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May 1, 2025   |   Articles

The best ways to use and earn Tesco Clubcard points

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You can get up to double value of your points

If you shop at Tesco, you probably already have a Tesco Clubcard. But how do you spend the points to get the best value?

Tesco Clubcard image

What are Tesco Clubcard points worth?

You’ll get one Clubcard point for every £1 you spend at Tesco.

If you spend them in-store on your groceries, 100 Clubcard points are worth £1, so that means they have a base value of 1p each. And if you’ve got 1,000 points then that’s worth £10. And so on.

  • 1 Clubcard point = 1p
  • 2 Clubcard points = 2p
  • 100 Clubcard points = £1
  • 200 Clubcard points = £2
  • 500 Clubcard points = £5
  • 1,000 Clubcard points = £10
  • 2,500 Clubcard points = £25
  • 5,000 Clubcard points = £50

This means earning Clubcard points is the equivalent of getting 1% back on your shopping at Tesco.

But they can worth more through Reward Partners (previously called Clubcard Boost). Here you swap your Clubcard points for vouchers to spend elsewhere.

There used to be variable boosts. Some doubled your points, some tripled and some even quadrupled. However, this changed in June 2023 so points are now doubled when swapped with reward partners.

How does Clubcard compare to other loyalty schemes?

How to get a Clubcard

Tesco Clubcard is a free reward scheme. You can sign up on the Clubcard website or download the Tesco app.

How to use Tesco Clubcard points

You can’t spend Clubcard points until they have been converted into Clubcard vouchers. And to do this you need a minimum of 150 Clubcard points (the equivalent of £1.50). Points will only be swapped in multiples of 50.

You used to get sent these in the post with your Clubcard statement, which is sent every three months in February, May, August and November.

However this moved online for most customers in 2022. If you’ve used Tesco online you’ll get your statement and vouchers via email, unless you actively tell Tesco you still want them in the post.

A better way to convert points to vouchers is via the Faster Vouchers process as you don’t have to wait for the statement. You’ll only get a digital voucher via this method. Again you’ll need at least 150 points to convert them.

Whether paper or digital vouchers you can spend them in any Tesco store or on the Tesco online as part or full payment towards your shopping.

If you swap them with a Reward Partner you need to do this via the Clubcard website. These boosts will often have minimum levels (e.g. 50 points), and you can only swap increments of that amount (e.g. if you have 120 points you can only use 100 points)

How long Clubcard vouchers last

When you’re issued a Tesco Clubcard voucher it’s valid for 2 years. Faster vouchers last 21 months from when they are exchanged.

You can check if you’ve any vouchers and their expiration dates in your Clubcard account.

Clubcard deals and promotions

There are a few ways to use your Clubcard to save more money at Tesco.

Tesco Clubcard coupons

Some customers have access to personalised coupons via the Tesco app. These coupons are tailored to your shopping, so hopefully that means you’ll see discounts for products you buy. They won’t all be money off, some could be extra Clubcard points. If you do get the vouchers, you’ll find them via the Clubcard tab, in a section called coupons.

Tesco Clubcard Plus

This premium service costs £7.99 a month, and benefits include 10% off two shops every month. It looks like a good scheme for regular Tesco shoppers. Here’s a full review of Clubcard Plus, including details on how to get it.

Tesco Clubcard Prices

Tesco lets you use your Clubcard to access lower prices for selected groceries in-store and online. You don’t need any points on your Clubcard – you just need to have one.

See the latest Clubcard Prices deals at Tesco

The best ways to spend Tesco Clubcard vouchers

There are actually hundreds of options, so we’ve scanned through them to find the best uses of your Clubcard points.

Charities

New to Clubcard is the choice to donate your points to food poverty charities Fareshare and The Trussell Trust. You can also give to the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research and Diabetes UK.

Sadly Tesco doesn’t boost these donations as they do with other offers, which I think is a shame. Still if you have at least 50p in vouchers you can swap them.

Disney +

You can swap £13.50 worth of points for a three month standard Disney+ subscription or £7.50 worth of points for a three month standard with ads subscription. Both new and existing Disney+ users can take advantage.

Sometimes the offer is temporarily improved, for example, six months for the same price. Here are other ways to save on Disney+.

Days out

Fancy paying less when going to the zoo? A theme park? Museum? All these are available at a discount.

A lot of the “days out” used to be quadruple points and have been reduced to double – but they still represent decent value. It’s worth checking to see there isn’t a better offer out there, though one saving which is hard to beat is using your points for double credit towards an English Heritage or RHS membership.

It’s worth checking out other ways to save on days out if you go out a lot, as some discounts might be greater.

Cinema tickets

You can use your points to get cut-price cinema tickets, again at double value. So 50p in vouchers will get you £1 to spend. It’s only for Cineworld or Picturehouse.

You can also use your points towards the Cineworld Unlimited pass.

Check out our list of other cinema discounts and deals

Theatre tickets

The current theatre offer is for Back To The Future The Musical tickets. The 2x value applies to vouchers to use on the booking page of the show.

Check out our list of other theatre ticket offers

Railcards

If you regularly travel by train then a railcard can save you money every time you travel, and one of the cheapest ways to get one is using your Clubcard points.

You can trade £2.50 in vouchers to get £5 credit towards your railcard. It works for most types of railcard.

Bonus airline points

If you already save airline points, this is a great way to get more. You can convert your Clubcard points (with a minimum value of £1.50) to Virgin points at twice their value, that is 1 Clubcard point is worth 2 Virgin points.

There are often bonus offers when you sign up to auto-exchange your Clubcard points to Virgin points for the first time, so it’s a good idea to wait for one of those before setting up the auto-exchange.

Magazine subscriptions

You can convert a minimum of 50p in Clubcard vouchers to get a £1 voucher to go towards a subscription.

So if you wanted to sign up to a year of Empire completely (at a cost of £69.99) via Clubcard points you would need £34 in points, and top it up by another £1.99 from your bank account.

Of course you can get other subscriber deals elsewhere which give good discounts. A quick search for Empire shows you can pay £55, so the Clubcard deal really saves you just £21.

It’s a similar story for other magazines available via Clubcard, including Good Housekeeping, Elle, Garden Answers, Golf and Esquire.

This isn’t the best way to save on magazines though – you can get them for free! Read about our hack to get free digital magazines 

Tesco Mobile bills

You can use your points to reduce the cost of your mobile bill. It’s only 1:1 rather than double, so you may as well use your points in-store.

At Tesco

There was a time, not too long ago, that you’d be a fool not to swap Clubcard points with a reward partner. But in the last few years the best offers have disappeared.

There are still lots of options, but whether they’re worth it comes down to two factors. One: Do you want or need what you’re swapping for? Two: Can you get that partner offer discounted elsewhere?

If it’s no for the first, or yes for the second, then you’re most probably better off using the points at Tesco – at least you’ll actually need food and drink!

Clubcard deals to avoid

Though you can save money by boosting your points in these areas, I think you can get similar savings elsewhere – meaning you should boost your points on the more valuable discounts listed above.

Restaurants

Even when these were 4x value, we advised that you could spend your points better elsewhere than at the chain restaurants included in Clubcard Boost. And now they are double instead, the deal is worse.

That’s because you can get decent discounts for the likes of Pizza Express and Bella Italia elsewhere. A simple google often brings up voucher codes for 40% off or two for one. Plus you can save at more places more often with a Tastecard trial.

So let’s say you’ve gone to Pizza Express and the final bill came to £30, it would have cost you £15 via Clubcard vouchers, or £15 via Tastecard or another voucher.

You may be able to double up these discounts though there’s no guarantee.

List of Tesco Clubcard restaurants:

  • Ask Italian
  • Bella Italia
  • Brew Dog Bars
  • Cafe Rouge
  • Chef & Brewer
  • Hungry Horse pubs
  • Pizza Express
  • Prezzo
  • Zizzi

Hotels

It’s similar with converting your Clubcard vouchers to spend on hotels. Though you can get double value on points to spend at Hotels.com and one or two other brands, you’re locked into booking direct with those websites, which might not offer the best rates available. We think you’re better off searching for the lowest prices elsewhere, and then using your points at one of the options above.

