What Are The benefits Of Obtaining A Tesco Card?

[Kabula]

Do they offer a discount and if so how much?

Or is it another way of tracking what you purchase?

[Eclipse]

You get sent a few discount vouchers by post.

[lopburi3]

You get cash discount coupons based on spending during the quarter and some targeted discount coupons - not much. Where savings can be made is using internet to purchase as there are often coupons allowing about 10% for larger purchase and easy to shop for discount items.

[kkerry]

Free to get a card and you get some cash discount vouchers based on what you spend. If you shop at Tesco then why not. Tesco make use of the data based on your purchases but I don't care. We probably end up with vouchers worth a couple of thousand baht each year as they're our local supermarket and we would be shopping there anyway.

[lopburi3]

You must be a very big spender - I have never received more than about 200 baht per quarter from normal food items - but if you bought high ticket appliance type items you might get up there.

[siam2007]

just make sure TESCO is not ripping you off when you use a foreign issued credit card - they will try to charge you in your home currency which gives you a 3 or 5% worse rate than the actual exchange rate for credit card transaction in Baht (some years ago CENTRAL FOOD HALL even charged 10% !).

ALWAYS ask to pay in Baht only. BigC does not engage in such rip-off activities, hopefully their successors will continue it that way.

And NO, I am not talking about the fees that your HOME bank is applying....

Edited April 11, 2016 by siam2007

[KhunBENQ]

Free WiFi (True) with the card number (some one time registration required with defining PW, forgot the details).

Up to 2h (?) per day.

Works fine at our small Tesco,

Good to kill time while the wife strolls through the cosmetics department.

Edited April 11, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[balo]

I have had the Tesco card for 4 years and never received anything from them . Maybe they got the wrong address? Do they send out coupons to your e-mail address?

[kkerry]

You must be a very big spender - I have never received more than about 200 baht per quarter from normal food items - but if you bought high ticket appliance type items you might get up there.

We've purchased some appliances there, would have been more but so often they're out of stock so we don't bother much now. Have also had a number of bonus coupons in the mail. Spend 1200? baht a day in a limited timeframe to get an extra 180 baht discount etc. We've received five coupons we could use over a month a few times now. It probably indicates Tesco are overpriced but as I said, we would shop there anyway.

[kkerry]

I have had the Tesco card for 4 years and never received anything from them . Maybe they got the wrong address? Do they send out coupons to your e-mail address?

Coupons we get are mailed to us. We get cash discount coupons based on previous purchases along with some small discounts off selected products which don't really amount to much at all. If you spend a few thousand a month you should be getting something so maybe check they have the correct address and be sure you're presenting your card to be scanned at the checkout each time.

[Pib]

just make sure TESCO is not ripping you off when you use a foreign issued credit card - they will try to charge you in your home currency which gives you a 3 or 5% worse rate than the actual exchange rate for credit card transaction in Baht (some years ago CENTRAL FOOD HALL even charged 10% !).

ALWAYS ask to pay in Baht only. BigC does not engage in such rip-off activities, hopefully their successors will continue it that way.

And NO, I am not talking about the fees that your HOME bank is applying....

Good advice.

But I can say it is "not" a Tesco "all stores policy" to default to Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) for foreign cards which gives that lower/store exchange rate...it's purely a policy specific to which ever Lotus store you are using.

I frequent 4 different Lotus stores here in western Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom province right next to Bangkok and almost always pay with my no foreign transaction fee foreign credit cards (been doing this for years) and a DCC transaction has never been attempted. And like you said, no Big C store (and I use 3 different ones) has never attempted a DCC transaction on me either.

A regarding the benefit of getting a Tesco card, basically it boils down to getting in the mail some cash coupons good for almost any product (excluding alcohol drinks, tobacco products and a few other products) and discount coupons for selected products.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Pib

[Gonsalviz]

Once in a while I get discount when checking out. 100 baht or so. I also get coupons in the mail. The last ones were for 140 Baht. 2 70 baht coupons. There are some smaller ones also but they expire in a short time.

I reckon maybe 2000 baht a year. Maybe more if you are a big spender.

