Are supermarket loyalty cards worth it? Your ultimate guide

Looking to save some money on your grocery shopping? Well, you've come to the right place.

This guide contains all the tips and tricks you need to know when it comes to saving money on your weekly grocery shop. We’ve taken an in-depth look at the nine biggest supermarket loyalty schemes in the UK.

We’ll explain how each loyalty scheme works, as well as the key benefits and drawbacks of each. Learn how to get the most out of the rewards you earn, whether that’s spending your points at a partner retailer or gaining access to in-store and online discounts.

Whether you’re loyal to one particular supermarket or you enjoy shopping around, discover all the perks available for you to take advantage of.

What are supermarket loyalty schemes?

Signing up for a supermarket loyalty scheme allows you to earn rewards for shopping with your favourite supermarkets.

By scanning your physical or digital loyalty card every time you shop, you’ll collect points to exchange for money off future food shops, or other instant vouchers and rewards. These loyalty schemes are nearly always free to join, which means you can quite literally get something for nothing.

Want to know the best part? Some supermarkets don’t require you to spend your rewards in their stores either. Many shops have a range of partners who you can spend your rewards with instead.

Whether your points go towards your food shop, a new pair of shoes or a family holiday, supermarket loyalty schemes can be a fantastic way to get rewarded for your essential purchases.

Why do supermarkets use loyalty cards?

Supermarket loyalty schemes are a great way for retailers to reward their customers for shopping with them. When it comes to buying our groceries each week, we all have a choice as to where we go. Supermarket chains are aware that we have a choice, so they work hard to make sure you want to choose them.

How do they do this? Well, this is where promotions, offers and loyalty schemes come in. At their simplest level, you can get rewarded for buying things you’d usually buy, at the place you’d usually buy them. Or, if you’re a money-savvy shopper, you can take advantage of these schemes by shopping around to get yourself the best deal.

And just because they’re known as loyalty schemes, this doesn’t mean you’re restricted to shopping with just one retailer. However, the more you shop with one supermarket, the bigger and better your rewards can become.

How do supermarket loyalty cards work?

Supermarket loyalty schemes can work in a variety of ways. Some supermarkets reward customers with points for every pound they spend in store or online, whereas others choose to give exclusive member prices and money-off discounts instead.

We’ve been taking a closer look at the loyalty schemes of all the UK’s biggest supermarket chains. The goal? To help you decide which scheme, or schemes, you might want to sign up for and show you how to get the most out of each one.

A breakdown of each supermarket loyalty scheme

All you need to do is scan your Nectar card or app at the checkout and you’ll get one point for every £1 you spend.

Log in to your Nectar account through the Sainsbury’s website if you’re ordering shopping online.

With Your Nectar Prices, you can get access to exclusive discounts on your favourite products, which can be found in the Nectar app. Sainsbury's now also offer shop-wide Nectar prices, which work in the same way as Tesco's Clubcard prices. Scan your Nectar card at the checkout and the price of these items will be automatically reduced.

How can I earn more points?

You can earn yourself more Sainsbury’s Nectar Card points in a variety of ways.

If you have a Sainsbury's bank account that was opened before 31st May 2022, you can earn double points when you spend at a Sainsbury's store or petrol station.

Filling your car at a Sainsbury’s petrol station will earn you points, as will taking out a credit card with certain providers, including American Express.

Another easy way to earn more Nectar points is to sign up to Nectar Canvass surveys. By completing these online surveys and other small tasks like product testing and even focus groups, you can earn bonus points to spend on future shops.

How do I spend my rewards?

If you want to spend your Nectar points at Sainsbury’s, you can do this by scanning your Nectar card at the checkout.

You’ll need to do the same if you’re redeeming your Nectar points at one of their participating partners, such as Argos. However, if you haven’t scanned your card at that retailer before, you may need to speak to a member of staff to help you redeem your points.

