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December 10, 2024   |   Articles

How to get a refund for delayed trains

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Not only can you claim back money if your train is delayed, you can get cash rather than those annoying train travel vouchers.

I hate being late. I’ll always try to leave early, if not bang on time, so any kind of delay is the kind of thing that really annoys me. And trains are among the worst for getting me somewhere later than I planned.

Just a few weeks ago my train down to London from Yorkshire was cancelled. Though my ticket was valid on the next train it would mean I’d arrive back 30 minutes later than planned – and this meant I could get a partial refund!

With that cash arriving in my account this week, I thought it was time to share my Be Clever Basics Q&A for getting a refund when your train is delayed or cancelled.

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.

When can you claim a refund for a train delay?

The main requirement is your train has to be delayed by at least 15 minutes, though a handful will only pay out after a 30 or 60-minute delays.

The rules also say the delay has to be the train company’s fault in order to get a payout. However, most of the operators have signed up to the “Delay Repay” scheme which will pay out for any delay.

How do you claim?

You can do this online with most rail companies. If you’d rather do it on a form you should be able to pick up one at the station or print one out from the different websites.

Make sure you keep your train tickets as you’ll need to send them in with your claim if it’s via the post, or take a photo if you’re doing it online.

A handful, including Northern and C2C, will automatically issue a refund if you meet certain criteria such as holding a smartcard or booked in advance via their website or app.

How much can you claim?

Again, how big a refund you’ll get depends on the different operators.  The length of the delay will also have an impact.

With Delay Repay, the minimum is 25% of a single delayed journey that’s delayed between 15 and 29 minutes. It jumps up to 50% back for delays between 30 and 59 minutes, and the full single fare back if you are delayed by more than an hour. Some will refund your whole ticket, including the return leg, if the delay is longer than 60 minutes.

If the train company isn’t part of Delay Repay you’re looking at 50% back for delays of an hour or more.

When do you need to claim a refund by?

You need to submit your claim within 28 days of the journey.

Can I get a refund if the train is cancelled?

If you don’t travel due to cancellation you can get a full refund from where you bought the ticket.

If you travel on a different train (check with platform staff first that it’s ok to do this), you’ll only be able to get a refund if you arrive more than 30-minutes later than the original booked train.

How can you receive the refund?

You no longer have to get your refund as one of those annoying train travel vouchers. Instead, you should be able to pick one form of payment such as a refund to your card, payment to bank account or even via cheque. For example, LNER lets you choose to have a payment made to your bank account or your PayPal account.

What if I have a season ticket?

You’ll be entitled to compensation equivalent to a single journey. Some train providers will also offer discounts on future season tickets if the service is consistently delayed.

What if you used pay as you go Oyster or Contactless in London?

You can claim for tube and TFL Rail journeys delayed over 15 minutes. It’s a bit of a faff and you need to use your Oyster account for this, but it’s worth doing.

Hacks when claiming for train delays

Here are a few more tricks to boost your claim when you’re on the train, when you arrive at the station and when you get home.

On the train

Track the length your delay

With most train operators you’ll only be able to claim a refund (usually 50%) if you’re delayed by more than 30 minutes. So if a delay had been 29 mins, I’d not only have been inconvenienced, I wouldn’t be able to claim!

On some journeys, the conductor actually informed us that we could get a refund, though this often doesn’t happen – so it’s usually down to you to track the length of your delay.

The rules do change – more will refund you if the delay is 15 mins, while some require at least 60 minutes.

Ask why you’ve been delayed

The cause of the delay doesn’t matter if the train operator has signed up to the Delay Repay scheme. But if it hasn’t, you might be only to claim if the delay could have been avoided (so bad weather or strike action don’t count).

To help your claim, ask the guard if the company has signed up to Delay Repay, and if not what was the cause of the delay

Take a photo of your ticket

You’ll need proof of your journey to claim a refund, so if you have a physical ticket, take a snap with your phone just in case you lose it.

At the station

Don’t use the electronic gates

This one has caught me out a few times. Most automatic gates will eat your ticket, and no ticket means it’s harder to claim your compensation. So even if you’ve taken a photo it’s best to find the manual gate with a guard so you can keep hold of your ticket for the claim. Of course, with more and more tickets now digital when booked online, you can scan and go without worry.

Take a screenshot of live information or the arrivals board

Once you’ve arrived, take a photo of the arrivals board or the live tracking information on an app. You might not need it, but it’s extra proof if your delay time is close to one of the compensation brackets (normally 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes).

Get a form at the station

You’ll be able to apply online for most if not all train firms now, but if you want to be sure or prefer doing it via post, you can pick up a compensation form at the station. Though it’d be nice if these were easy to find, I imagine you’ll need to ask for one at the ticket or information desk.

It’s not the end of the world if you can’t get one as you can usually print a form from the website.

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When you get home

Find out how long a train was delayed

If you didn’t make a note at the time, then check out the Recent Train Times website. It’s not the most user-friendly, but it shouldn’t take you long to find out exactly how long a delay was.

Work out where to apply

You’ll need to apply directly with the rail company where the delay occurred. So if you’ve changed lines during the journey, then it’ll be the one responsible for the delay who should pay you for the full ticket (assuming it wasn’t a split ticket).

Find the form online

If the train provider allows online claims this is usually quicker. You can upload a picture of your phone, which means it’s often easier to do this from your phone rather than a desktop. Here’s a list of all the different rail firms.

Ask for a bank transfer

It’s not always clear but you are legally entitled to a bank transfer or cheque refund. If you don’t ask for this you could be sent an annoying rail voucher than can only be used at ticket desks.

Take a copy of your ticket and form

If you’re posting your compensation claim form and ticket, make sure you have a copy (just take a photo if you don’t have a scanner). If you’re filling it in online you should be able to save a copy.

And make a note of to chase if you haven’t heard back within the time stated on the form.

Put the refund claim in before 28 days pass

Remember, you’ve only got four weeks to request your refund, so don’t leave it too late.

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December 10, 2024   |   Deals

Home and garden deals

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Save on your home essentials from furniture to paint

If you fancy spending the weekend putting up shelves or sorting out the garden, here are the best home, garden and DIY sales and offers.

