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Buying Royal Mint coins at face value on your credit card

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In the USA a couple of years ago, there was a cult hobby amongst mileage enthusiasts – buying $1 coins in bulk from the US Mint and depositing them into your bank account.

Due to free shipping deals, it was a great way to earn miles on your credit card.  As long, of course, as you didn’t mind taking literally thousands of $1 coins down to your local bank.

The deal finally died, but not before making the press.

You can now play this game on a small scale in the UK!

The Royal Mint appears to be stuck with a pile of commemorative 50p coins from the Olympic Games!  Over on its website, it is offering 50p commemorative coins for, erm, 50p.  The miles or points you earn on your credit spend are therefore free.

Using code OLAFPP gets you free postage as well when you spend £10!

There is a limit of 4 per coin per address, so you can’t spend much more than £50 this way on your credit card (there are 28 different coins I think).  But, let’s be honest, aren’t you secretly grateful that you don’t have the temptation to buy £5,000-worth and deposit them in your bank?!

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Comments (36)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • dlwcmotd says:
    4 May4 May 09:20

    anyone else find that one coin from the set is missing from those available on the Royal mint website?

  • Neil Spellings says:
    4 May4 May 09:39

    Without the free postage I can’t see how this makes financial sense..paying £3 for 56 points reward points doesn’t sound like good value to me?

  • Squillion says:
    4 May4 May 09:51

    Regarding the free postage code: that twitter convo was on 26th April. I got it to work x2 on 27th April.

    It may indeed have been pulled since then but worth a go or 3: it is for orders over £10.

    Try W13CD or NOPOST – don’t cut and paste type it in.

    • Sir Stamford says:
      4 May4 May 20:10

      I am afraid the free postage offer doesn’t work. The free postage code may well have worked on 26 April 2013 but it certainly doesn’t on 4 May 2013. Thank you for bringing to our attention nonetheless.

      Sir Stamford

  • jonny says:
    4 May4 May 10:50

    fwiw, this guy has managed to sell over 10,000 50p’s for 2.95 on ebay

  • Boon says:
    4 May4 May 20:13

    Hmm, free delivery codes don’t seem to be working anymore.

    • 21h21j says:
      7 May7 May 20:24

      OLDNPP works for free delivery and they do take American Express – it shows on the drop down list of payment options even with a UK delivery address.

      • Rob says:
        7 May7 May 21:09

        Thanks for finding this, I feel less silly about running the post now!

      • JK says:
        9 May9 May 11:14

        Just as a data point, the code “OLDNPP” worked for me today (9th May) and gave me the expected free delivery (saving me £5). They had only 27 coins remains, so 4 of each came to a grand total of £54.

        Normally, I’d go again with my wifes card (or similar), but I just don’t think I have the patience (or another 30 minutes) to sit there and waiting 20 seconds for my basket to constantly update, times by 27! Uugghhhh!!

        • Sir Stamford says:
          9 May9 May 13:40

          Super, thank you – OLDNPP does work for free delivery.

          Sir Stamford

      • jonny says:
        9 May9 May 13:06

        I can’t see amex on the drop down?

      • JK says:
        9 May9 May 14:18

        Again, just as a data point – in my above referenced transaction, when reaching the final payment page, the AmEx option was listed there in the drop down. I was sceptical at first, because it doesn’t appear anywhere else on the site, but again, when I painstakingly got to the payment page, there was an option for AmEx (which I successfully used).

        Good luck!

        • JK says:
          9 May9 May 16:38

          Sir, I really wish I could help in some way. That really is bizarre. It was there for me, and a few others here. I have no idea why it wouldn’t be for you?! If it helps, I was using Google Chrome as my browser. I can’t see what that would make a difference, but who knows?!

      • Tom H says:
        9 May9 May 14:35

        I saw the amex option in the drop down there yesterday, at one stage, but when I came to pay, it wasn’t there. I had been playing with different countries and quantities.

        • Sir Stamford says:
          9 May9 May 18:04

          Tom H

          You are a star! Your suggestion of changing the delivery country initially to USA worked. I was subsequently able to select AMEX. Thank you very much.

          Sir Stamford

  • PTM101 says:
    9 May9 May 23:56

    I found that by signing in to Royal Mint as an existing customer the American Express option was not available. However by filling the basket and checking-out as a new customer, with new email address, the American Express option was available.

  • jonny says:
    10 May10 May 17:48

    email received to day, declining payment via my amex order. so the you may be able to get the option up, but they have, for me at least, declined it.

  • Ed E says:
    12 May12 May 08:51

    Oh my god, how long is it going to take! Clunky does not begin to describe trying to put this through….!
    There seems to be some stock back in (maybe from cancelled Amex orders?)
    Have got 2 x £25 orders through using the OLDNPP for free delivery on Sunday morning 12th May and paid for using the 3V vouchers which are already showing as used on the 3V site so hopefully all good.

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