Know when and how to pick up low-cost advance rail tickets.
We all know that the priciest train tickets are the ones you buy on the day you travel, and that the earlier you buy one the cheaper it’ll be.
But how do you get these advance tickets? Here are the simple things I do to make sure I don’t pay more than I need to.
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1. Understand when advance fares are available
You’d think anytime before your journey date would count as advance, but in fact, most train tickets aren’t put on sale until 10 to 12 weeks in advance of travel.
Some train companies will put fares on sale much earlier, with the caveat that there could be changes. However, these tend to be weekday tickets as weekend ones are those likely to be affected by engineering works, and subsequently announced later.
Frustratingly not all routes have advance fares, meaning the price you pay is the same whenever you buy your ticket. If you’re not sure whether they’ve just sold out or simply not available, you can do a quick search for different dates to check.
2. Set an alert for your travel dates
To make sure I know as soon as advance tickets are released, I’ll generally put a note in my phone’s calendar to look for the tickets around that 12-week point (if I know that far in advance).
But I’ll also use alert services. These send you an email for your exact journey.
The best one is probably from the Trainlineas it covers all the different networks. However don’t book with The Trainline as you’ll be hit with extra fees.
Some train providers also offer their own alert service (such as LNER). Other’s have usually have a page sharing what tickets are currently available, including this one for all operators via Network Rail.
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3. Advance tickets are available right until you travel
There’s actually more than one price for an advance ticket. Once the cheapest have sold out, the next level becomes available and so on. In fact, it’s possible to get an advance fair on the day of travel with some rail companies.
Yes you might miss out on the very cheapest fares if you aren’t booking 12-weeks ahead, but it’s always worth checking as soon as you know you are going somewhere by train.
Latest time to get advance tickets
These times relate to journeys on the operator’s own services.
Avanti – 10 minutes before departure
Chiltern – 6pm the day before travel
Cross Country – 10 minutes before departure
East Midlands – 11.59pm the day before travel
Great Northern – 10 minutes before departure
Great Western – 2 minutes before departure
Greater Anglia East Midlands – 11.59pm the day before travel
Hull – four hours before the train leaves it’s origin, or 3pm the day before for early morning trains
LNER – 40 minutes before departure, or 11.59pm the day before travel for early morning trains
Northern – 11.59pm the day before travel
ScotRail – two hours before the train leaves it’s origin, or 11.59pm the day before travel for early morning trains
South Western – 11.59pm the day before travel
Southeastern – 11.59pm the day before travel
Southern – 11.59pm the day before travel
Thameslink – 11.59pm the day before travel
TransPennine – 11.59pm the day before travel
Transport for Wales – up to 7pm day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 4 hours before departure point of origin
You can claim the difference back if it’s cheaper at Amazon and 24 other shops
In 2022, the ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ price match promise disappeared. Though they did replace it with the ‘Price Drop Refund’, it wasn’t the same.
Well the good news is the John Lewis Price Match is back. Here’s everything you need to know about the new scheme.
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.
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What is the John Lewis price match?
At its most simple, if you buy something from John Lewis and find the price is lower at any of the following retailers before you buy or within seven days after purchase, John Lewis will refund you the difference.
The department store uses AI technology to price match 25 high street and online retailers, including:
AO .com
Amazon
Electricals only: tech, TV & audio, computing and gaming, small and large home appliances, mobile and smart tech, and beauty/dental electricals
Apple
Argos
Asos
Boots
Currys
Dunelm
Dreams
The Entertainer
Fenwick
Flannels
Furniture Village
Harrods
Harvey Nichols
Heal’s
House of Fraser
Lakeland
M&S
Mama’s and Papa’s
Next
Richer Sounds
Selfridges
Smyths Toys
Space NK
You can also price match John Lewis itself if the price drops after you’ve bought something from them.
It’s great to see Amazon added to the list, as before only retailers with physical premises were included. However, restricting the scheme to just 25 stores does mean you won’t be able to match prices at other chains and independent stores, in particular decent white goods retailers such as Marks Electricals or beauty brands like Benefit.
Sadly this time around the time to make a claim is much shorter. Just one week, compared to 35 days before.
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How to claim a ‘price match’ refund
You can price match in-store or via the John Lewis website. You’re no longer able to make a claim via the phone. Annoyingly it’s a new form for every item you want to price match.
Here’s how it works depending on whether you find the lower price elsewhere before or after you buy.
Before you buy
If you’re buying in a John Lewis shop and have found the item for less at one of the listed competitors above, you just need to show evidence such as a link to a website or a screenshot, and they will match that price subject to the terms and conditions.
