The Balance Wheel Points

We run two separate points schemes. They are earned in different places and convert to money at different rates, so it is always clear which balance is doing what. You can see both on the Points & rewards page of your account.

1. The Balance Wheel Points — the shop scheme

Earned when you spend money or help other buyers.

• Earn 1 point per £1 (ex VAT) of goods once an order is marked completed.
• +15 points for each product review you submit, +10 more when it is published.
• Occasional bonus-point events on selected ranges — watch the mailing list.

Spending: 150 The Balance Wheel Points = £1 off a future order, applied at checkout. Points can be combined with most vouchers but not with contract pricing, and expire 24 months after they are earned if the account is inactive.

2. Community Points — the forum scheme

Earned by taking part in the The Balance Wheel Community forums. This is a separate balance from The Balance Wheel Points.

• +5 points for starting a topic.
• +2 points for posting a reply.
• +1 point each time one of your posts gets a reaction.
• +10 points when your reply is marked as the accepted answer.

Spending: 500 Community Points = £1 off a future order. The rate is lower than the shop scheme because these points cost nothing to earn.

Quick comparison

The two balances are never pooled — 150 The Balance Wheel Points and 150 Community Points are not the same amount of credit. Forum reputation and rank are separate again: they decide your forum badge, not your credit.