MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

The summer holiday season is around the corner. Brits took 55.5 million trips abroad last year alone, and it's estimated well over half the nation's planning a trip this year. Yet with many people's incomes still squeezed, cost control is (as ever) crucial. The real key to saving time and money is pre-preparation. Leave it to the last minute & you usually pay more...

PS: Holidaying in the UK? We've 14 staycation saving tips | Ways to cut road trip costs | Center Parcs MoneySaving advice.

1. Check your passport will be valid - it's got stricter. There are two important checks you should make, it's all about the day you enter the country...

a) Will there be over 6mths left (3mths for EU)?
b) Even if so, will your passport be less than 10 years old?

If you said no to EITHER, it's worth checking our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be sent back at the border. Yes, it happens. Lisa emailed us to tell us she missed the first four days of her £6,500 cruise after being denied her flight because her passport was just over 10 years old.

Need to renew? Don't dawdle. The Passport Office says you should allow "up to three weeks" - but it can take longer. Full help in Passport renewals. And if you're heading to the USA, see our ESTA guide too.

Not booked? Quick cheap flights, hotels & holiday links
Use our Cheap flights \| Cheap hotels \| Cheap package holidays guides or multi-destination MoneySaving.

2. The rebook trick: Is the hotel or car hire cheaper than when you booked? If your booking has low-cost or free cancellation, regularly check if you can get the same for less (use Skyscanner*, Kayak*, Carrentals* and Trivago*). If you find it cheaper, just rebook, then cancel your original.

Michael emailed us his success: "In January, I booked a two-week car rental in the USA at a cost of $1,024. In May, I checked and the same deal was now $575. I cancelled and rebooked at the lower price." See cancel & rebook step-by-step for hotels and car hire for more help.

3. Flight cancelled or delayed? You often have a right to £200+ per person compensation. Bookmark our Flight delay & Flight cancellation rights guides, so you can read them if it happens - many read them on the plane after their landing is delayed.

Top tip: Had a delay or cancellation in the last six years & didn't get compensation? Check the guides NOW. You may still be due.

4. The cheapest way to pay abroad is plastic - get the best rate for euros, dollars, dong and more. As we explained a couple of weeks ago in our 13 tips when spending abroad, there are a range of top specialist overseas cards that give you near-perfect, bureau-de-change-beating exchange rates.

While banks get near-perfect exchange rates, if you spend in a foreign currency on their plastic, most add a 3%-ish 'non-sterling exchange' fee, so £100 worth of euros/dollars etc costs YOU £103. Yet with these specialist cards, they don't add the fee, so you get that day's same near-perfect rate that the bank does.

There are a number of these cards, but three go a step above as they pay cashback too, so effectively you're getting better-than-perfect rates.

Our 3 top-pick overseas spending cards All give near-perfect exchange rates in every country
	Chase Mastercard* DEBIT card via app (no bank switch needed)	Halifax Clarity Mastercard CREDIT card	Barclaycard Rewards Visa CREDIT card
Cashback on spending?	✓ 1% back on up to £15/mth on almost all UK & overseas spends	✓ Ends 3rd July. £20 on 1st overseas or UK spend (just buy a banana) within 90 days	✓ 0.25% on almost all overseas & UK spends
Can you get it without a credit check?	✓ Yes, just an ID check, so most can easily get it	No (eligibility calc shows odds of acceptance)	No (eligibility calc shows odds of acceptance)
Interest-free SPENDING?	✓ Yes (it's a debit card)	✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (avoid if not, as 24% rep APR)	✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (avoid if not, as 29% rep APR)
Fee-free ATM cash? (1)	✓ Yes, up to £1,500/MONTH	✓ Yes, up to £500/DAY	✓ Yes, up to £500/DAY
Interest-free ATM cash?	✓ Yes (it's a debit card)	No, 24% to 30% even if repaid in full, so best minimised	✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (29% rep APR if not, so avoid)
Does it have Section 75 protection?	No, though has lesser chargeback protection	✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection	✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection
(1) These cards won't charge you, but individual ATMs may.

Not sure which to pick? See our help to choose.

Are there other near-perfect rate debit & credit cards? Yes, but there's no cashback. They include Monzo, Nationwide Flex, Starling, and some NatWest and Virgin Money credit cards.

Top tip: Want a card for your under-18 to spend on abroad? See our top overseas spending cards for children note.