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.

Here’s what’s currently on offer.

Current deals

Ikea: £10 off £50 voucher when you dress festive

Pop on your most Christmassy outfit (think Christmas jumpers, reindeer ears, a Santa hat) and visit an Ikea store from 10am on Friday 13 December to 5pm on Sunday 15 December and get a voucher. This will give you £10 off £50 spend that weekend.

This offer is only for Ikea Family members, which is free to join.

Sign up for Ikea Family

Ikea: daily Advent calendar discounts

Ikea is offering daily deals, discounts and competitions in the run up to Christmas, both in-store and online.

You’ll need to check each day on the Ikea website to find out what offers are in store.

Ikea Advent calendar

Ikea: £30 off £300 spend with Home Move Club

You can currently get £30 off a £300 spend with Home Move Club – you just need to go here and sign up to receive the offer. It asks when you moved as it’s a website dedicated to helping you move house, but you can put in any date.

You’ll get an email with a code. This offer can be used with the above offer when you spend £330 or more.

There’s not currently an end date for this offer.

Get £30 off at Ikea

Ikea: Family Card extra savings

If you sign up for the Ikea Family card you’ll be able to get exclusive discounts at your local store including 10% extra off sale items.

More on the Ikea Family Card

Hobbycraft: £5 off £15 spend

If you have the Hobbycraft loyalty app then you can get £5 off a £15 spend until the end of October. You’ll find the voucher in your app or if you’re shopping online, you can use the code HC515 to get the discount.

It can’t be used to sign up for workshops or subscriptions or to buy gift cards

Download the Hobbycraft app

B&Q: £5 off £30 spend

Sign up for the B&Q Club online (it’s free) and you’ll get a voucher to save £5 off a £30 spend.

Sign up to the B&Q Club

Emma Bridgewater: Free mug with £40 spend

If you’ve not used the Emma Bridgewater site before and want to spend at least £40 then follow this referral link to claim a free 1/2 pint mug, worth £19.95.

Get a free mug

Expired deals

Ikea: £15 off £50 spend and free breakfast (ended)

Wear your pyjamas to Ikea this Saturday 7 September and you’ll get a £15 off voucher to be used against a £50 spend and a free breakfast. There are also other activities running, but they’re store-dependent.

The breakfast available includes one of: a small cooked breakfast, a small vegetarian breakfast, a children’s breakfast, a breakfast bacon roll, a breakfast sausage roll or a breakfast vegetarian roll. You can’t get the cooked breakfasts at the Hammersmith store.

You can only get the breakfast between 9:30am and 11am on 7 September 2024 and you’ll need one of the vouchers that will be distributed at the store on the day and an Ikea Family Card, which is free to sign up for.

See events at your local Ikea

Ikea Family: £20 off with £100 spend (ended)

Ikea Family members can get £20 off their next shopping trip in December and January when they spend £100 in store by 3 November 2024.

You just need to have signed up to the free Ikea Family scheme and scan your family member card at the checkout.

Once you get the credit you’ve got until January 30 2025 to use it and it must be spent in one transaction.

Shop at Ikea

Decathalon: return used tent for gift card refund (ended)

As part of its ‘No Tent Left Behind’ campaign Decathlon is letting customers buy tents, use them for a few months, and return eligible them for a refund on a gift card.

It says some 250,000 tents are left at festivals each year, which mostly go into landfill. And in a bid to reduce waste it’s promising to accept the return of its M100 range of tents bought between 6 June 2024 and 13 September 2024.

It encourages customers to enjoy the tent at their summer festivals but for it to accept a return, the tent mustn’t be damaged, stained, torn, contaminated, altered or in poor condition.

You must bring the tent back to a store, with proof of purchase, by 13 September 2024, to be eligible for the offer.

Get free tent

Etsy: £5 off £30 spend (ended)

You can currently get £5 off a £30 spend at Etsy when you use the code SMALL5 until 30 April 2024.

The £30 excludes tax and shipping and you can only buy from shops that accept Etsy payments.

Shop at Etsy

December 8, 2024   |   Articles

How to spend less on Christmas food and drink

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Save money on your festive favourites

From big turkeys to posh chocs – Christmas is a time to over-indulge. So how do you enjoy your festive feast, but get the best value possible? I’ve got a few ideas.

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.

Image of mince pies

Make a list

Really basic, but it’s the best money saver. Once you know who’s coming over for Christmas, work out exactly what you’ll need, and write it all down. Don’t forget to check your cupboards and freezer for any ingredients you already have.

This is much better than just buying more than you need, which will not just cost you more money but could end up as unused leftovers.

Not sure how much to buy for Christmas dinner? Checkout this portion guide from BBC Goodfood – it will help you know exactly how much food you’ll need to buy.

Hunt for bargain veg

To entice you into their supermarkets at Christmas many retailers sell vegetables for pennies in a Christmas veg price war.

So far this year, we know that Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi have all announced they are selling 15p veg from 19 – 24 December and Morrisons is beating everyone else by selling theirs for just 10p!

Frozen or fresh – you decide

Frozen turkeys are cheaper than fresh, so you could save money on one of your most expensive Christmas purchases – only if you have a large enough freezer to store it and you’re willing to put up with the faff of defrosting on Christmas eve!

You can also buy it early which can help spread the cost of Christmas

And speaking of frozen, this year Iceland are offering a Luxury Christmas Dinner for four for just £25. That’s lunch sorted for only £6.25 per head.

Go own-brand

For those non-priorities, you can spend less by trying own-brand versions. For example, you might always buy a bottle of Baileys at Christmas, but most supermarket own-brand versions taste exactly the same – but cost a lot less. 

And own-label mince pies are nearly half the price of the well known cake brands, and by the time you’ve consumed dinner and had a glass or two of Baileys, you won’t know who’s mince pie you’re eating!

Avoid festive packaging

Often you’ll find something is branded with Christmas packaging, but there’s a normal alternative available on another aisle that’s either cheaper or better value.

