The u3a Trust has created a discount scheme called u3a Friends Extra for u3a members that have subscribed to its u3a Friends newsletter.
The scheme is free and gives you money off a range of different outlets. To try it out, I explored getting the promised 4% from Tesco. By using it for all our Tesco shopping, I'll be able to make a profit on my HIU3A subscription!
To get the discount:
- Sign up to the u3a Friends newsletter. You just need to provide your email address and first name. You will get regular monthly 'Friends' emails letting you know something about what is happening in the UK-wide u3a. You will also get an email containing a link to the Friends Extra web site...
- Click the Friends Extra link - for me that meant clicking the 'u3a Friends Extra' banner in the email. The link is specific to your email address; I can't provide a direct link here, sorry.
- Make a note of the Friends Extra link so you can get back to it. It's a long one with several codes so the easiest way to do that is to either:
- Keep the email somewhere you can get back to it; or
- Copy the link to Notepad, Evernote, or similar; or
- Store it in a password manager such as Lastpass.
- Register with the Friends Extra web site. You will need to provide a password (that you'll also need to remember) and provide:
- Your email preferences
- Some limited personal information (not all of which is mandatory - I provided title, name and year of birth)
- Your address - the site says it must match your credit card address but I omitted it and there was no problem
- Select the outlet that you want a discount for - for me, that was Tesco - click the AZ button in the toolbar to see a full list of outlets. What happens next might vary by outlet but the broad principle is that you purchase a gift card for a value you specify. I ordered a £200 gift card and, because of the 4% discount, I paid just £192 for it. The outlet sends you a gift card - I chose the option to get a digital one, that included a link to add the card to my Google wallet (there was a similar option for Apple phones).
- When shopping, present your gift card when making your payment. Either let the cashier scan it, or use the 'Gift card' option on the self-service payment screen. Tesco tracks how much of the gift card you've used so you don't have to use it all at once. You also get your Tesco clubcard points and discounts. That might not be the case for all outlets, so check the terms carefully.
- Because the gift card I bought was issued by Tesco I'm not reliant on the u3a scheme to redeem the card - just as long as Tesco doesn't go bust!
At the time of writing there are loads of outlets offering discounts. Here's some of the more widely-known ones (actual discounts will vary over time):
- Argos 5%
- Caffè Nero 10.5%
- Costa 10%
- Currys 5.5%
- Greggs 9%
- Halfords 7%
- Hobbycraft 9%
- IOW ferry 15% for cars 20% for foot/bike travellers
- John Lewis 6%
- M&S 6%
- Morrisons 3%
- National Trust 10%
- Sainsbury's 4%