5. Get a FREE £175 and a top card for paying abroad if you're willing to switch bank. Two top bank accounts that pay you to switch also give you debit cards with near-perfect exchange rates (& no ATM fees).

- Santander Edge FREE £175, 7% savings, bills cashback. Our top pick is Santander Edge*. With it you pay a £3/mth fee and get 1% cashback on most bills paid by Direct Debit (max £10/mth) and 1% cashback on supermarket, fuel & train spending (max £10/mth). Even after the fee, we estimate a typical home is £80 to £100/yr up. You also get 7% variable interest on up to £4,000 easy-access savings. See our Santander Edge review for full info and eligibility criteria.

- First Direct FREE £175, top service, £250 0% overdraft. Top for service, and fee-free, First Direct's 1st Account* comes with a 7% regular saver (you can only put a max £300/mth in though) and a £250 0% overdraft for many. Its big strength is customer service though, where it is always near-top in our polls, and is currently rated 91% 'great'. See our First Direct review for full info and eligibility criteria.

6. Sit together for FREE on BA, Easyjet, Virgin and more. A family of four could pay £250+ for peace of mind to book seats to sit together on return flights. Yet follow our Airline-by-airline seating guide and you can oft do it free (though even we struggle to find a way to beat Ryanair's charges).

7. Going to the EU? Check if your EHIC is valid - 4.3m expire this year - they're totally free. These cards give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local - so if it's free for them, it's free for you. Yet check point 9 on your card, as 4.3m become invalid this year. If so, you'll need to get a new card - it's now called a GHIC (as it's been rebranded a 'Global' card, though in essence still covers mostly the same European countries). Yet...

"Never pay to get an EHIC or GHIC. It is always free, beware shyster sites trying to charge you for 'fast tracks' or other stuff, that's nonsense. See how to safely get a free GHIC."

Similar applies to ESTA / Passports / Visas. Always check you're on the official site, or use these safe links. See Copycat websites warning.

8. Just want cash when abroad? Our TravelMoneyMax compares 15+ bureaux in seconds. If you want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go, or more as it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 15+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best.

Here's what $1,000 costs in cash vs a big high-street name (rates correct Tue 18 Jun):

Cheapest delivered (via TravelMoneyMax): £795
High street: £802 (Sainsbury's Bank)
Airport bureau de change walk-up cash: £953

9. Martin's travel insurance rule... get it ASAB (as soon as you book). Booked & don't have it? Do it NOW. Martin: "As often as I yell ASAB, many wait to get insurance until just before they go away. That's a mistake. If you've booked but not got insurance, get it NOW. Do not pass go, do not collect £200, just go get your travel insurance.

"Half of the cover's value is protecting you BEFORE you go, in case something happens to stop you going, so waiting means you're not getting full value, and are at risk. Every year, a few people contact me after something awful, like a cancer diagnosis that needs chemo, to say: 'I can't go away now, but the flight / hotel won't refund me, what can I do?'

"I'd answer, speak to your insurance. Yet one or more always says 'I haven't got around to getting it yet.' Then I'm stumped. Just as you can't return a tennis racket if you've broken your arm, firms needn't refund a flight because you can't go. So sort your insurance. As for how...

- Single trip policies: Select your holiday dates and you'll be covered if events happen beforehand. A few firms even let you book over a year in advance.

- Annual policies: If it's a totally new policy, you need the start date to be the time you book the holiday (or as soon after as possible). If you've already got annual cover, but your holiday is after the cover ends, get another policy to start as soon as the current one ends (most policies, including all the ones we list, will cover you if something happens while it's live that stops you going on a holiday booked after it ends - though do check).

"Thankfully, Jonathan heard the warning & emailed me: 'Two weeks before our Kenya holiday, my wife had an accident and fractured her pelvis. She needed nearly 12wks' recuperation. I'd bought our travel insurance ASAB, so reclaimed just over £2,000 for the flights & hotel costs. What a relief.' Now back to the team for top deals..."

Cheapest travel insurance
Singles, families, over-65s & pre-existing conditions

Always check Foreign Office country-by-country safety info. If you go somewhere not recommended, it can invalidate your insurance.