Having different prices for what is essentially the same product can be confusing. Take pigs in blankets from Waitrose. The standard pack of 12 costs £5.25 for 12, whilst the Christmas branded pack is £6 for 12. But the Christmas pack is on a 3 for 2 offer, so depending on how many you need, could work out cheaper!

Ditch selection packs

It’s quite rare that someone enjoys all the biscuits in a Christmas tin, all the chocs in a festive box or all the crackers in a bumper cracker selection.

These selection packs more often than not work out more expensive than buying individual packets, so unless it’s in a pretty tin and you want to give it as a gift, you might want to stick to the individual packets instead, as once they’re out of the packet and on a serving plate, you wouldn’t know if they were from a festive pack or not.

To put this into perspective, the Jacob’s Festive selection box of crackers is currently £4 for 450g in Tesco (Clubcard price), whilst Tesco’s own-label cream crackers cost just 49p for 300g – that’s 73p per 100g cheaper.

Book your online delivery slot

Slots are bookable at all the major supermarkets, with some releasing extra Christmas delivery slots nearer to Christmas. So you haven’t missed out on all the available slots yet.

And don’t forget, if you want to avoid the crowds there’s always lots of ‘click and collect’ slots left, nearer to Christmas.

Wait for some reduced deals

If you can hold your nerve, then the day before Christmas is one of the best days of the year to snap up clearance food, including turkeys, vegetables and fresh gateaux. 

Since many shops will shut on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, there’s a lot of food that will need to be cleared from the shelves.

But like the clearance section most evenings in supermarkets, you can never count on getting what you want.

It’s obviously a risk buying your turkey discounted on Christmas Eve, so if that’s too much of a gamble, then you can always buy what you need in advance and use Christmas Eve to shop for bargains you can freeze for other celebrations like New Year or even Easter. 

And don’t forget, after the festivities are over, you’ll often find crackers, wrapping paper and cards reduced to clearance, so if you have room in your loft, then stock up on those Christmas essentials for the following year.

Use your leftovers

Turkey sarnies, turkey curry, turkey soup, turkey stir-fry…just think Bubba in his famous shrimp recital in the Forest Gump movie! It’s possibly the one time of year where we actively enjoy using up leftovers. 

There are so many helpful recipe ideas online including this selection at Olive, that there’s no excuse to let any Christmas food go to waste. 

And if your fridge is packed to the rafters like mine is at Christmas, just make note of the use by dates  so food doesn’t go to waste.  If you don’t think you can finish it before the use-by date, just remember, many Christmas goodies can be frozen, including foods like cheese, mince pies and cake.

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December 2, 2024   |   Articles

Changed your mind? Your refund rights

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When you can get your money back, and when you can’t.

We’ve all made that impulse purchase that turns out to be not such a great idea. And we’ve all had items which seemed fine but over time turned out to be duds. So are you stuck with these unwanted or broken purchases?

You might be able to get your money back, but this could depend on why you want to return it, where you bought it, and how you paid for it.

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.

Why you’re returning it

Because it’s faulty

If your purchase is damaged or stops working, the shop needs to give you a refund. You’ve 30 days to take something back in this case. You’ll need proof of purchase.

Once this first month is over you’ve another five months (so six months after you got the item) to ask for a repair or replacement. And if the shop can’t or won’t do that, then you can get a full refund. 

After this, you’ll need to prove that the problem is down to manufacturing, not wear and tear. This can make it a lot harder to get a refund. But you’ve got up to six years to do this and it’s worth a try.

Of course you might also have a guarantee with the item, so check whether you can claim on that for a refund or to get something fixed outside the first six months.

You’ve changed your mind

It’s a different story for refunds if you simply decide you don’t want something – you might not actually be able to get your money back. It all depends on where you bought it and potentially how you paid for it – keep reading for more on each of these.

Where you bought it

You bought it in a shop

Legally, the shop doesn’t have to accept returns when you change your mind. This can even include simply wanting to swap clothes for a different size.

Fortunately, many, if not most, shops will happily give you your money back if you give them your receipt.

There’s normally something like 28 days or a month to bring your return back. And these are often extended in the run-up to Christmas. But do check the shop’s policy, ideally before you buy anything.

Your money will be refunded to your original card. If you don’t have it, you might be able to get a gift card. However, some shops are cracking down on this to prevent money laundering and fraud.

The receipt is really important. Without it, the shop doesn’t have to accept the item back or might refund you at the current selling price, which could be lower if it’s on sale.

If a shop’s return policy doesn’t include refunds, it might let you exchange it or give you a credit note to spend at a later date. Not great, but it’s better than being stuck with something you won’t use or is the wrong size.

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You bought it online

You actually get better rights if you order and pay online. You have 14 days from receiving your items to decide to send them back and let the retailer know – no questions asked. You’ve then got another 14 days to return them.

You can get a refund on the original delivery charge too, but you might need to pay to return it. Every retailer is different, so it’s worth checking before you buy. Amazon has different rules for the reason you return it – sometimes it’s free, sometimes there’s a charge. 

And you get the same rights online as buying in a shop if something is faulty.

When shops can refuse a return even if they have a returns policy

There are some exclusions, even if a shop does offer refunds or you got it online. Perishable items such as fresh flowers or frozen foods won’t be accepted for example.

You won’t be able to return personalised or made to order items. This could also include things like furniture even if you’re choosing the standard fabrics as they might only make the item once it’s been ordered.

You might also get turned down if the original packaging is missing, damaged or opened. My mum spotted in-store at John Lewis that you now can’t return electronics that have been opened. She’d bought a new phone, but the handset didn’t get reception in the garden – the whole point of her buying it.

The store’s justification was that if you’ve seen it in-store you know what you’re buying. Fortunately, my mum had ordered it online for click and collect, so she had further rights and got her refund (more on this in a sec). But it shows you just be extra careful when unpacking anything.

How you paid for it

You paid with a credit card

Anything you buy with a credit card that costs £100 or more is protected by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

This law means credit card providers are equally responsible if something goes wrong with a purchase. So if a retailer is refusing to refund you, you can try the credit card company.

However, this is only going to be effective if there’s an issue with your purchase or it just doesn’t turn up. Changing your mind when a shop doesn’t have a returns policy won’t cut it.

