Student Card Advice

MichaelCole

I need some advice regarding Student cards, theres a number of them out there avaliable. There is the NUS card but at 7 quid I'm not sure if it's the best one for me.

I'm hoping to get a card that will hopefully allow be discount on train travel (if possible)

Possibly discounts like online stores like amazon, play

I would like to know cheaper alternative to the NUS card

Thank you :money:

wallace_3

When I was at university, NUS cards were free. Is this no longer the case? For discount rail travel, you need a young persons railcard. It costs £20 for a year, or you get a free 5-year pass if you open a Natwest student account.

MichaelCole

wallace wrote:

When I was at university, NUS cards were free. Is this no longer the case? For discount rail travel, you need a young persons railcard. It costs £20 for a year, or you get a free 5-year pass if you open a Natwest student account.

NUS is no longer free :mad:

The student railcard won't be sutible for me as I only make journeys between 2 stations Adisham-Canterbury.

Loopylou_4

you have to pay £7?! :O That's ridiculous! Last year when I had one it was free, did they just change it this year?

CrispyUK

MichaelCole wrote:

NUS is no longer free :mad:

The student railcard won't be sutible for me as I only make journeys between 2 stations Adisham-Canterbury.

How often do you make the journey (and why don't you think the Young Persons Railcard is suitable?).

stuwilky

There are two NUS cards at some Universities this year.

NUS, and NUS Extra. The Extra incorporates the ISIC card as well. The normal NUS is usually free but sometimes has a small charge, the extra is supposed to give you addition benefits as well, but the website is very wooly!

sockospice

Extra is being trialled in the North West this year. It's a tenner, four pound of which goes straight to your own student union. It also doubles as an isic card, so if you're planning on travelling in the summer it's pretty useful.

Should have all the same discounts as the usual NUS card, plus others (from what i've read so far, argos, bodyshop and superdrug all definite discount, plus the possibility of a supermarket from Jan onwards)

Your university student card should be enough to get discounts in most places though.

wallace_3

NUS cards are only issued through local student unions, you cannot apply directly to the NUS. Could it be possible that your university student union is trying to raise cash by charging for the cards, or is it definately a national thing whereby the basic card costs?

jr666

NUS cards always cost the students union money. They have to pay membership fees and things. Some unis pass this cost onto their students, some partially subsidise the costs and some pay for the lot.

Its up to the uni to decide.

A discount on a supermarket!! That would be amazing, but i'll believe it when i see it .

sockospice

jr666 wrote:

NUS cards always cost the students union money. They have to pay membership fees and things. Some unis pass this cost onto their students, some partially subsidise the costs and some pay for the lot.

Its up to the uni to decide.

A discount on a supermarket!! That would be amazing, but i'll believe it when i see it .

Me too. I was talking to one of the SU reps who has been administering the card, and basically he thinks they want to see how many people would be willing to pay for extra discounts before any big supermarket will commit themselves.

elisebutt65

Picked up my NUS card today and didn't get charged a bean!!!

ISIS card usually cost £7 - maybe that was what they were giving you?