10% discount when using Virgin credit card?

Hi guys

I've just got a Virgin credit card with the intention of using it to save 10% on virgin holiday bookings. I have also noticed that Virgin charge 1.5% if you pay for your ticket on a credit card. Do Virgin wave this fee if you pay with their credit card, or will i only be getting 8.5% off instead of 10%?

Thanks

[mitchja]

You still have to pay the CC fee for both VH & VS with any version of the Virgin credit card.

Regards

doh.. thought as much. I do find it a bit stupid though... they advertise you get 10% off, yet there is absolutely no way to get the full discount. It could almost be called false advertising.

Hhhmmm, I may be wrong, but you get 10% off of [price + 1.5% charge], so you're still getting 10% off. It's not like they charge the fee only when you take the discount.

[mitchja]

They just add the 1.5% onto the amount they charge your card at the time of payment so your discount wont play a part in this so your overall discount is therefore reduced.

Example

Your total holiday cost is say £1111.11 minus your 10% discount = £1000 left to pay and you pay that on your VS Amex, they charge your card £1000+1.5% = £1015

Cash discount = £1111.11-£1015.00 = £96.11

% discount = £96.11/£1111.11 * 100 = 8.65%

So your overall discount would be 8.65% not 10%

It would only stay at 10% if you pay using a debit card as no fee is charged to use these.

Regards

Originally posted by mitchja

Your total holiday cost is say £1111.11 minus your 10% discount = £1000 left to pay and you pay that on your VS Amex, they charge your card £1000+1.5% = £1015

Cash discount = £1111.11-£1015.00 = £96.11

Right, but this assumes you ain't paying your 1111.11 with a card. If you did, it would be 1127 - give or take, so your discount would be 112, give or take, =10%.

If you compare this to the cash fare upfront, you're assuming you'd be paying cash for that, so you should do so either way, and not see the fee either way. If you are paying with the card both ways, you need to add the 1.5% both ways, and do the calculation that way. Or am I missing something again?

[RichardMannion]

Whatever it is, it's a discount and better than a smack in the mouth! [:D]

Virgin are not charging you a fee for using a CC they are claiming back a %age of what the CC issuer charges the supplier of the goods to sell them on top of a ridiculous monthly individual machine charge and admin charge. The supplier of the goods should not really be held responsible for the fact you are paying for what you want with credit, you are still getting 3.6% ish more discount than someone who pays with real ready cash.

Smile and try to be positive.

If you book through Virgin link on Quidco you will get an extra 1% cashback as well

Virgin Holidays booked through Quidco earn an extra 3% cashback

With some companies and their price matching offers you can get your CC feed refunded. I bought some tickets to Cyprus direct with BA, got charged the CC fee, then got them to pricematch Lastminute.com who do not charge the CC FEE.

Net result was 30 mins later, I had confirmation that BA would refund £30.