Season ticket moneysaving

[Rajan Malhotra]

Hi all

I’m sure this question has been asked a hundred times but I’m about to move to Tonbridge in Kent.

My monthly train travel with Southeastern is basically going to quadruple. Is there any cashback method via credit cards/Quidco/topcashback that will help me cut my costs? For credit cards, I’d need something with at least 9 months interest free.

My employer doesn’t provide a cash loan for season tickets otherwise I’d have put their money in a high interest account and used a 0% credit card.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[BigCj34]

Hi all

I’m sure this question has been asked a hundred times but I’m about to move to Tonbridge in Kent.

My monthly train travel with Southeastern is basically going to quadruple. Is there any cashback method via credit cards/Quidco/topcashback that will help me cut my costs? For credit cards, I’d need something with at least 9 months interest free.

My employer doesn’t provide a cash loan for season tickets otherwise I’d have put their money in a high interest account and used a 0% credit card.

Any help would be much appreciated!

You may be able to buy your season ticket through Greater Anglia, who give cashback at 3%, though not sure if you can. As for credit cards, you can get a 0% Tesco credit card which gives 1 point for every £8 spent. I you wanted to be extra clever you could use an Amex card to buy the season ticket, which can have introductory offers such as 5% cashback or 20,000 Amex points if you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months, then pay off the balance with a no-fee, 0% balance transfer card. It appears that Barclaycard even offer an additional £20 for balance transfers over £2,000.

For cashback cards https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/cashback-credit-cards/
For 0% cards https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/balance-transfer-credit-cards/#barclaycard24

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hi all

I’m sure this question has been asked a hundred times but I’m about to move to Tonbridge in Kent.

My monthly train travel with Southeastern is basically going to quadruple. Is there any cashback method via credit cards/Quidco/topcashback that will help me cut my costs? For credit cards, I’d need something with at least 9 months interest free.

My employer doesn’t provide a cash loan for season tickets otherwise I’d have put their money in a high interest account and used a 0% credit card.

Any help would be much appreciated!

If it were me, I'd get an American Express Platinum Cashback card - that gives 5% cashback in the first 3 months as an introductory bonus (up to £125 cashback), and then 1% to 1.25% after that depending on spending (1% until £10k spent each card year, 1.25% after that). There are sign up/referral bonuses available for this. Amex is accepted on all TOCs.

You could then pay off the Amex card with a balance transfer card - provided you have at least a reasonable credit history you should have no problem getting a fee-free 0% balance transfer for 9 months - in fact you could spread the cost over several years in all likelihood! Whatever you go for, use an eligibility checker before applying (e.g. MoneySavingExpert have a good one), so that you don't apply to a card you're unlikely to get.

If you buy your season ticket via GWR I believe you get effectively 1% back as Nectar points (redeemable at Sainsbury's and sometimes elsewhere). But I'm not aware that you can get actual cashback (other than from reward credit cards) for buying season tickets.

 

[kristiang85]

If it were me, I'd get an American Express Platinum Cashback card - that gives 5% cashback in the first 3 months as an introductory bonus (up to £125 cashback), and then 1% to 1.25% after that depending on spending (1% until £10k spent each card year, 1.25% after that). There are sign up/referral bonuses available for this. Amex is accepted on all TOCs.

You could then pay off the Amex card with a balance transfer card - provided you have at least a reasonable credit history you should have no problem getting a fee-free 0% balance transfer for 9 months - in fact you could spread the cost over several years in all likelihood! Whatever you go for, use an eligibility checker before applying (e.g. MoneySavingExpert have a good one), so that you don't apply to a card you're unlikely to get.

This.

I swear by my Amex platinum, and the £170-£200 bonus every year in cashback is very nice indeed.

If you have a friend with it they can give you a code to get the £25 fee waived for the first year (it is then payable every year after that) - if you don't feel free to PM me and I'll send you one.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Of course, the above are only going to net you a few percent at most - you will save far more by getting advantageous (i.e. cheaper) ticket(s)!

