| | 5% cashback on ALL Xmas & Jan sale spend
EARN £100s. Perfect time to get cashback credit card (even if poor credit)
Cashback credit cards PAY YOU to spend. Done right, many earn £100s a year. The top deals boost cashback for the first three months, so apply NOW and that'll last during high-spend Dec & Jan. NM tweeted: "Our cashback cards earned us £250+ last year." WOOHOO. Here are 10 need-to-knows:
| 1. | First, ensure you NEVER EVER pay interest on a cashback card. Cashback cards only win if you set up a direct debit to repay IN FULL every month. This avoids big interest which dwarfs the gains, so it's all profit. | | | | 2. | Now you've got a debit card that pays you, so use it for everything. Your credit card is now effectively a monthly-billing debit card. Ensure you stick within the credit limit.
Use for ALL normal spending (no excuse to overspend) instead of cash, cheques & other plastic. To max gains, if you're in a trusting relationship, add your partner as a 2nd cardholder, so their spending earns too. | | | | 3. |  Huge 5% cashback over Christmas & Jan sales. Amex Platinum Everyday* pays newbies 5% for the first three months, up to Jan (max £100 back in that time). If you fail to fully repay, it's 19.9% rep APR.
After the 5% ends, the rate's up to 1.25%, depending on how much you spend. It requires a decent credit score & household earnings of £20,000+. Full info, incl cards that win for bigger spenders (but have a fee): Top Cashback Cards, Official APR Examples | | | | 4. | You'll get the cashback in time for next Xmas. With Amex it's simply taken off the statement each year on the account opening anniversary (eg, you owe £400 and have £200 cashback, so you're charged £200). | | | | 5. | 0.5% cashback even with poor credit. To get most cashback cards you need a good credit score. For all the cards here, our Cashback Cards Eligibility Checker shows your odds of acceptance, but only does a 'soft' credit search (which lenders can't see) so it shouldn't impact your credit file.
One card that does accept some poorer credit scorers is the Capital One Classic Extra*. It pays 0.5% cashback, plus a £10 yearly bonus if you manage it well, all paid out each Jan. It's designed as a credit rebuild card, so even some with past CCJs/defaults can get it. But you must repay IN FULL each month, or it's a hideous 34.9% APR. Full info: Credit Rebuild Cards | | | | 6. | Best for motorists: 3% back on fuel spend. If you drive or commute a lot, check out Santander 123*. It pays 3% on up to £300/mth petrol, diesel, rail & Tube spending; 2% department stores; 1% supermarkets. Yet it's got a £24 annual fee (refunded if you have the 123 bank account, see below), so you need decent cashback for it to be profitable, plus always repay IN FULL or it's 18.9% rep APR. Cashback is paid out monthly. Full info: Petrol Cashback Cards. | | | | 7. | Free £100 M&S/Amazon/Boots voucher IN TIME for Xmas. Though not strictly cashback, if you're accepted for the Amex Gold* charge card and spend £2,000 in the first 3 months you get 20,000 Reward pts, convertible into £100 vouchers for M&S (for posh Xmas nosh), Boots & more.
Even better, the freebie comes as soon as you hit the trigger spend - so probably in time for Xmas. It's a charge card, so you must fully repay each month, or you get a £12 charge and a default on your credit file. The first year's fee-free; after, it's £125/yr. If you don't want to pay, CANCEL by then. | | | | 8. | Cashback card golden rules:
a) Always use a monthly direct debit to repay IN FULL so it's interest-free.
b) It's no excuse to overspend.
c) Ensure you've cash to repay monthly.
d) You only get it on spending, not cash withdrawals or balance transfers.
See Top Cashback Cards & APR Examples. | | | | 9. | Spending on a credit card is huge extra protection. By law, buy anything costing £100 to £30,000 and pay, even partly, on any credit card (not debit) and Section 75 means the lender's jointly liable. So if an item's faulty, or the retailer goes bust pre-delivery, you can get money back from the card firm. | | | | 10. | Switch bank for cashback on council tax, mortgages, energy bills too. With Santander's 123 bank account* (not credit card), you get 3% cashback on mobile, broadband, phone and TV bills; 2% on gas & elec; 1% on water & council tax (and Santander mortgage payments), plus up to 3% interest on savings.
