is a great way to help others without directly transferring your own money.

The premise is the same – there are over 7,000 different brands for you to choose from, which is a huge selection. You can also download a browser extension which automatically detects when you are shopping on one of the available retailers, so the process is incredibly easy.

When you are shopping, you will get a pop-up telling you what steps to take to claim the cashback.

I use easyfundraiser to contribute money to my children’s school. I don’t use it for every purchase, but I try to make sure that a couple of times a month I contribute to the school’s fund to buy books and supplies for the kids. It cost me nothing to help the school, and it feels good.

Shopmium

Best For Supermarket Cashback & Deals

Shopmium is a bit of a different cashback app in that rather than targeting brands and shops, there are offers on specific products.

They are focused on products that you can buy in supermarkets, which changes all the time. The offers vary from a percentage discount to some products being completely free – all you have to do is take a photo of your receipt after you have purchased the products at one of the participating shops and you will be refunded the cashback.

It basically works like digital vouchers or coupons. The supermarkets that you can shop in for cashback on Shopmium are: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose, while the products can be anything.

On the app you can also keep all of your loyalty cards (Clubcard, Nectar, etc.) so that they are all in one place.

Shopimum is a great app for getting the odd deal and finding something new to try. There isn’t a great deal of choice there, but they often have great discounts and you can even pick up products for free.

How to make the most out of Cashback Apps

Getting cashback from cashback apps is a pretty simple procedure, as you have seen. But in order to make this worth your while, there are a few things you can do.

It’s no good just using a cashback app for one purchase every month or so – you won’t be able to amass enough cashback to feel any benefit. So here are my top tips:

Shop Around

As we’ve seen, different apps will have different rates of cashback for different retailers, so have a look at a few of them to see where you could be getting the best deal.

Refer Your Friends

Once you have seen the benefit of a specific cashback app, refer it to your friends. It’s a great way to get bonus money (usually for you and them), and your friends can enjoy the cashback benefits too.

Complete Surveys

I wouldn’t recommend devoting too much of your time on these, but if you ever find yourself with nothing to do – maybe on a commute, or in a waiting room – then completing a paid survey through one of these sites is a great way to top up your balance a bit. It all adds up!

Consider Withdrawing Cash In The Form Of A Gift Card

A couple of these apps offer you a bonus if you withdraw your balance in the form of a gift card for one of their retailers, as opposed to cash into your bank account. If you are planning on making a purchase, then this could help you save some extra money.

Cashback Isn’t Better Than Paying Less

This seems obvious, but you can end up a little blinkered when you go on these sites, only looking at the retailers they list. Be careful not to ignore other retailers:

If one site is offering a product for £10 with 3% cashback, but another one has no cashback but the exact same product for £6, take the better deal!

Big Purchases Are The Best

Holidays, energy providers, home improvements – all of these are great sources of cashback, and you’ll really notice the impact that cashback can have if you have a couple of these larger purchases a year.

Ensure It Makes Financial Sense

The golden rule of cashback apps: only use it to buy things that you were going to buy anyway!

It’s easy to get carried away when you see high rates of cashback, but it’s so important that you don’t get sucked in by these big rates and make unnecessary purchases. Use these sites as a way to save a little extra money on purchases that you were going to make anyway, on things you really want or need. 

Cashback Apps – The Verdict

When used well, cashback apps are a great way to save a bit of money without really having to change anything about your shopping habits.

Whether you are getting a little bit from using a specific card, or clicking on a link when you make a purchase, it really doesn’t take up much time or effort, and you’ll find that your total savings will steadily creep up.

Don’t think about these as money-making schemes – think of them like digital loose change jars. You chuck a few pence in it regularly and you will be amazed at the amount you can save over the course of a year.

The dream, of course, is that you can stack your cashback – earn little bits from a number of cashback apps from one purchase. Then things start to grow a bit quicker, and you can end up being able to treat yourself with the savings.

If you haven’t already, download a few of these cashback apps today – even if you are not sure you will use them that often. You’ll be surprised at what you can save without putting in much effort at all.

We thought it would be a good idea to dedicate this article to looking at this new offer to establish who can sign up to it, how it works, and ultimately, whether Santander Boosts is worth signing up to.

