LNER Amex Deals

[crablab]

LNER seem to be splashing their marketing budget again and I have been given a 12% cashback offer on an Amex card. (These offers are targeted at specific customers based on your spending & their targeted marketing)

I'm aware that some forum members had been making good use of similar offers by purchasing LNER eVouchers for future use.

Consulting the terms and conditions of same, there are the following disadvantages:

eVouchers purchased through LNER can be used to pay or part pay for any UK rail ticket sold via the LNER website and LNER App.

eVouchers cannot be redeemed against postal ticket charges, PlusBus tickets or administration fees for ticket changes.

Valid for 12 months from date of purchase, after which any remaining credit will be lost.

eVouchers are non-refundable.

Once added to a customer account, eVouchers are non-transferrable.

(The Amex terms of the offer don't include anything specific. It seems season tickets are in scope here...)

Usually a happy Trainsplit customer, I am considering this as a form of "season ticket" for my regular commuting, which involves no splits, where I'm currently buying Railcard discounted Day Returns and know I'll be spending a considerable sum over the year.

I wonder if anyone who's done this has any comments?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

LNER seem to be splashing their marketing budget again and I have been given a 12% cashback offer on an Amex card. (These offers are targeted at specific customers based on your spending & their targeted marketing)

I'm aware that some forum members had been making good use of similar offers by purchasing LNER eVouchers for future use.

Consulting the terms and conditions of same, there are the following disadvantages:





(The Amex terms of the offer don't include anything specific. It seems season tickets are in scope here...)

Usually a happy Trainsplit customer, I am considering this as a form of "season ticket" for my regular commuting, which involves no splits, where I'm currently buying Railcard discounted Day Returns and know I'll be spending a considerable sum over the year.

I wonder if anyone who's done this has any comments?

On previous iterations, it has worked fine (or at least the Barclaycard/Airtime combination did: it’s only this time round that the AmEx version is my most beneficial rate): you buy your voucher and load it to the LNER app, you buy your ticket (and for my journey, collect it from the machine), you use it and there’s no problem.

Without yet trying the AmEx version (that will change tomorrow morning) the only catch that I am aware of is NOT to use any LNER only perks in buying an evoucher as apparently that taints the whole voucher to only be used on tickets for LNER services.

 

[crablab]

Thanks - that's reassuring to hear

the only catch that I am aware of is NOT to use any LNER only perks in buying an evoucher as apparently that taints the whole voucher to only be used on tickets for LNER services.

Yes, that's a really good point. LNER Perks can only be redeemed against their trains, so you definitely don't wasn't to splash out on that by mistake!

 

[island]

I wonder if anyone who's done this has any comments?

I've done this regularly for the past year. The only issues/niggles are:

• If you have the version of the offer only valid for one transaction of up to £600, you can't get the full value from it as LNER's maximum voucher sale is £500.
• The above mentioned caution that using LNER Perks credit towards vouchers makes the entire voucher only valid for LNER Advances
• If you spend big on vouchers it can result in the purchase being referred for fraud checks and they may take some time to arrive
• If you don't like e-tickets you need to use the LNER website rather than the app to purchase, as the app forces e-tickets for flows that support them

 

[crablab]

as the app forces e-tickets for flows that support them

If I remember correctly, the LNER app does allow you to add eTickets to Google Wallet after purchase?

How does the voucher activation work? Do you redeem the vouchers against your account and then they keep track of the balance? Or do you have to enter the voucher code on each transaction?
(I've never had a voucher from LNER before! )

How does the voucher activation work? Do you redeem the vouchers against your account and then they keep track of the balance? Or do you have to enter the voucher code on each transaction?

I have answered my own questions:
- If you want to use the app, you have to redeem vouchers against your account online first. Rather annoyingly you have to copy-paste substrings.
- The balance of the vouchers is then kept track of individually, and you're offered the option to use that balance when paying in the app.
- Yes, you can add eTickets to Google Wallet from the app. Unfortunately not directly from the payment confirmation screen, as you can with Trainsplit.

 

[Adam Williams]

If I remember correctly, the LNER app does allow you to add eTickets to Google Wallet after purchase?

How does the voucher activation work? Do you redeem the vouchers against your account and then they keep track of the balance? Or do you have to enter the voucher code on each transaction?
(I've never had a voucher from LNER before! )


I have answered my own questions:
- If you want to use the app, you have to redeem vouchers against your account online first. Rather annoyingly you have to copy-paste substrings.
- The balance of the vouchers is then kept track of individually, and you're offered the option to use that balance when paying in the app.
- Yes, you can add eTickets to Google Wallet from the app. Unfortunately not directly from the payment confirmation screen, as you can with Trainsplit.

