Householders across Herefordshire are urged to activate and use their £15 Shop Local cards — before the chance to spend the cash runs out.
Nearly 60,000 shop local prepaid cards have been sent out to households across the county as part of Herefordshire Council’s scheme to help local retailers recover from the pandemic. The council is delighted with the success of the scheme so far, however thousands of cards have yet to be activated and more than half a million pounds remains to be spent.
Residents who haven’t yet activated their card are urged to follow the simple activation steps and spend their £15 before the cards expire at the end of March.
New figures show 58,893 cards have been issued across the county and that so far just over 40,000 have been activated. In total, the cards have been used by householders to spend more than £315,000.
More than £500,000 remains unspent on the cards – and the council is reminding householders to move quickly to beat the 31 March 2022 deadline.
Councillor Ellie Chowns, Cabinet member for environment and economy, said they were delighted with the numbers of people who had applied for their Shop Local card before applications closed.
“The figures we achieved for applications are tremendous, but time is starting to run out for people to both activate their cards and spend the money on them.
“The cards can be activated using the instructions on the letter it came with, and help is available for anyone who has any difficulty by emailing shoplocal@herefordshire.gov.uk or calling 01432 260 000.
“This money will not be available to spend after 31 March 2022 so we would urge anyone who has yet to activate their card — or who still has money left on an active card — to take advantage of the scheme now.”
The Shop Local scheme is designed to help local producers and retailers and is part of a wider £6million council programme, funded through the government’s covid recovery fund, to boost the local economy, including free weekend bus travel, grants for small businesses and a phone app to reward local shopping.
Over 1,500 individual businesses in Herefordshire have accepted card payments.
Laura Hall, managing director of Hey Honey in Church Street, said the Shop Local card had been a lifeline for the specialist store over Christmas.
The shop, which sells all things bee-related, had rung up 68 separate sales using the Shop Local card worth a total of £881.
“I cannot stress just how hard Christmas has been and what a huge difference this initiative has made,” said Laura.
“It’s been really heart-warming to see people coming in with their card and saying that they knew exactly where they were going to use it as soon as it arrived. They have been incredibly loyal and it really means the world to us.
“The scheme really has made a massive difference. We’ve seen nearly £1,000 in sales and that has been a significant part of our Christmas income.”
Councillor Chowns added:
“We have heard many wonderful stories from some of our independent retailers and producers such as Laura about how Shop Local has helped bring people back out to start shopping. There are a number of studies that show how money spent locally tends to stay local, so this scheme is not only benefitting the retailers and producers in question, but the whole of the Herefordshire economy.”
The cards can be used at any business in the county that accepts Mastercard payments but cannot be used for some uses including off-licences, as well as for betting and gambling (including lottery tickets and casinos), dating and escort services, massage parlours, automated fuel pumps, cable, satellite or other paid TV subscription services and telecommunications services.
Help is available for anyone having difficulty activating their card – email shoplocal@herefordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01432 260 000.
Almost 60,000 Herefordshire households have successfully applied for their Herefordshire Council Shop Local prepaid card. This card is issued by allpay Limited on behalf of Herefordshire Council (Card Provider).
Please note the Shop Local scheme is now closed to new card applications.
Our local and independent retailers, producers and traders have had a particularly tough time during the Covid pandemic. We think giving you a little extra to Shop Local now will help kickstart the recovery.
By supporting our local shops, restaurants and businesses, we are investing in the future of the whole county. By shopping local you can make sure your money stays local – which is good for you, your community and the future of Herefordshire.
Shop Local prepaid cards have £15 on for households to spend in Herefordshire. Funds on cards need to be spent by the 31 March 2022. After this date funds will be returned to Herefordshire Council.
Please keep your card until the scheme closes on 31 March 2022. It is possible that additional money may be available to be loaded onto your card depending on scheme take up
How to activate your card
- Step 1
Sign the reverse of your card. Call allpay Customer Services on 0330 808 0102 and select option 1 and follow the instructions to activate your card.
You will need your Client ID, located at the top of the letter sent out with your card and your date of birth to activate your card. - Step 2
You will be prompted to setup a memorable 6-digit telephone access code. This is the 6-digit code that is used to access your account details on the telephone service. - Step 3
Once your card has been activated you will be given your 4-digit PIN for your card over the phone. Please ensure that you remember your PIN and keep it safe. You will need your PIN to make card purchases in shops.
If you experience any problems activating or using your card, please contact the council: Email shoplocal@herefordshire.gov.uk or call Customer services 01432 260000.
Using your card
Once you have activated your prepaid card it can be used at retailers in Herefordshire displaying the Mastercard® acceptance mark. Businesses do not need to register to participate in the scheme and to date over 1,500 Herefordshire businesses have accepted Shop Local card payments.
You may be restricted from using your card for some purchases, which could include restrictions at off-licences, as well as for betting and gambling (including lottery tickets and casinos), dating and escort services, massage parlours, pawn shops and tobacco stores, counselling services, automated fuel pumps, cable, satellite, or other paid TV subscription services and telecommunication services.
Your new card allows you to make contactless transactions. Please note that the first transaction you make using your card will need be done via chip and PIN, so please ensure you know your 4-digit PIN.
The card cannot be used to withdraw cash and you will not be able to make internet purchases or transactions even if the business is based in Herefordshire.
There are no fees associated with this card and you should not be charged a transaction fee.
Card balance
If you make a transaction for less than £15 and have funds remaining on your card you should note how much this balance is. Future transactions cannot exceed the remaining balance.
You can check your balance by:
- Visiting www.allpayprepaid.net/cardholder
- Calling allpay Customer Services on 0330 808 0102
Other important information
Please keep your card safe. The e-money loaded onto your card should be treated just like the cash in your wallet.
In the event of loss or theft of the card, you are responsible for reporting this as soon as possible by calling allpay Customer Services on 0330 808 0102 and selecting the Lost & Stolen option. As soon as this is done, your card will be immediately blocked, protecting you from unauthorised usage.
You should retain safely the letter that accompanied your card for future reference. It contains important information such as your unique Client ID and terms and conditions of use which you are legally required to be aware of and apply.
Issuer statement
The allpay prepaid card is issued by allpay Ltd pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. allpay Ltd is a company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 900539) for the issuance of electronic money. Head office and registered address: Fortis et Fides, Whitestone Business Park, Whitestone, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 3SE (Company No 02933191). Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
