SUPERMARKET shopping costs are going up – but you could stand to save money by using their loyalty schemes.
From Asda to Tesco, we reveal how the latest reward programmes compare.
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Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks.
The supermarket giant is trialling the scheme across 300 stores, so you might not be able to get it just yet where you are.
The move brings the retailer in line with its competitors – Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
Here we explain the perks you can get with each of them, but remember you don’t have to stay loyal despite the name.
There’s nothing to stop you joining every scheme so you know you can get the rewards wherever you shop.
Asda
Asda Rewards allows customers to collect “Asda pounds” every time they buy Star Products and complete Missions in store.
Shoppers get cash back on their shopping when they buy certain own-brand and big brand products.
Rewards you earn can be accessed in your “cash pot” within the app.
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Once you’ve built up cash, you redeem the money by creating a voucher in the app, which you scan at the checkout.
Cashback is personalised, with rewards offered on the items you’re most likely to buy.
The scheme is open to those shopping at 300 of its stores across the country.
Tesco
Tesco’s Clubcard was launched in 1995 and, like Sainsbury’s, shoppers can earn points as they shop which can then be used to turn into vouchers for money off food or other partner schemes.
Each time you spend £1 in store and online, you get one point when you scan your card or app.
You also get one point for every £2 spent on fuel.
One point equals 1p, so 150 points gets you £1.50, for example.
You’ll need a minimum of 150 points to request a voucher.
Once you have enough points, you can turn them into vouchers worth the face value to spend in store at Tesco, or you can triple their worth to spend at reward partners, including restaurants, and on days out.
Sainsbury’s Nectar Card
One of the longest-running loyalty card schemes, the Nectar Card was launched in 2002 after Sainsbury’s, Debenhams, BP and Barclaycard all combined their loyalty schemes under one brand.
Sainsbury’s then bought Nectar in 2018 and revamped the loyalty scheme in 2019.
Sainsbury’s customers receive a range of points-boosting offers based on their shopping habits every week.
Customers would be able to see the deals on the website or app each week, then collect the extra points if they buy the item in store or online.
How it works is shoppers earn points when they spend money at Sainsbury’s, Sainsbury’s petrol stations and also at other retailers such as Ebay and Dulux Decorator Centres.
To get one Nectar point you need to spend £1 in Sainsbury’s store, or you get one Nectar point for every litre of fuel purchased in Sainsbury’s fuel stations.
At most of Nectar’s online partner stores, you’ll collect two points for each £1 you spend.
One Nectar Card point is then worth 0.5p, so you need 200 Nectar points to save £1 to spend.
Once you have enough points you can turn them into vouchers to buy your next food shop at Sainsbury’s or to buy things such as plane tickets at Expedia, train tickets from Eurostar or cinema tickets for Vue cinemas.
My Morrisons
My Morrisons was launched in 2016 originally under the Morrisons More brand.
Shoppers used to get five points for every £1 spent in store, and a £5 voucher to spend at Morrisons for every 5,000 points accumulated.
But shoppers are no longer be able to collect points through the loyalty scheme since May 2021 after the scheme was overhauled and saw points collecting was scrapped.
Instead of getting points, shoppers now receive digital coupons that can be used for instant savings in stores.
So you won’t be able to earn anything on your shopping, but you’ll get “personalised offers” and coupons to get money off your groceries.
Lidl Plus
Lidl launched a loyalty app in September 2020, which shoppers can use to get discounts on groceries, Sky bills and cinema tickets.
You have to scan your card as you shop in store (Lidl currently doesn’t offer an online shopping service), which sees you earn points.
Once you’ve earned a certain amount of points, Lidl will give you money off your shopping.
You can get a free in-store bakery item when you spend £50 in a month.
You’ll get a £2 coupon when you spend £100 in store a month, or a £10 coupon when you spend £200 in store a month.
Each time you spend there’s also a one in five chance of winning a prize with a digital scratchcard. Prizes range from 25p to £20 off your weekly shop.
You have seven days to use your coupons before they expire.
Iceland
Iceland launched its Bonus Card loyalty scheme back in 2012.
Unlike other stores, it is a prepaid card which you load money on to and then spend in a store, online shop or via the supermarket’s app.
Every time you load £20 on to your card, you’ll receive £1 from Iceland.
On top of this customers with a Bonus Card get exclusive members only prices on select products.
For example, a six pack of Pepsi Max normally costs £3,50. However, with a Bonus Card, you’ll only pay £3 and savings like this will add up in the long-term.
But once you have put money onto the card, you can’t withdraw it and it can only be spent in Iceland.
Your card will also expire if it goes unused for more than 24 months.
M&S Sparks card
In July 2020, M&S scrapped its traditional points card model and now offers a rewards scheme for its shoppers.
Each time you shop at M&S in a store or online, you could get a reward.
Rewards range from discounts off whole product rangers like homeware or discounts off individual items.
As the Sparks card reward scheme is tailored to what each shopper buys.
Each week, one Sparks card customers will be picked at random to get their shopping for free under the scheme’s perks.
MyWaitrose
Waitrose launched its MyWaitrose loyalty scheme back in 2011.
Like M&S’s Sparks card, you don’t collect points with the MyWaitrose card.
Instead you receive rewards when you spend money at Waitrose online or in store.
Some of the rewards include discounts on certain brands or free coffees.
Customers get 20% of meat and cheese counters in store every day and on Fridays, MyWaitrose members get 20% off at the fish counter.
Our verdict
Before opting to sign up to any of the above schemes it’s important to take into account where you do your regular shop.
If you’re brand loyal, then the chances are it’ll be best to take up membership with your favourite supermarket.
As far as top picks go, the Tesco Clubcard scheme comes out at the top. It’s the biggest supermarket chain across the UK with over 4,000 stores.
Clubcard customers can save on hundreds of every essential items just by being a member.
Sainsbury’s Nectar Card scheme closely follows by also giving customers exclusive prices on the products they buy the most.
You also have the added flexibility to redeem your Nectar points across a whole range of other brands.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