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May 1, 2025   |   Articles

The best ways to collect and spend Nectar points

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If you have a Nectar card, are you making the most of your points?

If you shop at Sainsbury’s you may as well collect the points. Unlike Clubcard and other loyalty schemes, you can rack up points at other retailers including Argos.

And if you’ve got points, you’ll need to spend them. Most of the time they’ll be exchanged at face value, though you can also swap them for Avios points.

In this article, we’ve explained how Nectar works and how you can sign up, plus we’ve shared more tips for both collecting and spending Nectar.

Nectar logo

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Earn Clubcard points instead?

How Nectar points work

One Nectar point is worth 0.5p, meaning if you earn 1 point from a purchase it’s the equivalent of 0.5% cashback. 100 points are therefore 50p, 200 points £1 and so on.

This is half the value of a Tesco Clubcard points. We’ve written more extensively about the value of different points in this loyalty cards article.

Value of Nectar points

  • 1 Nectar point = 0.5p
  • 2 Nectar points = 1p
  • 100 Nectar points = 50p
  • 200 Nectar points = £1
  • 500 Nectar points = £2.50
  • 1,000 Nectar points = £5
  • 2,500 Nectar points = £12.50
  • 5,000 Nectar points = £25

How Nectar works

Nectar is the loyalty scheme for Sainsbury’s and Argos. It’s actually owned by Sainsbury’s, though points can be collected and redeemed with other brands.

How to collect Nectar points

You earn points when you shop at participating retailers. We’ve listed the best places to earn Nectar points below.

When shopping in stores you’ll need a Nectar card, which can be a physical plastic one or a digital one stored on the Nectar app. Online you’ll need to either connect your Nectar card to the relevant account, or shop via the Nectar website.

You can also earn them on all spending via a couple of Nectar credit cards, or by converting Avios points.

How to spend Nectar points

Your options for using Nectar points are quite limited. It’s most likely you’ll use them in-store at Sainsbury’s and at a handful of partners.

Most of the time you’ll swipe your card to redeem your points in-store, or select to use them online. With some partners you need to convert your points into vouchers. You can also swap them to Avios points.

How to sign up to Nectar

You can get a Nectar card online, via the app or by picking up a form in a Sainsbury’s store.

Once you’ve done this a physical card will be posted out, though you’ll have a digital card via the app straight away.

How to check your Nectar points balance

Not sure how many Nectar points you have? The Nectar app and website both contain your current points total, as well as a record of where and when you earned your points.

How to lock your Nectar points

One downside of Nectar has been if someone stole your card they could use your points – particularly bad news for those who’d earned tens of thousands of points via credit card welcome offers. Well, now you can lock your points to ensure they can’t be used without your authorisation.

To do this you need the latest version of the app.

  • You’ll then see your points balance near the top of the app screen, and below that a line telling you whether the points are locked or unlocked
  • Tap this to bring up a locked/unlocked switch
  • Toggle between these for when you want to use your points
  • It should unlock immediately, but it’s worth doing it a little before you want to spend the points to be safe rather than wait until you’re at the checkout

This feature will only work for the main account holder, not additional card holders.

The best places to collect Nectar points

Sainsbury’s

Earn points as you spend

You’ll get one point for every £1 spent at Sainsbury’s. 500 points are worth £2.50, so this works out at 0.5%.

Swipe at the till to get your points, and keep an eye on the app or digital account for special offers which boost the number of points you’ll get.

You might also get vouchers for extra points at the till, sometimes double or triple points on your next transaction. If you can be bothered to buy a single, cheap item at the start of your shop, you should then get any vouchers printed out ready for you to use on the rest of your shopping.

Get bonus points via weekly offers

As well as generic offers, you’ll also get ones tailored to your shopping habits. These change every Friday.

You have to save the offers to your account, though there’s a handy “save all offers” button. And of course you still have to scan your card at the till.

Nectar Prices

Nectar Prices are discounts for Nectar holders, similar to Tesco Clubcard prices. To get these, you just shop as normal, looking out for the Nectar price on the shelves. At checkout, you need to make sure you remember to scan your Nectar card and the discount will be applied. You can read more about Nectar Prices here.

Your Nectar Prices

This seems like it’s the same as above, but Your Nectar Prices is specific to you. These come through weekly and will be based on your shopping history, potentially saving you money on things you’ll actually buy. There are only a few offers each week, but it’s worth having a peek when you get the notification.

Argos

You can also earn points at Argos. It’s one point per £1 spent, though it’s occasionally doubled. You’ll need to link your Nectar and Argos accounts.

ESSO

Esso replaced BP on Nectar back in 2019. You can earn 1 point per litre of fuel, or swipe in-store to get two points per £1 spent on other things, so roughly 1% back in points. When you get to 300 points it gets you 5p off every litre of fuel.

Avios

You can convert 400 Avios points to 400 Nectar points, which is handy if you’ve got a surplus of Avios points that you won’t use. You can also swap them back the other way (you’ll only get 250 points though). This is also a way to boost the value of Amex Reward points. Find out everything you need to know in our step-by-step guide to convert Avios to Nectar points and vice versa.

Via Nectar credit cards

If you shop at a Nectar store a lot, it might be worth getting a Nectar credit card. There are two main options.

The American Express Nectar credit card is your best bet and will earn you up to two points for every £1 spent, worth 1%. There’s also a bonus worth £100 pounds when you first sign up and spend £2,000.

If you’re thinking of getting a Nectar credit card, check out our guide to the best cashback and reward credit card promotions to see if there are better options for you.

Via Amex membership rewards

You can convert American Express Rewards points to Nectar points at a value of one to one, meaning one Amex point would be worth 0.5p. This could be a good use for large Amex welcome bonuses, which can be worth between £100 and £500, depending on the card.

Via utilities & insurance

You can earn bonus points for signing up for other Sainsbury’s Bank products such as home insurance and also Sainsbury’s Energy. Though they could be worth it, these offers shouldn’t be a reason to choose Sainsbury’s over other providers as they could work out more expensive than options you find via a full comparison.

Other retailers

You’ll see many other brands listed on the Nectar website, such as Expedia and Very. To earn points via these retailers you have to click through via the Nectar portal. Most of the time you’ll get two points per £1 spend, so the equivalent of 1% back, but they can be more or less and there are often boosted points offers.

Retailers include:

  • ASOS
  • Just Eat
  • Expedia
  • Groupon
  • Europcar
  • Very
  • Dominos
  • Wayfair

These extra places to earn points might sound appealing but I would avoid using them since you can usually beat these rates by clicking through a cashback site instead. Here’s our guide to the best cashback sites and welcome bonuses.

Where to spend Nectar points

Caffe Nero

The Caffe Nero offer is pretty decent compared to other Nectar partners. Currently, 400 points (worth £2) can be exchanged for a free hot drink (which costs around £3 or more).

That works out to about 0.81p in Nectar points for a regular Americano priced at £3.25, which is much higher than the standard 0.5p per point offered at other retailers.

At the current redemption rate, as long as the drink you buy is priced at more than £2 you’re getting better value than using points at other partners.

Sainsbury’s shops

To use your points in Sainsbury’s stores you must have used your Nectar card in that specific store in the last year. You can also use them online on the Sainsbury’s website.

They can also be used on petrol but you have to pay in the kiosk, not at the pump.

Argos

You can use multiples of 500 points at Argos, each worth £2.50. To spend them in an Argos store you swipe your card; online you must have connected your card.

Converting to Avios points

We think that most people are better off using cashback credit cards and air mile reward credit cards. You’ve got the flexibility to use your earnings how you want, and not be restricted to certain flights.

However, if you are an Avios fan, then you can boost your points by converting 400 Nectar points to 250 Avios.

Donate to charity

Nectar Donate allows you to give your points to charities using Crowdfunder. The points are worth the same as usual, so 1,000 points will be a £5 donation. There’s a minimum of 200 points, and it must be in multiples of 200.