Under-65s: Cheapest 'no-frills' ANNUAL policies. If you go away two or more times a year, annual policies, which cover all a year's trips (up to a set length, eg, 24 days) usually work out best value. You'll pay from £11 (Europe-only individual) and £104 (family worldwide). Prices depend on age, but usually one of Coverwise (Bronze)*, Admiral*, Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze) and A to Z Insurance (Essential) win. Far more help in Cheap travel insurance.
Under-65s: Cheap 'no-frills' SINGLE TRIP policies. From £9 (individual) and £75 (family worldwide), again prices depend on age - try Coverwise (Bronze)*, Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze), A to Z Insurance (Essential) and CoverForYou (Silver)*. Far more help in Cheap travel insurance.
Over-65s' single trip. Prices ramp up the older you get, yet it can be from just £24/wk for an individual in Europe (£90 worldwide) - try Coverwise (Bronze)*, A to Z Insurance, Admiral* and Avanti (Classic)*. Far better is to see the full info & options in Over-65s' travel insurance.
Over-65s' annual policies. Prices are from £44/yr if you're aged 66, and from £140/yr if aged 76. Check Admiral*, A to Z Insurance (Essential), Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze), Avanti (Classic)* and Staysure (Comprehensive)*. Again, better to go to our full Over-65s' travel insurance guide.
Got pre-existing conditions? Some with conditions deemed less serious by insurers - for example, mild asthma - may find they can get a standard policy, so worth a try with the listed insurers above. Alternatively, try Medical Travel Compared* and Payingtoomuch* - which get quotes from a wide range of insurers. Full info & options in Pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance.

What we mean by 'no-frills'. We pick based on price, the fact they meet our minimum cover levels, are UK regulated, but NOT on feedback or payout rates (obviously if you go to one of the comparisons listed, they're not our picks so they may not meet our min cover levels).
Want policies with good feedback & payout records? Use our Cheap Travel Insurance Finder tool.

Claim unfairly rejected? And as with all insurance, if you're unhappy your claim's rejected or don't feel you've been treated fairly, then make a formal complaint. If the provider rejects it, go to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

10. What should you say when they ask: 'Do you want to pay in pounds?' These days, buy things abroad or take cash out and the store or ATM will pressure you to pay in pounds. In the words of Zammo (one for the over-40s), JUST SAY NO. See Martin's 'Pay in pounds?' video & blog for who.

11. Going to the EU? How to beat roaming charges. Vodafone, Three and EE all now charge £2ish/day to use your phone & data package in the EU. Virgin Media O2 is the only 'big four' network to still be free. Yet many piggyback operators are free to EU-roam too, including Lebara, Smarty and Giffgaff (see full free to roam in EU).

Yet 14m of you are out of contract, free to switch and often already massively overpaying. So why not ditch and switch to save in the UK and when in the EU? Or you can do more specific searches via our Cheap Mobile Sim Finder. For example, currently there's:

- Lebara (via Vodafone signal) - 5GB for '£3.25/mth'
- TalkMobile (via Vodafone signal) - 40GB for '£5.45/mth'
- iD Mobile (via Three signal) - 100GB for '£7.50/mth'

Top tip: Always ensure you've a spend cap in place for when you go abroad to avoid bill shock, and use our tips for using less data.

12. Beware using your mobile outside the EU (use an eSim). Providers charge up to £8/day for very limited data via costly add-ons - watching TV there can rack up a small fortune. Instead buy cheap international eSims online (eg, 10GB USA data that lasts 30 days for £11), which aren't a physical thing, they just adjust your phone's settings and temporarily route it via another provider to give you a data allowance overseas. Read Martin's story of trying an eSim (spoiler: it worked well and was far cheaper).

MSE Chris has also recently put to the test a free international eSim being advertised, where you just have to watch ads.

13. Beware the holiday car hire traps

i) Booking early, via a comparison, usually wins. Car hire prices have sky-rocketed since the pandemic. Early booking tends to be cheapest, eg, September car hire's still £20/day in some Spanish destinations, but is likely to rise substantially last minute (though with prices so high they can drop, so try for free cancellation and check the cancel & rebook tip). Top comparison sites include:

TravelSupermarket* | Kayak* | Carrentals* | Enjoy Travel*
See a full list and far more help & tricks in Cheap holiday car hire.

ii) They WILL try to hard-sell insurance at pick-up - you need to be pre-prepared to beat it. Car hire usually includes basic insurance. Yet at the pick-up desk, they almost always try to push you to get 'excess cover insurance' costing up to £25/day with scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch (or sometimes implying you have to do it).