If you are making a purchase online and spot a lower price at one of the listed competitors, then the easiest way to claim is by completing the purchase first and then filling out the online claim form with evidence of the competitor price. You’ll hear back within 48 hours.
If you buy an item at a John Lewis shop and you notice that the price has dropped at one of the major competitors listed above within seven days, you can submit a claim for the difference.
You’ll need to fill in the online claim form, providing evidence as well as your original receipt as proof of purchase.
If your claim is accepted, you will be refunded the difference using the original payment method, and if you used cash or a gift card for the original purchase, you’ll unfortunately need to visit a John Lewis store in order to receive your refund.
If you made your purchase online, then it’s the same process as above using the online claim form and if approved you’ll get your refund within five days.
And just like their price drop refund, they also price match against any price drops of their own within seven days. So if you notice they’ve lowered the price of something you’ve bought from them within the time frame, be sure to submit a claim for the difference.
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What products are price matched at John Lewis?
John Lewis price matches identical items, which means it must be the same make, model, size, colour, version and specification.
The product in question must also be in stock online and ready for delivery from the competitor as well as from John Lewis.
It’s important to know that where there is an additional charge such as a competitor’s delivery fee, that this is also taken into account in the price match.
With Amazon, John Lewis will only price match electrical items sold directly by Amazon (not marketplace sellers) and they don’t price match lighting, electrical toys, baby monitors or any non-electrical items.
What’s not price matched at John Lewis?
Sadly you won’t be able to price match against:
clearance offers
multi-buy offers
special member prices including loyalty discounts
flash sales such as lightning deals
prices with a voucher code
exclusive prices
trade prices
against any obvious pricing errors
competitors that are closing down
concession brands like Nespresso, Jo Malone and Longchamp
Some of these are more important to note than others. Previously you could match voucher codes, so it’s a shame that’s been excluded.
Watch out too for against additional services such as extended warranties, fitting or disposal, as these won’t be included in the price John Lewis match.
They also don’t price match any financial services like foreign currency purchases, though that’s not something you’re likely to see with any of the 25 listed retailers apart perhaps M&S.
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How you get the refund
Unless you buy in-store and the match is agreed upfront, you won’t get the money knocked off the initial price you pay. Instead you’ll pay the full whack, and the difference will be paid back to your original payment card within five days.
Why it’s worth doing a price match at John Lewis?
Obviously if you can get something for less elsewhere, you’ll save money. But that’s not the only reason.
John Lewis gives a minimum 2 year guarantee on all electricals and 5 years on TVs at no extra cost, which is something you often pay extra for at competitors.
They also have good customer service so if anything was to go wrong with your purchase, you’ll find the whole warranty process easy to navigate with them.
So in essence, you’ll be getting the best price as well as the best service. But they’re not the only retailer to price match. Check out our list of other retailers that offer a price match.
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Top tips to make sure the John Lewis price match works for you
We’re sharing some points we learned during the last version of the scheme. It might be they aren’t as much of an issue this time, but they’re things to be aware of.
Avoid using cash or gift cards
A new one for this version of the scheme is that if you paid in-store via a gift card, gift voucher or cash and then want to later claim for a price match, then the refund can only be paid out in a John Lewis shop . That could be a pain if you don’t have one near you.
We’re checking with John Lewis whether this also applies to gift card purchases online. The claims form would suggest you’ll be ok, but the terms state otherwise.
To get around this you could obviously stick to using a debit or credit card. Or if that’s not possible try to only part pay with gift vouchers or cash and then put the rest on your debit or credit card.
This will hopefully allow the refund to go on the card and save you a trip to the shop itself. Though of course you won’t know in advance if you’re going to be able to match, and if so by how much, so you could still come unstuck.
You can still put the claim in online though, which is a big improvement on the last version where all in-store claims had to be made in-store.
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Check it’s the exact same item
You won’t be able to get the money back if there’s any variation – that could be colour, size or even just the model number. So if you’re only buying from John Lewis because of the price matching, make sure it is the same before you buy.
Don’t assume something has already been price matched
When John Lewis says it’s “Never Knowingly Undersold”, that’s not true. If that was the case it would reduce items as soon as they honour a price match.
In the past I’ve had a price match approved but the price on the website has stayed the same.
This means that even when something is labelled as reduced as part of a price match, make sure you can’t get a better deal still elsewhere. And if so, then put in a price match request.