Other Nectar points redemptions

There are a fraction of the partners you get with Tesco Clubcard, and few opportunities to boost the value.

Once more 500 points are usually worth £2.50. You also have to spend them in chunks (usually 500 points or 1,000 points) rather than choose how many you’d like to use.

For example, you can exchange 2,000 points for £10 off purchases at Eurostar.

Poor options include swapping for movie rentals at Sky Store since you can get far cheaper rentals elsewhere. We’ve summarised the cheapest ways to rent movies here.

Some of these retailers let you swipe your card or link your card to use points. Others require you to exchange the points for a voucher or code via the Nectar website.

Nectar points special offers

Occasionally, there are increased points offers at Sainsbury’s and other partners, both to earn extra points and sometimes (though more rarely) to use them.

You can usually find these in the Nectar app and website, so it pays to check every now and again.

When we spot any really good ones we’ll share them on our loyalty scheme offers page.

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May 1, 2025   |   Best Buy

The best business credit cards

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You can earn cashback or earn rewards on your business spending

Business credit cards can be used for your business spending to earn you rewards and cashback. They often come with an annual fee; however, a lot of them offer a free first year, so you can switch cards after a year if you don’t want to pay. Here are some of the best business credit cards available at the moment.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Free business credit cards

Virgin Money Business Credit Card
Annual fee
£28 (from year 2)
Cashback
1% cashback on your spending
Interest free days
59
More Details
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 16.9% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £28 per annum applies from year 2. Representative 22.4% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Potential rewards include 25% back on Slack, 20% back on Dropbox, 5% back on Microsoft Advertising and 5% back on Avis car rental in the UK

Additional cards: Split your credit limit between as many cards as you want

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Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Annual fee
£0
Cashback
1% earned back in points
Interest free days
42
More Details
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 35.28% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 35.28% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Exclusive offers at partner brands

Additional cards: Unlimited, free employee cards

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£50 Amazon gift card
American Express Amazon Business Prime Card
Annual fee
1yr free then £50 per year
Cashback
0.50%
Interest free days
56
More Details
£50 Amazon gift card then £50 statement credit if you spend £1,000 within the first 3 months. Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200.00 charged at 27.6% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 39.0% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Earn 2% on selected Amazon purchases or get 90 extra interest-free days on some Amazon purchases

Additional cards: Up to 20 complimentary Supplementary Cards for your employees

Offer details: If you spend £1,000 on your card within the first three months you'll get an additional £50 as statement credit

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Funding Circle Cashback card
Annual fee
£0
Cashback
2% earned for the first 6 months (up to £2,000) and 1% on all spending after that
Interest free days
42
More Details
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 34.9% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 34.9% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: None

Additional cards: Not available

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£25 Amazon gift card
American Express Amazon Business Card
Annual fee
1yr free then £50 per year
Cashback
0.50%
Interest free days
56
More Details
£25 Amazon Gift Card upon approval then £75 statement credit when you spend £1,000 within the first 3 months. Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 27.6% variable per annum for purchases. Representative 39.0% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Earn 1.5% in Amazon reward points or get 60 extra interest-free days on some Amazon purchases

Additional cards: Up to 20 complimentary Supplementary Cards for your employees

Offer details: If you spend £1,000 on your card within the first three months you'll get an additional £75 as statement credit

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Business charge cards

20,000 bonus points
American Express Business Gold
Annual fee
1 year free then £195 per year
Cashback
1 point per £1 spent. 2 points per £1 spent on Amex Travel.
Days to pay
54
More Details
You can earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend £3,000 in the first three months
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Partner discounts and statement credits with purchases at Dell

Additional cards: Up to 19 additional cards for employees

Offer details: If you are approved and spend £3,000 on purchases within the first three months then 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points will be awarded shortly after the end of the three months.

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50,000 bonus points
American Express Business Platinum
Annual fee
£650
Cashback
1 point per £1 spent. 2 points per £1 spent on Amex Travel.
Days to pay
54
More Details
You can earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend £6,000 in the first three months
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Travel rewards, including airport lounges, £200 credit towards Amex Travel, room upgrades and travel insurance

Additional cards: Up to 19 additional Business Gold cards for employees

Offer details: If you are approved and spend £6,000 on purchases within the first three months then 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards points will be awarded shortly after the end of the three months.

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Business credit cards with an annual fee

Santander Business Cashback Credit Card
Annual fee
£30
Cashback
1% cashback on all business spend with no cap
Interest free days
56
More Details
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 18.9% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £30 per annum applies. Representative 23.7% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: None

Additional cards: Additional cards available at no extra cost and control what each cardholder can spend

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Capital on Tap Pro Business Credit Card
Annual fee
£299
Cashback
1% earned back in points and 1.25% earned back in points for spending on pre-loaded card
Interest free days
42
More Details
Representative APR: Based on a credit limit of £1200 charged at 35.28% variable per annum for purchases. Fee of £299 per annum applies. Representative 111.39% APR variable.
More details ▼
Additional Info

FSCS Protected: Yes

Rewards: Airport lounge access for the main card holder and two free guest lounge passes per year, Radisson Rewards VIP status, metal card and 6 months free Xero for first-time subscribers

Additional cards: Unlimited, free employee cards

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Business credit cards explained

Who is a business credit card for?

If you run your own business, then you could benefit from a business credit card.

Anyone, from a self-employed sole trader to a company director, can get a business credit card, but not all sole traders will be eligible for all the cards on offer.

And you should always check if you’re eligible for one before you apply, however, there’s no guarantee you’ll get one if you apply.

Do you need a business credit card?

Credit cards can be expensive if they aren’t cleared each month by paying off the full balance. The interest added on top of anything left over will often cost more than getting a loan, so this isn’t a good idea.

Business credit cards can have benefits like rewards and cashback, which can sometimes be better than what’s on offer for personal accounts, however, these usually come with a cost. In addition, you may get Section 75 protection, however, this depends on whether you’re a sole trader or a ‘corporate business’, such as a limited company or partnership.

Does a sole trader need a business credit card?

If you’re a sole trader, then any credit card for your business is still a personal credit card. Applications will be based on your credit rating, and you’ll be personally liable for any debts you build up.

For this reason, most sole traders will probably be better off with a personal credit card that’s used just for business spending.

You can still take advantage of Section 75 cover, earn cashback with lower annual fees (if any), and even get fee-free spending overseas with some cards.

One of the few areas a business credit card is better for a sole trader than a personal credit card is that you might also get a much higher credit limit. That can help with large purchases. But of course, you need to be able to pay it back!

Section 75 protection for limited companies and partnerships

Section 75 doesn’t apply to these types of businesses. So there’s no added legal benefit to using a credit card in a company. Instead, you’ll need to use a personal credit card and claim the money back if you want to get this protection on purchases over £100.

However, if you run a limited company, it’s much cleaner to have spending made directly via the business rather than claiming it back as an expense. Particularly if you have any employees.

What’s the difference between a charge card and a credit card?

Some of the cards above are charge cards and won’t have an interest rate. These aren’t technically credit cards, as you have to pay the full balance every month. Meanwhile, a credit card lets you roll over a balance and will charge interest after a set period. Be careful which one you choose, as a credit card can make you accumulate debt, however, a charge card may charge you fees if you don’t repay the full balance within the set time provided.

What you get with a business credit card

Additional cards

Most business credit cards will give you supplementary cards tied to the same account for your employees. This reduces your admin for expenses and helps you track individual spending. With some, you can limit the spending allowed per account.

Cashback and rewards

Another feature of business credit cards is earning rewards in the form of cashback or air miles. There are a handful that offer this on purchases. But these tend to come with a fee, which can wipe out most of the cashback you earn if you’re not a big spender.

You’ll need to calculate just how much you’re likely to earn in cashback after the fee to work out if they’re worthwhile. But say you spend £5,000 a year earning 0.5%, you’ll make £25.

Interest-free days

You’ll get a certain number of interest-free days with your business credit card or charge card, ranging from 42 to 59 days. This is how long you’ve got until a purchase will start to accumulate interest at the variable rate you’ve got with the card. Be sure to clear the balance within this timeframe to pay no interest on your purchases.