Instead, get standalone car hire excess cover insurance. Compare prices via Moneymaxim*, then check for any discounts available direct, eg, our Blagged deals get you money off with Eversure* (17% off with code EE117MSE), Leisure Guard* (20% off with code MSE20), and Reduce My Excess* (20% off with code MSE03).

iii) They WILL try to put you off doing this. Even once you've got your standalone insurance, and tell them about it, they'll try to put you off or tell you it doesn't work. They will also normally make you jump through hoops, and find ways to exclude you from doing this. You must usually...

- Leave a refundable deposit of possibly £1,000+ on a credit card.
- Often debit cards aren't accepted, so you may need a credit card.
- It usually needs to be in the name of the person who booked (though some are the main driver). If not, they won't accept it, so check first.

Don't be overly put off though, many (including me - Martin) successfully do this with no problems. Just be prepared.

14. Parking at the airport? Book ahead, even on the day. Turn up at Manchester Airport without booking tomorrow (Wed) and it costs from £350/wk to park there, yet official parking prebooked today (Tue) using a comparison site costs from just £89/wk. Though booking earlier is obviously usually better.

Use our special discounted comparison site links: FHR 10%-45% off* | Holiday Extras 10%-40% off* | Airparks 10%-40% off* | SkyParkSecure 7%-35% off*. For other sites worth checking and more creative options, see Cheap airport parking.

Top tip: You can avoid £5+ 'kiss and fly' charges for dropping people off at airports too if you know where to go - we've full airport-by-airport help.

15. Buy Zara clothes at a fraction of the cost. Martin's Zara trick blog has long been a real winner for anyone going to Europe (especially Spain and Greece).

16. Beware holiday scams. If you get an out-of-the-blue email or WhatsApp message offering deals, be very careful. Scams are rife - it's a Wild West out there. Any source contacting you that you haven't asked is a risk. See our full list of holiday scams to be aware of.

17. Turn your sun cream around to save cash. It works. Have a read of turning sun cream around, or just let MSE Oli show you.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Martin's seven accounts every saver needs-know-about

There's a pack of recent 5% to 7% paying, outlier savings; easy access, cash ISAs, LISAs & more, all smashing the opposition. So many can easily, hugely increase their interest!

Boosting interest is usually simple: take your money out of a pee-poor interest account, then put it somewhere that pays more. Yet millions leave money earning diddly squat (check your savings, if it's under 4%, that's you). So it's time for some savings self-care. Recently a spate of providers have bucked the trend and launched top payers - we've told you about some, but I wanted to bring 'em together as the ~~magnificent~~ magnifyeverycent seven (feel free to groan). All accounts have full UK £85,000 savings safety protection.

The top 5.2% variable easy-access cash ISA beats even normal savings... A cash ISA is just a savings account you can put up to £20,000/tax year in and the interest's never taxed. Usually they pay less than normal savings, but right now Trading 212's 5.2% cash ISA* (min £1) smashes all-comers. It accepts new money and, usually, transfers from existing ISAs too, though it's paused transfers for now due to over-demand (but open it now, and it says you will be able to do it later). As it's offered by a share-trading platform, not a bank, the underlying structure's a bit complex as we explained in last week's Trading 212 briefing, but in essence it's still just a cash ISA.

Next top: Kent Reliance 4.86% (min £1,000) for new money & transfers. App-only Plum 5.17% for 12mths (min £100) new money only & max 3 penalty-free withdrawals a year. See Top cash ISAs for more help & options.
Earn an an unbeatable 50% boost on your savings if you're on Universal Credit or Tax Credits. I know it's not a new product, but I've sneaked it in as nowt else comes close and word needs spreading. With Help to Save, you can put in up to £50/mth and get a 50% bonus on the most you have in it over two years (eg max it for a year and you've £600, yet if you then take all that out, and put no more in, you still get a £300 bonus after two years). A second bonus is paid after year four. Easy explanations in our Help to Save guide.
5.1% variable easy-access savings on up to £1million (plus perks). Easy-access savings are the bog-standard place to start saving, though right now as the top cash ISA pays more, unless you're using your ISA allowance elsewhere, you could fill that first. Rates had been dropping until a rate boost from giant JPMorgan-owned app bank Chase to 5.1% AER* (min £1, max £1m, but like all savings, it's only safety-guaranteed up to £85,000).

The rate applies to all new customers and any existing ones who had under £50k saved on 2 May. To get it, open its free current account, which you needn't switch to, there's no credit check (just an ID check), then open the savings. Its other perks include 1% cashback on most spending (max £15/mth) and near-perfect rates abroad. See our full Chase review.