[siam2007]

just make sure TESCO is not ripping you off when you use a foreign issued credit card - they will try to charge you in your home currency which gives you a 3 or 5% worse rate than the actual exchange rate for credit card transaction in Baht (some years ago CENTRAL FOOD HALL even charged 10% !).

ALWAYS ask to pay in Baht only. BigC does not engage in such rip-off activities, hopefully their successors will continue it that way.

And NO, I am not talking about the fees that your HOME bank is applying....

Good advice.

But I can say it is "not" a Tesco "all stores policy" to default to Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) for foreign cards which gives that lower/store exchange rate...it's purely a policy specific to which ever Lotus store you are using.

I frequent 4 different Lotus stores here in western Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom province right next to Bangkok and almost always pay with my no foreign transaction fee foreign credit cards (been doing this for years) and a DCC transaction has never been attempted. And like you said, no Big C store (and I use 3 different ones) has never attempted a DCC transaction on me either.

A regarding the benefit of getting a Tesco card, basically it boils down to getting in the mail some cash coupons good for almost any product (excluding alcohol drinks, tobacco products and a few other products) and discount coupons for selected products.

I am using the TESCO stores at On Nut, Seacon and Bangna-Trat KM 6.5 and they all do that, sadly

[HooHaa]

You give them the right to track everything buy and potentially sell the data.

[ignis]

Got 2 Tesco cash coupons yesterday in the Post, both the same value 15 baht each... believe a few years ago, got a cash coupons for 70 baht.

Normal shop is at Big C Extra + have a card for there.

[SantiSuk]

I have had the Tesco card for 4 years and never received anything from them . Maybe they got the wrong address? Do they send out coupons to your e-mail address?

Your wife will have had a word with them. That's why I never see anything coming back!

[Ringing phone] "Are you in Tesco Lowtut teelak?" "Don't forget - use your (?!) card, nah!"

Edited April 12, 2016 by SantiSuk

[Colabamumbai]

You need Thai I.D. to get a card to get one. You did recently anyway and as stated get discount coupons.

[thaiduncankk]

I have had the Tesco card for 4 years and never received anything from them . Maybe they got the wrong address? Do they send out coupons to your e-mail address?

Ring their call centre 1712.

When I called, they had all my details except my postcode. Gave them that, and, apparently, discount vouchers are on the way.

Although the girl's English was quite good, I think it would be better for a Thai to call them.

[craigt3365]

You must be a very big spender - I have never received more than about 200 baht per quarter from normal food items - but if you bought high ticket appliance type items you might get up there.

We buying for a family of 5-6. So relatively large purchases and we've got quite a few appliances from them. We've gotten some pretty good coupons over the years.

Also, if you bring your own bags, they give you an extra bonus! 5555

[Fairynuff]

You need Thai I.D. to get a card to get one. You did recently anyway and as stated get discount coupons.

.

Nonsense I don't have a Thai ID but I have a Tesco card. You need a passport.

[Skeptic7]

just make sure TESCO is not ripping you off when you use a foreign issued credit card - they will try to charge you in your home currency which gives you a 3 or 5% worse rate than the actual exchange rate for credit card transaction in Baht (some years ago CENTRAL FOOD HALL even charged 10% !).

ALWAYS ask to pay in Baht only. BigC does not engage in such rip-off activities, hopefully their successors will continue it that way.

And NO, I am not talking about the fees that your HOME bank is applying....

While I have no doubt about your claims at a particular TESCO store(s) and absolutely correct about being more expensive in ones "home currency" and prudent advice to make sure the transaction is processed in Thai baht, this practice of 'ripping off' has not been my experience @ TESCO/LOTUS On Nut. Have shopped there for years using my US issued MasterCard and have never once been charged in USD. Every purchase has always been processed in THB automatically, so there is at least one TESCO where this is not a problem.

Regardless...your advice is sound and should be applied everywhere one shops abroad with a foreign credit card. To save money, assure the transaction is being processed in the local currency.

[Bangkok Barry]

We've purchased some appliances there, would have been more but so often they're out of stock so we don't bother much now.

I've noticed this with many stores in Bangkok when I was buying stuff for a new house. I'm guessing it's an indication of a weak economy, where stores cannot afford to keep much in stock and only get stuff in to order. False economy perhaps, as people simply don't bother to buy whatever it is they were going to buy.

