Making the most of TSB contactless cashback before the end of December

Yorkshire_Pud

Just realised after receiving CB from TSB for July that my offer for the 5% CB ends in five months and that as I don't reach the maximum £100 spend on each of two accounts I'm throwing away effectively 5% interest on the unused portion.

It might be useful for me and others to have suggestions of ways to make use of the cashback before it probably goes by buying gift cards etc that can be used after January 1st 2017?

I've only bought Waitrose gift cards up to now, at £30 a go valid for two years from last use. No Apple pay for me.

So Waitrose, what others have people found?

MarkFromCornwall

W H Smith take contactless and sell a variety of gift cards for other retailers.

debtorwithaquestion

Seems obvious but to get to £100 without spending what I wouldn't usually spend I use Apple Pay TSB for:

TfL (tubes and buses) Fares to work
Gift cards (Tesco sell a huge range in the big stores)
JustEat takeaways (usual monthly spend not extra)

Another thing I do is when out with family or partner is pay for their shopping ect and then get them to transfer to my account straight away. Easily bumps up the spend.

Yorkshire_Pud

Amazon gift cards seem available at many retailers, wilko, superdrug, co-op.

Katiehound

I've been doing my shopping at Aldi, ask them to stop at £30 (if over) and put the remainder on contactless as a second transaction.

Tesco have converted to contactless- within the last few weeks. Easy to shop then buy fuel.

Other than that have noticed lots of smaller businesses have the technology including my vet & a few charity shops.
I'm juggling my TSB card with my Halifax clarity as the bonus there ends very shortly.
I put everything possible on my card -£5 here and there mounts up

Yorkshire_Pud

Thanks for the replies.

What I'm really thinking of is laying in a store of gift cards now to use after the cashback stops, to use over the next year so at the moment it looks like Waitrose gift cards and Amazon gift cards that I would actually use.

Looked through all the Tesco gift cards but nothing there that I would use.

Are there any fuel gift cards or pre pay cards that contactless can be used for?

bigadaj

Yorkshire_Pud wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

What I'm really thinking of is laying in a store of gift cards now to use after the cashback stops, to use over the next year so at the moment it looks like Waitrose gift cards and Amazon gift cards that I would actually use.

Looked through all the Tesco gift cards but nothing there that I would use.

Are there any fuel gift cards or pre pay cards that contactless can be used for?

All morrisons petrol stations I've tried accept contactless, alternatively I've seen suggestions that tesco gift cards can be used in there petrol stations.

Yorkshire_Pud

Yes just checked and Tesco gift cards £1 to £100 can be used for fuel as well as groceries and the card value lasts five years from purchase or last use.

Katiehound

Yorkshire_Pud wrote: »

Yes just checked and Tesco gift cards £1 to £100 can be used for fuel as well as groceries and the card value lasts five years from purchase or last use.

Just about to post you that very comment about the fuel purchase with Tesco card! Was ready to cut & paste! beaten to it

I think that may be the way to go! I regularly put around £30 of fuel in the tank.
Wonder if you could make multiple purchases by putting say £30 on 3 different cards each month ie top each card up so by the end of the TSB cashback each card would have say £120 to spend next year?

Another money card/voucher with spread of shops is Love2Shop- spend in Wilkinsons, Argos etc but I can't actually see any store that sells them! (Have found on-line but that wouldn't count!)

Yorkshire_Pud

Not sure if you can top up a gift card! I think I would just buy some £30 Tesco gift cards and put them away for use next year:)

debtorwithaquestion

YorkshirePud I know the big Tesco stores do sell prepaid visa debit cards so you can load £30 a time on them and then spend like a normal debit card online / for fuel / to pay bills ect.

Good idea as you're then not spending money on unessicary purchases just to get a £5 per month back.