Be persistent
It used to be if you phoned up to match prices the answer could be dependent on the customer service agent you spoke to. And the same could also happen online.
This time around it’s unclear if there’ll be any human moderation of claims or if it’ll all be done using AI. Even so, if you get rejected, it could be worth completing the form again to see if you get a different answer.
That doesn’t mean “don’t take no for an answer”. You won’t be able to match everything, but if you think it’s a legitimate claim based on their criteria then it’s worth trying a second time if you are rejected.
If we spot any decent offers on kids toys we’ll share them here.
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Toy sales
Smyths: up to £10 off
Smyths is offering £5 off a £50 spend and £10 off a £100 spend until 24 November 2024. You don’t need a code, the discount will be given to you at the checkout. In store only.
If you like to crack open a jigsaw in the winter period, Hobbycraft is offering 50% off puzzles. Almost its entire range is in the offer, including ones for kids to puzzles with 2,000 pieces.
From Sparks offers to freebies – we’ll list them here
At one point it seemed like every couple of months there was a 20% off at M&S voucher! Though less frequent nowadays, if you can hold off, it’s worth waiting until the deals come along. I’ll list these and other great offers on this page.
Remember with many of these deals you can stack them, meaning you can combine the offers to get even bigger discounts.
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.
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Sales and promotions
Beauty: £330 beauty advent calendar for £60
You can get a £330 M&S beauty advent calendar for £60. You previously only got it when you spent £35 on full-price clothing, homeware or beauty, but it’s now scrapped the minimum spend amount so anyone can get it.
The Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 includes a selection of 25 products, including some full-size products across bath and body, skincare, haircare and make-up.
Now, just because M&S say it’s worth £330 it doesn’t mean it actually is. You can see the entire contents here, so use that to work out whether it’s not just worth paying £60 for.
The 20% off codes were almost every month pre-2020, but now they’re pretty rare. When they do appear you usually need to have a Sparks membership – or know someone who does.
You can either activate the offer to your card from your online account or the Sparks app. You might also get an email or some vouchers in the post, including spare codes to give to friends and family members, though I’ve not had these in quite a while.
The offer also tends to be split over two weekends, with some customers getting the deal in week one of the promotion and others a week later.
It’s a lot rarer for generic codes for everyone. When these offers come up there’s often a digital code (which I’ll share here), and occasionally a voucher you can print to use in stores.
Latest 20% off weekend
If an offer is running you’ll see it in your Sparks account, or you might have received an email.
We don’t know if all Sparks customers will get it this weekend or not. Offers seem to be ad hoc in the Sparks app, and not universal to all customers.
If not, it’s worth checking with family and friends to see if they’ve got a code you can use.
Members of the free M&S Sparks loyalty scheme get offers sent to their account frequently and can be for food, clothing, home or beauty. There’s a lot of recurring offers, so if you know you need something, it may be worth holding out for that offer to become live again before you purchase. You can sign up to Sparks here.
How often you get sent Sparks offers does vary, but there does tend to be a new selection every three to four weeks or so. Sparks offers range from money off to free products, so it’s always worth checking your M&S app for your latest since they include personalised offers.
If you’re expecting or recently had a baby, you can sign up for the M&S baby club which gets you free cake, a pastry or a fruit pot when you buy a hot drink on Tuesdays between 9.30am and 11.30am.
To get it, you need to be a Sparks member, then from the app you select “the parent hood” and just have to give a few details like your due date. Once you’re signed up, you’ll have an offer in your Sparks app that can be scanned every Tuesday for a year.
The baby club also gets you 10% off babygrows for a year and other monthly rewards such as discount on Mamas and Papas products.
New Sparks members should get a welcome offer when they first sign up. When I joined in 2020 I got a free tote bag, while in spring 2021 the advertised offer was a £5 discount on a £40 spend on food and drink, and 10% off fashion and home.
The more you scan your Sparks card when you shop at M&S, the higher the chance you’ll get a free birthday treat. There’s no guarantee – I didn’t get anything this year.
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Extra savings
Alongside sales and regular promotions, it’s possible to save more with these ongoing vouchers and tricks.
Free £5 off £35 voucher
You can get a £5 voucher to spend on M&S clothes when you take old clothes to Oxfam, or if you drop the clothes off in-store instead you’ll get a Sparks reward. More details on the Shwop scheme.
You can shop at the M&S website via cashback sites such as Quidco and TopCashback, earning you money back on each purchase. If you’ve not used either of these sites before you can also get up to £20 extra as a first-time cashback bonus.
