Inner Circle by Brown Thomas FAQs

Inner Circle by Brown Thomas is an exclusive membership programme that is linked to Encore loyalty. Memberships are purchased annually in advance and are valid for 12 months. Inner Circle members enjoy a range of exclusive and valuable benefits including collecting 5 points for every €1 spent with Brown Thomas and Arnotts, free delivery on all online deliveries (excludes certain items, for example large items and furniture) and a choice of an exclusive gift.

To purchase an Inner Circle membership, you must be over 18, have an address in the Republic of Ireland and be a member of the Encore loyalty programme. If you are not a member of Encore loyalty, you will need to join before taking out an Inner Circle membership (joining Encore loyalty is free).

You can purchase an Inner Circle membership in Brown Thomas stores or online, at brownthomas.com or using the Brown Thomas app.

Once you have purchased an Inner Circle membership, you will need to link your new Inner Circle membership/card to an Encore loyalty account. You will find instructions for linking the accounts in the letter included with the Inner Circle pack and on the Brown Thomas website. If the Inner Circle membership/card and loyalty account are not linked, it will not be possible to earn points or redeem other Inner Circle benefits.

An Inner Circle membership costs €350 for a 12-month term.

When an Inner Circle membership is linked to an Encore loyalty account, the Encore membership ‘tier’ is changed to “Inner Circle” on the day the membership term begins. The new Inner Circle tier will appear on the “My Account” page when a member is logged into their Encore loyalty account. The Encore account points balance will remain on the account, and any points earned during the Inner Circle membership term will be added to the Encore account points balance. Customers may collect points using the Inner Circle card from the day of purchase. However, the points will only appear on the account and be redeemable when the membership term begins. All other Inner Circle benefits will be activated on the first day of the term.

Yes, of course. However, the person you are buying the membership for must be a member of Encore loyalty and will need to link the Inner Circle membership/card to their loyalty account.

Inner Circle memberships are purchased in advance and expire 12 months from the membership activation date. Once the membership is live (and linked to Encore loyalty), members will automatically earn Encore loyalty points at the rate of 5 for every €1 spent and will have free standard delivery automatically applied on all their online orders.

Inner Circle membership comes with a range of exclusive and valuable benefits, as listed below. Members will continue to enjoy their Inner Circle benefits for the duration of the membership term.

Inner Circle benefits

Encore Points Earning

Inner Circle members will collect 5 Encore points for every €1 they spend with Brown Thomas and Arnotts, in store and on the Brown Thomas and Arnotts websites and apps, for the term of their membership. Standard Encore loyalty exclusions and terms & conditions apply. The rate at which points are earned (5 points for every €1) is the same across all stores and platforms. Points may be redeemed in Brown Thomas and Arnotts stores, online, and via the Brown Thomas and Arnotts apps at the standard rate of 100 points = €1. For example, if you spend €1,000 in Brown Thomas, you’ll collect 5,000 Encore points which converts to €50 in Encore points to spend. Every September, points earned in the previous calendar year will expire.

Inner Circle members will also collect an additional birthday point for every €1 spent in the week leading up to and the week following their birthday; a total of 6 points for every €1 spent in that period.

Choice of Exclusive Luxury Gift

New Inner Circle members may choose one from a selection of complimentary gifts to be made available from the time their membership term starts. New gifts will be added regularly during their membership term, and members will receive a series of emails featuring a selection of gifts. Members may redeem one gift during the term of their membership. The chosen gift will be delivered free of charge to their registered postal address. Applies to all new Inner Circle memberships and membership renewals.

Free Standard Online Delivery

Members will automatically have free standard home delivery applied on all orders placed on the Brown Thomas and Arnotts websites and via the Brown Thomas and Arnotts apps (excluding certain items, e.g. large items and furniture). The benefit will be applied from the day the membership is activated and will last until the last day of the membership term. To avail of the free online delivery benefit, members must have a Brown Thomas or Arnotts online account that is linked to their Inner Circle (Encore) account and must be logged into the account when checking out.

Be The First To Know; Exclusive Early Notification of Sales, Promotions and New Product Launches

Inner Circle members will receive exclusive emails and app notifications to inform them of Brown Thomas and Arnotts sales, promotions and new product launches before they are announced to the public.

Invitations To Special Inner Circle Events

Inner Circle members will be invited to a number of exclusive member-only events during their membership term. Members will be notified of the events in advance.

Complimentary Delivery From Store, Including Gift-Wrapping

Free home delivery for purchases made in-store is available to Inner Circle members in participating Brown Thomas and Arnotts stores. In order to redeem the benefit, the member must provide proof that they are an Inner Circle member at the time of booking by presenting their physical Inner Circle card or showing the Inner Circle ‘tier’ in app. Delivery will be made on the same day or next day depending on the store, availability of the service and the member’s delivery address. For same-day delivery, requests must be made before 4pm. For next-day delivery, requests must be made before 6pm. The service is available only within a radius of 15 kilometres from the store location. All goods left with Brown Thomas or Arnotts shall remain at the sole risk of the member, and Brown Thomas Arnotts does not accept any liability for lost or stolen goods howsoever arising. Same-day delivery is available in Brown Thomas Dublin. Next-day delivery is available in Brown Thomas Cork, Limerick and Galway. This benefit is subject to availability.

