By Rosie Murray-West
Copyright metro
Get the lowdown on which loyalty cards are actually worth it (Picture Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Our wallets and purses may be bursting with them, but are you using your loyalty cards… or are they using you?
While member discounts and bonuses are attractive, many of us are guilty of buying certain products – or even shopping in different stores – simply to rack up points.
‘Loyalty cards aren’t really about rewarding you, they’re about training you,’ Ebony Cropper, money-saving expert at debt advice group Money Wellness tells Metro.
‘It’s a clever bit of psychology, but if you’re not careful, it can be terrible for your budget. Many people spend far more chasing the reward than the reward is actually worth.’
Loyalty cards are designed to build your loyalty (Picture: Getty Images)
The secret to beating the loyalty experts at their own game is to pick the schemes that work for you and not be swayed by the others.
Deepak Tailor, founder of deals site Latestfreestuff.co.uk, tells Metro: ‘The best schemes reward you for what you already buy — like the Tesco Clubcard or Boots Advantage Card — turning everyday spending into real savings.
‘The worst lure you into extra visits just to “unlock” a freebie, which can quickly lead to overspending. Supermarket programmes often give consistent value, but some coffee shop and restaurant schemes rely on short-term gimmicks.’
With this in mind, we assess some of the most common schemes to help you decide whether they’re worth the effort — as well as offering advice so you can get the most out of your everyday shopping.
Tesco Clubcard
The biggest perk of a Tesco Clubcard is the exclusive prices (Picture: Getty Images)
How it works: Earn one point per £1 in-store or online, and at partners such as Evri and Ovo Energy. Once you have 150 points, you can swap them for a £1.50 voucher. Scanning your Clubcard also gives you access to Clubcard prices for immediate discounts.
How long to get a free item: On average, £150 spend equals a £1.50 voucher, equating to around two average grocery shops.
Value for money: The main perk of a Clubcard is access to Clubcard prices, which genuinely do save shoppers money. The Competition And Markets Authority found that these special prices save customers between 17% and 25% when buying loyalty-priced products. And when it comes the vouchers, they certainly add up if you’re spending on fuel as well as shopping.
Tips for use: Your Clubcard vouchers may be worth twice as much if you spend them with partners.
Sainsbury’s Nectar
Nectar prices can also save you money on your shopping (Credits: Getty Images)
How it works: Earn one point per £1 in-store or online, and one point per litre of fuel bought. When you hit 500 points, you get £2.50 off shopping. You also get cheaper, member-only prices if using a Nectar card.
How long to get a free item: Given you need to rack up £500 spending for just £2.50 off, quite a long time. However, you can accrue points faster if also using Nectar partners, which include eBay, Argos and Esso.
Value for money: As with Tesco, the real deal is the Nectar prices, but the vouchers are useful too.
Tips for use: Look out for Nectar offers in the app to get more points, and consider spending the vouchers with partners to get better value from them. Don’t forget to also activate your own personalised offers in the app for savings.
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Co-op Membership
How it works: Customers pay £1 as a one-off joining fee and in return get ‘member prices’ on selected products.
How long to get a free item: Savings are immediate on member-priced items while personalised offers vary in value.
Value for money: If you’re a regular Co-op shopper, the membership saves you money, but many of these stores are expensive convenience stores anyway, so value is relatively low.
Tips for use: Always scan your card at the till, and check (and activate) weekly offers on the app.
Morrisons More
It takes longer to get a free item using Morrisons More than it does with Tesco Clubcard (Picture: Getty Images)
How it works: Earn five More Points per £1 spent on most in-store and online grocery purchases, plus selected products and fuel. There are also More prices for cardholders. When you have 5,000 points, you can convert them into a £5 voucher.
How long to get a free item: With five More points per £1, you have to spend £1,000 to get £5 back, but some offers can increase the earnings rate.
Value for money: With Morrisons’ loyalty scheme, you accumulate fivers at pretty much the same rate as you would accumulate £5 of Nectar points, but longer than it’d take with Clubcard.
Tips for use: Log on to the app to add bonus offers and spin a wheel that earns you extra points after a shop.
How it works: The Lidl Plus app offers scratchcards and tiered rewards such as a 10% off coupon when you spend £250.
How long to get a free item: Alongside the discount code you get with a £250 spend, one-off deals include a free bakery item with every £10 spend.
Value for money: Freebies for Lidl Plus members are fairly regular, but bakery items in Lidl are relatively low value.
Tips for use: Check the app for personalised offers and ‘spin to win’ games that could see you gain extra free items.
Boots Advantage Card
The Boots scheme gives you more generous savings than supermarket counterparts (Picture: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
How it works: Earn three points per £1 spent on most purchases at Boots, and activate other offers for extra points on certain purchases.
How long to get a free item: You get 3p back per £1, so if you spend £50 you’ll get £1.50 at the standard rate.
Value for money: Although you’re unlikely to buy as much here compared to your weekly shop, Boots’ Advantage card is more generous than the supermarket loyalty schemes pound for pound.
Tips for use: ‘Clubs’ such as the Parenting and Over 60s clubs give triple points on some items, so you can accumulate rewards more quickly.
Superdrug Health and Beautycard
How it works: Earn one point for every £1 spent. Each point is worth 1p, meaning 100 points equates to £1 off.
How long to get a free item: To build up enough points for a £5 item, you’ll have to have spent £500. However, if you spend £75, you qualify for a free own-brand product.
Value for money: Since points rack up slowly, the value here really comes from the perks, such as VIP Rewards.
Tips for use: Remember, points expire — and if you don’t use the card for 12 months, you’ll lose active membership.
How to make the most of your loyalty cards
Loyalty schemes have good and bad points, but these expert tips can help you use them for good deals, not overspending.
Stick to the plan
Michael Foote, founder of Quote Goat and an experienced money-saving expert, says schemes such as Nectar ‘can lead to overspending, because points promotions are often tied to specific products that might not be on a shopper’s usual list’.
However, he tells Metro: ‘For regular Sainsbury’s shoppers who stick to their planned purchases and avoid being swayed by promotional upsells, the scheme can provide a consistent way to reduce grocery costs over time.’
Check your time limits
Loyalty points frequently expire, so ensure you use them before you lose them, suggests money-saver Polly Arrowsmith.
‘Some loyalty points will only last for three to six months,’ she warns.
Going digital can make it easier to consistently collect points (Picture: Getty Images)
Make it digital
‘Add your loyalty cards to the likes of your Apple Wallet or Google Pay, and keep them up to date,’ deals specialist Dan Evans, from Hot UK Deals, tells Metro. ‘That way you will be less likely to forget to use them.’
Don’t get sucked in
Ebony stresses the importance of being aware how loyalty cards are designed to ‘subtly change your behaviour’.
Tricks to watch out for include steering you to shop on certain days, nudging you to spend a little extra to hit a points target, or making you feel like you’re ‘wasting money’ if you shop elsewhere, she says.
Be aware of the data that you’re giving away
‘Every swipe, scan, or top-up with a loyalty scheme isn’t just earning you treats, you’re trading your shopping habits, location, and even pre-paid balances in return,’ Lisa Stanley, chief sustainability officer at financial sustainability app Zero, tells Metro.
‘It’s smart to ask yourself: Is the reward worth the personal data being traded?’
She recommends choosing schemes that are transparent about what data they collect, how they use it, and, crucially, how they protect it, adding: ‘If in doubt, skip the loyalty card – sometimes the best way to safeguard your habits is not to share them!’
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