Thought it’s one of the pricier supermarkets I tend to shop at M&S most weeks as it’s the one right by my office. To help make it more affordable we use a number of tricks. You can read about how to save money at M&S Food.
One of the most infuriating parts of online shopping is having to pay for delivery, and most of us are no strangers to shopping elsewhere if delivery is an additional cost.
But before you close that tab, give some of these tips a go to get a discount on your delivery fees.
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.
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Top up your order with everyday essentials
Some shops only offer free delivery if you spend above a threshold. This is often really annoying, especially when you’re just a few quid out.
Try to avoid websites which help you find random cheap items such as washers that you don’t need – you’re still paying extra when you do this and these items are likely to just end up in the bin.
Instead, keep a list of those everyday essentials you know you’ll need at some point, like stamps, batteries or hand soap – all of which can be bought at Amazon, Tesco, Ocado, and other major supermarket websites. When you’re falling short, just add some of these in.
Top up your order with returnable items
An alternative is to add items you know you don’t want with the intention of returning them. Andy’s done this with John Lewis to get to the £50 threshold before.
Since anything you buy online can be returned within 14 days of you receiving the goods, the shops have to refund you. The only exception is anything that has been customised or is perishable.
Watch out for return charges
It’s not just delivery where you could have to pay – more and more retailers will now charge you for returns. And some places might later charge you for delivery if what you keep ends up below the free delivery threshold.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll keep what you buy, especially if you are trying multiple sizes and styles, then it’s worth shopping around to compare return costs.
It might even be worth paying a little more if you know you’ll pay less to send the items back.
A few stores will offer a free trial of a delivery pass, usually giving unlimited deliveries or at least some money off.
However, be careful that this trial doesn’t become one you pay for afterwards if you don’t think it offers value. And even then, the idea behind this type of membership is to encourage you to keep shopping with them, as opposed to shopping around, which might work out cheaper even if you have to pay for delivery.
Collect in-store or at a locker
Another option to reduce delivery fees is to order online and then collect in-store or at a locker, with this often done for free. Yes, this does mean you have to go to the shops, but at least you know what you are buying will be there when you arrive, and you’re much less likely to throw extra impulse items in the basket.
Plus, you can check your purchase at the shop. So if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you can usually return it there and then, saving an extra trip.
Rather cheekily, some retailers still charge for click-and-collect, but it’s worth a go.
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Get a free delivery code
This can be a bit more work, but some retailers often have a free delivery code. The best bet is to have a little Google and see what comes up. If you’re signed up to their mailing list, check if you have an email offering free delivery.
Be careful if you are using a cashback site, as you might find the cashback claim is rejected for combining offers. Be sure to check the terms and conditions.
There are also some browser extensions available that will notify you if they find a deal – Zoe in the team has had some good luck with PayPal’s Honey in the past.
You could also try asking for a free delivery code on live chat via the website and see if they can do something for you.
Or, put the items you want to buy in your basket, leave it a little while, and see if the retailer pops you an email to ask if you’ve forgotten to check out — there’s sometimes a discount code or free delivery code to give you that extra push.
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It’s also worth checking that the item isn’t for sale at another shop with free or cheaper delivery. Even if the item itself costs more, the total amount including delivery could well be less.
Price matching can be a great way to pick up free delivery at the same low price you spot elsewhere.
When is your credit rating good or bad? And what does it mean?
I’ve got four different credit scores. 1,245, 999, 970 and 671. Is one better than the other? You’d assume that since 1250 is highest, that’s my best one. And the lowest at 671 needs some work.
But all are actually classed as “excellent”. And the 1,250 and 999 are from the exact same data – but with different ranges.
So it’s clear that it’s not a simple case of saying the higher the number is better!
In this article I’ll help you get an idea of how good your score actually is, and how the different classifications of bands could impact your changes of borrowing money and applying for credit.
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.
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The problems with credit score ranges
The main issue with credit scores is there isn’t just one. In fact there are three different companies providing scores, and they don’t all use the same data about your finances.
Another problem with credit scores is they’re calculated in completely different ways. You can’t really use a number to say if it’s good or bad without the wider context such as the range that number is taken from. Some are out of around 1,250, others out closer to 700.
And, to complicate it even more, the companies you apply to don’t actually use these scores! They access the data behind the scores from the credit reference agencies alongside any information you provide. They also look for different things depending what you’re applying for.
So clearly it’s not always so obvious what a good score is and to know whether you’re going to be accepted for whatever credit youre applying for.
What credit scores are excellent, good, fair and poor?