You need £500/mth income, must switch two direct debits and pay a £2/mth fee. If you pay large household bills, and have some savings, this could be a big winner, worth £100s a year. See the full Is Santander 123 For Me? review. Halifax and NatWest/RBS also offer cashback, but mainly on shopping deals. | | | | PS. This week's email is in the more than capable hands of the MSE team as I'm off hastily writing a new free first-timers' mortgage booklet in the light of the new Help to Buy scheme (available here in a couple of weeks). Martin. | |
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| Wed 9 Oct 2013 |
Cheap energy fix PRICE WAR - beat imminent hikes
New. EDF's launched a 'NO HIKE FOR FOUR WINTERS' tariff to take on Npower's. For some, it's even cheaper Price hikes are almost certainly coming this winter. British Gas alone is predicted to announce 8% rises any day, and the rest, like sheep, will follow. So we're not going to stop nagging you to deal with it while you can. The clock is ticking. - Cut bills & guarantee 4 winters, no hikes. Now two providers offer cheap fixes until 2017. Those on standard tariffs with typical bills can save £80/mth and get price certainty. You can take the deal with you if you move. They offer no early exit fees, so if things don't go as predicted you can leave for free. EDF customer service feedback's better.
| TOP FIXED DEALS (not prepay) rates based on typical bills | | Fixed until | Exit fee | Cost/yr | | Someone on a standard tariff (1) | - | - | £1,420 | Joint longest fix: Npower* & EDF* (2)
| 31 Mar 2017 | None | £1,340 | Cheapest non-exit penalty fix: Npower*
| 30 Nov 2014 | None | £1,180 | Cheapest fix, but exit fees: First Utility*
| 30 Apr 2015 | £60 | £1,170 | | Cheapest variable (subject to price rises) | - | - | £1,120 | | (1) Quarterly billing, dual fuel customer. Source: Ofgem. All others are average monthly direct debit, dual fuel. Varies by region. (2) EDF is £1 cheaper on average. | - The prices above are WRONG. They're averages - what YOU pay and who's your cheapest varies by use and region. So in London, EDF's long fix beats Npower, in N. Scotland it's the other way around. Always do a comparison. Use our energy club's Top Fixed Tariff Picks comparison page, which shows YOUR prices for these top deals. We do this as most comparisons just list price order, so you risk missing the longer, good value deals.
- Is it worth fixing? If the comparison shows you can save and get certainty to boot, it's a no-brainer. As some predict 30-40% rises over the next few years, longer fixes are attractive for those wanting to switch then forget about it. Though shorter deals would win if price hikes aren't so sharp, and save you a lot more in the short run.
- Get £30 cashback for switching. Compare & switch via the MSE Cheap Energy Club and you'll get £30 dual fuel cashback, paid after the switch completes (so a few months). For more cashback deals, see Cheap Gas & Elec.
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| £25 designer specs delivered with code (norm £75). Brands incl Jeff Banks, Bench, Patrick Cox. Glasses Deals Free pizza? Domino's 50% off code, plus £10 newbies cashback. Effectively free, stacks 2 deals. Domino's 50% off Sky TV & broadband codes - AVAILABLE NOW. MSE Blagged. Still 4,000 codes avail (first 2,500 to redeem get the deal). For Sky newbies (or those who had it 12+ mths ago) - incl Sky Movies/Sports. 50% Off Sky £3 photo calendar, including delivery (RRP £12). 3,000 available via special link. Photo Deals |
New LOWEST fee debt-shift card - 12mths 0%, 0.75% fee
Get longest-ever 28 months 0% or - if you can repay quicker - new 0% for a year with the lowest fee
A balance transfer is when a new card pays off existing cards for you, so you owe it instead, at a lower rate. Now, there's the longest-ever 0% debt shift, plus now firms compete on which charges the lowest fee (% of amount shifted). - NEW lower-fee 0% cards. We've ranked our top picks below by lowest fee. Aim for the one with the lowest, free PROVIDED you can clear in that time. Beware, you can't usually shift debts between cards from the same lender.
| TOP 0% BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS | The golden rules. a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose the 0% rate.
b) Aim to clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket.
c) Don't spend on these, it isn't usually at the cheap rate.
d) To help decide, see our Which Card's Cheapest? tool. | | Provider | Fee | 0% length | Rep APR after | | New Fluid* | 0.75% | 12mths | 18.9% | | New Halifax All-in-One* | 0.8% | 15mths | 17.9% | | Lloyds* | 1.5% | 24mths (1) | 17.9% | | Barclaycard Platinum* | 2.99% | 28mths (1) | 18.9% | (1) This is a representative offer, so you may get fewer months at 0% if you're a poorer credit scorer. Rates are for accepted new cardholders.