You paid with a debit card

Here you can try for “chargeback”, as long as the purchase was under £100. This isn’t covered by a law, but if your bank agrees you’ve got a fair claim for money back with 120 days of your purchase, then they can reverse the charge to your account.

You paid via PayPal 

Though PayPal can be convenient, it could also mean you lose the consumer rights that come with credit card or debit card payments. This is because you’re effectively breaking a direct chain between the card provider and the retailer.

So though it’s fine to use it (and I do), it’s worth avoiding it on bigger purchases, just in case. Here’s more on the pros and cons of PayPal.

You paid with cash

You’ve got no extra rights when you pay with cash, and if you lose your receipt you’ve also no proof of purchase at all. So try not to pay with cash if you can avoid it.

You paid with a gift card

I’m a fan of using discounted gift cards to save a little extra on purchases. However, there’s a danger with paying by gift card. If you decide to return your item, you will get the refund to a gift card. Why is this bad?

First, you need to make sure you keep the original gift card as some retailers will only refund to the one you paid with.

Second, you’re locked into shopping with that retailer again. It’s a small risk if we’re talking about a £30 M&S gift card. But it’s a lot worse if you’re left with £400 on one for Curry’s.

So if there’s a good chance you’ll take something back, avoid paying with a gift card unless you’ve already got one.

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December 1, 2024   |   Articles

Are cinema memberships worth the money?

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Get unlimited tickets for a monthly fee.

How often do you have to use ODEON Limitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman Everywhere and other movie memberships to make them worthwhile?

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.

Image of an ODEON cinema

How cinema memberships work

There are two core types of memberships for the main cinema chains. The all-you-can-watch options will let you go every day, even more than once each day, if you want. The others will get you a handful of free tickets and then discounts on future ones.

Often you’re limited to just standard 2D screenings in normal seats, but some will let you access 3D showings, recliner seats and even event cinema such as theatre – though you’ll pay more for the privilege.

You can see the breakdown of ODEON Limitless, Cineworld Unlimited, Everyman, Curzon and Picturehouse memberships further down the page. But first, my thoughts on how to decide what represents good value.

Should you get a cinema membership?

I think value from cinema memberships comes down to three factors. If you can justify at least two of them, then potentially go for it.

How often will you go?

First is the most important, and it’s one very simple number – how often are you really going to go? Back in my 20s, my record was 60 times in a year, but even I found that too much. I forgot half the things I saw!

I think if you can commit to going roughly two or three weeks out of four (between 26 and 40 visits a year) then you’ll likely be getting a bargain. These are the key numbers I’ve used in the comparisons below, but that’s still a lot of films to see. Go less than this and the savings tend to be less likely.

Can you commit to just one cinema?

Next you need to consider if you’re likely to still visit other cinema chains. That could be because there aren’t many screens or certain films aren’t showing where you’ve got your membership – often the case for independent or foreign films. Perhaps it’s just a logistical matter because mates want to go elsewhere or you can only make a screening at 8pm.

There’s absolutely no point shelling out for an unlimited membership if you’re going to see movies elsewhere too.

But if you’ve only got one cinema then this is less of a problem.

Can you get a better deal elsewhere?

Finally, I’ve always managed to find deals to cut the price of my tickets. From six free ODEON or Vue tickets with Lloyds Bank through to a £1 hack that’ll get you 2-4-1 Meerkat Movies. These can work out cheaper than the memberships, and give you so much more flexibility.

Of course, some of these memberships can also be used alongside other deals. There are tricks mentioned below for both Everyman and Cineworld memberships which effectively give you free tickets for two people if you go certain days. Bargain!

The best cinema deals

Our pick of the best offers in our dedicated cinema deals page

Will I get one of the memberships?

When I lived in London I saw no point getting one of the annual cinema memberships. First, there are dozens of ways to get cheap tickets, meaning I rarely paid more than £6 a ticket in the capital. Second, you are tied to going to just one chain, which doesn’t work if the film you want to see at the time you want to go is at a cinema you can’t use your membership.

But now I’m out of London, my options are much smaller. We’ve actually only got two cinemas in town – an ODEON and an Everyman. Both offer membership schemes that let you go as much as you want. Are they worth shelling out for?

Having checked out all the deals, the cinema geek side of me is very tempted by the Everyman Everywhere membership – but only if I’m willing to go every week.

However, thanks to various deals (largely my Vitality health insurance) I get both a free ODEON cinema ticket every month and free movie rental every week. Combined with so many fantastic TV shows on Disney, Apple and the BBC I don’t think I’d be able to get enough value from a membership.

Plus I still like to have the choice of where I go and I’ve enough money-saving tricks up my sleeve that I can keep prices just as low most of the time. So the answer – for now – is no.

But take a look at the different options below to see if one could work for you.

How the different cinema memberships compare

ODEON myLimitless

How it works

There are two versions of ODEON’s membership, called myLimitless. The standard offering works all over the UK, not just outside London. However you won’t be able to use it at Luxe locations. These are included in the myLimitless Plus membership.

With standard, you can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments. You also can’t use your membership ticket to get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies.

You’ll be invited to free preview screenings. You can book up to four screenings in advance. There’s a 10% discount on food and drinks.

In addition, the Plus membership not only lets you watch films at Luxe cinemas, but also get unlimited access to premier or recliner seats, as well as 3D and iSense screenings.

ODEON myLimitless costs

  • Standard cost (excluding Luxe): £14.99 a month / £149 a year
  • Plus cost (inc Luxe): £17.99 a month / £179 a year
  • Annual discount: 17% if paid in full (12 months for the price of 10)

ODEON myLimitless membership details

  • Minimum membership: 3 months
  • How to join: At the cinema or via the ODEON website

Is ODEON myLimitless worth it?

If you go once a week, a ticket works out as just £2.87 (£3.44 for Plus membership). That’s pretty good! But you have to go 52 times.

Let’s say you go 40 times, which is three films every four weeks. Then it’s still a decent £3.75 (£4.48 in London). It’s hard to find cheaper tickets.

If you drop down to a visit every two weeks, it starts to get pricier – though potentially cheaper than what your local charges.