Here’s how the three different credit reference agencies class each score, as well as their own ranges.
Experian
Experian is the biggest of the agencies. They score out of 999, but are changing to out of 1250 by the end of 2025. Accounts are gradually being moved to the new system from mid-November.
However, some bank apps that show you your Experian score will use the old range, out of 999.
Experian credit score ranges (new system)
Excellent 1,121-1,250
Very good 1,001-1,120
Good 861-1,000
Fair 641-860
Low 0-640
Experian credit score ranges (old system)
Excellent 961-999
Good 881-960
Fair 721-880
Poor 561-720
Very poor 0-560
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What Experian’s changes mean for you
There’s a good chance the new larger range will mean you move up or down a tier. Experian say two in five (42%) will see an increase in score or band.
However, a similar number (44%) will go down a band. The rest will be in the same band but see a lower score (for instance they were 999 on the old system, but aren’t 1,250 on the new one).
The big thing to note here is if your score or band is worse under the new system, it doesn’t actually mean it’ll be any harder to get credit when you apply.
Experian told me that you’ll be able to see if recent action has impacted your new score, so you’ll be able to tell if a drop is down to the new bands or something else.
The new scores also take into account things that previously were missed off. This includes positive actions such as rent payments, overpaying mortgages and clearing an overdraft. Negative impacts that could now be reflected include taking money out with a credit card.
You’ll notice too that Experian has swapped “poor” for “low”. This is because they found the old wording discouraged people from trying to improve their score.
Equifax
Equifax changed their range from 1-700 to 1-1,000 back in 2021.
Equifax credit score ranges
Excellent 811+
Very Good 671-810
Good 531-670
Fair 439-530
Poor 0-438
Transunion
TransUnion, which you can access for free through Credit Karma, scores out of 710.
Transunion credit score ranges
Excellent 628+
Good 604-627
Fair 566-603
Needs work 1-565
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What’s an average credit score in the UK?
Experian offers a map where you can break down scores by regions (and age too if you want). For Manchester the average credit score is 743, which ranks as the bottom end of Fair. For Bristol, it’s 805, halfway through Fair, while Tonbridge in Kent comes in at 844, near the top of Fair.
How important is a credit score?
The most important thing to say here is credit scores don’t actually mean anything definitively. They’re an indicator of how good or bad your credit report is (I’ve explained more in this article about credit reports).
But this isn’t the only information lenders take into account. Extra details you provide, such as your salary, could help or hinder your chances of acceptance. In fact, they won’t even see this score, and will create their own version of it based on their own criteria, the info on your credit report and the extra details they have.
Really the number itself is pretty meaningless, except to measure your progress when trying to improve it. If you see it go up you know you’re doing the right things.
If you see it dip then it could be a sign you need to take some actions – though it’ll always fall a little after a new application and will right itself after a while.
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What do the different credit score ranges mean?
Really it’s probably better to look at the category your credit score sites in. Broadly scoring in the different ranges from excellent down to very poor is likely to mean the following:
What an excellent credit score means
Across the agencies “excellent” suggests you’ll probably get accepted for most types of credit and be offered the best rates and deals. But there’s no guarantee and you could still get rejected when you apply.
What a very good credit score means
A “very good” credit score indicates you will usually be accepted for credit, though you might not get the best deals.
What a good credit score means
A “good” score means there is still a decent chance you’ll get accepted but you won’t get the best deals or rates. For example, you might get a lower credit limit or a shorter 0% period. It’s even more important to use soft checks, particularly on credit card applications, to find out who will accept you.
What a fair credit score means
An “average” or “fair” score likely means your options will be more limited, and subject to higher interest rates or lower credit and borrowing limits.
What a poor / low / needs work credit score means
If your score is classed as “low”, “poor” or “needs work” – and it’s likely you’ll be seen as high risk to lend to therefore far less likely to be accepted when applying for credit, or only be able to get products with high interest rates.
Good news! You don’t need to pay to check your score, or more importantly, your credit report. We’ve written more detail on the free credit report sites here.
A Tastecard membership gives you 2-4-1 and up to 50% off meals and cinema tickets across the country
Tastecard, Gourmet Society, Dine Card and Hi-Life Dining are the leading restaurant discount schemes, which often also come with savings at the cinema. Here are the latest offers, as well as more about how the memberships work and whether they are any good.
The bulk of these offers are for digital memberships, which means you access your card via the app on your smartphone. However, at times there are a couple of deals which come with a physical card – but do check when you click through.
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.
