The best reward and loyalty cards to carry

More than nearly any other country in the world, us Brits are the most likely to carry a loyalty card in our wallets (or on our phones), yet surprisingly, the least likely to use them.

In an earlier article ‘Why is pays to be unfaithful’ I discussed the merits of loyalty and reward cards and conclude that shopping at the cheapest place always trumps using a loyalty card, but if shopping somewhere that has a loyalty scheme, then it pays to use it.

With that being said, here’s the Money Saving Answers rundown of the best loyalty card schemes in the UK.

ASDA Rewards – 10% discount

In 2022 ASDA became the last large supermarket to introduce a reward loyalty card. I use that term loosely as there’s no physical card. It’s all handled via Asda’s mobile app.

Unlike rival schemes such as Tesco’s club card, or Sainbury’s Nectar, Asda Rewards users earn pounds not points. The money earned is saved in a virtual pot, and can be used to spend at Asda stores or online.

Customers earn by buying ‘star product’s. At launch there were over 400 start products, with most of these offering 10% of the purchase price as cash back added to the customers’ pot. Be careful though, as you must match the same size and flavour or variety of product in order to earn. Those shopping online, and receiving substitute products, will still gain the full reward amount.

Rewards can also be had for completing certain ‘missions’. For example the ‘back to school’ mission saw customers being given £5 when spending £25 on school uniforms. Additionally, there are mile-stone missions. These are much simpler and cover things such as scanning your card each time you shop.

How do I get an Asda Rewards card?

Asda rewards is app based. At the moment there aren’t any physical cards or key fobs. Instead, customers will need to download the app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play, and scan it whenever they check out.

If you already have an Asda.com account for online shopping, you will be able to link the app to that.

Is the Asda reward card it worth it?

A reward or loyalty card is normally on worth it if would normally shop at that store anyway, otherwise it’s often more cost effective to shop at the cheapest store. In this case though it is worth it, as aside from discounters such as Lidl and Aldi, Asda has been the cheapest big supermarket in the UK for five years in a row.

Waitrose’s myWaitrose  – weekly discounts

Waitrose might have cut back on the free tea and coffee (unless you make a purchase), but its loyalty card is one of the more useful for frequent shoppers. Under the revamped scheme, the popular ‘Pick you own’ discounts has been discontinued, instead myWaitrose card holders now get weekly vouchers based on their previous shopping habits.

Every Wednesday, you’ll be sent a voucher options which you can manage in the Waitrose app, or in the myWaitrose section of the website site. Sometimes you’ll see up to six offers, but you can only select two. Your selected offers and discounts will be then be available from Tuesday the week after. So about a week.

It’s important to remember to scan your physical or digital myWaitrose card each time you go through the checkout, to both redeem your offers, and to ensure any new offers match your shopping preferences.

Free drink

Free tea & coffee  does still exist for myWaitrose card holders, with the caveat that you must make a purchase, and need to bring your own mug.

Ikea Family – up to 25% off (on Family lines)

Okay, so this isn’t one that you need to carry all the time, but even if you’re not in the market for some new furniture, then the Ikea Family card still has a host of upsides.

It’s free to join and entitles you a free coffee each time you visit an Ikea store. There are also deals on food too, such as a cooked six-item breakfast for just £1.50, and a free £5 voucher for your birthday.

Of course, the key perk is paying reduced prices on ‘family lines‘ which range from bicycles to bath robes, and can be up to 25 per cent cheaper than the regular price. On top of that, Family card members also benefit from an additional 10 per cent discount on sales items.

The card can also be used in Ikea stores abroad too, but the benefits you receive will be those tailored to the country you are visiting.

Costa Coffee Club – 5% discount

If expensive coffee is your thing (hey, I’m not judging but this is a moneysaving site after all), then the Costa Coffee Club card or app might be worthy of home in your wallet, purse, or anything else you carry. The card offers 5 points per £1 spent, with 100 points being equal to £1.

It is currently running a promotion whereby new customers will automatically gain 100 points when they sign up to the scheme. And in case thet’s not enough, the card also entitles holders to free unlimited wifi in Costa stores nationwide.

Boots Advantage card – 4% discount

Boots has now cut the value of its advantage card points. Rather than earning 4 points per pound. You’ll now only get 3 points. 