But even if you go once a month you could break even at some of the pricier locations. For example a ticket at Tottenham Court Road is £14.49 a go.

And that’s even more so at Luxe cinemas, such as the flagship Leicester Square location. A normal adult ticket is £18, while a recliner seat (included in Plus) is £25.

Visits a yearCost per trip (Standard)Cost per trip (Plus)
52£2.87£3.44
40£3.75£4.48
26£5.73£6.88
12£12.42£14.92
*based on annual spend

Cineworld Unlimited

How it works

Cineworld says that the monthly cost will be cheaper than two tickets a month – though the price will change depending on the location for your “home” cinema. There are four groups, and you can see which one your cinema fits into here.

The bulk of locations are in groups 1 and 2. Though not exclusively, group 3 contains most of the London cinemas, while group 4 adds in Leicester Sq. You can use your membership at all cinemas in your and lower groups – so group 4 is effectively every single Cineworld.

You can go to as many 2D films as you want, though screenings can’t overlap. Extras such as 3D and IMAX require additional payments, though if you continue for a second year 3D is included. There’s a 50% discount on “event” screenings.

In theory you can get another free ticket with Meerkat Movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that would mean you’d only need one membership between you – if you only go midweek.

You’ll be able to see free previews and there’s a 10% discount on food and drinks, going up to 25% in year two.

How much does Cineworld Unlimited cost?

  • Cost (Group 1): £12.99 a month / £155.88 a year
  • Cost (Group 2): £17.99 a month / £215.88 a year
  • Cost (Group 3): £19.99 a month / £239.88 a year
  • Cost (Group 4): £22.99 a month / £275.88 a year
  • Annual discount: None (though look out for offers)
  • Other savings: Recommend a friend to get a free month each, or use Clubcard points at 2:1 value

Cineworld Unlimited membership details

  • Minimum membership: 3 months
  • How to join: At the cinema, via Tesco Clubcard or via the Cineworld website

Is Cineworld Unlimited worth it?

This one has the potential to be incredibly cheap, but only if you combine your free ticket with Meerkat Movies.

If you mainly go on a Tuesday or Wednesday to take advantage of this two for one offer in Group 1, you’ll pay just £3.90 a ticket, based on 40 visits. That falls to a fantastic £1.95!

Of course, if you’re on your own, in pricier groups, go different days or go less often, then it can get a lot more expensive. So once more you need to compare it to prices at your cinema to see whether you’ll save or not.

Visits a yearCost per trip (Group 1)Cost per trip (Group 2)Cost per trip (Group 3)Cost per trip (Group 4)
52£3.00£4.15£4.61£5.31
40£3.90£5.40£6.00£6.90
26£6.00£8.30£9.23£10.61
12£12.99£17.99£19.99£22.99
*based on annual spend

Everyman membership

How it works

The basic “Everyman” membership provides six free tickets. The next level up is the “Everyicon” membership, which offers 24 free tickets. However, both let you bring a friend for free on Mondays, potentially doubling your number of included tickets.

The “Everywhere” membership is a lot of money at £680 a year. However, it’s for two people at any time and you can go to as many films as you like.

All give you 10% off food and drink, and fee-free booking.

How much does Everyman membership cost?

  • Cost (Everyman): £95 a year
  • Cost (Everyicon): £31 a month / £350 a year
  • Cost (Everywhere): £59 a month / £680 a year
  • Annual discount: None

Everyman membership details

  • Minimum membership: 12 months
  • How to sign up: At the cinema or via the Everyman website

Is an Everyman membership worth it?

If an Everyman is your local cinema, or the one you like going to, then you could well save a little with the six tickets for £95, making them £15.83 a ticket, or £7.92 if you go on a Monday with a friend and split the cost.

The next level – “Everyicon” – is a little cheaper, but again use the free tickets just on Mondays and that’s now 48 tickets, working out at a very nice £7.29 each.

The top “Everywhere” could work if you’ve a partner or friend who will share the membership with you. Even then you need to go a lot. See 40 movies each in a year and it’ll work out as £8.50 each for your ticket.

Personally I’d go to a cheaper cinema instead, or get a trial for Times+ which offers 2-4-1 tickets every Wednesday.

Visits a yearEverymanEveryiconEverywhere (one person / two people)
52N/AN/A£13.08 / £6.54
40N/AN/A£17 / £8.50
24N/A£14.58 (for 24 visits)£28.33 / £14.77
12N/A£29.17£56.67 / £28.33
6£15.83––
*based on annual spend

Curzon membership

What you get

The entry-level “Classic” includes five free tickets, and then discounts for you and a guest.

Next up, the “Cult” membership is seven tickets every week – so essentially free entry to as many films as you want. You can also use these credits to stream online movies from Curzon Home Cinema.

If there are two of you, you can add the “Events and Guest” option which gets you 14 tickets each week and you can use it on “event” screenings – but you’ll pay £50 more each month.

There’s also 10% off food and drink with all three membership levels. Sadly Curzon doesn’t accept Meerkat Movies.

How much is Curzon membership?

  • Cost (Classic): £65 a year (all cinemas) / £50 a year (non-London)
  • Cost (Cult): £25 a month / £285 a year
  • Cost (Cult plus Events and Guest): £75 a month / £850 a year

Curzon membership details

  • Minimum membership: 12 months
  • Annual discount: None
  • How to join: At the cinema or via the Curzon website

Is a Curzon membership worth it?

Go 40 times and the “Cult” membership works out as £7.13 a ticket. That’s more than I’d like to pay, but not bad if you’re in London or only have a Curzon near you. However since Curzon has a more indie/arthouse lean, you might need to pay elsewhere to see some of the big blockbusters.

Adding “Events and Guest” to the Cult membership is the most expensive out there. Only if two of you go three out of four weeks, or a little less if you throw in regular event screenings, are you going to be making this worthwhile.

The Classic membership will be worth it if you are definitely going to go five times a year and the normal ticket prices are the same or more than the average price of £10 outside London and £13 inside London.

