Great money-saving membership cards

Wallets and purses have plenty of card slots these days, so make the most of them. These membership cards could save you a fortune in the long run.

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National Trust

Get to know the UK’s history and countryside with a National Trust card. Members have access to free entry and parking at over 300 sites, a handbook with guides to the historic hotspots and three months’ free membership if you pay by Direct Debit. A year's membership starts from £43.50.

English Heritage/ Historic Scotland/ Cadw

These cards were developed for history buffs in England, Scotland and Wales respectively. Membership will get you access to hundreds of historic sites across the UK, guides, heritage magazines and discounts for special events. An English Heritage annual membership comes in at £39, Historic Scotland costs £36.48 and Cadw will set you back £40.

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Taste card

Food tastes even better when you get money off. The aptly named Taste card is very simple as it offers only two deals.

You can either get 50% off your total food bill or two for one. Taste runs these offers in over 6700 restaurants across the UK, including Gourmet Burger Kitchen, La Tasca and Zizzi. A year-long membership is only £24.99.

BITE card

Regular rail traveller? Behold the BITE card! The difference between this and Taste is that this little piece of plastic gets you money off at food outlets in train stations throughout the country. Best of all, it’s free to join!

National Rail cards

Taking advantage of one of several National Rail cards can get you a fairly chunky discount when travelling on the tracks. There are a few different types available, but the Family and Friends Railcard is a particularly good shout. Up to four adults and four children can be put on to the same card, getting the little ones 60% off fares when they travel with an adult. That’s an amazing saving for only £30 a year.

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The Giving card

For saintly, charitable people, there’s The Giving Card. Many a discount is available at high street chains like New Look and Pizza Express so it’s definitely worth it if you love to dine and shop.

The giving part comes in when you sign up; select the type of membership you want (an annual subscription is £34.95), pick your favourite charity and £10 of your membership fee goes straight to them.

Cineworld Unlimited

With the Cineworld Unlimited membership card, users can get rewards on their card on every single (unlimited) visit. There’s 10% off food and drink and you get exclusive access to advanced screenings.

What’s more, after a year you’ll be notified of a free upgrade to the Premium Unlimited card. This entitles you to tickets for 3D films at no extra charge and an increase to 25% off food and drink. This card is probably best for the keenest cinema-goers: a year-long membership is £232.80, but it does cover every Cineworld in the UK.

Diamond Club card

For over-50s who enjoy eating out, there’s the Diamond Club card. Diners can indulge in special offers in pubs and carveries across the UK. Every time you use it you earn points and every time you reach 500 points, you receive a £5.00 reward voucher through the post. You also get a complimentary beverage on your birthday.

If that’s not enough, this card’s free, too.

Regional discount cards

In case you were looking for one, there are money-off cards for loads of major cities throughout England: Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Dorset, Sheffield, Cumbria and Liverpool.

They give you discounted rates on leisure, entertainment and eating out. Find your local card and see what’s on offer.

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