May 1, 2025   |   Deals

How to watch BT Sport for free and deals to save

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BT Sport isn’t the cheapest channel out there but it is possible to pay less, and sometimes even get it for free.

BT Sport is now TNT Sports

TNT Sports replaced BT Sport in 2023, following a merger with Warner Bros Discovery. We’ve got a page with the latest TNT Sports deals and offers so you can carry on watching your favourite sports for less on that channel.

Watch TNT Sports without a subscription

All the latest TNT Sports deals

The cheapest ways to watch BT Sport are if you’re a BT broadband / TV or EE mobile customer. There’s a pay-as-you go option for those with different internet and mobile providers.

Here are the best offers right now to save you cash.

BT Sport and Be clever with your cash logo on blue background

Pay as you go passes

BT Sport month pass – £30.99

For the first time, BT has introduced a monthly pass at £30.99 a month. This means you don’t need to have any other service with BT or to sign up to a long contract – though you will have to cancel to stop the subscription rolling over to a new month.

The pass lasts for 30 days and includes all the BT Sport channels and discovery+, including 4K and HDR options if your TV supports it.

Sadly there’s no day pass as you get with NOW TV.

* The price increased from £25 on 17 February 2023

Get a BT Sport month pass

30-day pass via Virgin Media Stream – £16.20

If you get your broadband from Virgin Media then you can pay £18 a month on a rolling 30-day contract (so effectively a monthly pass), and get 10% credited back to your bill. You will need to buy a £35 Virgin Media Stream box though (here’s my review).

Get it with your broadband

If you get your internet services from BT or Plusnet then you can get the BT Sport channels for an extra charge each month. This starts from £15 a month and you can watch via the BT Sport App. It goes up if you also add other BT TV channels and get a Freeview Box to plug into your TV.

If you’re adding it to an existing BT contract then it could mean you start a new contract for all your BT services. Shop around for deals that’ll bring the price down, such as using cashback sites for an added bonus.

Get it via Virgin Media

Virgin Media Stream: £8 per month

You can currently get BT Sport channels for £8 a month via Virgin Stream. It’s a 30-day rolling contract so you can cancel at any time. You’ll get the price for 18 months max, when it will then revert to full price (currently £18).

However you do need to be getting broadband via Virgin Media and there’s a £35 one-off set up charge (this can often be haggled to zero if you call up).

Check out our review of Virgin Media stream to find out more.

Get Sky Sports via Virgin Media Stream

Get it with your mobile

If your mobile phone is via EE you can buy passes to watch on your phone using the BT Sport app. You’ll get access to BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3, BT Sport/ESPN and BoxNation channels.

There are add-ons that let you watch it via the BT Sport app on your TV or improve picture quality to 4K.

Three months free with EE

EE customers can get the BT Sport app free for three months by texting SPORT to 150. Unless you cancel after this you’ll move on to the monthly paid subscription.

£10 a month mobile pass via EE

Access to the BT Sport app costs £10 a month. You can only watch it on your device and this is just for EE customers.

£15 a month to use BT Sport app on TVs and smart sticks via EE

The next level up is £15 a month the BT Sport Large Screen package lets you watch it on a TV via devices such as a Chromecast, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick and some smart TVs.

The step-up to UHD/4K viewing is a package called BT Sport Ultimate which costs £20 a month.

10 months Big Screen & BT Ultimate for £15 a month via EE

This season pass lets you watch the channels on your TV and also upgrades picture quality to 4K. It’s £15 a month, so you’re saving £5 a month on the Ultimate package – but you are committing to 10 months.

There’s an early cancellation charge if you want to stop early, which you’ll also be charged if you switch away from EE for your SIM. To get this text SEASON to 150.

“Free” with EE Swappable Benefits

If you have a reasonably expensive “Smart Plan” contract with EE you can choose BT Sport as one of your swappable benefits. However I’d say you’re probably better off shopping around for a cheaper SIM-only deal.

You can pay £5 more to upgrade to the Large Screen package.

Three months BT Sport and Chromecast for £40 via EE (out of stock)

The BT Sport in a Box promotion gives EE customers (on a 12-month SIM-only contract or pay monthly tariff but not 30-day SIM-only deals) three months of BT Sport Large Screen and get a standard Google Chromecast (RRP £30) for £45.

You’re effectively getting a free Chromecast with this deal, though you might want to check out offers for the new Chromecast instead.

If you’ve not had the free trial, those three months will automatically be added to your account when you sign up.

Get the BT Sport In a Box bundle

BT Sport on YouTube

Watch the Champions League final for free

For the last five or six years, BT has shown the Champions League final and Europa League final for free via BT Sport’s YouTube channel and on the BT Sport website for free! So anyone can watch without paying.

In 2023 the games are as follows:

  • 31 May: Europa League Final (Sevilla vs Roma)
  • 7 June: Europe Conference League Final (Fiorentina vs West Ham)
  • 10 June: Champions League Final (Manchester City vs Inter Milan)

Free Discovery+ with BT Sport

If you get BT Sport via BT TV, EE or Plusnet, you can get the Discovery+ package for free, which includes Eurosport. This is worth £5.99 a month for £59.99 a year.

This should include the monthly BT Sport pass, but not if you pay Sky and Virgin Media direct for BT Sport. You’ll need to activate the offer here.

Sky Sports and NOW deals

All my ways to save on this dedicated Sky Sports passes article

Now TV and Sky Sports pass deals

How to watch BT Sport on your TV

So how do you get these options on your TV? 

Check for an app on your TV or smart device

You can watch BT Sport on your TV if you have the BT Sport app. This is available on

  • Samsung Smart TVs
  • Amazon Fire Sticks
  • Chromecast
  • Roku devices
  • NOW sticks
  • Xbox
  • PlayStation
  • Apple TV
  • Netgem

Buy an HDMI cable

As long as you have a laptop with an HDMI connector, you can just buy a cable to connect to your TV. This should be the cheapest option – but I prefer the smart stick options!

Sport on other channels

You can watch sport on Sky, Eurosport and Premier Sports. Here’s my guide to the ways to save on each of them.

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

Read next

April 23, 2025   |   Deals

Magazine and newspaper deals

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From digital to physical copies I’ll share top deals to save on your regular reading.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Magazine offers

Which? Magazine: deal stack

You can combine up to three different deals to bring down the price of an annual subscription to the ‘full access’ Which? magazine.

Not everyone will be able to get the Amex offer (you need to check your card offers and add it to the card if it’s showing), but the other two options are there for all.

It means you’ll pay Which? £49.50 for a full access subscription, and then get around £15 back from the cashback site (the rate varies so check both). Remember to apply via the cashback site and close any Which? tabs that are open.

If you have Amex you’ll save more again. We’ve seen 50% off a £30 spend, but other deals may be out there as these vary by cardholder, and there’s a chance you won’t see the offer at all. But say you get 50% off the price paid, that’s another £24.75 off.

There’s a chance this last part is dependent on clicking through from the Amex app, but it wasn’t when Andy did this in December 2022, so it should be fine this time too.

All in that could mean you pay just £9 for one year, saving more than 90%.

Bear in mind you’ll be charged the full £99 after 12 months if you don’t cancel.

And if you’ve not used Quidco or TopCashback there’s a new welcome bonus worth up to £24 you can nab on top.

Subscribe to Which? magazine

Free magazine subscription with Lloyds bank

You can get a year’s subscription to a number of titles if you open a Club Lloyds current account. I use this to get a year of Empire, though you might be better off with the alternative freebies such as 6 cinema tickets or a year of Disney+ Standard with Ads.

Here’s more information in our review.

Find out more about the Club Lloyds freebies

Digital magazine offers

Free digital magazines from your library

Most libraries have a way to get free access to dozens of titles via your phone or computer. I’ve written here about how you can get a load of digital magazines via your local library.

Read more about getting free magazines from your library

The Athletic: £1 per month for a year 

The Athletic is offering access to the site for £1 per month for a year.