You’ll get one point for every £1 you spend in store and online (as long as you scan your card). Once you reach 150 points, you’ll receive a £1.50 Clubcard voucher.

Being part of the Tesco Clubcard loyalty scheme will also allow you to access exclusive Clubcard prices. When you’re walking around the store or browsing online, you’ll notice that many items have a separate Clubcard price highlighted next to the usual price.

If you’re keen to get more discounts, you can become a member of Tesco Clubcard Plus for £7.99 a month. This scheme entitles members to 10% off their grocery shopping in store twice a month (you get to decide when to use your discount coupons) and 10% off all purchases F&F (that’s Tesco’s clothing range).

How can I earn more points?

As well as earning reward points when you shop with Tesco, Tesco Mobile customers can also collect one Clubcard point for every £1 they spend on their mobile bill each month.

Fill up at a Tesco petrol station and you’ll get one point for every two litres of fuel you buy. Or, if you top up your car at an Esso-branded petrol station with a Tesco Express shop, you’ll earn one Clubcard point for every £3 you spend on fuel. If you're sending a parcel via Evri.com, you'll earn one Clubcard point for every £1 you spend.

You could also sign up for a Tesco Bank credit card to receive bonus points when you shop at Tesco or a Tesco petrol station. What’s more, you can even earn bonus Clubcard loyalty points for shopping at a range of other retailers when you use your Tesco credit card.

How do I spend my rewards?

Tesco will automatically turn your points into vouchers and send them to you every three months, either by post or through your Clubcard app. To spend your Clubcard points at Tesco, all you need to do is scan your vouchers through the checkout when you pay for your shop. If you’re ordering online for home delivery, you’ll need to register your card to your account.

You can also use your Clubcard points to reduce the cost of your mobile bill if you’re a Tesco Mobile customer.

However, if you want to get the most out of your reward points, you should consider spending them at one of Tesco’s rewards partners instead. Exchanging your Clubcard vouchers for a reward partner voucher will maximise the value by up to double the amount.*

* Please note that as of 13th June 2023, reward partner vouchers are now worth up to two times the amount of your Tesco Clubcard vouchers, rather than three times (as it was previously). Any Tesco Clubcard reward partner codes ordered before this date will have a validity of 12 months.

Places that accept Clubcard vouchers as payment include:

The number of points you'll get per shop will depend on how many eligible items you buy. For example, they might offer 500 points if you spend £5 at their pizza counter, or 100 points when you buy a pack of doughnuts from the bakery. You'll also get five points for every litre of petrol you buy at a Morrisons petrol station.

Once you've earned 5,000 More Points, you'll qualify for a Morrisons Fiver voucher. You might also get other vouchers at any time, including percentage discounts and individual product price reductions.

We also noticed a few More Card Exclusive prices, where items like kitchen roll, meal deals, coffee and spirits are cheaper for members when they scan their Morrisons reward card at the checkout.

The Morrisons More loyalty scheme also has a Basket Bonus feature. When you scan your Morrisons More card at the checkout, you may win a surprise treat. These treats include free £5 vouchers, flower bouquets and goodies from their bakery.

How do I spend my rewards?

You may need to activate the personalised offers you want to use, although some are loaded automatically (so make sure you check before you shop!).

Then, all you need to do is scan your physical card or app at the checkout and your discounts and deals will be automatically applied. Any points you earn will also be added to your account. If you’re shopping online, make sure you’re logged in to your account so you can continue to earn and redeem rewards.

The Lidl Plus scheme also gives you the chance to unlock coupons when you reach certain spending targets. Past special offers have included getting a free in-store bakery coupon when you spend £50 in one month, as well as 10% off your entire next shop when you spend £250.

When you shop with Lidl Plus, you can also be rewarded with scratch cards when you make certain qualifying purchases. This means you could win even more freebies and discounts.

Scan your Lidl Plus card (which you can find on the app) every time you pay at the checkout. It’s worth noting that Lidl don’t offer a physical card, so you can only access this scheme if you own a smartphone.

