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What's the best cashback deal for online ticket purchases atm?

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Bungle73

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I had been using First Hull Trains, but now they seem to have dropped off all the cashback sites. :(
 
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Starmill

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It seems Virgin Trains are offering 2% on all purchases through Quidco. TransPennine are offering 4.5% on their own tickets and 1% on others.
 
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gordonthemoron

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Virgin West Coast and TransPenine have cashback through Topcashback on their own tickets, thetrainline also has cashback through Topcashback but it doesn't cancel out their charges
 

Bungle73

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Thanks. I'm mainly booking Southeastern fares, since that is my local operator, so TOC-specific offers are rarely any use to me.
 

ravenik45

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Oh no... I've just used First Hull Trains via Topcashback last Sunday for my trip :'( Didn't realise it's gone until I've read this.

Hull Trains pay quickly on Topcashback, unlike First Transpennine, which takes forever (up to 6 months last time I've checked).
 
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Tetchytyke

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First Hull Trains have gone from Quidco too.

Virgin Trains offer 2% through Quidco, but you have to use the crappy TheTrainLine interface. TPExpress are 1% for sales or 4.5% for TPExpress sales, and use WebTIS.
 

ravenik45

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Do you also get Nectar points via this route as well - so 3.02% in all?
I also see that the 2.02% includes a "10% bonus for Plus members and 1% for classic"

Yes points are given if your journeys are on a Virgin Train along the West Coast Mainline (whether for the whole journey or just part of it), as per the Nectar T&Cs in

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/rewards/nectar

So I guess not in my case, as I live in the Great Western Main Line area.

The best case that works for me so far (after Hull Train's been removed) is using the TPE's website, which gives me 1.01% and Nectar points all ALL booked journeys, so in essence 2.01%.
 
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talldave

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Yes points are given if your journeys are on a Virgin Train along the West Coast Mainline (whether for the whole journey or just part of it), as per the Nectar T&Cs in

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/rewards/nectar

So I guess not in my case, as I live in the Great Western Main Line area.

The best case that works for me so far (after Hull Train's been removed) is using the TPE's website, which gives me 1.01% and Nectar points all ALL booked journeys, so in essence 2.01%.

Hmmm goodbye Hull Trains, hello TPE!
 

Agent_c

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If you're doing the points collection thing for Virgin Airmiles, look at using their "shops away" service, you can effectively double-dip on miles for virgin travel (points for the purchase from SA, and the points from VT for booking direct). You can also use this to get some points through travel on other operators (I appear to have recieved SA points for a SWT journey booked on the VTWC website)
 

route:oxford

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If you're doing the points collection thing for Virgin Airmiles, look at using their "shops away" service, you can effectively double-dip on miles for virgin travel (points for the purchase from SA, and the points from VT for booking direct). You can also use this to get some points through travel on other operators (I appear to have recieved SA points for a SWT journey booked on the VTWC website)


Triple Dip please! Don't forget to use a suitable points-focussed credit or charge card - 2 Avios for me on every £1 spent on Amex and 1 Avios for every £1 spent on Visa.
 

maniacmartin

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I tried the Virgin west coast site this week to get the 2%, but it's Trainline-powered so my tickets we not immediately available to collect from a TVM (I tried to no avail). I usually use a WebTIS-powered site even if the cashback is lower as I can then collect the tickets immediately and not worry about having to collect them some other time.
 

bubieyehyeh

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I just used virgin to buy tickets, but found that for 2 return journeys it has given me two collection codes (rather than 1 like hull trains did in the past) which is a little annoying given the southern TVM touchscreens are painful to use.
 

Starmill

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I just used virgin to buy tickets, but found that for 2 return journeys it has given me two collection codes (rather than 1 like hull trains did in the past) which is a little annoying given the southern TVM touchscreens are painful to use.

I've noticed CrossCountry doing that too. The actual trainline site gives you the option to choose between 1 collection reference and 1 'per journey'.
 

Condor7

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Topcashback are offering 3.03% on The Trainline at the moment, but when you press the 'i' button it just says "New Customer' but not sure what that means.
 

Bungle73

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Have Virgin started declining cashback.....even though they are still listed on the websites? Had my most recent purchase declined (and have contacted support about it), even though previous transactions seemed to go through fine (haven't been paid yet though). The most recent reviews on Quidco are complaining about it.
 

gray1404

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Did it track? Or have you waited months onto to receive an email saying it has been declined?