Complimentary Clothing Alterations with Home Delivery

A complimentary basic alterations service is available to Inner Circle members. Members are required to provide proof that they are Inner Circle members at the time of booking by presenting their physical Inner Circle card or showing the Inner Circle ‘tier’ in app. Alterations available with this benefit are cuff and hem alterations: sleeve length, skirt/dress length and trouser/jeans length. Home delivery on altered garments is available only where the delivery address is within a 15-kilometre radius of the store where the item was purchased. Members whose address is outside of this radius of the store will be able to collect the altered items from the store where the items were purchased. The service is available in Brown Thomas and Arnotts stores. The service is not available in BT2 stores. All goods left with Brown Thomas or Arnotts shall remain at the sole risk of the member, and Brown Thomas Arnotts shall not be liable for lost or stolen goods howsoever arising. This benefit is subject to availability.

Hands-Free Shopping

A complimentary Hands-Free Shopping service is available to Inner Circle members in selected Brown Thomas and Arnotts stores. Members are required to provide proof that they are Inner Circle members at the time of booking by presenting their physical Inner Circle card or showing the Inner Circle ‘tier’ in app. Members must also provide their full name and a mobile number when requesting the service, and must present their receipt when collecting their shopping. Shopping must be collected on the same day of purchase, and all bags must be collected at least 30 minutes before the store closes. All goods left with Brown Thomas or Arnotts shall remain at the sole risk of the member, and Brown Thomas Arnotts does not accept any liability for lost or stolen goods howsoever arising. This service may be unavailable at certain times and is not currently available in BT2 stores.

Complimentary In-Store Beauty Treatments

Members can enjoy up to 2 complimentary in-store beauty services during the term of their membership. Appointments are for a facial, appointment with a skin therapist or with the Beauty Style Team (60-minute make-up appointment). Product is not included. Members must book in advance and quote their Inner Circle card number and any applicable redemption code provided when booking. This benefit is subject to availability and is currently available in Brown Thomas Dundrum and Grafton Street only.

Birthday Treats

Members will be offered surprise birthday treats in the run-up to their birthday and will earn 1 additional Encore point for every €1 they spend in the week leading up to and following their birthday (6 points for every €1 spent in the period).

The 5 Encore points and free online delivery will be automatically applied to each member’s loyalty account. The choice of exclusive gifts and gift redemption process will be shared with members by email once the membership term begins. To redeem some of the other benefits, members may need to use a code that will be provided, and may be required to provide proof that they are a member of the Inner Circle by presenting their Inner Circle card or tier on the app.

Inner Circle membership does not automatically renew. Members who wish to continue to avail of Inner Circle benefits uninterrupted must renew their membership before it expires. We will notify members 4 weeks in advance of the membership expiration date to let them know that it is due to expire, and how they can renew.

When your membership expires, your Encore loyalty tier will be changed based on your total spend in the previous calendar year, and your benefits and points-earning rate will be those associated with that tier. However, as soon as you take out a new membership, your tier will be changed to Inner Circle, and you will once again enjoy all the benefits of Inner Circle membership.

Yes. Every Inner Circle member will get to choose a gift once their membership is activated. This is the case for new members and customers who renew their membership.

Inner Circle membership can only be cancelled within 14 days of purchase and will automatically expire at the end of the 12-month membership term. You may cancel your Inner Circle membership within 14 days of purchase by contacting the loyalty team at Brown Thomas. If you decide to cancel your membership, any points earned at the higher rate will be deducted from your account. If you have redeemed a gift within the cancellation period, you will be asked to return the gift. Any refund will be applied to the card used to purchase the membership.

Unfortunately, not. Inner Circle membership may be cancelled for a refund within 14 days but may not be exchanged, and may not be returned for a refund or exchanged for another product after that period.

Inner Circle by Brown Thomas is linked to the Encore loyalty programme. In order to enjoy the benefits associated with Inner Circle, you must be a member of Encore loyalty. If you are not a member, you must join before becoming an Inner Circle member (Encore loyalty is free to join).

If you wish to create a new loyalty account to which an Inner Circle account is to be linked, you must use the special online form. There is a QR code which links to the form and instructions included in the Inner Circle pack and on the Brown Thomas website.

No, unfortunately it is not possible to transfer an Inner Circle membership. The membership will belong to the person named on the account when it was linked to Encore loyalty.

No, unfortunately it is not possible to link additional/associate cards to an Inner Circle account.

Yes, the Encore points you earn as an Inner Circle member are subject to the same expiry rules as Encore points. On 30th September each year, points earned in the previous calendar year will expire. We will notify members in advance of this happening each year.

Note: Standard exclusions apply to the earning and redeeming of loyalty points. See www.brownthomas.com for full terms and conditions.