How do I spend my rewards?

Any coupons or other offers you earn will be automatically added to your app, ready for you to use the next time you shop. Just activate your coupons on your app and scan your digital card at the till to use them.

Instead of earning points or getting vouchers for spending money at Iceland, the Iceland Bonus scheme allows you to save money on the card and get rewarded with a monetary bonus.

You can think of it in a way like a savings account where you earn interest for investing your money with a particular bank. You’ll get an extra £1 for every £20 you save using your Iceland Bonus Card, which equates to 5% cashback credit. This can be saved for a time when money is tight, or for big occasions like Christmas.

What’s more, members can also gain access to exclusive Bonus Prices on food and household essentials. This scheme can be used in store or online; you’ll just need to register your card to your account if you’re ordering online for home delivery.

How do I spend my rewards?

All you need to do is let the cashier at the till know how much of your Iceland Bonus Card savings you’d like to spend and they can deduct this from your bill. You can also add savings and spend your savings online by adding your card to your account.

You'll get exclusive member discounts on Co-op branded products and services, as well as non-branded items. These are called Member Prices. As well as this, members receive two personalised offers each week, which are based on their spending habits.

How do I spend my rewards?

Your Member Prices and discount offers can be redeemed in person at your local Co-op or on your Co-op online orders. You may also be given discounts for other Co-op products, including their insurance, funeral care and legal services.

These missions could be anything from buying a certain number of products from a particular department or spending a certain amount on your shop over multiple visits.

Whenever you buy a product with the Star Products icon, you’ll receive an instant Cashpot boost which is equivalent to 10% of the product price.

How do I spend my rewards?

Any cashback rewards you earn from Missions and Star Products will be added to your total Cashpot balance. You’ll then need to convert your Cashpot balance into vouchers to spend.

Sometimes Asda Rewards offer Boost vouchers, which will increase your Cashpot value by a certain percentage, so it’s worth looking out for this as well.

They’ll also send you personalised offers based on your shopping habits, so you can enjoy money-saving deals on all your favourite products.

M&S also offer Sparks members a free seventh hot drink after they're bought six hot drinks in store.

How do I spend my rewards?

Use your mobile app to opt-in to certain rewards so you can redeem them either in store or online.

Other member-only rewards include a 20% discount on Waitrose's in-store fish counter on Fridays and 20% off their in-store meat counter on Saturdays.

You can also get 5% off your dry cleaning and laundry services through Johnsons the Cleaners at selected stores, as well as 10% off Waitrose Cookery School courses. Members are also given free access to a range of Waitrose magazines, including their Food, Drink and Health magazines.

MyWaitrose cardholders who also have a Vitality health or life insurance plan can also enjoy up to 25% cashback on Waitrose products that have the Good Health logo on them.

Another huge plus of the MyWaitrose scheme is that members can enjoy a free hot drink every single time they shop. All you need to do is bring a reusable cup from home for your drink, then make a purchase in store, to earn yourself a free tea or coffee from their self-serve machines.

How do I spend my rewards?

To spend your vouchers, you’ll need to scan each voucher at the checkout when you pay for your shop or checkout online. If you’d rather print your vouchers at home and bring them to your local store, you can do this by downloading them from your account onto your computer.

Are supermarket loyalty cards worth it?

We certainly think loyalty cards at supermarkets are worth signing up for, although how much you get out of them depends on where and how often you shop.

In our eyes, the best loyalty card schemes are the ones which allow you to spend your rewards in a range of ways. It’s unsurprising, then, that our favourite loyalty card scheme is Tesco’s Clubcard programme.

Not only can you collect one point for every £1 you spend in store, but you can also spend those points at a range of retailers and get double the value. And let’s not forget that members also get access to exclusive Clubcard prices.

Whichever shop is your regular choice, you can earn something for nothing when you sign up to the relevant loyalty scheme, so why not give it a try?