Visits a yearClassic (London/Outside London)CultCult+ (one person / two people)
52N/A£5.48£16.34 / £8.17
40N/A£7.13£21.25 / £10.63
26N/A£10.96£32.69 / £16.34
12N/A£27.08£70.83 / £34.42
5£13 / £10––
*based on annual spend

Picturehouse membership

What you get

There isn’t a subscription membership at Picturehouse, but I’ve included it for completion. Instead you get five free tickets and discounts on further tickets.

The Member Plus option gives you double the freebies (so 10 tickets), and you can get members prices on up to three further tickets for each screening.

There’s also 10% off food and drink, jumping to 25% from year two. Like all the others there are member’s previews, though these are free at Picturehouse, potentially saving you some more cash.

How much does Picturehouse membership cost?

  • Cost (Picturehouse Central): £90 a year (single) / £170 a year (joint)
  • Cost (London excl Central): £67 a year (single) / £110 a year (joint)
  • Cost (Outside London): £57 a year (single) / £100 a year (joint)

Picturehouse membership details

  • Minimum membership: 12 months
  • Annual discount: None
  • How to join: At the cinema or via the Picturehouse website

Is a Picturehouse membership worth it?

If you’re likely to go to a Picturehouse cinema over other chains then the ongoing discount after the free tickets will make it more affordable. Still though, that’s potentially more expensive than using other tricks at other cinemas.

I’ve used my membership free tickets alongside Meerkat Movies in the past – I can’t find any official confirmation this is allowed, but I can’t see why not. This essentially gives you another five free tickets to be used on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Visits a yearOutside London (single)Outside London (joint)London (single)London (joint)Central London (single)Central London (joint)
10N/A£10N/A£11N/A£17
5£11.40N/A£13.40N/A£18N/A
*based on annual spend

Cineworld Unlimited vs ODEON myLimitless

The two most effective memberships in terms of value for money are the ODEON and Cineworld schemes. If you have both cinemas near you and aren’t sure which one to go for here’s what I’d do.

Ultimately, ODEON’s is cheaper but if you can combine the Cineworld with Meerkat Movies, then the latter is a better option.

If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, I’d look at which has the most screens and which ones tend to show the films you want to see. If it’s just standard blockbusters both should have them on, but if you want smaller films that might not be the case.

Alternative ways to save at the cinema

We’ve written extensively about the different ways you can pay less at the cinema, and you can see these tricks and promotions in our regularly updated cheap cinema tickets guide.

Read next

November 28, 2024   |   Deals

Fashion sales and deals

Written by
Here is the pick of the current fashion offers, discount codes, flash sales and deals

Whether you’re looking for a great deal on the high street for your summer or winter wardrobe or searching for something a little more specific, it’s always nice to grab a bargain. Here are some of the best ways to save on clothes.

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.

Fashion sales and offers

Liberty: 30% off and 20% cashback

As an early Black Friday offer, on 28 November only you can get 30% off at Liberty as well as 20% cashback via Quidco.

Plus, if you’re not already a member of Quidco, you can sign up for our newsletter and get a boosted £24 welcome bonus as well.

Get a Quidco welcome bonus

Discounts for joining mailing lists

Uniqlo: £5 off in-store

Download the Uniqlo app and you’ll get a £5 voucher to use in shops (not online). There’s a minimum spend of £40.

Download the Uniqlo app

Cashback sites

It’s always worth checking what rate you’ll get from the likes of TopCashback or Quidco. If you’ve not used them before then you can also get a welcome bonus worth up to £20 by joining our newsletter.

Get a welcome bonus from a cashback site
November 28, 2024   |   Deals

eBay deals

Written by

Here’s where I’ll post any particularly decent eBay deals and offers, whether selling or buying!

As you’d expect there are thousands of different products! Often you’ll see well-known shops selling on eBay now at prices less than their own website. Office and Argos are just some with “outlet” shops on eBay.

The ones to watch out for are a 20% off at eBay flash sale which tends to happen between Christmas and New Year, and similar discounts throughout the year.

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.

Buying offers

£5 off £15 cashback

Opt in to a flash offer on cashback site Quidco and you’ll get an extra £5 off a £15 spend at eBay until 09.59 on Friday 29 November 2024.

There are 10,000 opt ins available, so be quick.

If you’re not already a Quidco member you can get a £24 new member bonus.

You’ll also get 20% off at eBay with code.

Join Quidco

£15 off £50 via Vouchercodes

If you click through from a link on the Vouchercodes site to eBay and then spend £50, you’ll be able to claim a £15 supermarket voucher.

You need to register for the offer at Vouchercodes first. The full terms and conditions will be listed when you do this, but keys ones are the £50 doesn’t include delivery and you can’t pay with gift cards.

You can combine it with any promo code offered by eBay though, and these are pretty frequent.

It runs until 28 November 2024.

Get the offer

Black Friday: 20% off

For Black Friday, eBay is offering 20% off at specific merchants using the code BLACKFRIDAY20. It runs until 11:59pm on 2 December 2024 and there’s a minimum spend of £9.99 and a maximum discount of £75.

Make sure you compare prices elsewhere though as it might be cheaper at another retailer even with eBay’s discount.

You can also get 3% cashback using Quidco, and if you haven’t got an account yet, you can get a welcome bonus of £24.

Sign up for Quidco
Shop at eBay

30x Nectar points on Valentine’s Day (ended)

This offer is running just for one hour (between noon and 1pm) on Tuesday 14 February 2023. You’ll get 30 points per £1 spent. That is the equivalent of 15% back, though you can only get this on one purchase. You must also have paid for the item in this hour, so don’t leave it too late in case there’s an issue.

You’ll need to spend at least £10 and you’ll only get the bonus points on the first £300 spent. Make sure you activate the offer too!

Shop at eBay

£5 or £15 vouchers when you buy two or more items (expired)

This deal runs until 28 November 2022 and rewards you for buying non-new items (including both second-hand and refurbished) with coupons to spend on the site.

Buy two items and you’ll get a £5 voucher, increasing to £15 if you buy five items. You can only redeem one voucher per user.

Shop at eBay

20% off on eBay (expired)

Another eBay deal, this time offering 20% off second hand or refurbished at selected retailers. The code for 20% is BETTER20. The code expires at midnight on 24 November 2022

There’s a minimum spend of £9.99. Retailers include Currys, Crampton & Moore and Music Magpie. The code can be used three times.