After the year ends, you’ll be charged £7.99 per month, so make sure you cancel beforehand if you don’t want to pay full price. 

Sign up for The Athletic

Magzter: One year for £19.95 or less

Magzter is an online digital subscription where you can access more than 8,000 magazines. You can read the magazines on any iOS or Android device via the Magzter app.

This offer on Groupon gives you access for £19.95 rather than £99.99. And if you combine it with a code you might be able to save more.

There are plenty of UK titles such as Total Film, Reader’s Digest, BBC Good Food, Marie Claire and Woman & Home, as well as international faves such as Entertainment Weekly. There’s also randomly Spurs and Everton match programmes!

You can have five separate accounts with the subscription so it’s a good option for a family. 

It does auto-renew after the year so be sure to cancel it before the year is up.

Buy a year of Magzter

Readly: Two-month free trial

This subscription service costs £7.99 a month. You can currently get a month for free. Or sign up for the free Lidl Plus app and you can access a two-month free trial.

Get the Lidl Plus app

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

April 14, 2025   |   Articles

Will a water meter save you money?

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How to find out if you’re better off with a meter or set rates.

With some huge price increases on water bills in 2025, any way to save some money is going to be a good thing. SO is a water meter the answer?

Well, the answer depends mainly on how much water you actually use. Sometimes they can save you a decent chunk of cash every year, but others will see their bills rocket when one is installed.

I’d always been unsure about them, but now after a good few years of being charged for the water I use, I can share with you whether it was worth it for me, and how to estimate what one could mean for you.

Plus I’ve some tips to help you reduce your usage and bring bills down further.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Who can get a water meter?

For most homes in England and Wales you can ask your water company to fit a water meter. It’s normally completely up to you. However, some water companies, including Thames Water, have made it compulsory.

It’s free to get a water meter installed in England and Wales. You’ve usually got one to two years after installation to compare costs. If you find it’s costing you more, you can switch back to your standard rates. That is of course unless you’re in an area with compulsory metering.

Some water meters are smart meters that let you monitor use. Others need to be read by the water company and you have to wait for your bill to find out charges.

In Northern Ireland your water rates are already included and in Scotland a water meter installation isn’t free. 

Should you get a water meter?

So how do you know if one is good for you? Well, non-metered water is charged based on the size of your house – a bit like council tax. Water meters on the other hand measure exactly how much you are using.

A simple rule of thumb to decide which is for you is if there are more bedrooms than there are people living in a house. If so then you’re likely to be paying more than you need to for your water.

If you want to get a more accurate picture, then there’s also an online calculator. That’s what I looked at before deciding whether to give the meter a go.

The calculator will give you a rough total which is estimated on exactly how many showers you have a week, how many times you use the dishwasher, washing machine, baths, how many times you flush the toilet and so on.

The problem is if you have more people in a house than there are bedrooms or people use water a lot – maybe you’re a keen gardener regularly using the hose – then it’s very likely to cost you more money.

Did it save us cash?

Andy’s analysis

Because only two of us are living in a four-bedroom house there was always a good chance we’d be paying less with a water meter.

Back in the summer of 2018, before we switched, our annual bill was £590. The calculator estimated a new cost of £376 a year via a meter, a huge saving of £214. So it was a no-brainer for us to give this a try. 

Frustratingly, we couldn’t read the meter ourselves, and there was no bill at all for the first 13 months!! When it arrived the total for that first year was pretty close to the estimate at £390. A little more than the estimate, but we were still saving a fair wedge of cash each year.

However, since then, our water usage – and our bills – have varied. Water usage in 2019 was 102m3, but a massive 123m3 in 2020 (probably due to lockdowns). This meant our bill jumped up to £480. Still a decent saving, but not as large.

In 2022, usage was down to 78m3, costing £324. Then it went up again in 2023 to 91m3 and a total of £425. The figure for 2024, the last statement I received, was 92m3 at a cost of £481.

That’s still a big annual difference of more than £100 compared to our non-metered charge from back in 2018! And since prices for unmetered rates have increased every year, the actual saving will be far higher.

When I think back to my previous house, where I lived for close to eight years, if we’d switched then and got similar savings we could have been close to a grand better off.

But – bear in mind my savings are based on the water usage of two people. I’ve played around with the calculator to estimate the cost if more people lived here. It’s still cheaper with three adults, but it could easily be £70 or £80 extra each year with four people than the fixed rates. So it’s important you check for your own circumstances.

How to reduce costs when you have a water meter

If you’ve already got a meter because you’ve moved into a house with a meter, had one for more than two years or compulsory installations are happening, well there are still ways you can cut your bills and it’s very very simple. You use less water.

There are obvious things you can do. For example, turning off the tap when you clean your teeth, or it’s making sure that you don’t necessarily flush the loo every single time. There’s that phrase “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”. It might sound a bit rough… but it’s true that you don’t necessarily need to flush it every time – and that will save some water.

Free water saving devices

In fact there are all sorts of things you can get which can help you use less water. From special bags that go in the water cistern to reduce the flush through to shower timers. There are even slow release crystals you can put in plant pots which mean you don’t need to water them as often. And they are free from most water companies.

For most providers you can go via Save Water Save Money and enter your postcode. You’ll see what’s available and what you can order for free. Alternatively, just google your water company and see if they offer anything for customers.

Read next

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Episodes every Tuesday.

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April 7, 2025   |   Articles

Should you ditch the TV Licence?

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With so much quality TV now online from the likes of Netflix and Disney, I’ve taken a look into whether paying for the BBC represents good value for money.

It’s been announced that in April 2025, the TV Licence is increasing by £5 a year, with the annual cost set to be £174.50.

This is the first inflation linked increase in three years, and that’ll continue until 2027. However, it won’t reverse years of underfunding thanks to zero or below inflation hikes, which led to budget cuts – and many would argue a lowering of quality in BBC output.

For some, this latest increase means they’ll advocate for people to cancel their TV Licence now rather than pay more. I’ve shared in this article who needs to have one and who doesn’t.

However for me, the big question isn’t how to ditch the licence fee, but should you?

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Who needs a TV Licence

Here’s when you need a TV Licence:

  • If you watch any live TV
  • If you record any TV
  • If you watch BBC TV on iPlayer, no matter the device (eg on your phone, games console, TV etc)

Despite more and more of us using streaming services, this is still pretty much most TV viewing.

So realistically the only way you’re eligible to avoid the licence fee is if you only watch online streaming or catch up services (not including iPlayer), and if you never watch or record broadcast TV.

Now if that’s the case, then you don’t have to pay, and I’ve shared further down how you can cancel your TV Licence.

Over 75s

A rule change a few years ago meant not all over 75s get a free TV Licence. However, many will still be able to claim one as long as they already receive pension credit. Here’s more information on the TV Licensing website.

Before we start

Everyone has an opinion about the BBC, especially the news output which those on the right say is too left wing and those on the left say is too right wing. We’re going to put that aside for this analysis and focus just on what you get for the money you pay.

I also want to put my cards on the table here at the start. When I was five or six, I declared that I wanted to work for the BBC when I was older. And I did. From 22 to 33 years old I worked all over the Beeb, before leaving to start up Be Clever With Your Cash. So it’s important to me.

Though it’s certainly not perfect (what large organisation is?). I do believe we’re better off as a country with the BBC than without. And that will obviously inform on my analysis below.

But it’s more than a decade since I left the broadcaster, and so much has changed in that time – not just at the BBC, but also how we consume our media – which goes for me too.

And the cost of living crisis has made every penny we spend so much more important, making value for money as a licence fee payer something that really does need interrogating.

What I watch

So do I get value from BBC TV? Over the last few years my TV viewing has changed drastically. Many of my favourite dramas and comedies can be found on Netflix, Sky Atlantic and Disney+.

Yet I do still watch plenty of excellent normal TV, mainly BBC and Channel 4 (you need a TV Licence to watch or record any live TV). In fact some of the best shows I’ve watched over the last year have been on these channels.

