ENDS WEDNESDAY: Get an annual tastecard membership for £1 – usual price £79.99!

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• Mouse says:

  17 Sep17 September 05:30

  Genuine question – was Gen AI used in writing this article? Asking because it has the ring of a normal HfP article but the author is listed as “HfP Partner Content”. I guess more likely one of the team wrote it and preferred not to put their name to a piece clearly marked as an advert, but thought it worth asking…

  • hedgecock says:

    17 Sep17 September 06:08

    Gen AI knows how to use an apostrophe. This is just how the marketing drones write unfortunately 🙁

    • NorthernLass says:

      17 Sep17 September 09:39

      Or not, as in its/it’s x 2 here! But thanks for the link, we used to belong to a (defunct) local version of this and used it a lot and have been meaning to look for an alternative.

      • RussellH says:

        17 Sep17 September 10:14

        I assume that that was Hi-Life (or however they spelled it)? Based in Blackpool as I recall.
        We had their card for some years, but then decided that the advantage was marginal and dropped it.
        We have also had Tastecards on and off, but not had one for some time.
        Am tempted to go for this offer, though…

  • Rob says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:37

    Was meant to have Katie’s name on it! She wrote it. ‘HfP Partner Content’ is a label we hold back for articles where the client has a style which does not fit house style.

• BJ says:

  17 Sep17 September 05:42

  If it’s going strong why does it need to offer an £80 membership for a £1? I get the feeling few people buy these, there are so many trials and promos that the card is effectively free.

  I had a membership years ago via CTM or something like that. I didn’t use it once because there always seemed to be some hoops like calling the restaurant to ask if they would take a tastecard reservation. Is it still the same or is it easier these days?

  • drdan says:

    17 Sep17 September 05:58

    Usually can’t use it Fri/Sat..I always call before I use it anyway as the listings aren’t always up to date.

    • Dubious says:

      18 Sep18 September 18:26

      Not only Fri/Sat. Also unable to use it on Public Holidays, “Celebration days including, but *not limited to*: Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday, Father’s Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day”…and also unavailable throughout December…

  • Alan says:

    17 Sep17 September 06:33

    I think it’s fair to say a good majority of its customer get the card for free or very little. I have one included with my NatWest account as mentioned in the article.

    I don’t use it all that much, but I do use it. There is an excellent French restaurant, I think called Auberge, in the arches over the road from Waterloo station. It takes it pretty much, if not, all the time. Yes you have to call to book. 241 makes the food excellent value.

  • Andrew J says:

    17 Sep17 September 06:54

    I’m not sure anyone had ever bought a tastecard – people either get it free with their bank or one of these offers. O2 had 3 months free a couple of months ago.

    • BJ says:

      17 Sep17 September 17:36

      Following this article it seems that many now have.

  • JDB says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:22

    @BJ – re “If it’s going strong why does it need to offer an £80 membership for a £1?” – see Amex Platinum.

    • BJ says:

      17 Sep17 September 07:38

      I might have guessed you’d have found a way to bring Platinum into the conversation 🙂

      • JDB says:

        17 Sep17 September 08:15

        @BJ – haha! I’m always rather suspicious of the supposedly ‘free lunch’. You have missed the opportunity to weave Finnair into the comments.

        • BJ says:

          17 Sep17 September 09:03

          Last free lunch I had was a mum’s house, oh wait a minute…

  • SteveJ says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:25

    Agree doubt Tastecard get much from direct subscribers, but Tastecard still get paid for all the customers getting it for free e.g. Natwest will be paying Tastecard per customer (nowhere near £80pp though) to be able to offer this perk.

  • BJ says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:45

    Thanks for the feedbavk, it sounds like it’s just the same as always. Even if nobidy is paying (much) it’s actually gard to argue it isn’t going strong as it’s stood the test of time and and is a very recignisable brand. I’ve no idea how much it makes but the model seems to have worked.

• Thywillbedone says:

  17 Sep17 September 06:38

  After many years of diligently supporting the London restaurant industry, I’ve decided that becoming a better cook/eating at home is by far the best way of saving money and disappointment. Given how widespread the dreaded ‘private equity cuisine’ is, finding better alternatives in the UK is ever more difficult …

  • chris w says:

    17 Sep17 September 09:06

    Yes I used to eat out in London all the time before the pandemic, now I rarely do.
    It has become so expensive and the food quality and service often so poor its a much better option to just cook at home.

    • ms says:

      17 Sep17 September 12:50

      There^ some wise man!

    • CarpalTravel says:

      17 Sep17 September 15:28

      I agree – Even holidays now, I rent a property with a kitchen rather than stay at a hotel, I just prefer my food, my way. My bike got stolen last time I did eat out, making it a very expensive outing. 🙁

• Lou says:

  17 Sep17 September 06:39

  Haven’t had a Taste Card in… Over a decade? Just had a look, 25% off Caffe Nero and Black Sheep. Got a membership out and will give it a test

• Swiss Jim says:

  17 Sep17 September 06:39

  Used these a lot when the children were younger. Absolute no brainer. Slightly harder to find a quality ‘non child friendly’ restaurant but they are definitely out there. At £1 who can complain?