Is it worth all the pain for 12%?!

 

[island]

If I remember correctly, the LNER app does allow you to add eTickets to Google Wallet after purchase?

How does the voucher activation work? Do you redeem the vouchers against your account and then they keep track of the balance? Or do you have to enter the voucher code on each transaction?
(I've never had a voucher from LNER before! )


I have answered my own questions:
- If you want to use the app, you have to redeem vouchers against your account online first. Rather annoyingly you have to copy-paste substrings.
- The balance of the vouchers is then kept track of individually, and you're offered the option to use that balance when paying in the app.
- Yes, you can add eTickets to Google Wallet from the app. Unfortunately not directly from the payment confirmation screen, as you can with Trainsplit.

You can copy paste the entire string and put it in the first box, then it carries across to the remaining boxes. Or at least that's how it works on my devices.

Is it worth all the pain for 12%?!

Yes.

 

[CompactDstrxion]

Looks like 10% with Halifax/Lloyds up to £30 cashback, one transaction only (so don't buy more than £300).

Apart from what has been mentioned already I have had no issues with having the cashback paid or using the vouchers previously.

 

[BlueLeanie]

I've done this regularly for the past year. The only issues/niggles are:

• If you have the version of the offer only valid for one transaction of up to £600, you can't get the full value from it as LNER's maximum voucher sale is £500.

Thankfully have the 12% back on every transaction variety.

Is it worth all the pain for 12%?!

My season ticket is £6188, 12% cashback is close to £750 back.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

I couldn't find it in the terms, but is the cashback for LNER services only or just booking through their platform? I only use the WCML.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I couldn't find it in the terms, but is the cashback for LNER services only or just booking through their platform? I only use the WCML.

For just booking through their platform. So I am getting credit for my Liverpool to Manchester commute.

 

[Halwynd]

I couldn't find it in the terms, but is the cashback for LNER services only or just booking through their platform? I only use the WCML.

Any ticket you buy from LNER gets you the cashback.

I've used LNER to buy my last couple of tickets for travel with Northern Trains. Cashback is credited to your statement the next working day after the ticket charge is processed.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

For just booking through their platform. So I am getting credit for my Liverpool to Manchester commute.

Any ticket you buy from LNER gets you the cashback.

I've used LNER to buy my last couple of tickets for travel with Northern Trains. Cashback is credited to your statement the next working day after the ticket charge is processed.

amazing, thanks!

 

[jrh2254]

I received an offer on my BA AMEX card for 10% off purchases with LNER. I have looked through the terms and conditions with AMEX and cant see any restriction on spend using my AMEX to buy LNER tickets so I went to purchase a voucher using the LNER app. So I looked online and found it and was directed to log into my account. Strange that there was no link I could find in the app.
As outlined above the maximum I could buy was £500
I easily spend £500 per annum so its a no brainer !
Thank you.

 

[island]

I received an offer on my BA AMEX card for 10% off purchases with LNER. I have looked through the terms and conditions with AMEX and cant see any restriction on spend using my AMEX to buy LNER tickets so I went to purchase a voucher using the LNER app. So I looked online and found it and was directed to log into my account. Strange that there was no link I could find in the app.
As outlined above the maximum I could buy was £500
I easily spend £500 per annum so its a no brainer !
Thank you.

Purchase of vouchers needs to be done via the website, rather than the app. Some interpretations of App Store rules state that voucher purchases have to be made with in-app purchase systems and a 30% commission paid to Apple/Google. So they're looking to avoid that I reckon.

Amex offers usually allow you to make multiple transactions so if you will spend more than £500 on vouchers in a year, you are of course free to make multiple voucher purchases to the amount you care for.

 

[jrh2254]

Purchase of vouchers needs to be done via the website, rather than the app. Some interpretations of App Store rules state that voucher purchases have to be made with in-app purchase systems and a 30% commission paid to Apple/Google. So they're looking to avoid that I reckon.

Amex offers usually allow you to make multiple transactions so if you will spend more than £500 on vouchers in a year, you are of course free to make multiple voucher purchases to the amount you care for.

Thank you thats very useful to know. I spend way more than £500 a year , probably more like £1,500+ for myself and my partner so will make multiple £500 purchases.
So just so I have got this right my LNER credit balance can exceed £500 ?
Thanks.