Happy Valley, Ghosts, Traitors, Race Across the World, Match of the Day, Wimbledon, Ludwig and Outlaws (all BBC), through to It’s a Sin, The Great British Bake Off and The Handmaid’s Tale (all C4). And there are plenty of great older shows available on-demand too, such as classic Attenborough, Motherland, His Dark Materials, Peaky Blinders, The IT Crowd and The Bridge.

And I’m not alone. Most TV viewing is of a free to watch channel, whether that’s via Freeview or Sky. And the most-watched shows every year are on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Even big import TV shows like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things haven’t come close.

Still, £175 every year is a lot of money. And there are some cheaper alternatives with very good programmes.

How the TV Licence cost compares to other media services

If you pay for the TV Licence monthly at the new price it’ll work out as £14.54 a month.

It’s far cheaper than paying for TV via Sky or Virgin, where you’re looking at at least double that amount every month, and potentially as much as £100.

Elsewhere we’ve seen a number of streaming services hike prices, closing the gap to the licence fee.

Sky’s “on-demand” service NOW is £9.99 a month for the Entertainment channels (not movies or sport), or £119.88 a year – though there are deals to get this even cheaper, often half the price. But if you want HD and to ditch adverts you’ll pay another £6 to £9 each month.

Amazon Prime now comes in at £95 for the year, which is £7.92 a month (and streaming only is available at £5.99 a month) – though you’ll need to pay extra if you don’t want adverts.

After clamping down on sharing, Netflix starts at £5.99 a month (with adverts), but the most popular package is £12.99 a month, working out at £15588 a year. You can pay more, at £18.99 a month for the top tier

Disney revamped prices in October 2024, so you’ll pay either £4.99, £8.99 or £12.99 a month, while Apple TV+ also increased monthly costs (again) to £8.99 a month.

And there are others like Paramount+ (£4.99 with ads, £7.99 or £10.99 a month without adverts), while you can pay for extra content and no adverts via ITVx (£5.99 a month).

So on the whole, though there are more and more of these streaming services, and they all keep getting more expensive, they can be cheaper alternatives (if you get them on their own, or cut the price you pay via offers or go for the basic versions with adverts).

That’s a persuasive argument for ditching the Licence Fee as far as cost goes. However, I believe that as long as you can afford it, you get more for your money from the BBC than the premium services.

More on other streaming services

What the Licence Fee pays for

The thing people ranting against the TV Licence tend to forget is the money doesn’t just pay for BBC TV drama, documentaries and comedy. It also funds BBC news, sport, CBBC, radio and online.

And it’s these areas which I think make that £14.54 suddenly feel like really good value. So I’ve broken down this price between all the things it pays for and calculated below what I think is a fair representative value for each BBC service.

These figures are just for me – you will have your own views on what you use and don’t use.

BBC TV & iPlayer

My price: £7 a month / £84 a year

So imagine the drama, comedy, entertainment and factual part of the fee was the same price as the other streaming services at £10. Oh and iPlayer.

No matter what you might instinctively think if you just turn the TV on and watch something live, I think if you really looked at what’s on, you’d find plenty of quality new and old content to keep you going throughout the year. We’ve actually got a long list of shows we want to watch and not got around to, and add at least a couple every month.

But let’s say it’s £7, representing half of the money you pay. That’s even cheaper than most of the other options (and no adverts). I think many people would think that’s pretty fair for what you get.

And don’t forget this includes funding the production of BBC programmes you might actually end up watching on a service like Netflix! Without the licence fee they wouldn’t be made in the first place.

BBC Radio & BBC Sounds

My price: £3.50 a month / £42 a year

I’ve got a cool digital radio for the shower. There are four presets, and we’ve got BBC 5Live, BBC 6 Music, Heart 80s and Absolute 90s saved. My god, I hate the adverts on the latter two, making BBC radio essential.

And during the first lockdown in particular I was mainlining 5Live – a fantastic example of national broadcasting when we needed it most.

BBC podcasts are no longer just radio shows put online. Many are commissioned just for BBC Sounds, including the excellent documentary Vishal (produced by my friend Satiyesh) and music shows. Plus it’s a great way to catch up on radio you might have missed.

I do listen to a lot of Spotify, and there are some great podcasts out there (have you listened to our Cash Chats show yet?). So it is possible to get good quality music and speech content (though you need to pay to avoid constant adverts).

However, given the choice between paying for Spotify (at £11.99 a month) and paying for BBC Radio, I’d pick BBC Radio. And at an equivalent price of £3.50 a month I think that’s a bargain.

BBC Sport

My price: £2 a month / £24 a year

If you had to pay £2 a month, that’s just £24 a year, to get Wimbledon, Match of the Day, 6 Nations and smaller sports like snooker, athletics and so on, plus every few years the World Cup, the Olympics and Commonwealth games, I think most people would think it’s fantastic value – especially when compared to the £14.99 cost to watch Sky Sports for one day on NOW TV.

BBC News

My price £1 a month / £12 a year

This is certainly an area where my view on value for money has changed (though a lot of that is down to budget cuts enforced by the government through frozen or below inflation increases to the licence fee).

I’ll now go to the Guardian first for my news updates, rather than the BBC News website, and even listen to podcasts like the News Agents over Newscast.

However, BBC News is the first place I’ll go for breaking news. And if you’ve ever watched news in the USA, you’ll appreciate not only just how good BBC News is, but how it makes sure the other news networks raise their standards.

I’d say it’s well worth paying £1 a month for this – that’s just 3.3p a day.

CBeebies and CBBC

My price: 75p a month / £9 a year

Let’s say it costs 75p a month (£9 a year) to have these channels – and I don’t even have kids! If you do you probably would say it’s worth paying more to get this essential content.

I grew up watching shows like Going Live, Blue Peter and so on. And more recently my niece and nephew loved programmes like Justin’s House and Operation Ouch.

And during the pandemic the BBC really raised the bar in shows to help with homeschooling.

Yes, you can get other kids shows via Sky but these are largely cheap overseas imports and I don’t think they have the same education and quality you get from the BBC.

BBC Online

My price: 0p a month

In previous years, I’d allocate 50p a month for this, as it was the place I’d go to check the weather, the news, the football scores and more? Now I hardly visit it other than to play Sounds or iPlayer, which I’ve covered in other sections. So lets treat it as something you get as part of your ‘contribution’ to news, sports etc.

Other stuff

My price: 29p a month / £3.50 a year

Then there’s plenty of stuff we don’t see, but do benefit from.

There are technology developments which make a big difference to how we watch TV (such as iPlayer) and how other programmes are made by other people (like the cameras built for Blue Planet).

We might not listen to the World Service, but it does a fab job of promoting the UK around the world and supporting nations that really need it – while also building ‘soft power’ across the globe.

Oh, and the licence fee is also used to make sure everyone in the UK gets broadband, especially rural areas. It did the same for digital TV.

Right, I’ll shut up now. But let’s say we pay 29p a month towards all this (a total of £3.50 a year).

Money well spent or a waste of cash?

So just to quickly summarise, for me the £14.54 monthly TV licence cost could be broken down like this.

  • £7 a month for all the drama, comedy and documentaries (£84 a year)
  • £3.50 a month for all the radio (£42 a year)
  • £2 a month for sport (£24 a year)
  • £1 a month for news coverage (£12 a year)
  • 75p a month for children’s TV (£9 a year)
  • 29p a month for the innovations (£3.50 a year)
  • plus all the BBC websites

I still think the licence fee is a really good investment. In fact I think these values I’ve assigned are too probably too low for what you get, especially in the cases of sport and radio. 

Yes I have made up the values above (in reality the split is different), and there will certainly be parts you don’t use at all. But it’d be easy to justify assigning higher values to the ones you use and less to those you don’t – for example if you’ve got kids you’d probably think £2 a month for CBBC is great value.

And if you consider what you might pay for all the separate parts at commercial rates, even if you only chose one or two, you’d likely pay just as much. 

Should the Licence Fee be scrapped?

