Blue Light Card

sunnyflower

This card doesn't seem to be widely known. It's for people working in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces and HMP. It costs a fiver for 3 years, there are a variety of places to use it, (my favourites ones are Bon March and Frankie and Bennies)
Blue Light Card
https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk
:T

Official MoneySavingExpert insert Tue 26 Mar: Emergency Services and NHS workers, and those in the Armed Forces, can register for a free online Blue Light Card to receive discounts for online retailers. There's an optional physical card for use in high street retailers, which costs £4.99 for a five-year membership.

Who's eligible?

You qualify for a Blue Light Card if you're a paid employee within the below services:

• NHS
• Police Service
• Ambulance Service
• Fire Service
• HM Prison Service/HMPPS
• NHS Dental Practice
• HM Armed Forces
• MoD Civil Servant
• MoD Fire Service
• MoD Police
• Highways Agency
• Border Force
• Immigration Enforcement
• UK Visas and Immigration
• HM Coastguard
• RNLI
• Search and Rescue
• 4x4 Response
• Blood Bikes
• First Responders
• St Andrews Ambulance
• St John Ambulance

What offers are available?
Starbucks has told us you can get 10% off your total bill (excluding gift cards) at all Starbucks stores when you show your Blue Light Card.

Unfortunately, you can't see which other offers are available until you've signed up, but in the past we've spotted offers such as 10% off at Iceland, 20% off Superdry, and discounts at several popular restaurants.

If you have a Blue Light Card, don't just assume it'll give you the best discounts - always compare offers to check you're getting the best deal.

Check out the MoneySavingExpert.com Deals pages to make sure you're getting the best deal.

Big thanks to sunnyflower for the spot!
[purplesignup][/purplesignup]

Clowance

interesting, but there isn't anything I can see without registering about how much discount is offered? Also, if its not widely known, surely there would be difficulty in presenting in shops etc as they would never have seen one before. What is your experience?

sammi86

My mum has this through the NHS (i have an NHS card but havent signed up to the blue light) she just says shes got an NHS discount card when she gets to the till. Generally i think its 10% off in most places that accept it but then again, ive only seen her use it in a handful of places. (BHS, New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Nandos, F&B's). But from what ive seen, it just the same as showing the normal NHS card but with a few more specific deals, offers and discounts

sunnyflower

When I first went to Bon Marche they hadn't seen one before, but found the code eventually, and not had any problems since.
I used it a couple of times at the cinema and they recognised it straightaway.
I have used it on-line for fragrance direct, Bulldog and BM without any problem (plus Nectar points with BM 😀).

tonycottee

I've signed up to this recently and found some useful discounts. Many of the discounts you can find easily elsewhere, but I think some of them are quite exclusive.

jenniewb

My sister has one of these (works as a nurse), I don't know what all the offers are but remember the ones she mentioned seemed pretty similar to what you can get if you are a registered student and use Unidays and NUS Extra.

Skoorb

If you are in the NHS (or for anyone in the country who can be bothered to join free as a public member of their local Foundation Trust), there is also the larger Health Service Discounts website, which is free but only offers discounts online and by phone rather than in store.

firelw

you still need to do your homework before using the card. companies such Apple, offer very poor discounts, and you can buy items cheaper on line, apple tv 4k £175, elsewhere on line around £120. don't assume you are getting a good deal.

Squeeks_Mum

I have this card - Employees of the British Red Cross are also eligible - and I use it loads. £14.50 off a meal for 4 at Frankie & Bennys, £8 off a meal for 2 at Toby, saving of £4 on cinema tickets and nearly £50 off our Christmas holiday
:j

vmaxjude

I work for the Home Office and was told about the Blue Light Card by my head of unit, who said his wife saves loads on it. I signed up and paid my £4.99 for a 5 year card. There are literally dozens of companies who offer discounts or deals for card holders - a lot of them are obscure, but a lot are mainstream as well, including all the main cinema chains. I have just bought 2 Odeon cinema tickets for my daughter and I for this evening and have saved £9 - so that has paid for the card already and then some. You pay through the Blue Light Card site (adult and U12 child tickets are available) and you get a code which you use to pay for your tickets on the cinema booking site. It's very easy. There are 2 types - inside and outside the M25.
Outside the M25 are cheaper, but even the inside the M25 tickets are nearly £5 cheaper than full price. If you only use the card to buy cinema tickets then it is a fantastic deal!

Update 24 March 2018 - I presented my card in Prezzo in East Grinstead where I was having a family meal for my niece's birthday. It saved us £65 off our bill for 8 people. £65!!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Regular forum members - have you used this and can you help newbies coming through from the weekly email by letting them know your experiences?

Thanks!