New MSE app, beat Amazon Prime's hike, Martin’s credit-score booster, £500 insura nce £175 via a bank, free BK cheeseburger

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Plus...Work-from-home tax back, top 0% spend card ends, 33% off railcards, 5 cinema tix £27

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL

Martin's Masterclass: How to protect & boost your credit score as cost of living crisis bites Virgin vs Nationwide packaged accounts Ends Fri. Longest guaranteed 0% spending card: 2 years + £25 cashback New. Try MSE, the app... Martin: 'Did you have to work from home, even for a day, between April 2020 and April 2022?' Amazon Prime hikes price - quick tip to beat it FREE Burger King cheeseburger or fries New. Cheap 63Mb fibre broadband just '£16.25/month' Poundshop.com 10% off EVERYTHING 'I saved over £500 on car insurance using MSE's tool' Five Odeon cinema tickets for £27 33% off railcards for anyone Rail strike - your refund rights Last-minute holiday help Tax credits deadline SUNDAY - check renewals now One month's 'tailored' dog food £2.50 (normally £25) This week's best buys, including 2.75% fixed savings, £150 bank bribe, 2.7% loans Should someone who earns a decent wage use food banks?

BEST BUYS & TOOLS

MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club incl free credit report 0% Balance Transfers Compare Broadband deals MSE Car Insurance Compare+ Best Bank Accounts Top Savings Accounts Credit Cards for Bad Credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage Comparison Compare Travel Money Cheap Energy Club, incl Pick Me A Tariff Best Sim Only Deals

Martin's Masterclass to...
Protect & boost your credit score, as the cost of living crisis bites

Crucial for mortgages, credit cards, loans and more

The financial squeeze is on, and as I explained in my financial cataclysm warning video last week, it's only to get worse. As costs are rising faster than incomes...

→ you have less disposable income
→ that makes you less attractive to lenders
→ so acceptance, especially for cheap rates, is tougher
→ which adds to your costs... now rinse and repeat.

This applies to anyone who wants to balance transfer credit cards, get a loan, mobile phone contracts, bank accounts' acceptance and more.

The best example is the risk to cheap mortgages...

There are two main lender's checks - affordability and credit. The affordability check is the one most impacted by the cost of living, and it's tough to improve, especially if you've already cut back to the bone.

So far, most mortgage holders have been protected from UK rate rises as they're on fixes. Yet millions of these end this year and next. And the best new cheap fixes now cost near 3% (back in Oct, they were under 1%).

Worse, many who only just passed affordability checks before may now struggle to get a new 'cheap' fix when their current deal ends - leaving some locked to their existing lender, or paying higher rates, or having no choice but to go on the expensive standard rate.

That's the reason the credit check is so important, as it may tip the balance. Of course, it'll be hit too if you've increased borrowing to cover cost-of-living increases. Yet as you may be able to polish your credit score, it's worth the effort, so this week, here are my credit scoring need-to-knows:

You don't have a universal credit rating or score, and there's no blacklist. Unlike some other countries, there's no such thing as a definitive credit rating or score in the UK - no one single number that dictates whether a lender will accept you (and if you've been told there is, see point 4 below).
Instead, EACH lender scores you differently based on its own wish list of what is a profitable customer - usually profitability equates to risk, but there can be specialist lenders who view it differently.

Your CREDIT REPORT is the key, check it for errors at least once a year, or before any application. There are three main consumer credit references agencies. Each compile a report (also called a credit file) about your credit history, and lenders use those when they assess you.
So if you'll ever need credit, check them regularly, and do it line-by-line. A simple error, such as an unused - but still open - credit card account listed at the wrong address, can kibosh applications. Even if the file is correct, checking helps you spot problems.

How to check credit reports for free... it's best to check all three as they can differ, full help in Free credit reports, but in brief:
- EXPERIAN (the biggest): Use MSE's free Credit Club
- EQUIFAX: Use Clearscore*
- TRANSUNION: Use Credit Karma
PS: For Clearscore and Credit Karma, members of cashback sites may get paid up to £13 for checking.
Do you know what they know about you? Lenders assess you based on three key pieces of info:
i) Your credit report, as above, which includes electoral roll info, products you have, court judgments & more.
For what they do and don't know about you, eg, speeding points, criminal records, missed payments and more, see the full list of What credit reference agencies know about you.
ii) Any past dealings you've had with them. So a lender you've banked with knows you better - sometimes good, sometimes not. If it is good, applying there can boost acceptance.
iii) Your application form. This has crucial information on it, including your salary (which credit reference reports don't have).