Next top: Oxbury 5.02% (min £20k), Cynergy 4.91% (min £1). Big name: Yorkshire BS 4.8%* (min £1). Earn more if you can give notice to withdraw: Monument 5.27% AER with 60-day notice (min £25,000), Investec 5.25% AER with 90-day notice* (min £5,000). Full info & options in Top savings.
Nationwide customer? You may be able to get an unbeatable 5.5% fixed savings. Fixes give you a guaranteed rate, often at higher interest, if you're prepared to lock cash away without access during the term. If you were a customer on 22 May, Nationwide's offering you an unbeatable 5.5% AER fixed for 18mths (min £1, max £10,000). The interest's accessible only at maturity, so all will count to your personal savings allowance in the 2025/26 tax year.

Next top: SmartSave's 5.17% 1yr fix (min £10,000). Full options in Top fixed-term savings.
First-time buyers' 5% interest Lifetime ISA, on top of up to £1,000/yr state boost. 18 to 39-year-olds who've never owned a home can start a Lifetime ISA (LISA) to get a massive 25% boost on up to £4,000 savings per tax year (so £1,000/yr boost if you max it). This can then be used to buy a property worth up to £450,000 (do read our LISAs guide for full pros & cons). Moneybox's just upped its cash LISA interest to 5% AER variable for the first year (4% after, so check then if you can transfer elsewhere to beat it) for new LISAs, or transfers in (if you're new to Moneybox).

Next top: Tembo 4.3%. Full options in Top Lifetime ISAs.
Ends 30 June. Saving over £10,000? Get a £100 bonus (can be equiv 1% boost) on near best-buy savings... MSE Blagged. Savings marketplace Hargreaves Lansdown* lets you save and move money via different banks after filling in just one form. Until the end of this month, via this link, newbies who open an account, deposit £10,000 within 60 days, and keep it there for six months get £100 cashback. While it misses the very top picks, if you put exactly £10,000 in, the bonus effectively adds 1% over a year. As its current top easy-access savings is 4.72% and one-year fix is over 5%, add one percentage point to those and they smash the best buys.
A year's 7% easy-access savings up to £4,000 for Santander Edge customers (or switchers to it). By far the highest easy-access savings rate available is for switchers to, or existing customers of, the Santander Edge* current account. The linked savings account pays 7% AER (4.5% variable plus a year's 2.5% bonus) on min £1, max £4,000. The current account pays switchers a free £175, and for the £3/mth fee gives 1% cashback on most household bills paid through it by Direct Debit (max £10/mth) and 1% cashback on spending at supermarkets and on fuel, train & bus travel (max £10/mth) - making it a top bank account pick anyway. See our full Santander Edge review.

June coupons: Free £1.15 Kinder | £3.50 off Persil | Sainsbury's £15 off £80 for newbies online. These and far more in our list of 40+ supermarket coupons.

New. £50 off energy STANDING CHARGES via new discounted Price Cap tariff. The new EDF Ensure tracker tariff* promises to remain £50 cheaper on dual fuel standing charges for a year. The unit rates will be the same as the Price Cap (though for launch it's already at the cheaper July unit rates). This is a decent option for lower users (say under £100/mth). It's open to most payment methods (incl prepay), though you'll need to get a smart meter if you don't already have one. Full pros, cons & alternatives in our EDF Ensure tracker review. Mid-to-high users: You'll likely pay substantially less by fixing, as while the Price Cap will fall in July, it's predicted to rise in October. Do a Cheap Energy Club comparison to find your cheapest.

Ikea £20 off £100+ app spends. For Ikea Family members (sign-up's free). Works on its current sale too. Ikea £20 off

Top 0% balance transfer card, a DEFINITE 28mths with a lower fee. You can shift existing card debt(s) to the new Virgin 28mth 0% card for a one-off fee of 3.25% and, crucially, all accepted definitely get the full 0% period. For a slightly higher 3.45% fee, you get another month with Tesco's 29mth 0% card. Links go via our eligibility calculator so you can see if you'll likely get them, but also see full help and options in Top balance transfers. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum & clear the cards before the 0% ends or they jump to 24.9% rep APR.