Andy’s analysis

I do recognise there’s growing resentment in some parts of the public, particularly by people who simply don’t watch any BBC (or live) TV at all. I’ll often see posts in money saving Facebook groups about scrapping it, with the majority of the hundreds of comments in favour of ditching it.

However, much of what I see in these conversations is misinformed, and fuelled by media like the Mail and Murdoch’s News UK (The Times and The Sun), and the previous Conservative government, who all have vested interest in getting rid of the BBC.

So I hope this article can help balance some of the arguments (I find it frustrating that the BBC’s own impartiality policies prevent it from delivering any decent defence).

Like the NHS, we’d really miss the BBC if it was gone. No matter how many amazing US imports are available to watch, there’s still fantastic TV made in the UK, and a big part of it is down to the BBC. Even if you still think it’s too much money, I do think that it’s important we fight to keep the BBC independent and strong.

Alternatives

If people genuinely don’t use any BBC service then I do think it’s unfair that they should be forced to pay for it. It seems something really does need to change. But what?

It’s really tough to find a solution that could protect what the BBC stands for and enable it to produce the services it does to the standard it does without the full fee.

Lots of people talk about a subscription method, as you have with Netflix. It’s certainly an option, but people don’t realise that Netflix makes very little profit, and hardly pays any tax in the UK.

I also think there is a chance that for lots of people the cost will go up in order to get all the services. A report from the BBC said it’d likely cost £37 a month to get all the services.

That doesn’t sound too far off. The pick and mix approach to Sky via NOW TV can save you cash versus a normal Sky subscription, but if you want Entertainment, Cinema, Kids and Sport you’re still looking at paying £60 a month. 

An advert funded model is another option, but ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 aren’t swimming in cash, and adding the BBC into the market will mean there’s less money to go around. So we’ll see all the free-to-air channels suffer.

And we could see the BBC outbid for some of the important big events and programmes by the likes of Amazon – forcing people to shell out more.

I imagine it’d have to be some kind of blended model. Perhaps some services funded by a reduced licence fee with others subscription only.

How to stop paying the Licence Fee

If you genuinely don’t watch any BBC TV, reckon you could do without, or don’t feel you should pay for the other BBC services then you can cancel your licence.

You can tell TV Licensing that you don’t require a licence here. Just make sure you don’t watch any live TV or use iPlayer.

How to pay less for Netflix

All my ways to save on this dedicated Netflix article

April 1, 2025   |   Articles

Cut the cost of your mobile phone contract

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You’re likely paying hundreds of pounds too much on your mobile phone.

For the first 12 years of having a phone, I followed the same pattern. A two year contract with a shiny new handset, which was then renewed with an upgraded phone, and then repeated when each contract ended.

But a decade ago I switched things up. I moved my tariff to a new network, and bought a new handset direct from Apple. Since then I’ve moved between networks on a regular basis and bought and sold new handsets. And saved a ton of cash.

And you can do it too: from going SIM-only through to downsizing your data, there’s no reason you should be paying more than £8 to £10 a month. Here’s how you can save on your mobile phone contract.

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Split your handset and your tariff

Go SIM-only

The best prices are often with SIM-only deals. Here you keep your old handset or buy a new one separately and pay just for your minutes, texts and data. Since you aren’t paying for a new phone, the monthly costs are also considerably less. 

You can get contracts that run from 30 days to a year, giving you far more flexibility than the 18, 24 and even 36-month deals you’re tied to with handsets (though longer SIM-only deals are still available).

At the time of writing you should be able to get a more than adequate data allowance from the major networks for under £8, and potentially as low as £5 for networks offering 5GB. And that’s before you factor in cashback or other offers.

Don’t get your handset via your network

Once you go SIM-only you’re no longer caught in that bi-annual cycle of getting a new phone when you don’t really need to. Ideally you’ll keep your handset for more three or four years. But with poor batteries, broken screens and ‘depreciated’ operating software (when updates are no longer supported on older phones), we all need to upgrade at some point.

However, you should generally avoid getting one as part of your contract. Most networks will charge you a premium on top of the handset price to get a new phone bundled with your SIM.

It’s very rare for these deals to work out cheaper, particularly for the latest handsets. Instead, you’ll save money buying it outright from Apple, Samsung or the likes of John Lewis.

Of course, the high cost of these handsets can be a barrier, but even then you don’t need to resort to including it in a contract. Apple and Samsung often offer 0% finance for two years, while you could choose a 0% purchase credit card instead. Do check your credit score first though.

Don’t forget to sell your old handset too. There are a number of sites that’ll give you a fixed amount, or you can hope for a better price via sites like eBay. Here’s more on selling old phones.

Choosing your new phone tariff

Whether you stick to a combined phone and SIM deal or split them up, you can still bring down the cost.

Don’t pay for more data than you’ll actually use

One of the biggest ways we waste money on our mobiles is via upselling, and now the networks are all about getting us to pay for more data than we need.

A few years ago when I haggled a new SIM-only contract with Three, the salesperson said “It’s only £3 more for 20GB”. Sounds good. Except I didn’t need 20GB. I didn’t really need the 12GB I had (but that was bizarrely cheaper than the 5GB option).

And I see this upselling all the time. There are always a number of promotions offering unlimited data at what looks like fantastic prices. But you really don’t need unlimited data, so however good the price, you’re still overpaying.

Most of you will be fine with 5GB or 6GB, perhaps less, while heavier users are still likely fine with under 12GB. And that’s assuming you can’t connect to wifi at home or work to use data even less. It’s easy to check your usage history via your account. So far this year I’ve used between 5.3 and 6.57 GB each month – and the latter was when I was on holiday!

I’ve written here about how you can work out exactly how much data you need.

Factor in the extras and freebies

I wouldn’t recommend choosing a new phone network based purely on extras, but if prices are similar it’s worth seeing what you can get.

Ones to look out for include:

  • Free streaming services (e.g. Disney+, Netflix etc)
  • Loyalty apps (O2, Three and Vodafone)
  • European or worldwide roaming

Bear in mind when it comes to O2 Priority or Vodafone’s VeryMe rewards that both are still available if you’re with a different network if you pay £10 – that might work out cheaper.

Saying that, those who also get broadband with Virgin Media should take a look at O2 as you’ll get double data, worldwide roaming and double internet speeds via an offer called Volt. Just make sure you’re getting a decent price on each service.

Don’t just stick to the big companies

You’ll have spotted that most of the cheap deals are with smaller networks. And I bet you’re warry of switching in case you can’t get reception.

Well, there are actually only four different phone networks – O2, EE, Three and Vodafone. All the others “piggyback” on one of these. So, for example, Giffgaff runs on O2 and Lycamobile uses EE.

This means you get exactly the same reception as someone on the host network but at a far lower price. The only real difference will be in customer service, though you’ll also lose network-specific benefits from the big brands, such as O2 Priority Moments.

I’ve written in more detail about these so-called ‘virtual mobile networks‘, including which ones operate on which main network.

It’s also relatively easy to bring your number with you. My moves across different networks all took less than 24 hours though it might take longer if weekends or bank holiday get in the way. Just ask for a PAC number, which you can get just by texting your network.

Finding the best price

Check if you’re out of contract

Text INFO to 85075 and you’ll receive a message from your network outlining if you in our out of contract. If you are still locked in you’ll also be told how much it’d cost to end the deal early.

Make a note of this date, and you can usually negotiate with your network up to 30 days before the end of a contract. This gives you the chance to see if you can get a better deal with your current network, and if not start the process of moving to a cheaper one.

But if you’re already passed that minimum term, you’re free to hunt for a new deal.

Compare prices

Just as you would with your gas or broadband, it’s important to see what other networks are offering. MoneySupermarket or Uswitch are decent price comparison sites, though they don’t include all the SIM-only networks.

You’ll also often find lower prices for the big networks via these sites, allowing you to access some (though not all) of the freebies available by those companies.

Check for cashback

If you’re switching network or upgrading without a new handset there’s less of a chance for cashback, but it’s worth checking anyway. Try both Topcashback and Quidco for SIM only too. And if you’ve never used cashback sites don’t forget the new member bonuses to get even more back!