Do always price check elsewhere before buying though as they could be cheaper even without the discount.

Shop at eBay

Selling offers

O2: £10 voucher when you sell (expired)

If you’re with O2 for your mobile phone, head to the Priority app or site to claim a £10 voucher when you sell an item on eBay that sells for more than £10. The offer ends 18 July 2021.

The full terms and conditions can be found on the Priority site, but broadly to qualify you need to:

• have opted-in to the promotion through the redemption link via Priority
• list an item in auction-style or fixed price format on ebay.co.uk during the Promotional Period
• sell one item in the first listing period for at least £10 (excluding shipping costs) and the item has been paid for or you have marked them as paid
• have not sold an item in the past 12 months

November 27, 2024   |   Deals

Latest John Lewis offers and deals

Written by

The best John Lewis discounts and sales.

If we spot any standout John Lewis offers or discount codes we’ll share them on this page.

John Lewis logo and Be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

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.

John Lewis codes and discounts

Early Black Friday: including 20% off beauty (ended)

John Lewis is running some early Black Friday deals on tech, clothing and beauty.

Though it’s not across every brand, there is up to 20% off a lot of big name brand beauty and fragrance at John Lewis. Also included are some beauty advent calendars, such as Clarins, Bobbi Brown and Molton Brown.

You’ll find 20% off in fashion too, while money off on appliances and tech.

Remember if the price drops there or elsewhere within seven days you can price match the difference.

Buy beauty at John Lewis

Daily reward with ‘Treats of Christmas’ (ended)

John Lewis is offering rewards every day between 1 and 24 December for My John Lewis members. These include discounts, freebies and competition entries from popular brands like Shark, Gucci and Brompton.

Tap on the gift icon on the app each day to reveal the reward and redeem it within 24 hours online or within three days in-store.

Join My John Lewis

MyJohnLewis vouchers

John Lewis regularly offers MyJohnLewis members (it’s free to join) special deals and discounts.

It’s always worth logging in to see if you have anything worth using, though you might find there’s nothing showing.

In November, people were currently seeing vouchers like £10 off beauty and £15 off fragrance, although the offers vary by user.

Check your MyJohnLewis account

MyJohnLewis Anniversary gift

Keep an eye on your MyJohnLewis account around the anniversary of when you first signed up as you’ll usually get a gift, perhaps a £5 voucher.

Sign into MyJohnLewis

£5 off clothes when you donate old items

If you’re looking to buy clothes from John Lewis stores (sadly not online), then it’s worth returning some old items in order to get a £5 discount.

The Fashion Cycle scheme requires you to be a member of the My John Lewis scheme. You’ll need to spend £20 too.

More on this and other recycling schemes

Earn cashback at John Lewis

Both Quidco and TopCashback offer cashback. Though rates change, it’s usually on most items, with some departments occasionally boosted to 4%.

If you’ve never used either site before then you can earn a welcome bonus on top, worth up to £20! You can find the best options here.

Get up to £20 as a cashback site welcome offer

The best cashback site welcome offers

Find out how to get a bonus when you first sign up and spend at all the leading cashback sites

Read next

November 27, 2024   |   ArticlesReview

Best supermarket cashback apps

Written by

Just how good are the deals on grocery cashback apps?

We’ve reviewed CheckoutSmart, Shopmium and Green Jinn to see just what kind of savings these apps are giving and whether it is worth using them. 

From money off to free products, we’ll let you know whether they are worth checking out. Plus there’s a code to get a free treat with Shopmium!

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.

Image of mobile phone with CheckoutSmart, Shopmium and GreenJinn apps

How supermarket cashback apps work

Unlike when you use cashback sites to shop by clicking through, here the cashback is earned after you’ve bought the goods.

You need to look at the apps before you head to the supermarket – or even when you’re walking the aisles – to see the different promotions, pick up the products as you shop as normal and then claim your cashback when you get home.

Each app works slightly differently, but they all require you to select the offer you are claiming and upload a photo of your receipt. 

If that’s all done correctly you’ll start to build up a little bit of extra money which you then transfer to your Paypal or bank account or even transfer for e-vouchers.

Most of the time it’s a proportion of the item cost you’ll get back, but you can sometimes get all your money back – making the items free.

The majority of the products listed on these apps are new. That’s because brands want you to try something different, hoping you’ll keep on buying it but you will occasionally see everyday products.

By the way, they work with online orders too, and you usually don’t need to print out the receipt. Just take a screengrab of it on your phone or download it as a file.

Supermarket cashback apps compared

There are currently three different apps we know of and to be fair that’s probably plenty, as it does take some preparation before you shop to get the most out of them.

Shopmium

Main supermarkets on the appTesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Co-op
Other retailers (depending on products)You’ll sometimes see offers for Iceland, Ocado, Boots, WH Smiths and others
Minimum payout level£10 through bank transfer of PayPal
Welcome offerUse code KHMYEEFW for free Cadbury Buttons
Referral scheme£3 for every friend you refer who claims cashback

Having recently changed their payout minimum to £10, this may be a negative for some, but due to the number of high paying offers on this app, it is relatively quick to reach the £10 threshold and therefore it is my top supermarket cashback app. 

That said, it does have some negatives. You have to click on each product to see what the offer is, which can be time consuming and not the easiest thing to do whilst you’re shopping.

Watch out too for products where different versions are on offer at different supermarkets. Again you need to click in to check.

Therefore this app is one that requires a little of your time before you shop. You can, however, filter the selection to a specific supermarket so you know what offers apply where.

Saying that it offers plenty of high paying cashback. This month for example you can try Domestos spray for £1 so that’s £2 cashback on your purchase and Comfort for £1, so again around £2 back in cashback. It doesn’t appear to offer many ‘free’ products where you get the entire cashback but more offers such as 50% off, or ‘try for £1’ or save £1.50.

You can make extra cashback with special tasks such as submitting a specific number of cashback requests within a certain timeframe. They also offer a loyalty scheme where you can progress through the tiers to get extra benefits such as exclusive offers and birthday treats.