£127 of No7 beauty & skincare £35. Eight-piece 'Beauty Vault' set. How to get early access

Urgent. Tomorrow (Wed) 5pm is the deadline to apply for a postal vote. If you're in Eng, Scot or Wales (the NI deadline's passed), can't vote in-person in the general election and want to by post, apply online now. Postal vote

'I reclaimed £600 in energy credit.' Our success of the week comes from Amelie: "Thanks for your detailed explanations on gas and electricity and what time of year it makes sense to be in credit and debit. My partner and I were able to secure a £600 repayment. Of course, our supplier at first suggested leaving the money in our account and only after I explained to them why it didn't make sense did they say 'OK'. We had the money in our account within days. I've always thought I'm money-savvy, but your tips are next level." If we've helped you save (on this, or owt else), send us your successes.

£90 Kärcher window vac £50 with code. MSE Blagged. 2,000 available. Kärcher

New. Will you pay inheritance tax? New inheritance tax & probate help... The new Not The Martin Lewis Podcast, where Martin asks specialists key questions on subjects he doesn't cover, includes 5 IHT need-knows | What counts as your main residence? | How to pay IHT during probate | Gifting rules | Are trusts worth it? | Plus far more. And it's now embedded in our Inheritance tax guide.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £100 cashback when you save £10,000+ Ends 30 June
- £90 Kärcher window vac for £50 with code 2,000 available
- Hot Diamonds 40% off code Ends 25 June

DID YOU MISS?

- With Lloyds or Halifax? Your overdraft may be upped to 50%
- 65 FREE summer festivals and carnivals, find those near you
- A month's 'tailored' dog food £3.60 (normally £36) via code
- Free West End theatre ticket for kids with a paying grown-up
- Renters' rights & tips, including can you challenge rent rises?

New. Triple reward: FREE £140 of Amazon / Sainsbury's / M&S + £10/mth Deliveroo cashback + 4 airport lounge passes

Credit cards want you to spend on them, so much so that some pay you to do it. They of course hope they'll earn far more in interest. Yet just neuter that by setting up a Direct Debit to repay the card IN FULL each month, then provided you don't withdraw cash on it, bust your credit limit or see it as an excuse to overspend, it's interest-free and you're quids in (don't do it if not). And now a long-standing top pick has boosted its sign-up offer, clearly targeting middle Britain...

New. Free £140 shopping + Deliveroo cashback + airport lounge passes. The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card (link goes via eligibility so you can see if you'll be accepted, or you can just apply*) has increased the points you get for signing up to it, making it a powerful deal for some. You get...

1) Enough bonus points to get £140 at Amazon/M&S/Sainsbury's if you spend £3,000 within 3mths. For those who haven't had an Amex card within the last two years, and who'll spend a total of £3,000+ over the first three months (so it's for higher spenders, but many families do £1,000/mth if they put all spending on it), you can currently get 25,000 bonus points (normally it's 20,000) on top of the standard one point per pound spent. So hit the trigger and you'll have at least 28,000 points, which is enough to be exchanged for...

- £140 in Amazon, M&S, Currys, or £140 worth of Nectar points.
- Or 28,000 air miles with Avios, Virgin, Emirates and other airlines, or 42,000+ Hilton, Marriott or Radisson hotel points.

2) Two £5 Deliveroo cashbacks a month (worth up to £120/yr). Save the offer to your card (found under 'offers' in the Amex app or online banking) and use the card to pay for Deliveroo (min spend £5), and you'll automatically get £5 credit on two orders a month.

3) Four free airport lounge passes a year (worth around £50 each). These should come within six weeks of acceptance and they're usable in many airport lounges worldwide.

Warning. The card is fee-free in year one, but £195/yr after. Diarise to cancel before year two if you don't want to pay the £195. Plus if you don't repay IN FULL each month, it charges 31% APR on purchases. Make sure you've a Direct Debit in place to ensure that never happens.
When we say pay off IN FULL, we mean IN FULL, not nearly in full. The words IN FULL are Martin's catchphrase for a reason. If you spend £1,000 in a month and clear the card entirely, there's no interest. Spend £1,000 and pay off £999, and you usually pay interest on the whole £1,000, not just the £1 left.

Martin's new podcast: How credit scoring really works | Insider flight tips | Warranty schmarranty & more. The new The Martin Lewis Podcast covers how credit scoring works, has a back to basics on credit cards and lots more thrown in. And just to confuse you, it's totally separate from the Not The Martin Lewis Podcast on inheritance tax above. All this and more via BBC Sounds | Spotify | Apple or wherever you like to get your Martin fix.