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Top Tastecard offers
Most Tastecard offers are 2 for 1 or 50% off food. For when there aren’t any free trials of Tastecard, it’s got a monthly membership option, which means you can still give it a go without paying for a full year.
Tastecard: 50% off & £20 Pizza Express voucher
There’s currently a low price offer through the link below where you can get a Tastecard membership for £29.99. Alongside this you get a £20 voucher for Pizza Express
If you have the Lidl+ app then you can get a 90 day free trial of Tastecard. You’ll need to click through via the app. This is available until 19 January 2026.
There’s currently a free trial on offer through the link below where you can get a Tastecard membership free for 60 days. The membership will auto-renew at £29.99 at the end of the trial unless you cancel it, which you can do at any time.
Unfortunately we don’t know when this offer is ending.
If you want to give Tastecard a go without committing to a full year, then you can opt for the monthly membership for £2.99 per month, but remember to cancel it if you don’t use it.
If you’re a student, or if you’ve ever had a Totum card from NUS or graduated in the last three years, you can buy an NUS Totum card which now comes with a free Tastecard. You’ll also get discounts at Apple, Co-op and more.
On the surface, Gourmet Society looks like a similar offering. But the deals can be different. For a start, it tends to offer 25% off the full bill including drinks, which could work out as a bigger saving for you. So do check the restaurants and deals before deciding which is best for you.
Gourmet Society: 60-days free membership
This free trial will get you 60 days. When the deal ends it will auto-renew at £5.99 a month.
Gourmet Society: Free with Club Lloyds current account
You can get a year of Gourmet Society membership as a ‘Lifestyle Benefit’ via the Club Lloyds bank account. However, you might be better off choosing free cinema tickets or a magazine subscription. More details here on the account and the different benefits.
These are similar, if not the same, as Tastecard and might represent better value depending on where you live and places you eat at.
Meerkat Meals: One year for £1(ish)
If you buy a one-day travel insurance product via Compare the Market you get access to both Meerkat Movies and the new Meerkat Meals. It’s more restrictive than Tastecard and Gourmet Soc, but it’s not a bad deal when paired with the movie offer. We’ve written more in detail about what you get with Meerkat Meals and how it compares.
What is Tastecard?
Tastecard restaurant offers
Tastecard is a membership scheme primarily offering money off at restaurants in the UK.
There are thousands of restaurants listed on Tastecard, from your local Indian to chains such as Pizza Express and Prezzo. They offer up to 50% off or 2 for 1 discounts. Do look for exclusions such as weekends or the number of people you can use the membership for on a table.
The membership is digital only, which you access via the Tastecard app. You simply show the card in the participating restaurant, normally before you order and certainly before you ask for the bill. Some restaurants require you to book in advance and to tell them you are using Tastecard. If this is the case, it will be listed on the specific restaurant tile on the app.
Tastecard + cheap movie rentals
A recent addition to Tastecard is the ability to get £1 off e-vouchers to use on movie rental site Rakuten.
Tastecard + cinema deals
You can get discounted tickets at Showcase, Odeon, Vue, Picturehouse and Cineworld. Though do compare the discounted price with the box office price – it’s not always cheaper!
Gourmet Society and other schemes
Gourmet Society, High Life and Meerkat Meals are all run by the same company as Tastecard, and have a lot of similar deals. But each offers a slightly different discount and a few different restaurants, so it’s worth comparing them all to see which is best for you. Read our comparison of Tastecard, Gourmet Society, High Life and Meerkat Meals.
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Are dining membership cards worth the money?
At full price (£79) I don’t think a Tastecard is worth the money, but around £30 isn’t a bad price as you’ll be even after a couple of meals out. Then the savings start. I’d definitely try a trial offer first just to see whether you’re likely to use it.
Before buying, check the Tastecard site to see what restaurants are included near you. If that looks good, take advantage of the offers below and go grab it!
From headphones to TVs, washing machines to fridges
If I spot special offers on any technology, appliances and electronics I’ll share them here.
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.
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Discount vouchers
Curry’s Trash for Cash: free £10 voucher
Take old electric items to Currys for recycling and you’ll get a voucher for at least £10 off (with a minimum spend of £50). You can provide anything powered by battery or mains, working or not. It doesn’t have to be bought from Currys originally.
Usually, you only get a £5 voucher, but it’s currently £10 for a limited time, although there’s no end date at the moment.
The voucher will be valid until 30 December 2025, and they can’t be used on Apple products, consoles or gift cards.