Don't get too hung up about your 'Credit Score' number - it doesn't mean too much. I get many worried messages like: "My credit score has just dropped 12 points because I did x, y or z. Help." Yet little changes in your score mean, well, very little (big moves are worth following up though).
That's because the 'Credit Score' you're given by a credit reference agency isn't used by lenders, it's just a consumer product sold to give a loose indication of how a 'typical' lender may see things, based only on your credit file.
But every lender is different, with its own, usually unpublished, scoring system, based on its preferences, and including the data from your application form and their relationship with you too.
For example, if you close a credit card and your score rises, that's one interpretation, based on the fact you've less credit, but some lenders may score you down for it, as they like signs of longevity. It's not hard and fast.
So while the 'Credit Score' is a loose, useful indication of how you're doing, it's far from gospel, so don't stress small moves. Though it isn't bad to get a free credit score or get paid £9 to do it.
PS: From here on, when I mention credit scores, unless stated, I mean lender's own, not the ones from credit reference agencies.

Boosting your credit score's like going on the pull. Here are 10 ways to make yourself fiscally fanciable

There are lots of things you can try to do to make yourself more attractive to lenders, but there's no universal fix. It's art, not science.

Just like some people fancy someone glammed up in make-up and high heels, and others want the natural look, different lenders look for different things too. Yet there are some simple cosmetic changes that work for most.

- Evidence of stability's good. Be that showing the same job, bank, or telephone number on applications.

- Get on the electoral roll. If not, getting credit's tough, as it can cause ID and tracing issues, so sign up to the electoral roll (choose to opt out of the 'open register' element if you want to avoid junk mail - it still counts for credit-scoring purposes).

If you're a foreign national unable to get on the roll, ask the three credit reference agencies to add a note to your file saying you can provide proof of residency (utility bills, a UK driving licence etc). The hope is lenders will ask for the proofs & accept them to complete ID/address checks.

- Never miss or be late on repayments. Use a direct debit to be sure, even if just for the minimum (then repay more on top).

- Don't withdraw cash on credit cards. It's expensive & evidence of poor money management. See What about withdrawing cash abroad?

- Be consistent, even on different applications, to avoid fraud scoring. Fraud scoring, where external agencies filter applications to check for inconsistencies, is credit scoring's secret cousin, so try to use the same details for each application or it looks dodgy and can cause problems.

- Ensure you time it right. Major problems, such as county court judgments (CCJs), defaults or bankruptcy, stay on your file for 6 years. Applications for products stay on for 1 year. So if they'll soon lapse, try holding off applying until they do.

- Avoid lots of applications in quick succession. Many debt applications leave a footprint on your credit file. Too many, especially in a short space of time, hurt future applications (the system is anti-shopping around) as if you get rejected or a worse rate than advertised, you'll want to apply elsewhere.

So space out and prioritise applications. Eg, if you're due to apply for a mortgage, don't apply for minor things such as cashback credit cards for a month or two before.

- Avoid payday loans, they can kill mortgage applications. They're dangerous in their own right, but some mortgage underwriters simply won't lend to anyone who's had one. See our free First-time buyers' or Remortgage guides for full help on mortgage acceptance.

- If you rent, your payment can now boost your credit score. There are three schemes available, all designed so that you paying your rent on time will benefit your credit history (pay late and it'll be negative).

- Buy now, pay later (BNPL) will SOON appear on credit reports, so timely repayment matters even more. The three credit reference agencies are all expected to be adding data about BNPL use (eg, Klarna, Laybuy) to credit files this year. So on-time repayments should boost your credit history, late repayments may harm it. See How BNPL works.

Don't ever apply on spec, always first home in on where you'll be accepted via an eligibility calculator. If you need a new product, you want to aim to do it in a way that best protects your ability to get future credit. So applying, then getting rejected and applying elsewhere is a nightmare.

These days, to help some lenders have eligibility checkers to show your chances before applying. Better still, use tools that show which of a big range of top products you've best chances of getting. Some of the MSE eligibility calcs include:

- Cheap loans (lowest cost personal loans)
- Balance transfer credit cards (shifting existing debt to 0%)
- Spending credit cards (new 0% borrowing)
- Balance transfers AND 0% spending cards (2-in-1 cards)
- Money transfer credit cards (paying cash into a bank at 0%)
- Reward credit cards (cashback, points, spending incentives)
- Travel credit cards (cheap spending overseas)

What if I only get a low eligibility chance? Don't immediately be put off. A 20% chance means two in every 10 are accepted - you may be one of the two. So if your best chance is 20% and it's a product that's crucial, go for it, some will be accepted, the worst result is just one search on your file. It's worth it.

