Cashback on tickets any sites to recommend?

[whole diary]

[Tim]

For the last year, I have been making my online ticket purchases on the First Transpennine Express site.  I chose this because I get 1.01% cashback with Topcashback, 1% of the ticket price back as Nectar points and because there are no booking fees or postage fees. 1% cashback, 1% back in Nectar points and 1% back from using a rewards Anex card, gets me an effective 3% discount on train tickets. 

The Topcashback arrangement alone "earned" me about ^40 which is better than a poke in the eye - although they sometimes took up to 9 months to pay out.  This has now come to an end and I see that there are various alternative ticket vendors available on TopCashBack.  I wondered it the forum had any collective wisdom on which might be good to use.

Any credit card or booking fee is a no-no, which rules the likes of Trainline.com out.  I'd prefer to have free postal delivery, but could live with free station pickup. 

Thanks

[ChrisB]

Without knowing which vendors you see listed on TopCashBack, it's quite hard to post any opinion :-)

[Fourbee]

I use First Hull Trains through Quidco for 2% (Topcashback restricts it to Hull Trains' bookings only) & the aforementioned nectar points, but they seem even slower than Topcashback (generally I prefer Topcashback over Quidco anyway as you can pay out in Clubcard points depending on the merchant which can then be doubled and used at Redspottedhanky. Despite its ^1 booking fee it can work out OK on larger/multiple transactions).

[JayMac]

Of those available on topcashback, the best currently appears to be Virgin Trains. Although I'm not a fan of their booking engine layout.

[Tim]

Thanks everyone. 

I thought Virgin trains looked OK, so BNM's recommendation is helpful.

As for cashback payment delays, I just think that that is par for the course with cashback sites.

 

[Fourbee]

Of those available on topcashback, the best currently appears to be Virgin Trains. Although I'm not a fan of their booking engine layout.

Thanks for the tip BNM, I agree regarding the layout (I am more used to the "mixing deck" style websites). I also forgot that trainline back end ones do a separate booking reference even if tickets are added to the same basket; oh well that's going to be the person behind me's problem!

[TonyK]

I buy through GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s site, no matter which operator I am travelling with, and thus get Nectar points. These alone are not to be sniffed at, as my wife has just demonstrated during a "doubling up" period in the shops, coming home with all manner of decent swag paid for largely in accrued points.

I then pay for my ticket with my Santander 123 credit card, which gives me 3% cash back on, for example, my first class ticket from Bristol Temple Meads to Crediton (£6.60 with my newly-acquired Senior Railcard). Other cash-back credit cards are available (I have three others for where Santander isn't the best deal), and probably a cash-bach for west of the Severn Tunnel.

I love a bargain!

[Brucey]

I use Hull Trains, through whichever cashback site is offering the best rate at the moment.  Nectar points are also earnt.

3.1% at imutual (http://www.imutual.co.uk/first-hull-trains) - they're a much smaller site with more personal service.

[devon_metro]

I buy through GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s site, no matter which operator I am travelling with, and thus get Nectar points. These alone are not to be sniffed at, as my wife has just demonstrated during a "doubling up" period in the shops, coming home with all manner of decent swag paid for largely in accrued points.

I then pay for myy ticket with my Santander 123 credit card, which gives me 3% cash back on, for example, my first class ticket from Bristol Temple Meads to Crediton (^6.60 with my newly-acquired Senior Railcard). Other cash-back credit cards are available (I have three others for where Santander isn't the best deal), and probably a cash-bach for west of the Severn Bridge.

I love a bargain!

Certain operators e.g. VTEC, offer cheaper tickets on their own AP tickets by a few %, so it's worth using them if you ever use the East Coast (or at least did last time I used them). They also offer Nectar points.

[Fourbee]

There have been some reviews on Topcashback and Quidco regarding Virgin Trains declining purchases recently for no reason and I recently had a large purchase track then immediately decline.

I will probably go back to using one of the First branded websites.

[ChrisB]

It's always worth checking prices on the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) own website if looking for offers/Advance tickets as they sometimes offer a few % off these prices themselves. Then go to website of choice to compare prices/buy if the prices are the same.

[Tim]

There have been some reviews on Topcashback and Quidco regarding Virgin Trains declining purchases recently for no reason and I recently had a large purchase track then immediately decline.

I will probably go back to using one of the First branded websites.

I've had a couple of Virgin cashback's decline on TCB^▸ (Track Circuit Block).  It seems to be when I book tickets to collect from a machine and then delay in picking them up.  Submitting a claim for this has always been successful.