You can also earn cashback to knock more off your bill using the app Airtime, but only with the major networks and a handful of others.

Call your network to see if they’ll negotiate

It’s still worth calling your network to see if they can match or beat the total savings you’ll find from the tips above. It helps to do some research first so you know what you can get if you switch.

Then ask to be put through to the ‘terminations’ or ‘disconnection’ team as they’ll usually have more sway. You can even do this over live chat if you prefer.

I did this the most years with Three. I either had my price knocked down or data added for the same price, beating what I’d get elsewhere. None of these deals were available on the Three website, but came from saying I wanted my PAC.

A warning here though. You will be starting a new contract if you do this, which will overwrite pre-existing offers such as free roaming with some networks.

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April 1, 2025   |   ArticlesReview

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card review

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Is this the best Amex credit card?

There’s a healthy welcome bonus for the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold credit card, making it one of the most attractive cards at first sight.

Here’s what you need to know about the American Express Gold card, how to hack the point redemption to earn more money and how it compares to other cashback cards.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

How much will you make from the Amex Gold?

Earning Reward points

You earn American Express Membership Reward points rather than cashback. There are different levels when you spend with the Amex Gold Rewards card. You’ll get:

  • 1 point per £1 spent
  • 2 points per £1 spent with airlines or in foreign currencies
  • 3 points per £1 spent at American Express Travel

Personally I’d ignore the double and triple points unless you happen to get the best deal direct with an airline or Amex Travel. It’s better to get a lower price elsewhere even though you’ll earn half the points back. You’ll also be better off using a fee-free card to spend in foreign currencies.

Spending bonuses

As well as normal points for spending, you’ll also get additional bonus points triggered by cumulative spending. The system staggers this bonus so you get 2,500 bonus points for each £5,000 you spend.

The bonus points will be added to your account as soon as you reach the spending threshold. It’s capped at a spend of £25,000 a year meaning the most you could get in a year are 12,500 additional points. Here’s how that works:

SpendBonusCumulative Bonus
£5,0002,5002,500
£10,0002,5005,000
£15,0002,5007,500
£20,0002,50010,000
£25,0002,50012,500

Combined points and bonus returns

Of course, these two ways to earn points stack on top of each other, so the real return has to look at them combined.

If you spend £5,000 (ignoring the welcome bonus which I’ll come back to), you’ll actually get 7,500 points, not 5,000. That’s now an effective cashback rate for the card of 0.75%.

But only if you spend in multiple of £5,000 up to £25,000. Here’s how it’d pan out based on different annual spends with the card.

Annual spendPoints earnedAdditional bonus pointsTotal value as gift cardEquivalent cashback rate
£2,500.002,5000£12.500.50%
£5,000.005,0002,500£37.500.75%
£7,500.007,5002,500£50.000.67%
£9,999.009,9992,500£57.500.62%
£10,000.0010,0005,000£75.000.75%
£12,500.0012,5005,000£87.500.70%
£15,000.0015,0007,500£112.500.75%
£20,000.0020,00010,000£150.000.75%
£25,000.0025,00012,500£187.500.75%

So really you’re looking at at least 62% on this card for spending over £5,000 if swapping to Nectar, and close to 0.75% if you are on or just over each £5,000 threshold. Only super high spenders above £25,000 will eventually earn less than this.

Welcome bonus

New American Express customers who haven’t had an Amex in their name in the last 24 months (here’s more on this American Express rule) will get a welcome bonus worth 20,000 Reward Points when they spend £3,000 in the first three months. You have to spend the full £3,000 to get the bonus. Spend even 1p less and you won’t get it.

This would be valued at £100 if converted to a gift card. The bonus is earned alongside the points given for each £1 spent, meaning that the initial £3,000 spend is actually worth £115 when converted at 0.5p.

However, there are also regular boosted bonuses, increasing the welcome points available to 25,000, and sometimes as much as 30,000 or 35,000 (depending on the offer). Unless you really need the card, I’d wait for one of these offers to run. Check our Amex Gold booster offer page to see if there’s an offer like this available right now.

Be aware that getting the American Express Gold card (bonus or not) will rule you out of earning the welcome bonus from the American Express Platinum, one of the only cards that allows a second bonus.

Annual fee and charges

The American Express Gold card is free in the first year. However after this it comes with an annual fee of £195.

I can’t see how it’s worth paying this much when you can swap to a free or much lower fee card and earn a similar amount on your spending.

Other Amex Gold perks

£10 Deliveroo credit a month

There’s potentially £120 back in credit for spending at Deliveroo with the American Express Gold card. It’s actually two lots of £5 per month, each requiring a £5 minimum spend. This offer needs to be activated on your card, and won’t apply to any supplementary cards.

Free airport lounge passes

You also get four airport lounge passes each year. These can be used at Priority Pass locations, which can be hit and miss – it all depends on which airport you are at. I’d treat it as a nice to have rather than a reason to get the card.

Exclusive events

This is something previously limited to Platinum card holders. You’ll be able to book on (and pay for) events and exclusive food and drink deals throughout the year. Personally I’ve never used this on any of my Amex cards.

Other cashback offers

Something I love about Amex are the extra offers you can select via the app and your online account. Though these are retailer specific and won’t always be relevant, they’re well worth a look.

What are Amex Reward points worth?

It’s all very well talking about these points, but how do you use them and what are they worth? The former is easy. You can exchange your points as soon as they are paid via the Membership Rewards website.

But the value of the points depends on how you redeem them. They’re worth 0.45p when swapped for bill credit or used on retailer sites. So 1,000 points will be worth £4.50.

That increases to 0.5p (£5 per 1,000 points) when exchanged for a gift card at retailers such as M&S, Amazon, Selfridges and Waterstones, or converted to Nectar points. This means the cashback equivalent is 0.5%.

You can also swap them to your Avios or other airline schemes at a rate of 1:1. Personally I think most people are better off getting a cash value they can use on everyday spending than be restricted to using them as part of a flight loyalty scheme.

We’ve written a longer guide sharing the best ways to use the American Express Membership Rewards scheme.

Cancelling your Gold Amex

If you won’t want to pay the fee from year two onwards, you can cancel your card. If you miss the anniversary and get charged, you may be able to cancel and get a pro-rata refund of the fee, giving you back the money for unused months. However this loophole is due to end at some point.

However closing the card will mean you lose unused Reward points. Fortunately there’s a free Amex Rewards card you can apply for which will protect your balance. Make sure you do this before ditching the American Express Gold card.

Amex Gold vs other cashback cards

Welcome bonuses

When boosted to 30,000 points, the equivalent £165 welcome offer is the highest paying without a card fee in year one, as long as you can spend £3,000 in three months.

But, as mentioned, having this card rules you out of later applying for a welcome bonus with the Amex Platinum card, which is often boosted to 80,000 points. This won’t be for everyone, but if you think you might do this, then perhaps you’d be better off going for a different Amex first.

Compared to the other cards, the Nectar will earn you the equivalent of £100 in Nectar points, while the Amex Cashback offers up to £125 (5% on the first £2,500). Get either of these and you can still go for the Platinum at a later date.

Everyday spending

The best you’re going to get with this card is between 0.5% and 0.75%. That’s not bad, but it can be beaten. Right now there are a couple of cards which will pay a better rate.

The Amex Nectar pays two Nectar points per £1, which is effectively also 1%. This has a fee in year two, but only £30, so much cheaper than the Amex Gold!

The American Express Cashback card pays 0.75% on spending up to £10,000, then 1.25% for further spending (it resets each year). It also comes with a £25 annual fee, though this can be wiped out in the first year with a referral code or if you open the card via a cashback site.

Should you get the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold credit card?

Andy’s Analysis

It’s certainly not a bad option for one year, but if you think you will try the second welcome bonus hack for the Amex Platinum card then I’d go for the Nectar or Cashback first instead.

How to get an American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card

You can go directly and check your eligibility with American Express. Once you’ve done this, I’d check the rates at Quidco and TopCashback, or via refer-a-friend links, to see what extra you can get.

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