Maximising contactless benefits

chiefnoodle

Steve_xx wrote: »

So it's off to Argos to buy some things for £100 in four transactions and then return them and see what happens - providing that Argos have contactless terminals of course!

isn't that exactly what "Fantastically Fervent MoneySaving Super Fan"s do?
although it might be easier to buy four things worth £25 each than try to explain to the cashier why you want to pay £100 in four goes.

Look I'm not saying its ethically correct to use argos like that, was just thinking out loud... anyone can decide for themselves

Westie983

chiefnoodle wrote: »

Another idea - can you buy vouchers in Tesco stores or post offices etc (with contactless) which you can then use online etc?

My tesco is not contactless but I do this with Morrisons, I tend to by either the Amazon gift cards and load to my account as they are valid for 10 years and you can buy a lot of stuff via amazon now a days, or if they are in stock I have bought the 3V gift cards, which I then use online on any website that accepts visa, although I tend to add it to my paypal account and then pay via paypal.

This is in £15 increments, as their terminals are not accepting £30 limit yet. I also use my card contactless in the petrol station with the vouchers I get of fuel when I buy any gift card.

chiefnoodle

Westie983 wrote: »

I tend to by either the Amazon gift cards and load to my account as they are valid for 10 years and you can buy a lot of stuff via amazon now a days

All my amazon shopping is paid for by cashback from topcashback, which tops up withdrawals by 5% when made to amazon voucher - so thats as good as contactless anyway.

Westie983 wrote: »

if they are in stock I have bought the 3V gift cards, which I then use online on any website that accepts visa, although I tend to add it to my paypal account and then pay via paypal.

Great really useful info I didn't know about 3v cards at all.
After googling though it looks as though 3v with paypal is loads of hassle - see https://www.3vprepaid.com/using_paypal.html - each card needs to be linked to your account, This involves £1 temporary charges you have to wait to be reversed, plus sometimes £1.50 charges (credited to paypal account) so you can give them the ref number... and then what happens if you pay for sthg and end up returning it, does it get refunded to your card a year later, the cards in the bin, you don't remember which one it was etc... and what happens if you're left with £2.01 credit on the 3v card, can you use it for a partial payment, the 3v page quoted says you can only use one credit card per transaction...
The last two points apply to using the 3v card with any retailer even without paypal. In short its hassle

Are there other ways of transferring money from the 3v card back to yourself?

Thanks a lot!

TheTracker

Westie983 wrote: »

My tesco is not contactless but I do this with Morrisons, I tend to by either the Amazon gift cards and load to my account as they are valid for 10 years

However with 2 years plus you'd have been better off leaving the cash in a 3% account.

zerog

chiefnoodle wrote: »

Great really useful info I didn't know about 3v cards at all.
After googling though it looks as though 3v with paypal is loads of hassle - see https://www.3vprepaid.com/using_paypal.html - each card needs to be linked to your account, This involves £1 temporary charges you have to wait to be reversed, plus sometimes £1.50 charges (credited to paypal account) so you can give them the ref number... and then what happens if you pay for sthg and end up returning it, does it get refunded to your card a year later, the cards in the bin, you don't remember which one it was etc... and what happens if you're left with £2.01 credit on the 3v card, can you use it for a partial payment, the 3v page quoted says you can only use one credit card per transaction...
The last two points apply to using the 3v card with any retailer even without paypal. In short its hassle

Are there other ways of transferring money from the 3v card back to yourself?

Thanks a lot!

Oh boy, aren't you late to the party. 3V cards aren't very useful any more. But the £1 authorisations haven't been done for about 2 years.

There used to be plenty of ways of getting money off 3V, one still remains but this is not suitable for discussion on a public forum. The main way now would be to top up your amazon account, but since Tesco (in which I have never seen an amazon gift card) no longer stocks 3V, you might as well just buy amazon gift cards from Morrisons.

If your TCB cashback is sufficient for amazon use, then you'll need to see what other gift cards you can find

TheTracker wrote: »

However with 2 years plus you'd have been better off leaving the cash in a 3% account.

You get 1p off per L of fuel for every £ of gift card you buy from Morrisons.

Westie983

chiefnoodle wrote: »

All my amazon shopping is paid for by cashback from topcashback, which tops up withdrawals by 5% when made to amazon voucher - so thats as good as contactless anyway.