You can snog or live with who you like, just be careful if you get joint products with them. It doesn't matter if you hold hands, snog, live together or even get married, none of those things will link your credit file with someone. Yet a joint mortgage, loan or even joint bills bank account with flatmates usually will.
That means lenders can see their history when you're assessed, so if you get together with someone with a bad history, avoid joint products if you can.

No longer with someone you were linked to? See how to de-link your finances.
PS: There's no such thing as a joint credit card, the other card is just a 2nd card on the first account, so it doesn't link you.

Your Credit Hit rate is a truer indication of your credit-gaining powers. As I mentioned, my biggest issue with the credit reference agency's Credit Scores is they miss any indication of affordability scoring. So about six years ago, I came up with a Credit Hit rate measure, from our free Credit Club. It is a more real-world indication, showing the percentage of top deals you're likely to get. Do have a play (it doesn't include mortgages though).

Struggling to understand credit scoring? Try my 'would you lend to someone who' quiz...

While it's complicated at its edges, in the main, credit scoring is pretty intuitive. It's all about trying to predict future behaviour based on the past. So let's play a wee game, in all cases...

At the pub, someone's forgotten their cards, and asks you to lend 'em a tenner, saying they'll pay you back. Would you if...

a) they often do this, yet EVERY time, have always repaid you or others back promptly the next day?
b) they often do this, yet very rarely remember to pay you back, without you hassling them a lot?
c) they seem nice, but you've not met them before, nor have any of your friends?

My instincts would be warmest to the first, and coldest to the other two. If you're similar, then you've been credit scoring...

a) someone with a good credit history.
b) someone with a poor history.
c) someone you have too little data on, so reject.

You need to have credit to get credit, but there is a way to build or rebuild your creditworthiness. As my quiz above shows, those who've a bad history get rejected, as do those who've never had credit due to a lack of data on them. So you need to find a way to break this catch-22.
The easiest way is a 'poor credit scorers' credit card. Use our Credit (Re)build Eligibility Calc to show which cards you can get, but as they have very high APR interest rates, follow my ABC of what to do:
A) Use it for £50ish a month of normal spending (no ATM withdrawals).
B) Always repay IN FULL each month, so there's NO INTEREST (as you only pay interest if you've a balance left). For safety, do this by direct debit if you can, as miss it and it can make things worse.
C) After 6mths to a year, you'll start to look a better credit citizen.
PS: The Tesco Bank Foundation card* (best to check acceptance odds first) is a poor credit scorers card that also gives you Clubcard points on spending, so if you can get it, you may as well plump for it (do pay it in full or it's 27.5% rep APR). More options in Credit cards for bad credit.

Don't be scared if you see the fact you've checked a file or used an eligibility calc on your credit report. There are two types of searches firms do. Most applications are 'hard' searches, which'll usually appear on your file whenever you apply for a credit product.
Yet when you check your credit file or use an eligibility calculator, a 'soft search' appears there. That means while you see it on your credit file, lenders DON'T, so it has no impact.

Get unfair defaults removed from your file. If there's a default on your file that isn't fair (eg, you were marked as paying late, even though you paid on time), it's important to get it removed - or it can kibosh most future applications.
It can be tough to get rid of, so see our step-by-step unfair defaults help. And even if it's fair, see how to mitigate the damage from defaults.

PS: And it's goodbye, for now, from me. For the next few weeks, I'm taking a work-break to focus on being a daddy, a husband and recharging my batteries (though I'll be back for the price cap announcement) as there's a scary autumn and winter coming and I want to be on form to be able to help. The site and email will continue to flourish in the overly capable hands of the MSE team. Ta-ta.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Virgin takes on Nationwide in the battle of the packaged bank accounts. And couples & families are the winners...
... for £15 a month, you get up to £500 family travel, mobile, breakdown insurance, top savings rates, and £100+ of switch freebies

Packaged bank accounts are the Marmite of banking. Many love them, as cleverly used they get you hundreds of pounds of insurance for a fraction of the cost. Many hate them, as they're unsuitable, and they were upsold leaving big cash dripping away for years. (If so, can you reclaim fees?) Yet if you make an active decision, and will use the insurance that comes with them, then these can be real MoneySavers, so we've put the top two head-to-head...