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Expired deals
Google: 20% off devices (ended)
Until Sunday 19 May 2024 you can use the code SPRINGTREATGB to save 20% on Google products. This includes already discounted items (though do shop around first incase you can beat the price).
John Lewis: Free Google Nest Hub when you spend £75 (expired)
Spend £75 on selected home, furniture and electrical items at John Lewis and you’ll be able to add a Google Nest Hub (currently priced at £49.99) your basket. Then use the code MYJLGOOGLENEST at checkout to get it for free.
You do need to be a MyJohn Lewis member, which is free. Ends 8 June 2022, though previously offers like this have finished early if all the stock as gone.
Amazon is once again discounting the price of its Echo speakers, Kindles and more. But you don’t have to buy from Amazon direct as loads of retailers are price matching (eg Currys).
It pays to get the lowest price, even after you’d bought something.
Shopping around is key to getting a decent price. You can do this by using comparison sites such as PriceSpy or Idealo. Now, you’d think the next step would be to buy the items at the cheapest shop.
But actually it can be advantageous to actually buy it elsewhere if that shop has a price matching policy. And you can even sometimes price match after purchase if prices dop again.
Here’s more about how price matching works, and where you can take advantage.
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.
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What is price matching
Price matching is exactly as it sounds. A retailer will sell you an item at a lower price if it’s sold for less elsewhere.
This isn’t just about the listed selling price. You can also often price match voucher codes and sale prices.
John Lewis is probably the most famous shop to offer a price promise, with its “Never Knowingly Undersold” slogan a key part of branding. Though it was closed a few years ago, the department store brought it back in the summer. And it’s not alone – you can also take advantage at shops including AO, eBay and Curry’s.
I’ve done price matching a number of times, from smaller items such as Diptyque candles through to a new TV and sound system. When we did our kitchen a couple of years ago I got our oven, fridge, freezer, dishwasher and flooring for hundreds of pounds less – all thanks to price matching.
And it’s not just “things” you buy that can be price matched. It’s possible to save money on hotels, holidays and other services if you look around. You can even find supermarkets matching the prices on some items sold by competitors.
It’s not just about getting a lower price
Since the price you pay will end up the same you might be thinking surely it’s easier to just buy it at the cheaper shop in the first place and avoid all the hassle.
Well, price matching to a different store might give you additional benefits. These include extended warranties, free delivery or longer return rights.
You might even be able to stack on extra savings on top, such as using a cut-price gift card or cashback. All of these can be worth a little extra, whether financially or just in terms of peace of mind.
Some retailers will beat the lower prices
Also, you might find a retailer will give you extra money off the lower price you find at a competitor.
It’s also worth checking if a high street shop will match its own website if there’s a difference in price (this does happen!).
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Price matching after purchase
Best of all, some shops that price match also allow you to price match if prices drop elsewhere after you have bought the item. This is a great trick to use during big sale periods such as Black Friday.
I’ve actually done this a few times – even after I’d already price matched to get a lower price. When the price dropped again I was able to put in another claim and get the additional discount refunded.
So it can sometimes pay to choose a shop that offers this over another even if they are the same price – just in case there’s a significant drop later on.
How to price match
First look for a cheaper price. I tend to use sites such as PriceSpy or Idealo to compare. Or just a quick Google search can do the job.
Every retailer has a different policy, but in general you’ll need to provide proof that you’ve seen the item on sale elsewhere for less. This could be a webpage for an online retailer, or the price matching shop might want to phone up a physical shop.
You’ll also need to check that the shop does price match the place you’ve found the cheaper option. They might only price match certain competitors.
Some retailers will have a phone number you can call to put in your price match claim. Others have a form you fill in.
You generally have to wait for confirmation that your item is price matched before you can buy it, though some let you do it retrospectively. In this instance, you’ll also need to provide proof of purchase.
Once you’ve bought something it’s worth keeping an eye on prices for as long as the price promise lasts. To help you can set price alerts on both Price Spy and Idealo which will email you if the price does drop.
However, not all shops have a price matching policy, and they won’t always match every price you find.
The key one to watch out for is retailers that only match certain other shops. Many also exclude online-only retailers (i.e. they don’t want to price match Amazon!). Even some sellers which have a showroom or two can be excluded – often the case for the low prices found online for appliances.
The items will usually have to be the exact same model, colour, size and so on. This can prove frustrating if there’s a slight difference, and many retailers will only sell a version that’s exclusive to them that can be hardly noticeable.
The price must also be available to everyone – which means you wouldn’t be able to match a member or staff discount. Others might not match clearance sale prices, or some voucher code uses.