CheckoutSmart

Main supermarkets on the appTesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado
Other retailers (depending on products)Iceland, Co-op, plus many more although most don’t have any offers apart from the daily £10 draw
Minimum payout level£1+ for your first payment; £5+ thereafter. NB payments under £20 made to bank or PayPal will incur a 5% transfer fee. Payments to e-vouchers just have to meet minimum payment level of £5.
Welcome offerNo
Referral schemeNo

CheckoutSmart tends to be the best for freebies. It also has a far wider list of supermarkets that are easy to filter. 

In terms of ease of use you can see the product and what the discount is at a glance, helping you see whether it’s worth your time and also allowing you to check this app whilst you’re shopping.

You can also filter the offers in terms of the highest percentage paid, which will give you the free products (100% cashback) first. The free products may be good enough to entice you to another supermarket. At the time of writing there are free energy drinks, salami and chicken bites available at different retailers.

If you want cash to your bank account or PayPal the app has a high £20 payout level, though freebies can help you reach that amount if you use the app frequently. Or you can instead choose a gift card, though only in multiples of £5. This payment method is set to alternate each week with the cash payout. The payout time can take a long time and I’ve often waited over a week to receive my payment.

There is a negative with this app, in that there are times where there is little change in the offers available and some offers seem to have been on the app for ages. You can also find that this app may have some retailers with very few offers available at times – I often find Morrisons lacking in new offers for example.

GreenJinn

Main supermarkets on the appTesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-op, Ocado, M&S, Booths, Wholefoods
Other retailers (depending on products)Boots, WH Smith
Minimum payout level£1.50 through bank transfer of PayPal
Welcome offerNo
Referral schemeShare a particular coupon with friends (marked with a green tab) and if they redeem it you’ll get a bonus £1

Green Jinn is easy to use and you can quickly select your retailer and see what offers are available without having to click into an advert like you do with Shopmium. There are some different products from what you see on the other apps as it claims to only offer good quality or healthy food and drink. At present, you’ll find lots of cereal bars, natural energy drinks and healthier drinks such as kombucha.

There are some really good offers for free products and some high-paying cashback offers too. It’s nice to be able to try a product for free or for £1 for example, that you may not have picked up usually. Just last week, I got cashback for the full price of a 4 pack of matcha fizzy drinks – that’s a £6 item I got to try for free!

Underneath all the offers is a section for each supermarket labelled ‘your everyday shop’ where you’ll usually find two cashback offers on fruit or veg so don’t forget to scroll down to these.

This app also offers a variety of cashback on products at Boots and WH Smith including non-food options such as Rock Face deodorant which you can currently try for £1 from Boots.

The only gripe I have with this app is that since the products are quite niche, they’re often hard to locate. There’s been some really interesting CBD drinks to try for free at Waitrose, but I’ve been to two stores and have yet to find them!

Get cashback on all your supermarket shopping

Don’t forget you can use apps like HyperJar, Cheddar and JamDoughnut to buy supermarket gift cards and earn cashback. So, say you earn 4% back on a £100 Tesco gift card, that’s £4 off your spend! Here’s more on each app;

What to watch out for

Cashing out your cashback

When Shopitize suddenly closed a few years ago, many customers lost money that they hadn’t withdrawn from the app. So it’s vital that you don’t let money build up with these apps.

Payout limits are something to watch out for. It can take a while to reach the cashback  threshold in your account to let you cash out – a particular issue with CheckoutSmart.

All three apps require you to request to cash out as none offer an automatic option, so you have to remember to do it.

Spending money to save money

Just as important is to not let the discount convince you to buy something you don’t want – just because you’re saving 50p, it doesn’t mean you should buy it. But that said, if an item is free, it’s worth giving it a try or even donating it to a food bank if you’re’ not likely to consume it.

I personally love the option it gives me to try something for a discount price or even free that I wouldn’t normally buy but I’m never encouraged to try something new if the cashback offered is really low.

Uploading errors

Frustratingly, receipts will sometimes be rejected for quality purposes. You then need to retake the photos and upload them until they are accepted. But this is rare, and even receipts that have been crumpled up in my shopping bag have been accepted.

And obviously you need to remember to print the receipt at the supermarket too. And don’t forget to hold on to it until your cashback claim has been accepted – usually a couple of hours to a day at most. 

Buying the wrong products

Not all offers are valid at all supermarkets, and products can be very specific in terms of size and flavour. This means there’s a risk that you accidentally pick up the wrong product or buy it at the wrong supermarket.

I’ve certainly missed out by accidentally picking up raspberry rather than strawberry jam, or bought in Tesco to find the offer was only valid for Sainsbury’s.

You might also find that one flavour is on offer from one shop, and a different flavour from another, so read the full offer details to check.

While you’re at it, double-check the terms of the deal too. Rather than a simple money-back promo, or it could be along the lines of buy one get one free.

Finding the items in-store

And I wouldn’t go out of your way to visit a supermarket for one of these offers. I’ve often been frustrated to find my local branch didn’t stock the item.

It’s best to treat it as something to check when you get to the supermarket, rather than plan your shopping around it.

Are supermarket cashback apps worth using?

Since uploading a receipt and scanning the barcodes doesn’t take that long (maybe two minutes max) I’d say it’s worth the time to get cashback on a variety of products. 

It is worth checking all three apps before you go shopping or even when you’re walking from the car to the supermarket entrance, to see if there are any products with a good cashback offer that may be worth keeping an eye out for.

Remember that not all offers are valid at all supermarkets, and products can be very specific in terms of size and flavour, so make sure you’re picking up the right product at the right supermarket.

And keep an eye out for products that are on offer at the supermarket. Green Jinn and CheckoutSmart allow you in theory to get double discount, so you could end up getting cashback on the rrp whilst the product is on offer at the supermarket – in theory making you some extra money. This doesn’t work with Shopmium though.

All in all, I’m a fan of using all three apps, but I’m willing to spend an extra five minutes before or during my weekly shop to see what offers are available and to take the time to claim the cashback once I’m home. The fact I can sometimes try items for free, makes it worth the effort.

Read next