Virgin Money's taking on Nationwide. Now Virgin Money's Club M* has added in a 1.56% linked saver, it's a fine call between it and our long-term top pick Nationwide's FlexPlus. Both give up to £500 of benefits for well under £200 a year. Virgin wins for savers, Nationwide's slightly cheaper, the rest is all preference...

Top packaged bank accounts
	Virgin Money Club M*	Nationwide FlexPlus
Cost	£14.50/month (so £174/year)	£13/month (so £156/year)
Switch bonus (1)	20,000 Virgin points convertible into, for example, 12 bottles (£100) of wine, a return flight to New York (you pay taxes), £97 gig tickets, or 100 Greggs sausage rolls	£100 cash
Mobile phone cover (worth about £70/year per person)	All family smartphones + laptops, tablets. Covers the account holder(s) plus any family member at same address	All family smartphones. Covers account holder(s) plus partner and children up to 18 (or 22 in full-time education) living at home
Travel insurance (worth about £110/year per family)	Worldwide family cover up to age 75, including winter sports & golf	Worldwide family cover up to age 69, including winter sports & golf. You can pay £65/year to extend cover if you're 70+ (or Co-op Extra account offers cover up to age 79)
Breakdown cover (worth about £60 to £90/year)	Green Flag (UK) covers account holder(s) in any vehicle, including roadside & home assistance	AA (UK and Europe) covers account holder(s) in any vehicle, including roadside, home assistance & onward travel
Savings interest	New. 2.02% on up to £1,000, plus 1.56% on up to £25,000 on its linked savings account (this is the top easy-access rate)	None
Cheap debit card spending overseas?	Yes	Yes
Customer service	37% 'great', 20% 'OK', 44% 'poor'	71% 'great', 19% 'OK', 10% 'poor'
1) To get the switching bonus, you need to meet its criteria eg. Virgin asks you to put £1,000+ in its Club M Saver, use the app etc, and both require you to switch 2+ direct debits. Full info in packaged accounts.

If you'd get the insurance anyway, these will save you £100s. If not, don't bother. While these are bank accounts, think of them as all-in-one insurance packages. So add up how much you currently pay for (or will pay for) mobile phone, travel and breakdown cover, then compare it to the package account's annual cost.
Certainly if you cover two or more mobiles, get family annual travel insurance and roadside recovery, these are winners, especially as cover levels are good. In fact, as both have sign-up bonuses which effectively reduce the year one cost, they're likely worth it even if you only pay to cover a couple of mobiles.
It's worth noting the breakdown cover is only for the account holder(s), so if you're in a trusting relationship, add your partner as a joint account holder (even if they won't use it) so they're covered too.

The cheapest standalone mobile, travel and breakdown policies. To help you evaluate...
- Mobile phone insurance: Is £55 to £70 a year depending on handset. See Cheap mobile phone insurance.
- Travel insurance: Family worldwide cover is as low as £30 for a week with no-frills super cheap cover (the banks' policies are stronger than that). For all options, including annual cover, see Cheap travel insurance.
- Breakdown cover: AutoAid* home start, roadside and onward travel is £55 a year for newbies (after £6 auto-cashback) if your car's 15 years old or less. More options and info, including basic cover and bigger names, in Cheap breakdown cover.
Were you flogged a packaged bank account? You may be OWED £1,000s. Actively choosing a packaged account for the right reasons is great. Yet over the years many were hard sold them, told you had no option, told you could only get a mortgage if you opted for the account, or were 'upgraded' without consent. If so, you could be owed all the fees back. See the free reclaim tool in our Reclaim packaged bank accounts guide.
As Elaine emailed Martin: "I have Power of Attorney for my 93-year-old mum who has Alzheimer's. I discovered all she had used this account with a monthly fee for was to make one monthly payment to a charity. I got my mum £3,456.23 back. I wouldn't have complained if I hadn't been made aware by your programme. Thank you."

New. Try MSE, the app! You've wanted us to do it for years, and we've spent six months building it, so now, at last MoneySavingExpert has an Apple and Android app. It has the whole site on it, plus some enhanced tools, and experimental first-try features. It's early days, but feel free to move to it, and give us feedback & suggestions.

Martin: 'Did you have to work from home, even for a day, between 6 April 2020 and 5 April 2022?' If so and you're an employee, you're STILL eligible to claim tax relief worth up to £280. Full info in Martin's updated working-from-home tax back blog.

Amazon Prime ups its price - we've a quick tip to beat it. See Martin's one-minute Prime hike video.

