New Halifax Reward account. Has anyone figured out a way around £500 spending?

Zanderman

phillw said:

Zanderman said:
There is, as far as I can see, consistency. Payments made using a debit card, to anything, should count.

They do seem to count for me, but I'm not sure they are supposed to or if all debit card transactions will count.

Someone thought to include "When you make a money transfer to another account." and while it's a rather vague statement, when read within the context it would be reasonable to expect that it's supposed to exclude moving money into a savings account etc using your debit card.

I'm not sure it's worth discussing this further but I'll just say the point remains - a debit card payment is a debit card payment. Whatever it is to. And I still see no evidence of any inconsistency. Debit card payments to savings accounts count as payments for the Halifax reward. Has anyone on this thread ever found otherwise? I think not but would be happy to be corrected.

The phrase about transferring money not counting is a generic phrase warning that money transfers don't count. Money transfers, in banking terms, generally mean moving money by transfer (FP, BACS, CHAPS whatever) from one account to another. Doing that won't count and they're telling you that. Moving money by debit card is different.  It is, in effect, paying money into another account. Not the same thing.

Alex9384

IanManc said:

Maybe people who uses their debit card to pay £500 into a savings account to get their £5 Halifax reward might be grateful if everyone shuts up about it now before Halifax twig and decide to find a way to stop it working? 

Just a thought .....  😊

I'm actually surprised that Halifax are OK with that. I spend small amount on my Halifax debit cards, most of the spending is just paying off credit cards and it still counts toward monthly rewards. Even monthly pay in can be achieved just by transferring money among Halifax current account. The £5 reward itself counts as pay in too. Once I paid only £1495 into my account, then received the £5 reward and met the £1500 pay in for the next month.

Band7

Emily_Joy said:

 Anyway, while we are on it, do I get it right that one can open 3 rewards accounts at the moment and enroll all of them in the rewards scheme?

Yep, this is correct.

You can enrol each one - and each one has its own expiry date 

Band7

Alex9384 said:

I'm actually surprised that Halifax are OK with that.  

Keep your surprise quiet, please

General_Grant

phillw said:

So to be fair to the person working in Halifax that said you had to make a purchase on your account, that is pretty much what is supposed to happen. I wouldn't expect a Halifax employee to tell you that you can do it anyway.

As for checking if you were enrolled regardless, sure. But "I didn't get cashback after transferring money" is likely going to get you the answer they gave.

to be fair - the reported words used by the Halifax employee were "you have to go shopping in high street with your card", that would even exclude online purchases of groceries or appliances etc.

TheMightySwordfish

I've said this before and I'm still doing this as spending from the card for the last couple of years. I top up my Revolut from the card £500 in one go and it counts for the reward. I'm also able to send the £500 back straight away. This can be back to Halifax or to another bank account. Your mileage may vary.

Rich2808

IanManc said:

Maybe people who uses their debit card to pay £500 into a savings account to get their £5 Halifax reward might be grateful if everyone shuts up about it now before Halifax twig and decide to find a way to stop it working? 

Just a thought .....  😊

Apologies for raising this - but we are 10 pages and 100 posts in where this has been discussed. The whole thread title is a bit of a giveaway.

I will leave it at that - and report back in early December if I get my cinema reward.

Last night I went to see a wonderful film - Living with Bill Nighy - with my partner using my September Halifax reward (based on when I relied on the £5k monthly balance).  Was actually worth over £14 - not £5 - as the voucher entitles you to a VIP seat and a half price popcorn voucher.

Emily_Joy

I only regret I have not come here with my question sooner Somehow I assumed the bank will be able to resolve this

Rich2808

Sorry to add a further question.

But for the last 3 months I received my reward via having a £5,000 balance. Now with rising rates I decided to withdraw this and opt for the £500 debit card payment qualification route. My reward extra profile on the app only makes reference to my balance dropping below £5k - and not my cleared £500 debit card payment - so I am not (at present) going to qualify for a reward for November.

Can you simply swap from the £5k+ balance to the £500 debit card payment to qualify - or is that choice fixed along with your reward at the start of the reward year?

I can't believe you can't but the way its worded on the site implies 'you choose' which option - but can you change that choice month to month? So £5k balance one month - and then below £5k the next but make a £500 debit card payment.

It might seem a stupid question - but I can't think what else I may be doing wrong!

https://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/current-accounts/reward-current-account.html

northwalesd

Rich2808 said:

Can you simply swap from the £5k+ balance to the £500 debit card payment to qualify - or is that choice fixed along with your reward at the start of the reward year?

No, sorry you can't just switch options mid year, it is fixed.