What is Santander Boosts?

Santander Boosts is a rewards service offered by Santander to their customers. It is essentially a cashback scheme, which means that you can select from a number of retailers that they have chosen.

If you click on the links on the Santander Boosts website and make a purchase with any of these retailers, you will receive cash back (normally around 0.5 – 5% of the value of the purchase) directly into your Santander account.

This isn’t a new concept. In fact, there are whole companies dedicated to offering this kind of service, but it should be seen as a bonus system for Santander customers – and another way to save money on purchases.

With Santander Boosts you also get the opportunity to enter prize draws or get tailor-made offers when you sign up, so you can win products from some of your favourite retailers.

Different vouchers are made up from time to time, giving you discounts on specific products or product types (e.g. 10% off all homeware at a specific retailer).

Who can sign up to Santander Boosts?

There are three main criteria for people to be eligible for Santander Boosts:

1. You’ll need to have a debit card or a credit card with Santander. This will need to be the card that you use for your payment as well, and the cashback will be paid into the account that the card is linked to.
2. You must also be signed up for Online and Mobile banking with Santander. You’ll be able to access the Santander Boost homepage through your online banking account, so this needs to be all set up first. And really, most account holders will already have this.
3. You need to be over 18 for this offer. Which, again, most bankers will be.

Unfortunately, you are not able to sign up for Santander Boosts if you only have a business account with them – it needs to be a personal account. There are plenty of other cashback perks for business accounts though, just not with Santander.

How do you sign up to Santander Boosts?

Signing up for Santander Boosts is relatively straightforward, although it is more complicated than the Retailers Offers that it has replaced, which you were automatically signed up for just for having the right type of account.

On Santander Boosts, you need to log into your online or mobile banking account and navigate your way to the Santander Boosts area.

For Mobile Banking, you’ll find this under the ‘More’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the main page.

For Online Banking, you should be able to see the ‘Santander Boosts’ button in the top right-hand corner of the page when you have logged on – simply click that and you will be directed to the right page.

From there it is self-explanatory – you just need to follow the instructions and enter your details.

It’s a little frustrating that you need to create a new password for this feature – it seems like there must be a way to just link this to your online account, without having to create a new login. But that’s a very minor point.

When you sign up, you may need to authorise a payment of £0.00, so it’s important to have your phone with you if you are using a different device to register on so that you can do this in the required amount of time.

That’s all there is to it though, it shouldn’t take more than five minutes and it’s incredibly simple.

Which retailers are on Santander Boosts?

One of the big appeals of Santander Boosts is the sheer volume of retailers that you can get cashback with. They are separated into eleven different categories, plus Santander’s own products. Let’s take a quick look at each one.

I should note here that the specific companies that are on Santander Boosts change all the time, but I have listed some here to give you a flavour of what could be on offer.

Auto

This section covers everything from car repairs to travel. You can book parking spaces, get new tyres, rent a car or buy new car parts from companies such as Travel Supermarket, Formula One Autocentre, Halfords and Avis, with cashback from around 2.55% up to a massive 12%.

Babies & Kids

There are plenty of choices for parents here, whether you are an expectant parent, or whether you are looking for things to keep older children entertained. Get your new pram from Mamas & Papas, invest in those first educational toys from the Early Learning Centre, or excite your kids with presents from Nintendo and Disney. 

Health & Beauty

From gym equipment to perfume and skincare, there are loads of health and beauty companies offering cashback through Santander Boosts. Check out Yves Saint Lauren, Holland & Barrett, and Molton Brown amongst many others.

Entertainment

Whether you are after books from Waterstones, tickets from Ticketmaster, or trips to classic tourist attractions like Madame Tussauds and the Sea Life Aquarium – don’t buy anything without checking to see if they are on Santander Boosts first! You could be earning cashback!

Fashion

From Paul Smith to Saltrock, Ben Sherman to Timberland – whatever your style, you will find an outlet here for you to save some money. You can even get your next fancy dress outfit from fancydress.com!

Tech

Save money on printer cartridges, kettles, computer games, laptops, phones, hoovers, washing machines, ovens, drones – if you can plug it in, you can find it in this section!