Items also usually have to be in stock at the cheaper retailer and available for delivery. Or if they’re in smaller local retailers you might find you have to live within a certain number of miles.
You might also find it’s rejected if there’s a difference in extras such as the type of delivery or the length of warranty on offer. For instance, if the cheaper model has one year but the price matching retailer offers two years then the latter can claim it’s not the same package.
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Where you can price match in the UK
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I’ve highlighted some of the big retailers across a range of products and services that are worth looking into.
Just because somewhere isn’t on the list doesn’t mean it won’t price match. It’s always well worth asking if a shop has a price promise – even an unofficial one.
If you know of any more retailers that offer this service, then please do let me know via the comments.
All Beauty price matching
You can price match in advance at All Beauty if you find the product for less at selected retailers including Boots, LookFantastic, House of Fraser and The Perfume Shop.
As well as price matching before buying, there’s the option to request a price match seven days after purchase, although this is “at their discretion”.
AO price matching
To price match at AO you need to call their team with the product code of the item you want to buy and the link for where you’ve seen it for less. You can price match up to seven days of buying an item – great if the price drops again.
Retailers price matched:
UK retailers and websites selling UK products
Beaverbrooks price matching
Beaverbrooks will price match up to seven days after purchase if you find the items advertised cheaper by an authorised stockist with a physical store. Discount and voucher codes will also be matched if they can be verified at the time of reviewing the price promise request
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Curry’s price matching
Call up Currys price matching team before you buy and share where you’ve found it for less. Currys will match both high street and online prices, including the use of voucher codes and offers, but not member exclusive discounts.
Normally, you can make a claim up to seven days after purchase, but in 2024 this was extended to cover all of November – so look out for that again this year. If you bought in-store you’ll need to go back there. If it was online you can use a webchat.
Retailers price matched:
Any UK retail store or website
eBay price matching
You can even price match at eBay! It’s only for new items sold on the Amazon, Currys, Argos, Asda, John Lewis and Tesco websites. You apply online and if successful will be sent a voucher to use on your purchase within 24 hours.
You can only ask for one price match per day per eBay user and it’s only in advance of purchases – not after.
Euronics offer an in-store only price match guarantee and may include discount codes advertised by competitors. The price match policy is only available prior to order completion and can not be claimed back after the purchase.
Goldsmiths price matching
Goldsmiths jewellers offer a price match promise, in-store and online. For in-store price matches, the competitor must be within 15 miles of the store the price match is requested in. For online price matches, the competitor must be a national authorised stockist.
With Halfords it’s just the published selling price that is price matched – so you can’t use any additional vouchers or offers on top, such as buy one get one free or clearance. You’ve seven days after purchase to make the claim.
You can also price match instore if the items is sold for less on the Halfords website.
Retailers price matched:
UK based
Within 10 miles if price matching a service
H.Samuel price matching
H.Samuel is another jeweller that offers a price match promise online where they will price match jewellery or watches if you find them at a lower advertised price.
There is an easy online form to submit before purchase, but for in-store purchases I can only find information about price matching watches which they will do in over 300 stores nationwide
Hughes Electrical price matching
You can phone Hughes Electrical or use a live chat or webform to request a price match before or up to seven days after purchase.
They’ll match:
AO
Appliances Direct
Argos
Currys
Marks Electrical
Richer Sounds
Jessops price matching
Jessops only price matches against prices at authorised retailers for the brands they stock. It won’t match clearance prices.
Retailers price matched:
Argos
Currys PC World
Park Cameras
WEX
They also run a Black Friday price promise where they’ll refund the difference if your purchase with made between 1 and 28 November 2024 with is reduced during those dates.
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John Lewis price match
The John Lewis Price Promise that returned in September 2024 was different to the one we were all used to pre-2022. For a start it’s limited to seven rather than 35 days after purchase to make a claim.
And the other change is only 25 retailers will now be accepted – though that does include Amazon now. We’ve gone into more detail how John Lewis price matching works in a separate article.
Richer Sounds price matching
If you buy with Richer Sounds and find it cheaper you’ll get an extra discount on top of the difference up to 14 days after purchase. You can also price match in advance.
The beat the difference promise ranges from £5 extra on products up to £300, through to £100 on anything over £4001.
Price promises
In addition, some retailers will refund the difference if they drop their own prices after you’ve made your purchase. This is usually just over a sale period, such as Black Friday and Prime Day.
Argos price guarantee – Black Friday
If prices drop before Christmas at Argos you’ll get a voucher for the price difference.
