10 Discount Cards Every Student Should Know About - Urban Student

10 Discount Cards Every Student Should Know About

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Whilst university is one of the best years of your life, we all know it can be expensive! If you’re looking to save a little money, we’ve got you! There are a surprising number of student cards in the UK, that can provide a discount on anything from travel to shopping to food.

We’ve listed our top 10, must have student discount cards that should 100% definitely be in your wallet! Read on to find out:

 

Where can you get a student discount?

Student discount cards work in a range of high street stores as well as restaurants. Also, you can get a student discount online too! Big names such as Amazon, Apple and Nandos are all listed as retailers who offer discounts to students.

If you’re a Bristol student, there are also Bristol specific discounts you can check out. Look at them here.

 

 

How much is a student card?

A student card will cost you roughly £10-30 depending on which card you go for, and this will last for around 12 months before you need to renew. For example, an NUS extra card is £12 for the year, whereas an annual railcard will set you back £30. This is a minor setback in the long run as each card will help you save money in different fields.

 

Without further ado, here are our top 10 student card recommendations to ensure you get the best deals!

 

 

Totum Card

Formerly known as the NUS card, the Totum card provides students access to 350+ brand discounts on shopping, tech, dining and more.

The free Totum Student card offers basic discounts, while paid versions (Totum Student+ at £14.99/year or £24.99/3 years) include additional exclusive deals and a free tastecard for restaurant savings.

With options for every budget, a Totum card allows students to save on frequent purchases from favorite brands during university years.

 

 

University Student ID Card

University ID cards with your photo and details provide free access to campus and facilities. Many stores accept university ID cards for student discounts too.

 

 

International Student Identity Card (ISIC)

An ISIC card grants access to 42,000+ student benefits and discounts internationally. Perfect for study abroad, it offers deals on things like food, accommodations, and travel in over 130 countries. Costs £12 virtually.

 

 

UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS is a free app-based student discount card offering online and in-store savings from 10-50% at major brands like ASOS, Benefit, Bella Italia, and more. Simply show your profile at checkout for instant verified student rates.

 

 

16-25 Railcard

Travelling can be expensive, especially by rail, so if you use the train a lot, whether it’s for getting to uni or going home, a student travel card like the young person’s railcard is well worth the investment. They’re for anyone aged 16 to 25, or over 25 and in full-time study. Get 1/3 off Standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Standard Advanced and First Class Advanced fares, and they’re just £30 per year, too.

 

18+ Student Oyster card

So this one is London exclusive..but it’s also great to know if you happen to be visiting the city! A 18+ student Oyster photocard offers 30% off adult-rate student travel cards, bus and tram tickets. To be eligible, you must be 18 or over and enrolled on a full-time or part-time course with a school, college or university.

 

 

Student debit card

When starting uni, it’s highly recommended that you sign up for a student bank account. Although this isn’t one of the student discount cards, an undergraduate bank account is equally helpful, as it often comes with an interest-free overdraft. This will come in handy and will mean you won’t get in more debt if you go a little overdrawn. Speak to someone in branch at a high street bank for some advice on the best one for you.

 

 

Tesco Clubcard

This one isn’t particularly aimed at students but will undoubtedly help you while you do the weekly shop and is a free card. With a Tesco Clubcard, simply collect points whenever you spend money in Tesco on your essentials (and not-so-essentials.) You can also use these vouchers for entertainment, dining out and holidays through Tesco’s 100+ partners, including Pizza Express, Cineworld, or Disney+.

 

Nectar Card

Like a Tesco Clubcard, a Nectar card is a free card which works with a points system. You can pick up points while shopping at Argos, Debenhams, Sainsburys as well as many other retailers. As you collect points, you receive digital voucher codes, which can be spent on places such as Thorpe Park, Go Ape, Ebay, Argos, Virgin Trains and many more. You can also just spend the points by swiping your card at Sainsburys, Vue Cinema, or Argos. 2,000 points is equivalent to £10, so you can save quite a lot of money.

 

 

Student Beans

Accessing tons of discounts on your favourite products and services. A Student Beans card can be used in-store using a physical discount card or online through a promo card at the checkout. Students can access savings on food, laptops, cinema and train tickets from the leading online and high street brands. Discounts can be redeemed in the app, and when students download the Student Bean Chrome extension, they will be notified when they can access deals on the products they are viewing.

 

Thank us later!

 

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Published: Tuesday 21st November 2023 by Phoebe Clutton