Cycle to work scheme review

Rewards have completed a review of Vivup against our current provider BHN (Cyclescheme), the Reward team found no significant advantage in switching providers. BHN remains the preferred option due to its broader retailer access and clearer ownership terms. The review was initially prompted by Halfords being listed under Vivup, but this is no longer relevant as Halfords has since launched its own standalone cycle scheme.

The question was asked regarding the option of running two schemes (possibly the Halfords scheme as most of the questions from OU colleagues was using Halfords as a retailer) While HMRC does not explicitly prohibit employers from offering more than one Cycle to Work scheme, doing so can introduce unnecessary complexity and risk. Each salary sacrifice arrangement must be clearly defined and compliant with tax rules, including ensuring employees do not fall below minimum wage and that ownership is not transferred upfront. From a reward and HR perspective, offering multiple schemes can lead to administrative burden, employee confusion, and potential compliance issues. It may also dilute engagement, as employees struggle to understand the differences between schemes, without delivering any meaningful additional value. Therefore, we would not encourage such a setup.

UPDATE from 29/10/2025 Halfords are now under the Cycscheme umbrella for a trial period.