Gifts

So many great options here, like Interflora if you’re buying flowers, Cardfactory, Funky Pigeon and Moonpig for greetings cards, Red Letter Days for experience gifts and so much more.

Dining

Another varied selection here – from restaurants like Harvester and Toby Carvery, to Scotch whisky and beer on delivery, and loads of takeaway outlets like Domino’s and Yo Sushi. Something for everyone.

Sports

You’ll find bikes, golf trips, camping and hiking equipment, football tickets and so much more here. There are also prize draws to win tickets to various sporting events.

Travel

Holidays, flights, cottages, ferry trips, theme park trips, airport parking – whatever you need for the perfect break, you’ll be able to get cashback on it here. Travelodge, Emirates, lastminute.com, British Airways and Easyjet are all on here, amongst loads more. 

Home & Garden

Retailers like Currys, Oliver Bonas, Simba, Dulux and Bodum are just some of the huge names that you can earn cashback here, whilst making your home that little bit more special.

Is Santander Boosts better than Retailers Offers?

The big question that Santander customers have been asking is this – is Santander Boosts actually better than the old Retailers Offers it replaced?

To be honest, I don’t think it is better. It’s a bit more fiddly to set up, and you are slightly more limited with how you can earn cashback.

Previously you could just select the shops you would be using once and then you’d pick up cashback every time you spent there. Now you have to follow the link from Santander Boosts for every single transaction.

Having said that, the list of possible retailers is much bigger now, so there are more ways in which you can earn cashback, which is certainly a huge plus point.

Santander Boosts Verdict

While I don’t think that Santander Boosts is quite as good as the old Retailers Offers scheme, it is still a nice bonus if you are a Santander customer.

The biggest appeal is the sheer number of offers and retailers that are part of the scheme – if you are buying anything online, you should be able to find an outlet that is part of Santander Boosts, and that presents you with an opportunity to save some money.

As this is a free service available to all Santander customers (over 18) with a personal online bank account, then you’d be silly not to sign up. It’s a great way to save some money here and there.

The other great thing is that it can provide inspiration if you are struggling to think of a present for someone – there is so much choice there, that you can save time as well as money.

My advice is simple – sign up to Santander Boosts and before you buy anything online, check to see if you can be saving money. I think you will be surprised at how useful it turns out to be.

If you possess a credit card, you’re amongst many. I’ve got a couple in my wallet, which isn’t unusual. According to data from the Financial Conduct Authority, around 7 in 10 UK adults have at least one credit card. And, boy, do we spend on them.

In February 2023 (the latest data available), we collectively spent more than £17 billion on our credit cards. The average transaction size was around £50.

Used wisely, a credit card can help with budgeting. If you’re buying goods online, they give you more protection than a debit card. And while the interest rate charged for spending on a credit card is higher than most other credit arrangements, you get a grace period before making payment. Clear your balance every month, and you won’t pay interest.

If you’re considering using a credit card to help with your financial management, you might be considering applying for a card from American Express (AMEX) – one of the giants in the industry – and some of the best American Express credit cards carry with them some excellent rewards.

The question is, which AMEX card should you apply for?

Debunking the AMEX myth

AMEX cards offer some tremendous benefits. Which is best for you depends on many factors. 

Before I look at each AMEX card in detail, let’s tackle the elephant in the room: the myth that AMEX cards aren’t widely accepted. This is just not true. Sure, AMEX isn’t as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard, but you can use AMEX at more than 35,000 retailers across the UK. These include:

• All the major supermarkets
• Wetherspoons and most other major pub operators
• Petrol stations
• Food delivery companies including Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo
• Most major High Street retailers
• Amazon
• Some utility companies
• Subscription services like Netflix and Spotify

You can use an AMEX card to pay for flights, hotels, holiday bookings, public transport, and more. There aren’t many places that won’t accept AMEX. Most that don’t are small, independent outlets.

An AMEX card for all occasions

Through the 1980s and 1990s, American Express cards were considered to be something of a status symbol. If you’re of a certain age, you’ll probably remember the “That will do nicely” adverts. Since then, AMEX has worked hard to broaden its appeal. There’s now a card for everyone.

