Teachers and school support staff now eligible for a Blue Light card

[noblegiraffe]

In case any teachers don't follow Mr P and aren't aware, teachers and school support staff (including sixth form colleges) have been added to the list of people eligible for a Blue Light card. If you pay £4.99, you get two years of discounts at multiple places.

https://teachers.bluelightcard.co.uk

Because teachers love a bargain there's currently over an hour waiting time to sign up, but it was only announced yesterday so will hopefully calm down soon.

It feels nice to be recognised as essential community workers!

They just accepted my work email. No ID was required. My card was on my phone a few days later. I've used the discounts at JD, very easy. I wonder why people are being asked for additional info??

Really not impressed and wondering if it's a scam.

I submitted my work badge last week, money was taken immediately from my account and yet still it says my account hasn't been verified.

Tried to contact - no telephone or email from what I can see - just a postal address!

You can raise a ticket - I've tried twice but it hasn't gone through and the app still says I have no tickets.

Rubbish.

It's not a scam, it's been around for years, it's on Companies House. I think they are just overwhelmed with the number of applications.

Mine went through in the first week and I've used it a few times since.

I haven't got the physical card yet but have the online one and have used it for 3.5% off at the supermarket (via these voucher things). I've only used it twice but have saved the price of the card already.

My card arrived really quickly after payment and verification

My application was confirmed yesterday (using my pay slip). No card yet but I have looked on the app.

Still no confirmation here. Three times I have raised a ticket and three times I go back and check and it says you have no raised tickets.

Something odd here.

I can't find any way to contact other than snail mail. Can anyone see a phone number?

Don’t want to be negative and first time I’ve joined a discount card but I don’t find it that good! I’ve only had it a short time. I was waiting for it to buy roadside cover but I wasn’t approved in time so just got it without any discount card - there was an offer in that week and I pay £11.05 for AA (at home and national recovery) now but just out of curiosity I decide to see what blue card would offer me - I can’t remember the exact and it was RAC I believe which came to £10.46 or something for same level. Is this the type of discounts that most people buy? I don’t feel it’s worth the hassle to save pennies - please tell me I’m missing something. I was expecting discounts that were more impressive

I think discounts for teachers is better. And it's free.

She can. But to then be totally surprised that they are married enough to start threads on mumsnet means people are going to point out this conundrum.

I can't see how it could be not worth £2.50 a year. I've already used mine for 10% off Office for school shoes and 15% off a Hush cardigan I buy every year.

Today I'm going to H&M to do sixth form clothes shopping with dd and I'll get 7.5% off that,

I was waiting for it to buy roadside cover but I wasn’t approved in time so just got it without any discount card - there was an offer in that week and I pay £11.05 for AA (at home and national recovery) now but just out of curiosity I decide to see what blue card would offer me - I can’t remember the exact and it was RAC I believe which came to £10.46 or something for same level. Is this the type of discounts that most people buy?

Yes, that's exactly what people are doing. You would have got it for £7 cheaper and it's up to you whether you can be bothered.

My husband has a similar scheme for his work. We get 4.5% off M&S with that and for M&S you pre pay for a gift card and then you can put it in your Apple wallet and use it on Apple Pay so it's really easy.

For other things I wouldn't necessarily bother with it as it can be a faff but I would have done it for £7 on the RAC I think. You've just got to make your own decisions.

On Blue Light there's a lot of discounts which are codes and so really easy.

Warning!

I've been looking online for contact details. Have found so many complaints - people like me having their money taken but then never getting any further, no response to any communication.

Tread carefully.

Mine took over 2 weeks it will be approved at some point. Yes my money was taken straight away and kept saying waiting approval

Thank you not Norman.

I don't want it any more after reading all the comments on FB. But there's no way to communicate that successfully. What a terrible organisation.

Mine is working fine. I think the 3.5% off the supermarket is the one I will use most. I do think they will never have received so many applications over a short period of time.

Saw this for the AA

Thanks @notnorman where did you see this?

I am support staff. Our HT put the info on the staff WhatsApp and I applied straight away. For some reason, it didn't like my work email, but I uploaded my latest payslip and was approved within a few days. Card arrived this week.

As an aside, someone early on mentioned how their police officer friend gets discounts by showing their warrant card. My ds is a police officer and when they were issued with their warrant cards, they were told that under no circumstances were they allowed to use them for personal gain such as discounts or freebies. Maybe different forces have different rules.

Try again. I work in an independent school and I got my electronic card yesterday, physical card is in the post. I didn't think I'd qualify but it accepted my school email as my id, as it ends co.uk which indicates a private company, I was surprised.

@MissSchoolTA some state schools also use the school name.co.uk for their emails too now.

I also work in an independent school and have had my card for just over a year now. I'm support staff and not a teacher.

Whenever my wife (NHS) is told it's Blue Light card, and she says I don't have one, here's my NHS id card instead it's never ever been refused.