FREE Burger King cheeseburger or fries. See how to bag this easy Burger King freebie via its new loyalty scheme, plus how to earn a 'free' Big Mac via McDonald's rewards scheme. Kids eat free: Plus see our round-up of restaurants and cafés where little ones can enjoy a hot meal for less over summer. Kids eat free

New. Cheap 63Mb fibre broadband from Sky's Now Broadband, just '£16.25/month'. Newbies can get this Now Broadband 63Mb broadband & line deal for £5 upfront, then £20/month. But you can claim (don't forget) a £50 prepaid Mastercard, which is almost as good as cash. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £16.25/month over the 12-month contract. Want to see how it stacks up? Compare other deals.

Poundshop.com 10% off EVERYTHING code. MSE Blagged. £10 minimum spend. Delivery from £6. Poundshop

'I saved over £500 on car insurance using MSE's tool.' Our success of the week comes from Amanda, who used our Car Insurance Compare+ tool to find a new policy. She said: "I was flabbergasted how much cheaper the quote was, despite having our son on the insurance. Our insurer quoted us £798 to renew but Admiral came up trumps with £283. Thank you for the fantastic tool." Send us your MoneySaving successes.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- Poundshop.com 10% off £10 code Ends Tue 9 Aug
- Tails.com 90% off code Ends Fri 30 Sept

DID YOU MISS?

- Energy bills to rise 65% in Oct: 9 energy need-to-knows
- Now two accounts offer a FREE £150 bank switching bribe
- Get £30 cashback for investing £100
- 3 months' free access to 6,000+ mags & newspapers via app
- Check if you can get a school uniform grant worth up to £200

Ends Fri. Longest guaranteed 0% spending card - all accepted get 2 years - plus £25 cashback (if you go bananas)

If you NEED to borrow, do it the cheapest way... nowt's cheaper than interest-free

Credit cards are like fire - used right, they're a powerful tool, used badly, they can burn. Yet if you need to borrow and can repay within a couple of years, nothing is cheaper than a new 0% for purchases card. Provided you stick within your credit limit, this type of card gives you interest-free borrowing for a fixed period - and our overall top pick is ending this week. We've a full rundown of options in Top 0% for spending credit cards, but in brief...

Only use these cards for planned, affordable, budgeted-for, one-off, needed purchases. Such as replacing a broken appliance. Don't use 'em to fill in gaps in your day-to-day spending, as that will add to your future costs, and make life more difficult (though we know many are doing it right now anyway, in which case 0% is better than paying interest - but again, it's far, far better to avoid).
Ends Fri. M&S Bank 24 months 0% on spending and balance transfers PLUS £25 cashback. This M&S Bank card* (best to check eligibility odds first) gives all accepted two years' interest-free borrowing on new spending. After the 0% ends, the rate jumps to 21.9% representative APR. It gives the same 0% for debt shifted to it by balance transfer, though then there's a one-off 2.9% fee of the amount transferred.
There's also a possible £25 cashback if you apply by Friday at 11.59pm and go bananas... To get it, you need to spend a total of £250+ in five or more transactions in the first 90 days. This does make us nervous, as the five spends needed could tempt you to use it for things other than the one-off, needed purchase. Our workaround is to use it for the big purchase, then buy a banana on it every day for a week to ensure you get the cashback - and some potassium - without splurging (other fruit purchases are acceptable).
How does it compare to other top cards? For purchases, this Barclaycard* (best to check eligibility odds first) is longer at 'up to' 25 months 0% (22.9% rep APR after), yet the 'up to' means some accepted customers just get 12 months 0%, so if you've better eligibility calculator odds for the M&S card, that's a safer bet.
For balance transfers there are many better deals, either 22 months 0% with no fee, or up to 34 months 0% for a 2.88% fee. So you're best to get a top balance transfer card instead, unless you need to do both spending (be careful) and debt-shifting, in which case this is a good two-in-one offer.

Follow the 0% Card Golden Rules. Full info in 0% credit cards, but in brief...
a) Never try to borrow your way out of debt - if you're struggling, see our Debt help guide.
b) Always pay at least the set monthly minimum and stick within the credit limit, or you can lose the 0% offer.
c) These cards are usually only top picks for spending - avoid cash withdrawals or shifting debt to them.
d) Plan to clear the card (or balance-transfer away) before the 0% period ends, or the rates jump to the rep APR.