Each card comes with different benefits. Some require you to pay an annual fee, while others are free-to-own. 

Which one will do nicely for you? Let’s take a look at the best American Express credit cards…

Premium Amex Credit Cards 

The Platinum Card

• Representative APR: 704.6% variable
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable interest for purchases
• Annual Fee: £650

Benefits

• You are rewarded with points for every pound spent with the Platinum card which can be redeemed with shopping, travel and lifestyle partners. 
• Complimentary airport lounge access to 1,400 airport lounges in 140 countries.
• Worldwide comprehensive travel insurance for yourself and your family.
• Up to £150 statement credits per year to spend in 2,000 global restaurants, and also £150 to spend abroad. 
• Up to £100 statement credits per year to spend in Harvey Nicholls. This is broken down as up to £50 every 6 months. 
• Complimentary hotel benefits such as room upgrades and late checkouts at hotels across the world. 
• Points Bonus if you meet the spending criteria within 6 months of opening the card.
• Rewards for referring friends.
• Interest-free period of 56 days on purchases (if you pay the full balance each month).

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £650
• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

The Amex Platinum Credit Card offers a good chance to build up points and claim free rewards with a range of affiliated partners. It also offers other great benefits such as comprehensive travel insurance, hotel and airport lounge upgrades, and cashback offers for UK and overseas restaurants.

The annual fee of £650 might put some people off, but it could be perfect for business use, especially if doing a lot of travelling.

British Airways American Express® Premium Plus Card

• Representative APR: 139.9% variable
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable interest for purchases
• Annual Fee: £300

Benefits

• You are rewarded with Avios points for every £1 spent. The amount you earn differs where you spend; 3x on purchases with British Airways or BA holidays, 1.5x on purchases and earn at least 9,000 for every friend you refer, up to 90,000 a year. 25,000 Avios points would redeem an economy flight to Dubai.
• A Companion Voucher is awarded when at least £10,000 is spent during each membership year. This allows a companion with you on a flight or a 50% discount on a solo flight. 
• Bonus Avios points if you meet the spending criteria within 3 months of opening the card.
• Avios points can be redeemed against flights or flight upgrades. 
• Travel inconvenience and accident insurance.
• Interest-free period of 56 days on purchases (if you pay the full balance each month). 

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £300.
• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

As the name suggests, this card will suit those who fly frequently, as it offers the opportunity to rack up some serious Avios points and use those to claim free or discounted flights.

If you are a frequent traveller there is also the big draw of complimentary travel insurance covering inconvenience and accidents which is a big plus point to this card.

American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

• Representative APR: 88.8% variable
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable interest for purchases
• Annual Fee: £0 for the first 12 months, then £195

Benefits

• Annual fee of £160 (£0 in the first year).
• You are rewarded with membership points for every £1 spent. The amount you earn differs where you spend; 3x on spend with American Express Travel, 2x points on purchases made directly with airlines, and 1x on any other purchases.
• No limit on how many points you can earn a year.
• Points Boost of up to 12,500 bonus points per year every time you spend £5,000.
• Points can be used to offset purchases on the card, or with a range of shopping, travel and lifestyle partners.
• 4 complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge visits a year. 
• Access to unique events.
• £5 cashback twice-monthly on eligible Deliveroo purchases.
• Transfer points to travel programmes 
• Points bonus if you meet the spending criteria within 3 months of opening the card 
• Interest-free period of 56 days on purchases (if you pay the full balance each month).
• Travel Protection for accident and inconvenience.

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £195 (£0 in the first year).
• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

With a £0 annual fee for the first year (and certainly not the highest fee thereafter), I feel it’s worth testing this card out to see how you get on. It offers a great range of bonuses and incentives, and if used wisely you could enjoy some excellent freebies as a result of using this card.

Amex Travel Credit Cards 

The three ‘platinum’ credit cards are also excellent choices for travel credit cards because of the features listed above.

However, American Express does offer another travel-related credit card, which I have provided details for below, and the best part about it is that it has no annual fee.

