Both Visa and Mastercard, the operators of the payment schemes, not individual banks or card issuers, run regular offers and discounts but don’t seem to promote them widely.
There are also regular discounts available at certain hotels and car hire firms. For example you can get 20% off at Best Western when paying with a Mastercard.
Many UK current accounts offer cashback deals for various shops and services, usually changing every month. First Direct, Santander, Halifax, and others do this. You can usually access the deals through the bank’s mobile app.
For example, First Direct are offering 15% cashback at Airport Parking and Hotels and 10% back on airport transfers with GetTransfer.
Many points and miles collectors overlook deals like this from their current accounts because they require spending with your debit card. When you’re trying to collect points and miles you get into the habit of putting all your spending through your credit card.
Unless you’re trying to hit a spend target, taking even a 2.5% cashback deal via a debit card is a much better return than getting 1% back in miles from your credit card.
Here’s some of the current offers, available when paying with any Mastercard or Visa card, from any issuer. Many of these require quoting a code when booking so check the details and current offers at these pages.
- Visa Offers and Perks
- Mastercard (Click through to Consumers, then Promotions & Sponsorships)
Mastercard Offers
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts – 4 nights for the price of 3
- Heathrow Express – 12% discount
- Win your child a mascot experience at a UEFA Champions League match
- Access to the VIP club in the spectator village at The Open golf tournament
- Disneyland Paris – tours, premium seats, VIP guides
- London Designer Outlet – 10% discount
- Paris Helipass sightseeing – 10% discount
- Hotrod Citytour and Top Tour Sightseeing, Berlin – 25% discount
- One World Observatory New York – Fast Track entry
- Istanbul Walks – 10% discount
- Grand Hotel St Petersburg – 7% discount
- Radisson Collection Hotel Moscow – 10% discount
- London Theatre Tokens – 10% discount
Visa Offers
- Sixt Rent a Car – 10% discount
- Enterprise Rent a Car – 5% discount
- Alamo cars – 5% discount
- OYO Travel hotels – 30% discount
- London Explorer Pass – 5% discount
- St Paul’s Cathedral priority entrance – 10% discount
- Encore London Theatre Tickets – up to 55% discount
- Hertz car rental – up to 25% discount
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts – 10% discount + free breakfast for 2
- Fairmont Hotels and Resorts – 15% off 2 night stays + $50 hotel credit
- New York Big Bus Tours – 15% discount
- Grayline Sightseeing Tours – 10% discount
- Berlin Urban Adventures – 15% discount
- Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines – 2 for 1 discount
