Santander 123 credit card - cashback on TFL/Oyster?

gglaze

Hi guys,
I recently applied for and got my new Santander 123 credit card, thinking this would be a brilliant idea as it would pay for itself just on the cashback on my monthly Oyster travelcard.

After getting the card and the documentation that comes with it, I'm a bit confused about the cashback terms. I can see that the wording on the website is a bit different from the wording on my printed pamphlet, and both are ambiguous to me.

In short, my question is: will I get cashback (3%, or any at all?) on my monthly TFL Oystercard renewal? I get a monthly travelcard, zones 1-2.

The wording on the website is:

"Includes all major retailers, UK train operating companies, online train ticket retailers and trains operated in Northern Ireland by NI Railways. 3% cashback applies on spend up to £300 a month on either petrol or rail and TfL travel or a combination of these. Purchases not eligible for cashback include (a) TfL travelcards, passes and Oyster Card top up purchases made at newsagents, garages and off-licences"

I can't tell if this means

"(TfL travelcards, passes and Oyster Card top up purchases) made at newsagents, garages and off-licences"

or...

"TfL travelcards, passes and (Oyster Card top up purchases made at newsagents, garages and off-licences)"

(my parentheses added to clarify the logical meaning here)

Sorry, hopefully I'm just reading into this too much. Is the distinction about 'travelcards' vs 'top ups' vs 'tickets'? Or is it about purchases made at a 'station' vs. purchases made at a 'newsagent/garage/off-license'?

There is a further details link which gives a lot more detail, but to me still seems ambiguous. Can anyone confirm for me one way or the other? Has anyone already received cashback from a TFL/Oyster purchase? Travelcard specifically?

Thanks!

The_Boss

Where do you travel to/from? If you get cashback at NR stations on Tube and rail travel you could renew there via a machine according to the wording in the first paragraph. That would avoid all doubt.

Newsagents, off licences etc receive money from TfL from having the facilities to issue tickets so I assume this is to ensure you do not use them as part of the offer. As such, I suspect Oyster Travelcards at Tube stations ok, but none of those products attract cashback outside of stations.

OllyM

I think you're reading too much in to it. They won't be able to award cashback on Oyster top-ups at newsagents etc. because the transaction will just appear the same as if you'd bought your weekly shop in there. I would be pretty sure that you'll earn 3% back on TfL topups made at a station or online.

The_Boss

OllyM wrote: »

I think you're reading too much in to it. They won't be able to award cashback on Oyster top-ups at newsagents etc. because the transaction will just appear the same as if you'd bought your weekly shop in there. I would be pretty sure that you'll earn 3% back on TfL topups made at a station or online.

Good point, not sure why I didn't think of that.

bar_t1

regarding this card, santander 123 if i set up a direct debit for a fixed amount or the minimum payment can i add to that ie transfer funds online to the card from my bank account in addition to the direct debit??
off topic i know but hey... forgive me.

bengal-stripe

bar_t1 wrote: »

......if i set up a direct debit for a fixed amount or the minimum payment can i add to that ie transfer funds online to the card from my bank account in addition to the direct debit??

I don't think you can do a DD for a fixed amount, but you can have a DD for the minimum (or balance in full).

Be aware that Santander cancels or adjust the DD if a payment is received before the DD gets called in (unless there are five days or less between payment received and DD due).

I set-up (in advance) an additional Faster Payment to leave my account the day the DD is due.

bar_t1

yes i do have an option for a fixed amount , minimum payment or full amount, thanks for the advice, not sure whether to set up a direct debit or manage it via online banking..

gglaze

Thanks for the responses guys. To be clear, I do not intend to purchase at a newsagent or whatever - only in the normal station I travel to/from, such as the normal automatic machine at Liverpool Street Station.

My point is: the wording isn't clear, if the problem is that you only get cashback on tickets vs not on oyster topups/travelcards/etc.? Or if you get cashback on *everything* you purchase at the station, but not on stuff you purchase at a newsagent.

I'm inclined to agree with the idea that they can't tell what I'm purchasing exactly, just where I've purchased it from - and therefore any transaction that shows up as "TFL STATIONNAME LUL" etc or however it is, will count for cashback, right?

But the wording has me a bit confused. Does anyone have any actual experience they can relate on having received/not received cashback on their Santander 123 after making a normal oyster topup/travelcard purchase at a station?

Or I suppose I can just try next month and find out - how long does it take for this card to show cashback and credit it back to the account?

guesswho2000

gglaze wrote: »

Thanks for the responses guys. To be clear, I do not intend to purchase at a newsagent or whatever - only in the normal station I travel to/from, such as the normal automatic machine at Liverpool Street Station.

My point is: the wording isn't clear, if the problem is that you only get cashback on tickets vs not on oyster topups/travelcards/etc.? Or if you get cashback on *everything* you purchase at the station, but not on stuff you purchase at a newsagent.

I'm inclined to agree with the idea that they can't tell what I'm purchasing exactly, just where I've purchased it from - and therefore any transaction that shows up as "TFL STATIONNAME LUL" etc or however it is, will count for cashback, right?

But the wording has me a bit confused. Does anyone have any actual experience they can relate on having received/not received cashback on their Santander 123 after making a normal oyster topup/travelcard purchase at a station?

Or I suppose I can just try next month and find out - how long does it take for this card to show cashback and credit it back to the account?

Basically, you'll get cashback on your purchases from the machines or ticket offices, as their MCC (Merchant Category Code) will be one which Santander recognises for cashback purposes.

They can't differentiate if you buy it from a newsagent, as the MCC will show as a convenience store (it would be cost prohibitive to have two separate terminals at every single newsagent selling TfL stuff).

I can't see that you'd get cashback on general purchases bought at a station, unless it was sold by the ticket office itself; it's likely they'd have a separate merchant contract for "shop stuff" like newspapers etc, which would have a different MCC.

JimmyTheWig

No direct experience (haven't got around to looking properly at the card yet) but I agree with the logic that says you will get your cashback if you buy your travelcard (etc) at the station.

Interesting that one of the examples they use where you won't get your cashback is at a garage. Surely this would look like a petrol purchase to them, so would go through with 3% cashback?

guesswho2000

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

No direct experience (haven't got around to looking properly at the card yet) but I agree with the logic that says you will get your cashback if you buy your travelcard (etc) at the station.

Interesting that one of the examples they use where you won't get your cashback is at a garage. Surely this would look like a petrol purchase to them, so would go through with 3% cashback?

Indeed, that's what I'd think. As, I expect, would £100 worth of groceries purchased at the petrol station; they all go through in the same transaction, therefore the same MCC...hmm! (mind you, the hiked up price would probably mitigate the cashback)