Car finance reclaiming update. We'd hoped to publish the results of our survey and 'next steps' help in this week's MSE email, but it's not quite there and we want to get it right, so it'll be next week. Sorry for the delay. Not put in a claim yet? See our Car finance reclaiming, are you due £1,000s? free guide & tool.

Hot Diamonds 40% off code, eg, £50 earrings £30. MSE Blagged. Hot Diamonds

Cheapest personal loan rates creeping up. If you're looking to borrow and it's NEEDED, budgeted for & affordable (don't do it otherwise), be aware that we're seeing some top loan rates starting to edge up, especially for larger amounts. Cheapest loans (rep APRs): Up to £3,000: Santander* 13.5%. £3,000 to £5,000: Novuna* 9.7% to 9.9%. £5,000+: Tesco Bank* 7.2% up to £7,499 and 6.1% above (for Clubcard holders). Yet far better to use our eligibility calculator to see if they'll likely accept you. Full pros & cons and best buys for all amounts in Cheap personal loans.

FREE Homebuilding & Renovating Show tickets (normally up to £13.85). Including Surrey (29 to 30 June) and London (27 to 29 Sept). Free tickets

Want an MSE Charity grant? Now worth up to £10,000. Our charity's latest funding round opens tomorrow (Wed), and this time grants are worth up to £10,000. If your non-profit group helps people to improve their financial skills, and would benefit from a cash boost, check whether you're eligible to apply for a grant.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 29mths 0%, 3.49% fee (24.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility, NatWest has asked us to link only to our calculator) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR)

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£22.62/mth'
Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£28.25/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Top easy-access: Chase 5.1%, no min
Top fix: Nationwide 5.5% for 18mths, min £1

Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR (for Clubcard holders)
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders)

Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club

£175 to switch + 1% bills cashback: Santander Edge
£175 to switch + top service: First Direct

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.15/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.25/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 30GB
31GB+ data: TalkMobile, '£5.45/mth' for 40GB

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Would you get an app-only bank or savings account? We've seen an increasing number of app-only accounts in our best buys, but attitudes range from delight at the convenience to uncertainty about the lack of online or in-branch services. So we thought we'd ask your opinion. Would you open (or have you opened) an app-only bank or savings account? And if not, why not? Vote in this week's poll.

Two-thirds of MoneySavers say their rent has increased as a proportion of their income over the last year. Last week, we asked the renters among you what proportion of your income you spend on rent and whether that's changed over the past 12 months. Around half say they spend between 30% and 50% of their income on rent each month, and 66% say that proportion's recently increased. See the full renting poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Protect cash and help more people access affordable credit, next Government urged

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I ask my ex-fiancée to give back the engagement ring I gave her? I asked my (then) girlfriend to marry me and she said yes, but not long after she changed her mind and we soon broke up. No one was to blame, we just grew apart (we have two children and are still on good terms). I now have some money struggles - nothing too bad, but it will take some time to pay off what I owe. I hadn't asked my ex for the engagement ring back as I hoped one day we might get back together, but I no longer think this will happen. So is it OK for me to ask for the ring back to try and sell it to pay down the debt? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I ask my ex-fiancée to give back the engagement ring I gave her? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

- Win a stay in a UK holiday cottage
- Win a summer travel bundle
- Win a trip to Chile

- Win a set of travel games
- Win flights to Japan
- Win a Lake District family getaway

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Seals, selling & software

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 18 JUN ONWARDS)

Wed 19 Jun - The Martin Lewis Podcast, BBC Radio 5 Live (listen to previous podcasts)
Tue 25 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.30am

WHAT'S THE BEST FREEBIE YOU'VE RECEIVED?

That's all for this week, but before we go... after Krispy Kreme gave away free doughnuts last week (which several MSEers dutifully claimed... solely to check it was a good deal, of course) we asked you what the best freebie you've ever received was. Food and drink freebies were pretty common... one MoneySaver got a peri-peri nice deal with two whole chickens from Nando's for free as the store had to shut early. Many others (sausage) roll with free Greggs each week. And one tennis fan bagged 10 drink vouchers at the Dubai Open. Though one MoneySaver got more than they bargained fur (sorry) when the 'neutered' cat they adopted turned out to be pregnant - so they got three for the price of one! Let us know the best freebies you've nabbed in our Facebook and Twitter conversations.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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