This old highstreet favourite offers four points for every £1 spent. Points are worth 1p each, so 2,000 points (a £500 spend) is equivalent to £20. Or put another way, your gaining a 4 per cent discount each time you use the card.

Unlike some other schemes, points can only be redeemed against shopping at Boots and not for any other rewards.

We’ve previously shown that cosmetics and toiletries can be up to 15 per cent cheaper in Supermarkets, but if you must shop at Boots, then it pays to hold and Advantage card.

Don’t forget about Boots’ Scan to Recycle scheme, which could earn you up to £5 for recycling used cosmetics.

TIP: Look out for special offers that boost Advantage card points and you reward potential, especially in the run to up to national holidays.

http://www.boots.com/offers

Tesco Clubcard – 1% discount (boosted to 3%)

Arguably the most popular loyalty card around, Clubcard members earn one point per pound spent. Besides Tesco stores and online shopping, points can also be collected via participating partners such as E.on.

Each point is worth 1p, 1,000 points equals £10 off your shopping, but if you swap your vouchers (posted to you every three months) for ‘Boost’ tokens, they can be worth up to four times their original amount.

These can be redeemed on days out, restaurants, cinemas, travel, and other activities.

Update: Tesco recently announced that boost tokens will now only be worth three times the face value. The move has seen some ‘loyal’ customers lose up to £100 off the value of their Clubcard points.

In a further update Tesco plans (from 28th August 2018), to allow its Clubcard users to request vouchers whenever they want instead of having to wait for their next quarterly statement. The scheme will allow users to request that the total value of your points is turned into vouchers within 24 hours. These can then be downloaded and printed or used via the Clubcard app.

Superdrug Health and Beauty Card – 1% discount

Not to be outdone by rival Boots, Superdug has its own loyalty card called the ‘Health and Beauty Card.’ The health and beauty card rewards customers with a 1 point per £1 spent. Saving up the points gets you money off purchases in the future. for example 200 points will earn you a £2 off, meaning you are getting a 1% discount.

That is much lower than the 4% available at Boots, but it’s worth baring in mind that items in Superdrug are often cheaper to begin with. Of course if you read our guide on ‘why is pays to be unfaithful’ you’ll see that Supermarkets tend to offer lower prices that beat both Boots and Superdrug for branded cosmetics.

Sainsbury’s Nectar Card – 0.5% discount

The Nectar card has suffered something of a fall from grace over recent times with Amazon, Debenhams, and EasyJet, all withdrawing from the scheme. But despite that, it is a favourite with over 19m customers.

It can still be used with some great highsteet brands though, most notably Sainsbury’s, Argos, and Homebase.

When spending with Nectar you receive 1 point for every £1. Each point is worth a measly 0.5p, meaning it would take a £2,000 spend just to gain a £10 discount.

While that sounds poor (and it is), you can also earn points when buying on eBay, even vehicles, and when filling up at Esso petrol stations. The latter makes it a firm favourite for those that rack up the miles.

Points can be put towards money off your shopping, or redeemed against reward days and activities.

For more on how to get the most out of your Nectar points or to calculate their value, see our page dedicated article on the Nectar Card rewards card. And for additional Nectar Points see our guide to Daily Mail Rewards, and MyMail Nectar Points.

Note: The Nectar card could soon be revamped, and possibly made worse than it already is. Sainburys is trialing in a new system in the Isle of Wight, whereby shoppers no longer earn points on their final bill amount, but instead have their shopping habits tracked, and be rewarded with ‘special offers’ based on their buying history. 

Blue Light Card – various discounts

The Blue Light Card is not a loyalty card per se, but a discount card aimed at emergency service personnel, first responders and key workers. It provides members with a variety of discounts at over 15,000 retailers including high street chains such as River Island, Curry’s, Pizza Hut etc..

The card costs £4.99 and is valid for two years, but can easily pay for itself in just a single purchase. For example Blue Light customers enjoy 20% off at New Look, so would make the cost of the card back on single £25 purchase.

The card is also valid at Asda offering a 10% discount on shopping and can be used in conjunction with the Asda card above.

See are full article on the Blue Light Card for more information.

Any others we should consider? Let us know in the comments below.