• Martin says:

  17 Sep17 September 07:02

  Do not miss the renewal cancellation..
  If you don’t cancel before renewal, you’ll be charged the full renewal price.
  They won’t remind you of renewal coming up..
  No matter what you say, you won’t be able to get a refund,
  They’ll just refer you to the terms and conditions that you agreed to at sign up..
  Look at the reviews for them.

  • Matt says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:29

    I always ask Siri to set a reminder to cancel 1 day before renewal date for things like this. It takes seconds and really helps (I also do the same for Amex 2 year rule). Belts and braces I also use a card that I’m likely to have churned within a year.

    • mecrash says:

      17 Sep17 September 08:28

      Only problem is you have to send them a message to cancel as can’t be done in the app..
      They take upto 5 days to respond, usually 6 days and if it’s gone past the renewal date, they’ll take the money..
      Sett a reminder 10 days before

      • kevinchoi says:

        17 Sep17 September 09:03

        Is it not possible to cancel renewal immediately after subscribing? Is it not one of those things where even if you cancel one day into an annual subscription, the card will still work for the rest of the year?

      • Ladyshopper says:

        17 Sep17 September 13:41

        You can cancel in the app. I’ve already done it as have several people in the comments. Benefits maintained for the year, and don’t have to worry about auto renewal.

  • paul says:

    17 Sep17 September 08:23

    Mine just finished. I set a reminder to cancel 2 days before renewal only to discover they’d taken payment earlier that day ie early.

    It was a pain but they did refund within the week.

  • vlcnc says:

    17 Sep17 September 11:23

    You actually can cancel immediately in the app now despite their very misleading statements that if you do, you lose benefits immediately – this is actually not true. I do agree though they are very aggressive in enforcing renewals, I was reticent in signing up as I know they are mafia like with this – even Amazon don’t enforce like this and will refund if you have just forgotten, but as I saw others said you can cancel immediately I thought it be ok which I can confirm myself you can do.

• TimM says:

  17 Sep17 September 07:18

  It is a ‘brainer’! Yes it is only £1 in the first year but it is another company holding your name, address, email address and (recurring) payment details and another app on your phone. If you are able to use the discounts, it makes financial sense but that is a big ‘if’.

  As others have said you have to phone in advance to ask if the establishment are taking Tastecard bookings and if they do each may have its additional terms and conditions, e.g. not combinable with any other offer, perhaps main menu only not the lunchtime menu, and so on.

  No ‘offer’ is ever quite what it appears.

  • lou says:

    17 Sep17 September 07:20

    who said you had to use real details?

    • Dave1986 says:

      17 Sep17 September 07:56

      How will you pay the £1 with fake details?

      • Tracey says:

        17 Sep17 September 08:51

        Create a new digital pre-loaded card. Pay £1. Delete card. Can be done in under a minute using the Wise app.

        • Dave1986 says:

          17 Sep17 September 12:58

          Presumably I’ll need to give my details to get the Wise app. In which case I’d be giving a company my details to avoid giving another company my details

  • James says:

    17 Sep17 September 08:21

    Used it at a restaurant in Clapham, they presented a Taste Card menu with prices 30% higher than the main menu shown outside.

    Another day another scam.

    • Matt says:

      17 Sep17 September 08:28

      I love just got one. I’m sceptical about the whole thing, but I’ll use it solely for places where I don’t need to mention Tastecard until the bill. TBH I can only really see myself using it for an extremely rare Burger King (maybe once or twice a year), assuming BK discount works at motorway services? Doubt I’ll use the cinema tbh because I get 2 Vue tickets a month with Sky. Perhaps the odd coffee at a station but I typically avoid the big chains. Still a saving at £1 if I use for Burger King.

• Gordon says:

  17 Sep17 September 07:19

  Never heard of this, and I do occasionally frequent a few of the restaurants listed, mostly when staying at a premier inn, so would be worth the £1 for me. I mentioned this to my son, and he said he has this as a freebie through his college!

  • paul says:

    17 Sep17 September 08:27

    As Premier Inn are closing most of the attached restaurants, you’ll be out of luck.

    They are replacing them with horrid cafe bars with a very limited menu and no draught beers, just bottles.

    The unused restaurant space to be converted to guest rooms.

    IMO it’s a massive mistake and where I used to have PI as my go to hotel option I now look around – they’ve lost 3 bookings of mine so far.

    • Gordon says:

      17 Sep17 September 08:40

      Yea I have heard this, but I believe there will still be stand alone pubs, that have these brands, that are next to the hotels, that will remain! Agreed, it seems like a mistake.

      • Axel says:

        17 Sep17 September 08:51

        They will knock most of those pubs down to build more bedroom space.

        Pubs being replaced with breakfast bars! I blame those pesky kids and their healthy dull lifestyles.

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