BHS Gold Card (BHS store card)

Member Name: Gendu

Product:	BHS store card
Date:	13/10/03 (3836 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 15% Choice Discount (more then most stores), Further Discount on Special Evenings, Discount Vouchers

Disadvantages: High Interest

My opinion on store cards as a whole is rather negative. I can't see the point in opening a card to get discount, only to lose it in the high interest that accrues. However, compared to other store cards, the BHS gold card is probably by far the best.
Most store cards will offer you a £1 voucher for every £100 you spend there. Some offer a £5 voucher for this amount. Once used, you have to spend another £100 in order to get that discount again. The boots advantage card (which is not actually a store card, but more a club card) actually gives you £4 back for every £100 spent. However, the BHS gold card actually allows you to save up to 15% on any purchase that you make.
You collect a point for every £10 spent and as you collect points you get to 5%, 10% and finally 15% discount level. 10 points to get to 5%, a further 25 to get 10% and finally a further 35 to get 15%. But the great thing about the gold card is that you cant "use up" your discount. Once you have a discount level, you get that discount on anything you buy, be it £1 or £100. To be fair, it resets annually - but only to a certain extent. (e.g: 10% drops to 5%).
Assuming that a customer spends £100 per month on their store card, in a year they would save about £12 - £50 at most stores, whereas with BHS, they would save about £125, and thats just the first year. In subsequent years (accounting for the points resetting), they would save £140. BIG difference. In addition to the choice discount, there are regular money-off vouchers with each monthly statement, plus a further 10% discount at sale preview evenings for card-holders. Add up all those discounts and you could be saving a lot of money.
The only problem with the gold card is that it has a very high apr of 29.0%, variable but of course you have 56 days, no interest in which to settle the balance. Apart from that, theres not much fault with it. Theres no annual fee and it's free to open.
It's easy to apply.
Just ask any BHS member of staff. You will be required for proof of ID. Any Bank payment card will do (Switch, Visa, Mastercard etc). You then fill out a simple form, with the assistant and they ring it through to authorise it.
Once authorised, you will be issued with a temporary card which you can then use until your proper card is sent through the post. You will also receive DOUBLE points on your first purchase. Now thats got to be worth having.

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