Student travelling by train sometime? Did you know you can get a 16-25 railcard online, for free?
A 16-25 railcard is a great thing to have. You may find that you need one if you are moving to a university that is a long way from home. Having one will also allow you to travel to see friends and family, as well as exploring other parts of the UK. The following is a guide to getting a free, or almost free, 16-25 railcard online.
Having a railcard allows you to enjoy ⅓ off rail fares, so there are some serious savings to be had. Currently, a one-year railcard will cost you £30, but you don’t always have to pay for one. Read on to find out how to bag a free 16-25 railcard.
Through a student bank account
One of the main ways that students are able to get a free 16-25 railcard is through student bank accounts. Many banks offer similar student accounts so try to differentiate themselves from other banks by offering a free railcard.
One of the main banks to offer such a perk is Santander. As part of their student current account, Santander offers students a free four-year railcard, worth £90. Once you have signed up for their student current account, Santander will email you a code to redeem your free railcard.
Other banks offer free railcards from time to time so be sure to check regularly if you are starting university soon and are looking for the right bank account.
Discounted railcards
Though not exactly free, you can still get a good amount of money off a 16-25 railcard if you look around. If you have an NUS extra card, now known as TOTUM, you can save up to 12% off the cost of purchasing a one-year railcard. It’s worth noting that Lloyds Bank offers a free 3 year TOTUM card with their student bank account, so you may not need to pay for a TOTUM card in order to get this discount.
You can also use cashback websites such as Quidco and TopCashback to get some or even all of your money back when purchasing a railcard. The amount of cashback that you will get varies throughout the year, so make sure you keep an eye out for any deals or offers.
Another thing to bear in mind is that you will have to pay the full price right away, and will not get your money back for a few weeks, or even months in some cases.
If you have a Tesco Clubcard, you can convert your points to save 50% off one-year railcards, one of the largest discounts out there. Make sure you have enough points in order to do this, however. You will need £15 worth of points, which is a lot of shopping in Tesco, about £1500 worth. Don’t panic, however, as Tesco often offer Clubcard holders the chance to double or even triple their vouchers into more points.
It may seem pricey, but if you do a lot of shopping at Tesco, or fill up your car there often, it might just be worth it.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now, you know how to bag a free 16-25 railcard. Whilst there are some ways to get a free railcard, there are also a few other ways to get a discounted or greatly reduced one too. Work out which way will save you the most money in order to get one.
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[…] One of the main ways that students are able to get a free 16-25 railcard is through student bank accounts. Many banks offer similar student accounts so try to differentiate themselves from other banks by offering a free railcard. One of the main banks to offer such a perk is Santander. via […]