Royal Mail online postage service : Avoiding the minimum deposit of £3.50

There are a few annoyances about the Royal Mail online postage service

1. You need to send the parcel within 1 working day of purchase (or is it 2 now ?)
2. The minimum deposit to your account is £3.50 

However, you can avoid the minimum £3.50 deposit by withdrawing any amount left after buying your postage.

Capital One Classic Extra : Best current free cashback credit card ?

There's not much on offer at the moment in the Free Cashback Credit Card range.

Possibly the best free all rounder is  0.5% plus £10/year bonus (if you pay in full each month)  is  :
Capital One Classic Extra

The good thing about this card is that most people probably have a chance of being accepted.
The bad thing is the APR at around 34.94% 

Check the eligibility rules before applying.
You probably won't get this if you don't have a credit history

Card main details :
34.94% APR
0.5% cashback on all purchases (e.g. 0.5p per £1, 50p per £100)
If you pay in full on time, a £10 bonus per year

Even though 0.5% sounds miserly, if you use the card for all purchases (e.g. groceries) then you could spend £6,000+ a year, which would be £30+ a year plus £10 bonus if you pay in full each month. It's better than nothing I guess.

Main rule : Don't use it to get in debt with.

Capital One Classic Extra webpage

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Other Links :
Moneyfacts list of latest best cashback credit cards

TSB PLUS Current Account : 5% interest on first £2500

This account does not appear to be available until 30 March 2014

There has been a recent trend of free current accounts having the best interest rates available to entice new customers. The catches usually seem to be :

You need to put a certain amount in each month, usually around £1000
The interest might be on a limited amount
You may need to add some direct debits to the account
Some charge a monthly fee (check for free ones)

TSB PLUS Current Account
This current account is of special interest because :
You only need to put in £500 a month. Probably the lowest amount of this type of account
You don't need to add direct debits to the account
The interest is only on the first £2500, but that's £125 a year (before tax)
Online account only

Many people will earn more in this type of account than having large sums in savings accounts

More about TSB PLUS Curent Account on TSB site 

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Related Links
Moneyfacts : List of high-interst current accounts
Moneyfacts : About TSB PLUS current account
Moneysavingexpert : About TSB PLUS current account
The Guardian article

BT Basic line rental if claiming benefits

BT Basic line rental

UK only 
For people claiming most benefits only (see list)
You must be the named account holder to apply   

Current basic rules (March 2014)
£5.10 a month (paid quarterly)
Plus £4.50 a quarter in free phone calls (other landlines)
Internet connection is allowed
Government subsidized
Contact them immediately about any change in circumstances
You need to apply for a special application. Phone BT 0800 800 864 (8am-6pm Mon-Fri) 
Having broadband won't affect your application
Caller ID display included

See BT Basic line rental webpage

If you are on certain benefits you can apply for the BT Basic line rental. This is a government subsidised option and the DWP will be involved. You need to phone BT for an application form.

The benefits that apply to BT Basic line rental  :
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Pensions Credit (Guaranteed Credit)
Employment Support Allowance (Income related)
Universal Credit (and are on zero earnings)

You must be the named account holder to apply
Remember to tell them of change of circumstances

The other BT Line rental options (March 2014)
Standard  :  £15.99 a month
Line Rental Saver : £141 a year (£11.75 a month). Pay upfront. Online accounts only. 12 month contract.