 

[paul1609]

Purchase of vouchers needs to be done via the website, rather than the app. Some interpretations of App Store rules state that voucher purchases have to be made with in-app purchase systems and a 30% commission paid to Apple/Google. So they're looking to avoid that I reckon.

Amex offers usually allow you to make multiple transactions so if you will spend more than £500 on vouchers in a year, you are of course free to make multiple voucher purchases to the amount you care for.

The only problem I have is deciding when to buy the vouchers apart from a few days Ive been on the 10% cashback continuously now since last April with one period at 12%. Prior to that I had a about 2 months break after about 3 months on discount. I must be well in to three figures on the total savings with LNER.

 

[jrh2254]

The only problem I have is deciding when to buy the vouchers apart from a few days Ive been on the 10% cashback continuously now since last April with one period at 12%. Prior to that I had a about 2 months break after about 3 months on discount. I must be well in to three figures on the total savings with LNER.

Thank you. Thats interesting so whilst my current amex 10% offer expires in about 2 weeks they may offer me another one ! Will keep checking.

 

[island]

So just so I have got this right my LNER credit balance can exceed £500 ?
Thanks.

You don't have a "LNER credit balance" you have N number of vouchers of £100 each which you add to your account as and when you see fit. There is no explicit limit to the number of vouchers you can purchase, although I have had purchases held for manual review and fraud checks.

 

[jrh2254]

You don't have a "LNER credit balance" you have N number of vouchers of £100 each which you add to your account as and when you see fit. There is no explicit limit to the number of vouchers you can purchase, although I have had purchases held for manual review and fraud checks.

Thanks. I have had other purchases held for manual review and fraud checks - its a pain having to call the card company but unfortunately its just the world we live in ! Thankfully house theft has fallen as there are just too many cameras around ! Hopefully the same will occur with credit card fraud but by that time the criminals will have moved on to something new !

 

[paul1609]

Thank you. Thats interesting so whilst my current amex 10% offer expires in about 2 weeks they may offer me another one ! Will keep checking.

Sometimes they just extend the offer without comment, othertimes you have to let it expire in your current offers and after a day or so go in to the offers and add it again. My current offer on Amex is 10% and expires in about 2weeks. Ive also got a measley 5% Visa offer that expires next week. Last year this was theperiod I didnt get an offer for about 2 months so Ive got it in my diary to buy the e vouchers a couple of days before the end just in case.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Prior to that I had a about 2 months break after about 3 months on discount.

Thank you. Thats interesting so whilst my current amex 10% offer expires in about 2 weeks they may offer me another one ! Will keep checking

If you feel sufficiently organised, an option would be to buy vouchers to cover a month or so's travel while the current offer is in place - and for any trips you take during this month. book directly on a trip by trip basis. That way, if the offer comes off for a month or so, you have vouchers available - albeit you've paid upfront so you lose the cashflow benefit of paying as you go, and you do need to remember to use them before they expire.

(which I see is essentially what @paul1609 has said while I was still typing).

 

[Hadders]

My current LNER offer is only 5%

It has been as high as 12% in the past.

 

[Speed1283]

I'm currently looking into this to buy my SWR season ticket and use my amex 10% cashback. However my current season ticket runs until mid May and looking on the LNER website, whilst I can seemingly buy an SWR season ticket I can only select a start date that's a week out from today.

Unfortunately the LNER amex offer runs out next week and no guarantee that it will return...

The LNER e voucher is of interest if I can use that for an SWR season ticket, but I'd probably need to buy several vouchers if there is a cap of £500

 

[island]

I am not sure that vouchers are accepted for season tickets.

 

[Hadders]

I am not sure that vouchers are accepted for season tickets.

I've just done a dummy booking and vouchers appear as a payment option. You'll need a LNER smartcard added to your account though.

 

[Haywain]

I am not sure that vouchers are accepted for season tickets.

They should be. The T&Cs say this:

1. eVouchers purchased through LNER can be used to pay or part pay for any UK rail ticket sold via the LNER website and LNER App.

 

[crablab]

Interestingly, the Monzo cashback specifically excludes season tickets & vouchers.

 

[Haywain]

Interestingly, the Monzo cashback specifically excludes season tickets & vouchers.

That would make sense for the direct purchase of season tickets, in order to prevent a season being purchased for the cashback, and then refunded. As LNER eVouchers are non-refundable that risk does not occur.

 

[Speed1283]

Thanks for the responses. Can't help but feel like it's a little risky, don't want to be left with thousands of LNER voucher value that I don't want! but I appreciate it appears to be a low risk.