Cycle Scheme

If you wish to order a bike and take advantage of the government "tax free bikes" Cycle to Work initiative, read on.

IF YOUR EMPLOYER DOES NOT HAVE A SCHEME AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE ONE (AND SAVE YOURSELF UP TO 69% OFF A NEW BIKE) PLEASE CONTACT caroline@planet-x-bikes.com AND WE WILL EXPLAIN HOW EASY IT IS TO SET UP.

For a bit of light reading on the subject and all the small print, see here:

Cycle to Work Scheme

Payment Methods

There are now FOUR methods of payment for cycle to work bikes. We ONLY accept these methods of payment.

1. Direct Payment from your employer - by company credit card or company cheque.

2. Payment for a bike using a cyclescheme.co.uk voucher.

CYCLESCHEME LEVY A 10% COMMISSION ON ALL ORDERS PAID FOR USING CYCLE SCHEME VOUCHERS, WE ARE UNA BLE TO ABSORB THIS FEE AS WE ALREADY OFFER THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICES AND THEREFORE THESE ORDERS ARE SUBJECT TO A FEE OF 10% OF YOUR TOTAL VOUCHER VALUE

Our shop code for your application is PLANE004

Once you know you have a voucher you can place your order with us via the web, at the checkout don’t pay for the bike but click on the ‘Bike to work’ button, this will reserve your bike and generate an email to you with your order number. You must then post your voucher to us, with your order number. Please note: All cyclescheme vouchers MUST be signed before being sent to us. If they are not signed, we cannot process the order. We will contact you for any balance and proceed to build your bike.

3. We can now accept payment via the NHS SME HCI scheme. For details see www.nhsbikes.co.uk. The NHS scheme has it's own set of ordering instructions. For a quotation form, required to enable you to apply please click on the following link and fill in your name, contact details and workplace as required:

Bikes for the NHS Quote Form

‘SMEHCI’ LEVY A 12.5% COMMISSION ON ORDERS PAID FOR USING THEIR SCHEME, AS WE ALREADY OFFER THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICES WE ARE UNA BLE TO ABSORB THIS FEE AND THEREFORE THESE ORDERS ARE SUBJECT TO A FEE OF 12.5% OF YOUR TOTAL VOUCHER VALUE.

Once you know you have a voucher you can place your order with us via the web. At the checkout don’t pay for the bike, instead click on the ‘Bike to Work’ button, this will reserve your bike and generate an email to you with your order number. SMEHCI will then contact us with an authority to proceed. We will contact you for any balance and proceed to build your bike.

4. We also accept orders made through OnYourBike. On this scheme you must apply through your employer for permission to order a bike. Once that is granted you can place your order with us via the web, at the checkout don’t pay for the bike but click on the ‘Bike to work’ button, this will reserve your bike and generate an email to you with your order number. You must then send an e-mail to caroline@planet-x-bikes.com so that we can place your order with OnYourBike. OnYourBike will process your request with your employer and when they pay us we will contact you and complete your order.

‘ONYOURBIKE’ LEVY A 10% COMMISSION ON ORDERS PAID FOR USING THEIR SCHEME , AS WE ALREADY OFFER THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICES WE ARE UNA BLE TO ABSORB THIS FEE AND THEREFORE THESE ORDERS ARE SUBJECT TO A FEE OF 10% OF YOUR TOTAL VOUCHER VALUE. (THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, IF APPLICABLE THIS WILL BE MADE AWARE TO YOU WHEN YOUR SCHEME IS LAUNCHED)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE ANY OTHER FORMS OF VOUCHER PAYMENT, PLEASE CONTACT caroline@planet-x-bikes.com AND WE WILL ENDEAVOUR TO SET UP A SYSTEM FOR YOU.

Your Questions Answered

1. Once I receive the bike, do I become its rightful owner?

Your employer remains the legal owner of the bike until the end of the lease period. At that point your employer may choose to either keep the bike or sell it to you for a "nominal sum" as layed out in the terms of their scheme.

2. You've got an offer bike on now and I don't get my voucher for another few weeks. Can I order a bike now on my credit card to reserve it, then get a refund and pay with my voucher when I get it?

No. That's very complicated. We don't do complicated. We ask that you only order a bike if you have your voucher ready to go.

3. Why do I have to pay a 10% fee for ordering a bike with a cyclescheme.co.uk voucher, or a fee via the NHS SME HCI scheme?

We keep our prices competetive by selling at very low margins. Both of these organisations charge us a fee on each bike we supply to a customer. So we don't have to add this fee to all our complete bike prices (for all non-cycle scheme customers) we've decided to pass this charge on to you. The additional 10% charge DOES NOT APPLY if your employer is paying us direct for the bike.

4. I need a quote for a bike so I can apply for my voucher. How do I get one?

We don't give formal quotes for bikes. Our offers change frequently depending on stock levels and current demand so we cannot hold prices or specifications on any bikes for any set length of time. Once they're gone, they're gone. Having said that, we'll always aim to have great offer bikes available at key price points. If you REALLY need a quote to apply for your voucher, download one HERE and fill it in yourself. Please remember to fill it out for the value of the voucher you want to apply for. Our "shop code" for cyclescheme.co.uk us PLANE004.

For a bike quote for the NHS SME HCI scheme, please contact Andy Brookes by email ajb@planet-x-bikes.com.

5. Can I place an order before I have my cyclescheme voucher?

Yes. You can place an order before you have your voucher provided you are in the process of getting a voucher. The order will not be processed until we have received your signed cyclescheme voucher and any outstanding payment.

6. My employer wants to pay direct for the bike. How do I set up a salary sacrifice scheme?

We have an example salary sacrifice form available for download HERE. Feel free to use that as a template for your own salary sacrifice agreement.

7. How long after I've ordered can I expect to get my bike?

Once you've ordered we'll ask you to send us your voucher (and make any additional payments due on the order by credit/debit card over the phone). Once we've received your voucher, we'll start processing your order.

Most of our bikes are built to order according to your specifications and unless otherwise stated take 7 to 10 working days to dispatch.

8. How do I place an order?

The order process differs slightly from a normal online order. When you get to the checkout page select "Bike to Work" as the payment type, you will be assigned an order number, which you should note down and refer to in any correspondance.

9. Can I purchase parts with the voucher?

No, the voucher can only be exchanged for complete bikes.