Barclay's Blue Rewards Removing £5 Reward

HillStreetBlues

From 4th Sept no more £5 reward.

We’re changing the way you get rewarded with Blue Rewards. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been changing the features available with your membership and introducing new ones, like access to high-interest savings accounts and cashback when you shop – all for the same £5 a month. We’ve now introduced subscriptions to Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass – they’re available for you to activate in your app straight away. From‌ ‌4 September 2024‌, we’re removing the £5 monthly loyalty reward you get for having two or more Direct Debits, along with all other product cash rewards. There are some more changes too – here’s a summary of everything you need to know. Summary of key changes

• All Blue Rewards members can now access an Apple TV+ subscription worth £8.99 a month, and watch every Major League Soccer match with an MLS Season Pass subscription, worth £14.99 a month during the season (we’ll update your T&Cs to include this from‌ ‌1 July‌) • From‌ ‌4 September‌, we’re removing the £5 monthly loyalty reward for having two or more Direct Debits as well as all other product cash rewards at the same time: £3 residential mortgage reward, £1.50 life insurance and £5 life plus critical illness reward, and £1 Barclayloan reward – you’ll receive your last payment on‌ ‌3 September‌ • We want you to get value from your Blue Rewards membership, so we’re changing the way we assess this when the features change, as set out in the Blue Rewards FAQs – we’ll regularly review what you use and we’ll let you know if we don’t think you’re benefitting • From‌ ‌4 September‌, Premier customers will no longer be able to join Blue Rewards because all its features will be available as part of Premier

wiseonesomeofthetime

Just posted this on another thread:

 https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/

I love how they claim "Get access to enhanced rates on savings, cashback on everyday spending, and an Apple TV+ subscription" and then, further down, state:

"Earn up to 15% cashback when you spend at selected retailers with the Barclays Visa debit card linked to your Cashback Rewards account"

Having previously had a Blue Rewards account, I can say that the majority of those retailers were not where I conducted my everday spending!

HillStreetBlues

If you only use it for the 5% rainy day saver for the £5k. I calculate without the £5 the rate works out to 3.8%

anoukis

And this is from their email that came this morning (to premier customers). 

We’ve also introduced subscriptions to Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass – they’re available for you to activate in your Barclays app straight away.

From‌ ‌4 September 2024, we’re removing the £5 monthly loyalty reward you get with Blue Rewards for having two or more Direct Debits, along with all other cash rewards, like £3 a month for having a mortgage with us. If you currently receive any of these, you’ll get your last payment on‌ ‌3 September.

From‌ ‌4 September, you’ll no longer need to be a member of Blue Rewards as we’re making all of its features available to you with Premier. We’ll therefore cancel your Blue Rewards membership for you in ‌September.

If you already have any of these with Blue Rewards, they’ll continue as normal with Premier:
Barclays Cashback Rewards
Blue Rewards Saver
Rainy Day Saver

flaneurs_lobster

wiseonesomeofthetime said:

Just posted this on another thread:

 https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/

I love how they claim "Get access to enhanced rates on savings, cashback on everyday spending, and an Apple TV+ subscription" and then, further down, state:

"Earn up to 15% cashback when you spend at selected retailers with the Barclays Visa debit card linked to your Cashback Rewards account"

Having previously had a Blue Rewards account, I can say that the majority of those retailers were not where I conducted my everday spending!

Luckily the Apple TV sub is of use and will just about make up for the £5/mth fee.

Have to agree about the rum set of "everyday spending" retailers (Jimmy Choo?) but about twice a year I realise that if I'd made a purchase using a different card I could have made a couple of quid. Not just Barclays but across all the other reward/cashback offers that the banks/BS/Amex run. They are all similar (many use Visa) but differ in their choice of retailers (although Laithwaites is always there).

Anyone know of some kind of consolidation service/site for these rewards?

Zanderman

All Blue Rewards members can now access an Apple TV+ subscription worth £8.99 a month, and watch every Major League Soccer match with an MLS Season Pass subscription, worth £14.99 a month during the season (we’ll update your T&Cs to include this from‌ ‌1 July‌)

Not remotely appealing to anyone (and there are lot of us - perhaps Barclays marketing people don't know that though) who don't follow football at all.

Even worse for those who don't want or need Apple TV.

An actual fiver is much more useful!

WillPS

Agreed - for non-Premier customers, unless you're paying £5+ a month for either or both subs - definitely unsubscribe. I've never even heard of this MLS Season Pass but Apple TV+ is pretty easy to get for free/very little with their plentiful trials.

Nice little perk for Premier customers come September tho.

myth123

That's a pity. I guess for most, the main benefit was for the Rainy Day Saver, which for the last year or so has been eclipsed by other easy access rates, but with the downward trend of rates could have come back into it's own. I'll downgrade soon to avoid the £5 fee without the £5 reward.

A bit frustrating that one of my direct debits to the account is with Ecology. and I can't see whether I can move that direct debit now, as they've removed that pay in facility for new accounts.

youngretired

Anyone got any ideas/thoughts how this will work when they say that the last £5 reward will be paid on the 2nd September, but going forward from the 4th September the £5 fee will be paid in advance instead of arrears? So when would be the best time to downgrade and remove rewards?

I only had rewards for the Rainy Day Saver and as others have already pointed out, it won't be worth keeping as will work out 3.8%. So wondering when to downgrade.

anoukis

@youngretired this is from the email to premier customers. I suspect a similar email will come soon for non-premier. 

What happens next

You don’t need to do anything – we’ll automatically cancel your Blue Rewards membership in ‌September. We’ll take your last £5 monthly Blue Rewards fee on‌ ‌3 September.

If you’d prefer to cancel your Blue Rewards membership before then, you can do this at any time in the Barclays app or Online Banking. If you cancel before 5‌pm on the last day of a month, we won’t charge you the next fee.

If you leave Premier on or before‌ ‌3 September but keep your Blue Rewards membership, the new Blue Rewards T&Cs will apply to you from‌ ‌4 September and you’ll keep paying the £5 monthly fee.

If there’s any cash in your Blue Rewards wallet, we’ll transfer it to your linked current account when your Blue Rewards membership ends.

WillPS

myth123 said:

A bit frustrating that one of my direct debits to the account is with Ecology. and I can't see whether I can move that direct debit now, as they've removed that pay in facility for new accounts.

Contact Ecology. Tell them you need to change the direct debit mandate. They'll send you a form. It'll take ages to kick in tho, I think their cut off is something like the 10th for the next month's payment, so if you submitted one today it wouldn't take effect until the start of August.

If you tell them you don't have a printer they'll probably send you a copy with a prepaid envelope to return it.