Normally, they track automatically and then come back as confirmed a couple of months later. I have had problems with another trainline powered site that offered cashback though Quidco (EMT) that when the purchase didn't track automatically and was then declined when I submitted a claim. I am wondering if this is the problem you have had? Or you had your purchases track and then get declined still a couple of months later.

My most recent purchases (the most recent being on 25 July) have tracked. Although I have not received payouts on them yet (i.e. they have not yet come back as Confirmed). I am waiting for a payout going back to the start of May still.
 
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Bungle73

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Did it track? Or have you waited months onto to receive an email saying it has been declined?

Normally, they track automatically and then come back as confirmed a couple of months later. I have had problems with another trainline powered site that offered cashback though Quidco (EMT) that when the purchase didn't track automatically and was then declined when I submitted a claim. I am wondering if this is the problem you have had? Or you had your purchases track and then get declined still a couple of months later.

My most recent purchases (the most recent being on 25 July) have tracked. Although I have not received payouts on them yet (i.e. they have not yet come back as Confirmed). I am waiting for a payout going back to the start of May still.
Yes it tracked, but I just went on there last night to book another one and the status has changed to "Declined".
 

hantsman1205

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Have Virgin started declining cashback.....even though they are still listed on the websites? Had my most recent purchase declined (and have contacted support about it), even though previous transactions seemed to go through fine (haven't been paid yet though). The most recent reviews on Quidco are complaining about it.


Just had the same, I did book plusbus at the same time, I wonder if thats why it failed.
 

cjohnson

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Just checked one on Topcashback and it too has been declined - was a VT advance ticket, no railcard/discounts etc.
 

gray1404

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I wonder if it is worth complaining directly to Virgin Trains about this. I am sorry but they should not be running such cashback promotions on cashback websites only or people to find that their transactions have been declined. It is a 2 way thing.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have this evening had a VT cash back through Quidco confirmed dating from a transaction made on 16 May. I've been able to request the cash back into my bank.
 

bnm

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Halifax, Lloyds, and Bank of Scotland current account customers who are registered for online banking can get 5% cashback with The Trainline when purchasing tickets using their H/L/BoS debit card.

Login in to your online banking portal and navigate to 'Everyday Offers' to activate the cashback offer.
 

Kite159

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Its a pity Trainline charges booking fees.

Although if you make a large enough purchase the 5% cashback will cover the fees...

...and make sure you select multiple TOD codes so Trainline get hit several times with collection fees :lol:
 

gray1404

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Although if you make a large enough purchase the 5% cashback will cover the fees...

...and make sure you select multiple TOD codes so Trainline get hit several times with collection fees :lol:

And try to get a booking office to print each one so that fee is higher for them.
 

Salteena

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Have Virgin started declining cashback.....even though they are still listed on the websites? Had my most recent purchase declined (and have contacted support about it), even though previous transactions seemed to go through fine (haven't been paid yet though). The most recent reviews on Quidco are complaining about it.


I just stumbled across this thread while looking to see if anyone had mentioned the current Virgin problem on Quidco. I've had all my recent Virgin bookings declined even though, when they were on Quidco the last time, I booked all my regular commuter tickets through Virgin and had absolutely no problems getting the cashback tracked, confirmed and paid.

I complained to Quidco customer services, asking why this problem was now happening, and got a very unhelpful 'check the reasons for declined cashback'-type reply. But I'm not doing anything different this time round so why they're just declining everything is a complete mystery.

What does really tick me off is that there are quite a few reviews drawing attention to this problem and Quidco have chosen to bury them by putting old reviews from 2013 at the top of the pile...all of which are glowing in their praise! Rather sharp practice, I can't help feeling. If I'd seen the recent reviews I wouldn't have bothered booking with Virgin in the first place. Total waste of time and effort.
 

bubieyehyeh

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I had my first virgin trains payout from topcashback for a ticket bought in late June about a week ago. I have several other virgin train purchases pending at topcashback and quidco, from purchases from July to September which I hope will payout.

I only switched across to using quidco when quidco up'ed the cashback to 3%.

It seems quidco "bury" poor reviews by listed the higher rated review first, they dont seem to have any option to order them by date or thumb rating which might be more useful. However you can find the recent poor review by selecting the 1 or 2 star reviews.
 
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BigCj34

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Does Virgin trains cash back cover all TOC's or just journeys booked that are on the WCML? All i can find is information saying it won't pay out on ECML journeys but that's it.
 

bubieyehyeh

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I've recently got cashback from topcashback for tickets purchased from virgin in July for journey on southern.
Still waiting to see if tracked cashback on quidco gets paid.
 
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