The HfP chat thread – Friday 26th March

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General

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Zoe says:

26 Mar26 March 10:06

Am I right in thinking that the Sainsbury’s Nectar till spits aren’t actually tied to the account that they were issued on? There as a x3 on your next shop left by the person before me at the checkout that would make it worth doing my next shop there if it works. Thanks in advance.
- lumma says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 10:21
  
  Most say on them “just for you and your nectar card number xxxxxxxxxx”
  
  So I doubt they’d work
- Doug M says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 10:21
  
  I think they are tied to account. Why not just try it?
- Chris says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 10:26
  
  They do work – or at least they did last week when I used one.
  - Zoe says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 10:35
    
    Thanks Chris, I’ll give it a go.
    - Pablo says:
      
      26 Mar26 March 16:22
      
      They work with other accounts. The other day I found one sticking out of the deposit slot at the self checkout and I pulled it out and successfully used it on my shopping.
  - Iain says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 18:48
    
    +1
- Chrism20 says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 14:57
  
  They will work no problem regardless of the card number on the till voucher. Same goes for ones mailed out to your home with name and card number on them.
Alexis says:

26 Mar26 March 10:16

Virgin Atlantic cards – is an enhanced bonus a possibility at some point in the next few months?
- Rob says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 10:19
  
  Not until Virgin Money comes out of panic mode. By its own admission (read the Annual Report) it is focusing on dealing with delinquant existing debtors rather than chasing new potential delinquents!
  
  You need to remember, in the ‘real’ world’, a large % of people who apply for a new credit card are doing so because they are about to be laid off and want to lock in some credit before they are refused it. These people then go on to default.
  
  It’s not surprising that VM is pushing the current account over the cards at the moment.
  - BuildBackBetter says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 10:39
    
    They fell into their own trap!
    They ignored the high earning customers as they wouldn’t be earning interest or fees or penalties from those who pay promptly!
Ed says:

26 Mar26 March 10:30

Good morning,
A Virgin/Flying Blue question (s). I’m a recent joiner of Virgin Mastercard + (got the sign on bonus) and have notched up about 40K points and a companion voucher (used a small amount of Bendy/Ernie to get there). I also, from a working life, have around 40K Flying Blue Miles. Questions are:
* Can I amalgamate Virgin and flying blue?
* Should I amalgamate Virgin and Flying blue?
* Is there a way to earn companion voucher with flying blue?

Most of my reward flying has been avios and 2-4-1’s with BA. LHR is a fairly easy 75 mins drive, but my closest and most convenient airport is BHX. There’s some value to flying blue to go places from BHX via CDG/AMS.

If the amalgamation is possible do I retain full AF/KLM flexibility through Virgin Atlantic?

Thanks for any views.
- ChrisC says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:31
  
  You cannot amalgamate your VS and FB points / accounts into a single account.
  - mutley says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 11:47
    
    You can however spend your Virgin points on Air France.
    - Ed says:
      
      26 Mar26 March 13:58
      
      Just a follow on, can you do the opposite, spend your Flying Blue miles on Virgin?
      - mutley says:
        
        26 Mar26 March 14:40
        
        It looks like you can, check out flying blue/partners/ virgin and then scroll to bottom of the page.
      - Rob says:
        
        26 Mar26 March 14:45
        
        Yes, via the FB website using the FB chart to price the flight.
- Jonathan says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:46
  
  If you start a long haul flight (when free travel resumes) from CDG/AMS, you don’t have to pay UK APD
  - Ed says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 11:57
    
    Thanks all, that’s good advice.
PMG says:

26 Mar26 March 11:05

Data point on Nectar card offers – have new offers for 1,080 bonus points this week after horrendous 4-5 weeks of 150-250 points total per week

Have not really changed my spending habits at all, hoping others also start getting better offers 🙂
- lumma says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:24
  
  Me too, no 10 point offers this week.
  
  From last week’s offers I took the 3 high value offers I had and avoided the low ones.
- The real John says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 13:55
  
  Same got about 700 this week. Sainsburys is the only supermarket it is reasonable for me to go to, I don’t pay too close attention to the offers as they are things I would be getting anyway.
  
  “Horrendous” is a bit hyperbolic…
- Alan says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 16:01
  
  I have just won 🙂 on the rub screen game, 10 points 😐
  
  Total offers this week 90 points ☹️
BA-Flyer says:

26 Mar26 March 11:08

If you top up your Revolut account by IHG credit card, if interest is applicable, how quickly does it show? Does it post alongside the transaction, or when the monthly statement comes out?
- Optimus Prime says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:13
  
  When monthly statement comes out.
Brighton Belle says:

26 Mar26 March 11:34

Interest starts accumulating as soon as the charge hits your account. Even if you try to pay it off immediately your payment is used to pay off any earlier charges. I think that’s how it worked. So you can’t knock off your Revolut charge without your running balance at the time being zero. I gave up using Revolut for anything other than funding family birthday €100 presents. Just to much grief. Braver souls might do better.
Navara says:

26 Mar26 March 11:35

Having now been switched to a VM Club current account I no longer have free access to equifax which was part of my previous account add on’s. Any recommendations for a replacement from the HfP collective?
- Genghis says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:47
  
  Clearscore provides Equifax data.
- Neil says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 11:52
  
  I think the Martin Lewis site provides some sort of credit check for free but not sure which data provider(s) are used.
  - TicknBash says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 11:57
    
    Yes Moneysavingexpert links to Experian and Credit Karma links to Equifax TransUnion.
    Both free.
    - The real John says:
      
      26 Mar26 March 13:56
      
      Transunion and equifax are different.
      
      As mentioned clearscore is equifax.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        26 Mar26 March 17:26
        
        Credit Karma is TransUnion.
        
        Didn’t know M S E was Experian might sign up.
- Navara says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 12:00
  
  I should have added it’s more the credit report and identity theft monitoring alerts I was looking to replace not credit score checking.
  Thanks for the replies.
  - Genghis says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 12:20
    
    You get access to most of the underlying data from the free providers. They (all?) tell you changes to the reports so should pick up new accounts that you may not yourself have opened.
    - Navara says:
      
      26 Mar26 March 12:35
      
      Thanks Genghis.
- 747_Brat says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 12:03
  
  Can you check your Equifax score with a Virgin M Plus account? If yes, please could you tell me where can I find it. It couldn’t find it anywhere on the app or website.
  Thanks.
  - Navara says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 12:22
    
    I doubt its an option. It’s not available with the paid for Club account.
  - The real John says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 13:56
    
    The score is a random number anyway, only the data is important
- Jamie says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 15:27
  
  If you register with Equifax you can access your credit report as often as you like (every day if you really wanted to). It’s completely free:
  
  https://www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/statutory-report.html
  - 747_Brat says:
    
    26 Mar26 March 18:51
    
    Thank you Jamie for sharing this link. It was very helpful.
Jay says:

26 Mar26 March 11:38

What is the general experience of bonus Business Amex MR points posting. Hit the Gold £5k target in a few days but 3 weeks later no bonus. Amex are very quick to send out cards nowadays but the link between Business spend and the MR account seems to not be so efficient. Been on with an agent now for 20 minute via online chat but just keeps spewing up a ‘stay connected, I am working on it’ message from the agent. They don’t seem to have a fix!. Interested in other views ?
- Roger W says:
  
  26 Mar26 March 13:58
  
  I have the Gold Card with an application in January pre- the current deal. Actually was given an initial 30K then another 20K when i spent £3K
  
  Since applied on behalf of my wife and £800 off the £5K so will know myself soon…
  
  Naturally referred across for both (initially from her BAPP) and both supplementary card holder.