FULL info: Balance Transfers & APR Examples | - Find which card you're MOST likely to get. Apply for a card and it hits your credit file, whether you're accepted or not. So use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker first. It does a soft search (so has no impact lenders can see) to assess which cards you'll most likely pass the credit score for (of those cards that allow us to do it).
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| Forum Hottie. Totally FREE £2 Amazon MP3 credit. No-min spend code. Full info & compare prices: TuneChecker Codes... Body Shop 35% off £5 & Urban Outfitters 30% off sneak peek sale code...
Body Shop 35% off code | LK Bennett 25% off code/vch in mag | Urban Outfitters 30% off sneak peek of sale
Sainsbury's £15 off £60 for newbies | Ocado 25% off £50 for newbies | Brantano 25% off code | Full list: Discount Vouchers WED or THU. 1,200 Boots pts on £50 spend. Advantage card event Wed/Thu depending on store. Boots Deals |
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| Forum Hottie. 2 for £7 big tins of Roses, Celebrations & more. Morrisons, usually £4-£6 each. War of the Roses 17 packs of veg seeds £7.50 delivered. Usually cost up to £30 - incl parsnip, beetroot & pumpkin. Seedy Deal |
The PERFECT time to book Christmas trains
Tickets start to go on sale 12 weeks ahead - go now to grab cheap'uns £13 Ldn-Manc instead of £76 walk-on fare These days many people let the train strain their wallets. Beat big Xmas fares, then save more with 20 Cheap Train Tricks.  Bag cheap advances NOW. Rail operators launch tickets from 12 weeks before, so if you want to buy cheap tickets for Xmas, check prices now as they vanish quick. If none are available, check again every few days. Most have just released tickets up to 27 Dec, with New Year due any day. We found 24 Dec Ldn to Manc singles for £12.50 (£76 walk-on) and York to Edinburgh for £15 (£81). Slash Train Costs
- Free split ticket apps can save £££s. Counter-logically, buy two tickets for one journey and you can save big - our unique Split Ticket Smartphone Apps show where to split & the saving. We found an £83 Ldn-Wolverhampton single. Yet buy Ldn-M Keynes, where the train stops, then MK-Wolves, and it's £49, saving £34.
- 20 tips to slash train costs. Rail travel can be prohibitively costly. Our 20 Cheap Train Tips include booking cheap 'advance' tickets the night before, using £10 Tesco pts for £20 train tix and 3% trains cashback.
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£40 off Naked Wines with discounted £25 Time Out card (RRP £49). Cheapest crate we've seen is £60. Plus use the card for 500+ London restaurants and days out discounts. Time Out Deals (please be Drinkaware) Beauty freebies incl £8 L'Occitane hand cream (in c.£4 mags)
£8 L'Occitane hand cream | £10 Ren skincare set in £2 mag
£5 St Tropez fake tan | £5ish This Works body lotion/scrub | See all Beauty Deals National Citizen £50 Oct half-term activity week (16/17yr olds). Govt-backed scheme (Eng) has £50 places (some free) on exciting 1wk residential stays - canoeing, hiking - and they'll get a certificate signed by the PM. Nat Citizen |
What would happen if you lost your faculties?
Ensure family can access cash if you've Alzheimer's or an accident with Power of Attorney - now easier & cheaper One in three over-65s develop dementia. If you lose mental capacity and can't make decisions, unless you've a Power of Attorney already, loved ones must apply via court. That's often long and costly. Our Power of Attorney guide will help...
 Sort it BEFORE you're unwell. With a Lasting Power of Attorney, you nominate a trusted friend or relative to look after your cash before you lose capacity. EVERYONE (healthy or not) should consider this now, and not wait...
Forumite Norma Desmond's story shows why: "My dad has dementia and mum had to go via court to become a deputy - a drawn-out, intrusive & expensive process. Wish we'd got Power of Attorney instead when dad was more capable. He got ill very fast."- Fees have dropped. Getting a Power of Attorney just means filling in some forms, and you can now do it online. Plus this month, the Govt's fee dropped from £130 to £110.
- You don't suddenly give up control. You choose whether it can be used before, or only when you are unwell. Full step-by-step help in Power of Attorney, incl what to do if someone's already lost capacity but didn't sort it.
- FREE wills for over-55s - Oct only. Don't do a will and you could lose control of where your cash goes when you die. October's Free Wills Month, giving free solicitor-drafted wills in 29 cities and towns in Eng & Wales. The hope's you'll leave a bequest to a charity, but you don't have to. Go quick before appts all go - full info: Free Wills.