[Bangkok Barry]

You need Thai I.D. to get a card to get one. You did recently anyway and as stated get discount coupons.

.

Nonsense I don't have a Thai ID but I have a Tesco card. You need a passport.

And you have to ask why. This country is obsessed with needing ID for anything. Why the <deleted> would you need a passport to get a supermarket discount card? Why? Where's the risk to national or even commercial security?

[csabo]

You get to use their WiFi

[Pib]

Got 2 Tesco cash coupons yesterday in the Post, both the same value 15 baht each... believe a few years ago, got a cash coupons for 70 baht.

Normal shop is at Big C Extra + have a card for there.

Recently since Tesco has started printing out multiple coupons on the cash registered receipt, they seem to have reduced the value/amount of the coupons they mail once a quarter or so. I sure know I still spend the same as I use to at Tesco but the cash coupons received in the mail are definitely less than what they use to be. Same for Tops mail coupons...and they too have started printing more coupons with the receipt- Guess that's that is the latest marketing fade now...that is, print one or more coupons valid for a very limited time on the bottom of the receipt versus mailing higher value coupons with longer validity time frames. Cash register receipt coupons might as well be limited for a short period as they fade so fast in your billfold, man-purse, ladies pocket book, etc.

[KhunBENQ]

You need Thai I.D. to get a card to get one. You did recently anyway and as stated get discount coupons.

.

Nonsense I don't have a Thai ID but I have a Tesco card. You need a passport.

Although our Tesco is on the daugthers name (Thai) I would be surprised that a foreigner can not get a card.

At TOPS (Khon Kaen) I got a card without a problem.

Both Tesco as well as TOPS send coupons per snail mail (at a certain threshold).

TOPS even noticed that my purchases went down significantly and sent me some "come back" offers.

[thaiduncankk]

You need Thai I.D. to get a card to get one. You did recently anyway and as stated get discount coupons.

.

Nonsense I don't have a Thai ID but I have a Tesco card. You need a passport.

Although our Tesco is on the daugthers name (Thai) I would be surprised that a foreigner can not get a card.

At TOPS (Khon Kaen) I got a card without a problem.

Both Tesco as well as TOPS send coupons per snail mail (at a certain threshold).

TOPS even noticed that my purchases went down significantly and sent me some "come back" offers.

All my cards, Tesco, Tops, Makro, are in MY name.

I did have to produce my passport on application, but I do not have a problem with that.

[mrmicbkktxl]

You also can change your tesco points to air asia big points,but not 1-1,I think 5-1

[Gonsalviz]

just make sure TESCO is not ripping you off when you use a foreign issued credit card - they will try to charge you in your home currency which gives you a 3 or 5% worse rate than the actual exchange rate for credit card transaction in Baht (some years ago CENTRAL FOOD HALL even charged 10% !).

ALWAYS ask to pay in Baht only. BigC does not engage in such rip-off activities, hopefully their successors will continue it that way.

And NO, I am not talking about the fees that your HOME bank is applying....

Good advice.

But I can say it is "not" a Tesco "all stores policy" to default to Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) for foreign cards which gives that lower/store exchange rate...it's purely a policy specific to which ever Lotus store you are using.

I frequent 4 different Lotus stores here in western Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom province right next to Bangkok and almost always pay with my no foreign transaction fee foreign credit cards (been doing this for years) and a DCC transaction has never been attempted. And like you said, no Big C store (and I use 3 different ones) has never attempted a DCC transaction on me either.

A regarding the benefit of getting a Tesco card, basically it boils down to getting in the mail some cash coupons good for almost any product (excluding alcohol drinks, tobacco products and a few other products) and discount coupons for selected products.

I am using the TESCO stores at On Nut, Seacon and Bangna-Trat KM 6.5 and they all do that, sadly

Tesco is not doing it. It is the banks. I have never had them put it in THB without asking me. I always tell them USD.

[lopburi3]

If you are telling them USD you are asking for DCC and that means it is costing you a lot more than if billed in Baht at normal card rates. You want the total to be in foreign currency to avoid DCC poor exchange rate.