BITE card

[BestWestern]

Question to rail staff and associated peeps;

Do you still get a percentage off by showing your priv at the London restraunts?

Not so far as I know, unless it's London-specific. Nowhere else will discount now unless you have the Bite card. It's partly to do with the till systems I believe; when the new plastic cards were introduced it became neccesary for the staff to actually swipe the card in order to register the discount. Previously they just pressed a button, which didn't actually require a card to be present, hence staff discount.

Hmm. Just a shame it tastes like sh*te! :-/

I wouldn't be quite that mean, but you do still have a good point! It's odd how SSP outlets vary so much with regards to taste and value of coffee.

Cheap beans, presumably. Some time ago I was on a station when an American lady approached with a fresh cup of Pumpkin heating oil in hand, and proceeded to ask me if there was anywhere she could buy a 'decent' coffee, as the one she had just purchased was undrinkable! I directed her immediately to the AMT outlet

 

[IanD]

The website T&Cs state that the discount can be between 10 and 20% (or any other amount they care to advise you about). It's been like that for some time. I haven't had an email advising me of the change so I should still be entitled to the 20% I agreed to when signing up for the card until I receive such notification OR the change is sufficiently publicised by the company so that they can reasonably expect most users to be aware of it (eg ads in national newspaper, notices at the point of sale).

 

[cjmillsnun]

The reduction from 20% to 10% has understandably generated a lot of comment; but has anyone else actually received one of these e-mails?

I certainly haven't.......

Nope, me neither, and I've held a BITE card for a long time.

 

[Yew]

I considered using mine at pumpkin recently, but I decided to pay a similar proce for a better coffee from the on platform Costa...

 

[jon0844]

Is it possible that it's become a victim of its own success - so many people getting 20% discounts that it's damaging trade?

Maybe. But while there might be high staff turnover at some places, I've used my BITE card and had staff wonder what it was (and they were places that accept it) so I'd imagine very few people use them in reality.

And soon it will probably be even less.

 

[cjohnson]

The reduction from 20% to 10% has understandably generated a lot of comment; but has anyone else actually received one of these e-mails?

I certainly haven't.......

Well it wasn't just made up!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5up72j2r0y5wce/bite.jpg

(was in my spam folder though)

 

[johntea]

Mine was in spam also

When you can get a coffee AND a McMuffin from McDonalds for £1.99 with a Metro paper coupon it seems a bit ridiculous paying over £2 just for a coffee really although I understand perhaps not everybody commutes from Leeds where there is a McDonalds on the concourse!

On a similar note, if I'm ever hungry at Kings Cross I don't mind that Wasabi place. You can get a massive tub for a fiver or so which even I struggle to finish!

 

[davetheguard]

Well it wasn't just made up!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5up72j2r0y5wce/bite.jpg

(was in my spam folder though)

Sorry cjohnson if I've upset you: that certainly wasn't my intention.

I wasn't doubting that you'd had this e-mail, it was more about wondering if the reduction in discount was going to apply to all BITE cards from the date in June; or if only some users (high or low usage?, I don't know) were having their discount reduced for some obscure marketing reason.

There seemed to be a lot of people reacting to your post, but none of them were mentioning if they'd had the same e-mail or not.

Anyway, with the date now very close, I suppose we're about to find out the answer to the question: 20% or 10%?

 

[jon0844]

Well it wasn't just made up!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5up72j2r0y5wce/bite.jpg

(was in my spam folder though)

Taking a lesson from the banks with that email then? Announcing a change that's detrimental to the customer, but making out it's all great in the hope that the recipient can't remember what it was before.

HEY! From next week we'll be paying you 0.01% interest on your savings account so make sure you transfer as much money as you can to get earning! (When it was 0.1% before, or whatever).

Assuming I get the email, or I fish it out of my spam folder, I doubt I'll be signing up for those extra rewards and can just take it out of my wallet so it's a bit lighter.

Edit: No email, and nothing in my spam folder. Guess I'm not loved!

 

[Class172]

Edit: No email, and nothing in my spam folder. Guess I'm not loved!

It appears the majority of us then are unloved.

Of course the trick of using a bite card as a ticket at New St. still applies.

 

[jnjkerbin]

Funnily enough, I've been meaning to get one for years and then saw this thread and finally went and ordered one

 

[plastictaffy]

I mainly use mine for buying coffee. The price of coffee on stations with a bite card discount is pretty reasonable. Especially if you use Pumpkin Cafe and have a loyalty card so every 6th cup is free.

No longer, the loyalty scheme has been altered so that the 12th cup is free!!!!!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I have an email in a spam folder, stating it is changing, it is also offering me a free pint of Fosters or Heineken, a gin & tonic, or a glass of house wine "absolutely free", without actually saying where I can get them, I suspect it's too much to ask for a British Burger King to offer alcoholic drinks so I guess I can rule that one out..........

 

[bnm]

I seem to recall McDonald's charging normal prices at service stations - partly because the company only as three tiers I believe (and not a great variation between any of them) so the end result is that you don't find many at service stations, or indeed any stations, these days.

There are still 24 Motorway Service Areas (MSA) with a McDonald's. A couple more are opening as RoadChef convert their last few own brand burger joints (The Burger Company) to McD's.

As for railway stations, there's Leeds, and in London you'll find McD's at Victoria, Paddington, Waterloo and Liverpool Street.

 

[bnm]

I have an email in a spam folder, stating it is changing, it is also offering me a free pint of Fosters or Heineken, a gin & tonic, or a glass of house wine "absolutely free", without actually saying where I can get them, I suspect it's too much to ask for a British Burger King to offer alcoholic drinks so I guess I can rule that one out..........