Five Odeon cinema tickets for £27 (or two for £12). This popular deal is back, but it's likely to sell quickly. You needn't use all tickets in one go. See this Odeon deal, plus more cinema savers.

33% off railcards for anyone. A few weeks ago this deal was just for Trainline newbies - now existing users can get it too. Railcards knock up to 1/3 off travel and cards include: 16-25 | 26-30 | Family & Friends | Two Together | Senior. Railcard code. Then again...

There's a rail strike today (Wed) - what are your refund rights? Plus the latest on your rights if your journey was disrupted by last week's heatwave. See rail strike refunds for more.

Heading abroad for a holiday? Quick help links
Cheapest way to spend abroad | Compare travel cash rates | Cheapest travel insurance
Cheap car hire | Cut airport parking costs | Avoid airline seating charges

The tax credits deadline is SUNDAY - check renewals now or risk payments stopping. Check and renew online/by app before 11.59pm on Sunday (6pm on Friday by phone). See tax credit renewals.
One month's 'tailored' dog food for £2.50 (normally £25) via 90% off code. MSE Blagged. Plus 30% off second box. Add info about your dog and it creates a special four-legged friend recipe. Newbies only. Tails dog food

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

0% balance transfers

Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 34 months 0%, 2.88% or 3.88% fee (21.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 22 months 0% (21.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR)

Broadband top picks

Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£12.74/month'
Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Now Broadband '£16.25/month'

On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs

Top savings accounts

Top easy access: Virgin Money 1.56%, no min deposit
Top one-year fix: Tandem 2.75%, min £1

Car insurance

Try our new MSE Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheap loans

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank* 3.7% rep APR interest
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Finble 2.7% rep APR (1 to 7 years, by eligibility calculator only)

Best bank accounts

£150 to switch + TOP service: First Direct
New. Free £150 + £5/month: Halifax

Cheap Sims

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.45/month' for 3GB, unlimited mins & texts
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.95/month' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts
10GB+ data: Lebara, '£4.15/month' for 12GB, unlimited mins & texts

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When did you last check your credit report? Your credit report can strongly influence whether you get a particular mortgage, credit card deal, mobile phone contract or energy tariff, and sometimes even the rate you're given. So as it's the big focus of this week's email, we want to know when you last checked yours?

Starling Bank claims the banking service crown. Last week, we asked you to vote in our biannual banking customer service poll, and about 9,000 people responded. Starling Bank was at the top of the table, with 93% of its customers rating it 'great' and just 3% rating it 'poor'. Chase Bank UK was close behind, with 91% rating it 'great', followed by First Direct and Monzo (both 88%). Meanwhile, Barclays, HSBC and Virgin Money battled it out for the wooden spoon, with more than 40% of their customers rating their bank 'poor' for service. See full bank service poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: MPs call on Government to provide more household energy bill help
- Lloyds to shut a further 66 branches from October
- Wowcher wrongly charges shoppers for 'VIP' subscription
- Shell Energy to hike broadband and call costs from September
- Asda shoppers can earn cashback with new rewards card

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should someone who earns a decent wage use food banks? Someone I know is on above average wages, but doesn't manage her finances very well. She's now going to a food bank to top up her weekly shopping, instead of sorting her finances out or cutting back. Should I tell her she's being selfish by potentially denying people in greater need than her, or am I judging her too harshly? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should someone who earns a decent wage use food banks? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Rooks, records & renting dilemmas - last week's MSE Forum highlights

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES

Wed 27 Jul - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am
Wed 27 Jul - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen again

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC)

Tue 2 Aug - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

APPLE-SCENTED TOILET WIPES INSTEAD OF APPLES... WHAT'S YOUR ODDEST GROCERY SUBSTITUTION?

That's all for this week, but before we go... ever placed an online grocery order, then found items had to be substituted? Well, MSE Forumites have been sharing the nonsensical alternatives they've had delivered. Instead of apples, one received apple-scented toilet wipes, another got sausage rolls instead of toilet rolls and, in one case, a lemon was sent instead of lemon-scented washing up liquid. Then there's the mum who bought a 'number five' candle, but received two number twos and a one. Add your own to the weirdest substitute item you've been sent? MSE Forum discussion.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

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We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

We often link to other websites, but can't be responsible for their content.

Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

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What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial - researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE.

Who is Martin Lewis?
Martin Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

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As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:

Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email

clearscore.com, topcashback.co.uk, tescobank.com, uk.virginmoney.com, autoaidbreakdown.co.uk, bank.marksandspencer.com, barclaycard.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk

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