 

[maniacmartin]

You can cut your costs considerably by buying the VIA REDHILL ticket and travelling in on Southern/Thameslink. Note that it will take a lot longer and the frequency of services is probably not as good.

 

[kristiang85]

Of course, the above are only going to net you a few percent at most - you will save far more by getting advantageous (i.e. cheaper) ticket(s)!

Usuaully that involves more tortuous routes, with more scope for delays, and when multiplied by a whole year of commuting is the extra time spent worth the money saved?

Even 1% of 5k is still £50, which is a nice night out at least.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Usuaully that involves more tortuous routes, with more scope for delays, and when multiplied by a whole year of commuting is the extra time spent worth the money saved?

Even 1% of 5k is still £50, which is a nice night out at least.

It is quite possible to be able to take the same train and yet save money, for example by splitting.

 

[kristiang85]

It is quite possible to be able to take the same train and yet save money, for example by splitting.

I would say that's very rare on commuter routes, esp into London.

 

[Clip]

I would say that's very rare on commuter routes, esp into London.

Quite possible on some routes that go via new cross/gate I do believe. Just have to play around with it

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I would say that's very rare on commuter routes, esp into London.

The New Cross split saves a lot of money for some Southeastern commuters.

 

[Hadders]

Some general advice for the OP:

If an Annual Season ticket is held for the current commute in GA territory then get a changeover to the new route rather than a refund and purchasing a new ticket.

If the OP is using monthly tickets then Purchase in 5 week blocks rather than in calendar months.

 

[krus_aragon]

If the OP is using monthly tickets then Purchase in 5 week blocks rather than in calendar months.

Could you remind me why this is?

 

[SickyNicky]

Could you remind me why this is?

It's because you can buy from the first Monday to the fifth Friday and not pay for every fifth weekend. Saves you 20 days over the course of a year.

 

[Hadders]

You'll save more than 20 days as you can time odd period monthly season tickets to end on your last working day before annual leave, bank holidays, Christmas etc. Key thing to remember is an odd period monthly has to be a minimum of one month but can be combination of months and days above that. Let's say you purchased a ticket on Monday 1st October and were on holiday w/c 12th November, I get an odd period season ticket for 1 month and 9 days that would take you up to Friday 9th November (the last working day before your holiday). Then on my return I'd buy another ticket on Monday 19th November for 1 month and 10 days which would take you up to Friday 21st December (assume this would be the last working day before Christmas). Simply repeat this sort of pattern.

You do need to be organised if you do it this way but it is possible to make a saving.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

You'll save more than 20 days as you can time odd period monthly season tickets to end on your last working day before annual leave, bank holidays, Christmas etc. Key thing to remember is an odd period monthly has to be a minimum of one month but can be combination of months and days above that. Let's say you purchased a ticket on Monday 1st October and were on holiday w/c 12th November, I get an odd period season ticket for 1 month and 9 days that would take you up to Friday 9th November (the last working day before your holiday). Then on my return I'd buy another ticket on Monday 19th November for 1 month and 10 days which would take you up to Friday 21st December (assume this would be the last working day before Christmas). Simply repeat this sort of pattern.

You do need to be organised if you do it this way but it is possible to make a saving.

It will still be cheaper, in most cases, to use an annual season ticket. The 'problems' will probably be a) the poor refund value (you could have paid a lot less than a continuos odd period season by buying monthly or monthly + X days seasons), and b) the fact that such a large sum is likely unaffordable for many!

 

[Hadders]

It will still be cheaper, in most cases, to use an annual season ticket. The 'problems' will probably be a) the poor refund value (you could have paid a lot less than a continuos odd period season by buying monthly or monthly + X days seasons), and b) the fact that such a large sum is likely unaffordable for many!

Agreed, an annual is almost always cheaper but I suspect the OP didn't want the initial outlay and the employer doesn't have a season ticket loan scheme.