That's the email I got HHF. Used it yesterday, but not for any of the listed drinks. I managed to convince a Pumpkin to give me a medium Mocha instead!

 

[yorksrob]

Found mine in the spam filter as well.

Rather large own goal for SSP I think.

 

[Marklund]

So they reduce the discount at the same time that Upper Crust has upped drink prices. £2.10 for a regular tea at Preston this morning an increase of 5%. That's a lot of money for a paper cup, a tea bag, hot water and a splash of milk. Ingredient cost around 5p.

And the staff work for free and Network Rail rent SSP the premises free of charge... :roll:

 

[306024]

No email received yet either, spam or otherwise. Hope they tell everyone before 9 June, for the sake of the staff that'll have to explain the change.

So 30+ years ago, a cup of tea was 10p, but armed with a nice shiny new priv card I could get it for 9p. 10% discount, so it's back to square one

 

[yorksrob]

And the staff work for free and Network Rail rent SSP the premises free of charge... :roll:

£2.10 is still overpriced for a cuppa in my book.

 

[Tibbs]

£2.10 is still overpriced for a cuppa in my book.

Have a look at the rent they pay to be on the station.

I read an article ages go about the price difference between station and non-station, and almost all of it was due to the rent charged at the station.

 

[yorksrob]

Have a look at the rent they pay to be on the station.

I read an article ages go about the price difference between station and non-station, and almost all of it was due to the rent charged at the station.

Maccy d's and Weatherspoons also pay rent on my local station. They can do me a tea for rather less.

 

[Class172]

£2.10 is still overpriced for a cuppa in my book.

At least at Droitwich you can get a hot drink for around a £1 - when you're travelling it doesn't need to be top quality with all the trimmings in my opinion. I don't like tea, but a hot chocolate certainly does the trick on a rainy cold day whilst waiting at the station.

I don't quite know the arrangements of the kiosk at the station ("Snax on Trax") - as I know it is partially volunteer run, I don't know if the unit is leased to them etc.

 

[yorksrob]

At least at Droitwich you can get a hot drink for around a £1 - when you're travelling it doesn't need to be top quality with all the trimmings in my opinion. I don't like tea, but a hot chocolate certainly does the trick on a rainy cold day whilst waiting at the station.

I don't quite know the arrangements of the kiosk at the station "Snax on Trax" - as I know it is partially volunteer run, I don't know if the unit is leased to them etc.

I know some of the independent platform shops and cafe's around the north do a reasonably priced tea.

 

[user15681]

Maccy d's and Weatherspoons also pay rent on my local station. They can do me a tea for rather less.

I've heard the rent of one or two of the retail units at London Victoria... let's just say I won't be buying one unless I become a millionaire.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

£2.10 is still overpriced for a cuppa in my book.

Pumpkin do a large cup of tea (in some places you have to settle for medium) for £1.48 (£1.85 without a bite card), except in Leicester where it's £1.56 (£1.95 without a bite card). Of course that will change very soon.....

Many Subway stores (though apparently not the Manchester Arndale store) manage a cuppa for just 21p (if you buy a £2.79 "Sub"), and if you go there regularly enough you can get a free cookie every time too!

 

[yorksrob]

Pumpkin do a large cup of tea (in some places you have to settle for medium) for £1.48 (£1.85 without a bite card), except in Leicester where it's £1.56 (£1.95 without a bite card). Of course that will change very soon.....

Yes, I used to find the pumpkin tea pretty reasonable with a bite card. Alas, not for much longer.

 

[Qwerty133]

Pumpkin do a large cup of tea (in some places you have to settle for medium) for £1.48 (£1.85 without a bite card), except in Leicester where it's £1.56 (£1.95 without a bite card). Of course that will change very soon.....
!

Would love to know SSPs reasoning to charge more at Leicester.

 

[boyaloud]

well, I've not received any emails off them in months-years, checked my spam too! Mind you I haven't used the card in years now! Really want the G+T/wine/beer one so if anyone has a spare, I'd be very grateful!

 

[Techniquest]

No longer, the loyalty scheme has been altered so that the 12th cup is free!!!!!

Which Pumpkin do you go to?! Unless it's changed in the last couple of weeks (a possibility, I've not been in an SSP outlet lately), you get 4 stamps and then you get a free medium coffee/tea. Really hope that's not changing, only got a Pumpkin on the station and the Morrisons cafe's coffee is absolutely rancid! Looks like I'll be getting off my bus in town and walking straight into Costa soon enough. £1.84 for a medium Americano in Pumpkin for me with my Bite card, so I'd only be paying 36p more in Costa but getting the best coffee in the universe. There's also a rather nice barista in there, hmm...

Upper Crust apparently binned their loyalty card scheme, which frustrated me last time I was up in Liverpool. If I'd not only 4 minutes before my train, I'd have gone to Costa!

Not received the email about the discount getting lowered, however I'm most annoyed as I will no longer have quite the bargain of a meal from Burger King any more. Yes there's still discount but 10%'s a fair bit less, so a meal from one of my favourite takeaways in the universe is getting pretty much unaffordable now

Looking likely I'll be shoving my Bite card into storage...

 

[ainsworth74]

well, I've not received any emails off them in months-years, checked my spam too! Mind you I haven't used the card in years now!

As long as you ticked or didn't tick all the right boxes they'll never send you any emails. You just have to read the application form very carefully to make sure you're ticking or not all the right boxes I'm in the same boat, I've had a BITE card for years now but have never had a single email from them.