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| 2for1 vouchers for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park & more. In 40p-70p papers from Saturday. Theme Parks SALES: M&S, Debenhams, Asos and more, all up to 50% off...
Dorothy Perkins up to 50% off | Debenhams 'Blue Cross' Sale | New Look up to 50% off | Asos up to 50% off
Laura Ashley up to 50% off | M&S up to 50% off | Tesco F&F clothing up to 50% off | Full list: High Street Sales Finally - payday loan crackdown. See our full new payday loan rules news, and Payday Loan Alternatives guide. |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers & sales | Top deals |
 BOOK GIVEAWAY
The Good Pub Guide 2014. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
She left it, then I lost it. How much should I pay?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... A friend recently left an item of jewellery at my house. I took it with me the next time I went to her place, but forgot it was in my pocket and lost it on my way home (it probably got caught with my keys). I've offered to pay for a new one, but it was of sentimental value so should I pay extra on top? Plus she left it at mine anyway. What should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: She left it, then I lost it. How much should I pay? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
Secret price codes and what they stand for
Stickers and pencil marks seem to be the biggies, but we want to tap MoneySavers' knowledge to find out as many retail trade tricks as possible before Xmas/New Year sales. Share yours/read others': Secret price codes Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Monarch Offer: Up to £25-off code Ends: 10am, Fri 11 Oct
This week's pick is Monarch's £25-off code. Each passenger gets up to £25 off any return flight for travel until 31 Oct 2014, but it doesn't apply to infants. Enter code MYSAVING at the checkout to get the discount. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a return search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see Budget Airline Fee Fighting. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance back to top ↑ |
| | |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 10 October
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week. | 10 October
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows.
| 11 October
This Morning, ITV, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Money Talks with Martin Lewis.
A celebrity faces Martin in the vault. | 14 October
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Phone-in. | | |
MSE team corner - Team blogs:
- No team blogs this week.
- Team appearances:
- 12 October
MSE Guy: Mollie Green, BBC WM, 7.40am-8am.
Subject tbc
| Discussion of the week Butter battles Whether it's a favourite mug, a stapler or your milk in the fridge, battles over workplace possessions can be fierce. Just look at the Buttergate - An internal email thread. Share your tales in the discussion. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Is your energy company's service any good? Winter is coming, price hikes are due, many people will be switching. Would you recommend your energy firm's service to others?
Please rate your current supplier's SERVICE (not price) over the last six months (or less if you've recently switched). If you've gas and electricity with different suppliers please vote for both firms. | Poll resultsDo you support the married couples' tax break?
Over half of voters think it's a good idea, while the rest think it's unfair on cohabiting couples and singles.
- 24% think it's a good idea.
- 29% think good, but not enough.
- 11% think it's wrong to exclude co-habiting couples.
- 31% think it's unfair on single parents and single people generally.
12,570 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q: I'm currently on EDF's Blue+ Fix till April 2014. Is it best to switch to a longer fix for £5/mth extra now, or wait till April? Deborah, by Twitter MSE Marcel's A: The answer depends on your attitude to the risk of prices rising. If you're less bothered by the prospect of price hikes, you could gamble and stick with your current tariff. When your deal ends in April, the next round of price hikes should have finished. So you could compare tariffs as there'd be a level playing field, and jump to the cheapest tariff. However, this carries the risk of moving to a more expensive deal. If you go for a longer fix now, it may be £5/mth more, but this'll help you evade widely-predicted price hikes. Industry insiders say British Gas will raise prices in a matter of days, with the other big six suppliers to follow soon after. This option might not always win, but it gives you the peace of mind of price protection for longer. There's no right answer, but if price surety's more important for you, switching to a fix now gives you that. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Archna's free game of the week: 3lind |
"Geek" vs "nerd" - an experiment If you've always thought the terms "geek" and "nerd" meant the same thing, THINK AGAIN. This guy's done a scientific study that seems to show a clear difference between the two: "Geek" vs "nerd". We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
| Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.
What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See how this site is financed. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:
Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email americanexpress.com, capitalone.co.uk, santander-products.co.uk, edfenergy.com, npower.com, halifax.co.uk, fluid.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, aviva.co.uk, directline.com, gocompare.com, google.co.uk, admiral.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, cbonline.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, moneysupermarket.com, firstdirect.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, postoffice.co.uk, productsandservices.bt.com.
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