British Airways American Express® Credit Card

• Representative APR: 31.0% variable
• Annual Fee: £0

Benefits

• No annual fee.
• 1x Avios points on purchases made using the card.
• 4,000 Avios points for every referred friend who is a successful applicant.
• Companion Voucher when at least £12,000 is spent during each membership year. This allows a companion with you on a flight or a 50% discount on a solo flight. 
• Collect up to 90,000 bonus Avios points a year for inviting friends.
• Global Assist and Travel Accident Insurance.
• Avios points if you meet the spending criteria within 3 months of opening the card (currently 5,000 Avios). 
• Interest-free period of 56 days on purchases (if you pay the full balance each month).

Drawbacks

• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

As a free-to-own card, this is an excellent way of using an American Express credit card to build up Avios points, although they’ll come at a slower rate than if you were using one of the platinum cards.

Nevertheless, with a lower APR rate this card could be a really useful addition, especially if you want a card without an annual fee.

Amex Rewards Credit Cards 

American Express categorises the American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card and the British Airways American Express® Credit Card under their ‘Rewards’ cards, and we’ve already covered these and their benefits.

There is, however, another reward card which could be useful.

Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card

• Representative APR: 54.8% variable 
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable for purchases
• Annual Fee: £95

Benefits

• You are rewarded with points for every £1 spent. The amount you earn differs where you spend; 6x on spend at eligible Marriott properties and 2x points on purchases. 
• Minimum 9,000-point bonus points for every referred friend who is a successful applicant, with a limit of 90,000.
• You automatically get Silver status, which you can upgrade to Gold if you spend £15,000 a year on the card.
• 15 Elite credits upon sign-up and 15 each calendar year towards attaining Elite status for the Marriot Bonvoy programme. 
• A chance to win a free night at a participating Marriott hotel after you spend £25,000 in an anniversary year.
• $100 credit for qualifying charges if a stay in either The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^®  is booked.
• Travel inconvenience and accident insurance.
• Global Assist.

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £95.
• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

This card is great if you frequent Marriott hotels regularly, either for work or pleasure. There is a great opportunity to build up points quickly by using the card at eligible Marriot properties, and it also comes with a minor annual fee which could easily be clawed back in hotel savings.

Amex Business credit cards

American Express offers the following credit card which falls out of the remit of personal use because it is more tailored to business use. Nevertheless, I have included it in my comprehensive round-up as it is available for the UK market. 

American Express Business Gold Card 

• Annual Fee: £0 for the first year, then £195

Benefits

• No annual fee for the first 12 months (£195 after).
• No representative APR.
• Interest-free period of 54 days on purchases.
• You are rewarded with points against spend. The amount you earn is as follows: 1x points for almost every £1 spent, 10,000 extra membership reward points when you spend £20,000 per quarter on purchases, and 2x points for every £1 spent on American Express travel. 
• Partner discounts at various retailers, including Amazon, British Airways, Sainsbury’s and Lidl.

Drawbacks

• £195 annual fee after the first 12 months.
• For business use only.

Summary

As I stated in the introduction, this card is aimed at businesses that could meet the spend criteria to earn rewards and not have to worry about the annual fee for the first year. Partner discounts at a variety of retailers are also an excellent bonus for businesses who use these.

Amex Cashback credit cards 

American Express offers two cashback credit cards which allow users of the cards to generate cashback against purchases. There is certain criteria to follow to ensure that you can generate the cashback, which I have outlined below.

Platinum Cashback Credit Card

• Representative APR: 36.7% variable
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable for purchases
• Annual Fee: £25

Benefits

• The Platinum Cashback credit card offers great cashback options when making purchases using the card. For purchases up to £125, you can get 5% cashback, however, this is only for the first three months of owning the card. Each year you have 0.75% cash back on purchases up to £10,000, and 1.25% on purchases over £10,000. It is also a good idea to check if the purchase is being made with an eligible retailer.
• Cash back of £30 when your referred friends are approved, to a maximum of £150.
• Cashback is paid as account credit at the end of the membership year.
• Access to American Express travel benefits and American Express experiences.
• Travel accident insurance and global assist are also provided when you have this credit card.

