Last edit by: Steve Oh
*** NS&I & HMRC NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR 3V USE ***
Introduction 3V cards and Avios
Tesco gives 150 Clubcard point (convertible to 360 Avios/375 Virgin Miles) for every £50 spent on gift cards. These include the 3V 'Internet Shopping' Visa gift cards (which carry no fee) and have the ability to be recycled back into cash or to pay off bills where an Avios earning card is not accepted. To earn the points just purchase in multiples of £50; you combine with other gift cards (e.g. iTunes, Prepay Visa cards (with fee), Nandos etc).
Spending 3V cards
The original loophole of recycling 3V cards via NS&I direct saver accounts appears to have been closed as of 12/12/13. Other potential routes to dispose of cards can be found here, although this list is now out of date and some disposal methods listed are no longer available.
Current Disposal Options
Following the discontinuation of the NS&I loophole the following websites are still accepting payment by 3V and may be an ongoing useful source of 3V spend to collect points:-
Sky (but there are reports of Sky reversing the transactions); Orange/EE; BT; Virgin Media;Talk Talk, topcashback.co.uk (gift cards); PayPal; Highstreet Vouchers; ParentPay, United Utilities, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, Npower, Amazon (via giftcard), VoucherExpress
Purchasing cards at Tesco
It is strongly recommended when purchasing 3V cards at Tesco that a maximum of 4 cards is purchased in any one transaction (and ensure you have all four activation slips before leaving the store) due to the system limitations of Tesco's checkouts giving rise to potentially being charged for cards which haven't activated. Official Tesco advice to stores is for a maximum of 5 cards (although in this scenario no Clubcard points would be earned on the fifth card). Store policy on how many cards you can take away in one visit is variable although in an unknown store it is wise not to immediately draw too much attention to your activity - if staff are happy to proceed then you can always build to larger quantities before they decline to sell you more.
Non-Tesco 3V outlets
3V cards can also be found in Morrisons, Boots & Homebase. With Morrisons usually having large quantities, sometimes in excess of 100 cards per store and the offer of 1p off of every litre of fuel for every £10 spent makes this is a very good alternative if you're having problems locating stock at Tesco.
Introduction 3V cards and Avios
Tesco gives 150 Clubcard point (convertible to 360 Avios/375 Virgin Miles) for every £50 spent on gift cards. These include the 3V 'Internet Shopping' Visa gift cards (which carry no fee) and have the ability to be recycled back into cash or to pay off bills where an Avios earning card is not accepted. To earn the points just purchase in multiples of £50; you combine with other gift cards (e.g. iTunes, Prepay Visa cards (with fee), Nandos etc).
Spending 3V cards
The original loophole of recycling 3V cards via NS&I direct saver accounts appears to have been closed as of 12/12/13. Other potential routes to dispose of cards can be found here, although this list is now out of date and some disposal methods listed are no longer available.
Current Disposal Options
Following the discontinuation of the NS&I loophole the following websites are still accepting payment by 3V and may be an ongoing useful source of 3V spend to collect points:-
Sky (but there are reports of Sky reversing the transactions); Orange/EE; BT; Virgin Media;Talk Talk, topcashback.co.uk (gift cards); PayPal; Highstreet Vouchers; ParentPay, United Utilities, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, Npower, Amazon (via giftcard), VoucherExpress
Purchasing cards at Tesco
It is strongly recommended when purchasing 3V cards at Tesco that a maximum of 4 cards is purchased in any one transaction (and ensure you have all four activation slips before leaving the store) due to the system limitations of Tesco's checkouts giving rise to potentially being charged for cards which haven't activated. Official Tesco advice to stores is for a maximum of 5 cards (although in this scenario no Clubcard points would be earned on the fifth card). Store policy on how many cards you can take away in one visit is variable although in an unknown store it is wise not to immediately draw too much attention to your activity - if staff are happy to proceed then you can always build to larger quantities before they decline to sell you more.
Non-Tesco 3V outlets
3V cards can also be found in Morrisons, Boots & Homebase. With Morrisons usually having large quantities, sometimes in excess of 100 cards per store and the offer of 1p off of every litre of fuel for every £10 spent makes this is a very good alternative if you're having problems locating stock at Tesco.
3V cards | master thread
#197
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,120
You can add Marks Farm, Braintree to the list.
#199
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,120
Oh apologies thats a Tesco
#200
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NCL
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 484
There is a possibility that a stock check could also be performed for Tesco. It looks like their iOS app used to do a stock check by scanning a bar code, but it was removed from the latest version!
Edit: It looks like the 'salesmans journey' algorithm I learned at A level Computing might finally come in useful...
Edit: It looks like the 'salesmans journey' algorithm I learned at A level Computing might finally come in useful...
#201
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
You've missed out the 2 London ones I''be visiting today, so just wanted to say thanks, cos now I know nobody else will have beaten me to them ^
#202
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NCL
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 484
I'll run it again tonight and see how much stock remains I might even stick it on a Google map if there's an easy way to load the data via Google Spreadsheets or something.
#203
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
My script seemed to fail on stores in town names that exist more than once in the United Kingdom (Bangor was one example I spotted). Needs some refining.
I'll run it again tonight and see how much stock remains I might even stick it on a Google map if there's an easy way to load the data via Google Spreadsheets or something.
I'll run it again tonight and see how much stock remains I might even stick it on a Google map if there's an easy way to load the data via Google Spreadsheets or something.
#204
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Wiltshire/London
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 157
What coupon is this please for the 1000 points? Thanks.
#205
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Essex
Programs: BAEC, Amex, SPG Gold, VA Red, HHonours Gold
Posts: 116
#206
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,769
Bought another 6 just now and tore 6 vouchers out of the mags. Waste of paper as I just throw the mags away afterwards. Shame they can't scan 1 coupon 6 times (apparently need to put them in the till drawer even though they've got the same barcode)
Anyway, 1150 easy points + shopping.
Anyway, 1150 easy points + shopping.
#208
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
87 3V cards total today
Lots of beeping for me to do Wednesday night.
Lots of beeping for me to do Wednesday night.
#210
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985