Great really useful info I didn't know about 3v cards at all.
After googling though it looks as though 3v with paypal is loads of hassle - see https://www.3vprepaid.com/using_paypal.html - each card needs to be linked to your account, This involves £1 temporary charges you have to wait to be reversed, plus sometimes £1.50 charges (credited to paypal account) so you can give them the ref number... and then what happens if you pay for sthg and end up returning it, does it get refunded to your card a year later, the cards in the bin, you don't remember which one it was etc... and what happens if you're left with £2.01 credit on the 3v card, can you use it for a partial payment, the 3v page quoted says you can only use one credit card per transaction...
The last two points apply to using the 3v card with any retailer even without paypal. In short its hassle

Are there other ways of transferring money from the 3v card back to yourself?

Thanks a lot!

The £2.50 charge is only if you send the money to yourself this is an admin fee, It easy enough to add to paypal and the £1 is returned to your account within hours. When I have had a odd amount left in the card I have then bought a amazon gift card for the odd amounts to empty the card.

Then I add another, each card is valid for a year so I enter all cards on the 3v site when they are purchased and I only add one to paypal at a time, the others are used straight on websites that accept visa, I have paid for my electricity using them, (I have overpaid and then got them to refund me)...

Anywhere that accepts visa online this card can be used, there is no extra fee to pay when you purchase them this is why there is a £2.50 if you want the money sent to your bank account, and also if you want to combine a few 3v cards.

There are a few prepaid cards for sale like vanilla and sainsburys visa/mastercard but these come with a £2.99 fee at purchase but you can use these ones in shops and not just online as they have chip..

I have been buying amazon vouchers more often then not but I do still buy these for when I would usually use paypal.

Westie983

TheTracker wrote: »

However with 2 years plus you'd have been better off leaving the cash in a 3% account.

The money is spent within minutes of them being bought, as I have been adding them to my account to buy christmas presents, I have money in 3% accounts, the money I used to buy these vouchers are from my TSB account then transfer the money from my halifax account which doesn't pay any interest.

Westie983

chiefnoodle wrote: »

All my amazon shopping is paid for by cashback from topcashback, which tops up withdrawals by 5% when made to amazon voucher - so thats as good as contactless anyway.

Great really useful info I didn't know about 3v cards at all.
After googling though it looks as though 3v with paypal is loads of hassle - see https://www.3vprepaid.com/using_paypal.html - each card needs to be linked to your account, This involves £1 temporary charges you have to wait to be reversed, plus sometimes £1.50 charges (credited to paypal account) so you can give them the ref number... and then what happens if you pay for sthg and end up returning it, does it get refunded to your card a year later, the cards in the bin, you don't remember which one it was etc... and what happens if you're left with £2.01 credit on the 3v card, can you use it for a partial payment, the 3v page quoted says you can only use one credit card per transaction...
The last two points apply to using the 3v card with any retailer even without paypal. In short its hassle

Are there other ways of transferring money from the 3v card back to yourself?

Thanks a lot!

you are able to view all of your 3v cards online when you register them so you don't need the card as the card number expiry date and CVP number is all online and you get a email when you register and you can resend this at any time.

Westie983

TheTracker wrote: »

However with 2 years plus you'd have been better off leaving the cash in a 3% account.

I find the vouchers that I get for buying the gift cards makes up for the money not being in my 3% account, but the reason for my post was to say this is a good way of getting your contactless payments up, using Morrisons especially as you can then use the account again contactless for petrol after you have used the voucher you have just got from buying the gift cards.

Westie983

zerog wrote: »

Oh boy, aren't you late to the party. 3V cards aren't very useful any more. But the £1 authorisations haven't been done for about 2 years.

There used to be plenty of ways of getting money off 3V, one still remains but this is not suitable for discussion on a public forum. The main way now would be to top up your amazon account, but since Tesco (in which I have never seen an amazon gift card) no longer stocks 3V, you might as well just buy amazon gift cards from Morrisons.

If your TCB cashback is sufficient for amazon use, then you'll need to see what other gift cards you can find

My tesco stocks amazon with a variety of other cards and you get 150 worth of clubcard points per £50 of vouchers, but my local branch hasn't taken on contactless so not worth it for the moment.