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £25.
• No interest free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

This credit card is one for people who are purchasing goods on a frequent basis and using a credit card to do so. The small annual fee will be easily clawed back in cashback savings and there is a great opportunity to amass a decent amount of statement credit at the end of your membership year just for buying the things you were already buying anyway.

Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card

• Representative APR: 31.0% variable 
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable for purchases
• Annual Fee: £0

Benefits

• No annual fee.
• The Platinum Cashback credit card offers great cashback options when making purchases using the card. For purchases up to £100, you can get 5% cashback; however, this is only for the first three months of owning the card. Each year you have 0.5% cash back on purchases up to £10,000, and 1% on purchases over £10,000. It is also a good idea to check if the purchase is being made with an eligible retailer.
• Cashback is paid as account credit at the end of the membership year.
• £20 reward per approved referral (up to £150 a year).
• Access to American Express travel benefits and American Express experiences.
• Travel accident insurance and global assist are also provided when you have this credit card.

Drawbacks

• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

This card is very similar to the Platinum Cashback credit card, with stand-out advantages being the £0 annual fee and better representative APR. However, the cashback amounts are also lower.

This would be a good card to have if you’re more of an infrequent purchaser using credit cards but want to benefit from getting some cashback across the year.

No annual fee Amex cards 

We’ve already covered a couple of American Express credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee, which are the Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card and the British Airways American Express® Credit Card – both these cards come with a range of benefits, which you can read about above.

The other card that American Express offers that doesn’t require you to pay an annual fee is called the Basic Card – this isn’t a credit card, but what is known as a ‘charge card’.

This means there’s no set spending limit, but you are required to clear your balance every month. As with the other AMEX cards in this article, I have outlined all you need to know right here…

Amex Basic Card

• Annual Fee: £0

Benefits

• No annual fee.
• 24/7 customer service.
• No pre-set spending limit.
• No interest charges if the full balance is paid off each month.

Drawbacks

• No bonuses or reward schemes are associated with this card.

Summary

Whilst this isn’t technically a credit card (because no balance is approved upon a successful application), it is still a card you can use to pay for things in advance, subject to approval.

It also acts in the same way as a credit card due to the fact that interest will be charged on purchases if the balance isn’t cleared each month. With no annual fee, it could be a great addition to your existing cards; however, care must be taken that you can afford to repay the balance each month.

Hotel & retail credit cards 

Earlier in this article I shared details of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card, which gives its users a range of benefits and rewards mostly associated (as the name suggests) with Marriot properties. If you haven’t read that section already and like the sound of that card, please check out the Rewards Credit Cards section above.

Another card that is offered by American Express is called the Nectar credit card.

Nectar Credit Card

• Representative APR: 37.8% variable
• Purchase Rate: 31.0% variable for purchases
• Annual Fee: £0 for the first year, then £30

Benefits

• Annual fee of £30, which isn’t charged for the first year.
• You are rewarded with points for every £1 spent. The amount you earn differs where you spend; 3x on spend at Nectar partners and 2x points on purchases. 
• 5,000-point bonus points for every referred friend who is a successful applicant, earning up to 90,000 a year. 
• Access to Global Assist.
• Standard AMEX service such as purchase and refund protection, American Express offers and experiences.

Drawbacks

• Annual fee of £30 after the first year.
• No interest-free periods on balance transfers, money transfers or cash advances.

Summary

This card is an excellent choice for those choosing to shop regularly at Nectar partner shops, which will help to redeem points quickly. Considering this card has a £0 annual fee for the first year, it is a good option to choose to see if you can take advantage of the rewards scheme on offer.

The Bottom Line

If you use a credit card wisely, it can be an incredibly strong addition to your personal financial armoury. It means you have funds available for an emergency. Provided you clear the balance every month, you’ll never pay a penny in interest.

If you do have a credit card in your wallet – AMEX or other – the trick is to use it to your advantage. I use my credit cards to pay for regular expenses, racking up points or getting cash back.

But I make certain I don’t spend what I cannot pay off. And as those points and cash back are rolling in, I am saving money on my future spending.

On top of this, I get extra peace of mind on my online spending, and a range of hidden benefits, too – like travel insurance.

I’ll ask you one last time: which AMEX card will do nicely for you?