The words crash and crunch have featured heavily in recent weeks, but some investors have found solace in a shareholder benefit not subject to the whims of the City: share perks. These are the little-known sweeteners that are offered to investors by many companies, ranging from 10 per cent discounts from airlines and high street retailers to free ferry crossings or a bottle of wine at the annual meeting.

Andrea Horner, of Barclays Stockbrokers, which offers a free guide to share perks on 0845 6017788, says: “These offers are not well publicised. Many investors are sitting on significant discounts. If in doubt, check.”

Richard Hunter, of Hargreaves Lansdown, another broker, says that the number of perks has increased as boards have realised that these low-cost gestures attract investors and encourage them to spend in-house. However, Mr Hunter gives warning that buyers should not put discounts before market expectations where a minimum holding – of 200 shares, for example – is required. Where there is no threshold, he says that a one-share purchase can be a safe bet.

A single share in Signet Group, for instance, costs 69.75p and brings a 10 per cent discount on full-price items at H. Samuel and Ernest Jones, the jewellers. This translates to a saving of £597.50 on a diamond-studded ladies’ Omega De Ville watch at Ernest Jones.

Online brokerage services, such as those of Hargreaves Lansdown (www. h-l.co.uk) and Barclays Stockbrokers (www.stockbrokers.barclays.co.uk) make it easier than ever to buy stock. Fees and tax total about £10 on a one-off trade.

The Signet Group offer is open toall shareholders, including those whose stock is held in a nominee account, such as a self-select Isa, where the shares are registered in the broker’s name. However, certain perks not listed in this article are open only to investors whose shares are held in their own name.

Contact your broker or a company's registrar – listed in the shareholder benefits section at www.h-l.co. uk – for details of discounts and advice on how to claim. Note that perks are reviewed annually and may be withdrawn in the event of a takeover. For example, House of Fraser’s popular scheme was discontinued when the company delisted.

Ms Horner says that British Air- ways (BA) stock stands out for added value. The airline offers investors with a minimum of 200 shares, currently worth £630, a 10 per cent, discount on an unlimited number of full-price leisure flights. Moreover, the discount is extended to up to eight people travelling with the shareholder on the same booking. This would bring a saving of £352 on flexible return flights to Lisbon for a group of five adults next April.

The airline’s discount is open to current shareholders who held their shares on November 2. However, the offer will be repeated next year, opening it to new investors from the winter of 2008. Mr Hunter says that broker consensus on the shares is a “cautious buy”. Someone who invested £1,000 five years ago would have realised capital appreciation of £1,220 but no dividend payments.

Other discounts in travel and tourism include Holidaybreak’s 10 per cent offer for holders of 200 or more shares, worth £1,348-plus. The discount applies across the company’s subsidiary tour operators, including Explore Worldwide, a provider of treks and other active holidays in the likes of Morocco and Nepal. Meanwhile, a holding of 2,000 shares in Landround, worth £320, comes with unlimited passenger crossings for the investor and a companion on selected routes to France and Ireland with Hoverspeed and Irish Ferries.

On the high street, Laura Ashley offers all shareholders a voucher for 20 per cent off purchases made on one occasion each year. Next offers a similar 25 per cent coupon to those with 500 shares, worth £8,115. Tesco makes a “small gift”, such as a bottle of wine, to investors who attend its annual meeting. Ms Horner says that these meetings often feature goodie bags and offer a great chance to learn how a business operates.

Some of the biggest discounts are offered by housebuilders, such as Bell-way and Persimmon. The latter offers a 2 per cent discount on a new Persimmon property, capped at £4,000. The deal is available to shareholders who have held 1,000 or more shares – now worth £7,960-plus – for 12 months before the house purchase. However, would-be homeowners should consider the recent volatility in the sector and note that the shares have tumbled from £15.43 in January to 750p last month.

CASE STUDY: Travel saving add up

Val Witheridge, of Cranage, Cheshire, bought shares in Eurocamp, now Holidaybreak, during the 1970s on the advice of her husband, Reg, a retired accountant. The 61-year-old former chemist says that she bought the shares as an investment first and considered the perks as a bonus. However, she has since used her shareholder discount several times a year, saving thousands of pounds on travel. She initially used the discount to save money on family camping trips to Europe. More recently, they have holidayed in the UK and booked accommodation with Superbreak Mini-holidays, a subsidiary of Holidaybreak, to secure a 10 per cent saving. “The shares have performed OK,” she says. “Considering the perks, though, they have been a great buy.”

Share-buying for beginners

Your first decision will be what type of broker to use. An advisory service, where the broker helps with your investments, is a good route for beginners. A discretionary service, which costs more, enables the broker to buy and sell on your behalf without asking approval. The cheaper alternative is an execution-only service, where the broker makes transactions for you but cannot give advice.

You will then need to choose between a telephone, internet or face-to-face service. Note that some brokers hold shares in a “nominee” account on your behalf. This means that there is no direct link between you and the company and you must rely on your broker to pass on annual reports and dividends. Some companies, including EuroDisney, do not offer shareholder perks on shares held in these accounts.

The “locate a broker” tool on the website of the London Stock Exchange (www.londonstockexchange.com) lets visitors search for brokers by category.

The cost of share dealing depends on the type of service you use and number of trades you make. The advised dealing service from Killik & Co offers free advice after commission of 1.65 per cent per transaction, with a minimum charge of £30. Online services tend to offer a fixed fee per trade, rather than commission, giving significant savings on large deals. Most brokers – in all categories – give better rates to frequent traders.

An execution-only service does not come with advice but should be bundled with a number of stockpicking tools. For example, most online brokers offer regular market updates from their own analysts, Reuters or Hemscott. Hargreaves Lansdown also offers free access to its share-tipping newsletters and online investment courses.

Funds spread the risk of investing in shares. Commission starts at about 0.3 per cent for a tracker fund and 0.7 per cent, plus charges, for a managed fund.

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