5 November 2014

The Best Loyalty Card Schemes Designed To Save You Pounds.

One of my friends uses one of her loyalty cards to amass points all the time and she has jetted off all over the world with it.  I'm not that organized.  Others swear by the discounts they get with theirs at shops they use regularly, so when NatWest Bank said they wanted to share information about their new cashback scheme with their contactless credit card, I figured it was time to start paying attention. 
Here, they give an impressive round up of the other loyalty schemes around too - some of which are more familiar than others - who does what, where and when and I hope you find it as useful as I have!
Guest Post:
If you’re trying to save your cold hard cash, then you’ve probably already started cutting back on eating out, stopped buying clothes (or at least those with the flashy brand markings), and started collecting money saving vouchers.
Another effective way of saving money is by using a loyalty card scheme. These reward customers for purchasing goods from their store, encouraging them to return, benefiting both the consumer and the retailer.
The increase in demand for loyalty schemes has meant that most British retailers now operate this system, and many of us find our wallets bulging with numerous unused loyalty cards. Millions of those who do carry loyalty cards around in their wallets often forget to claim their points and many don’t notice what the offers are.
If you’re looking to reduce the number of unused, plastic cards in your wallet, it’s important to think about which scheme(s) will benefit you the most. Be selective about which card(s) you choose to put in your wallet and be sure to marry up the right loyalty scheme with the kind of shopping you do. This will ensure you get something worthwhile back for your custom, and eradicate the temptation to overspend at the store just because you want to boost your points.
Here we take a look at some of the biggest loyalty schemes, which may help you decide which reward scheme is best for you.

Sainsburys – Nectar Card
One of the biggest loyalty card schemes in the country, Sainbury’s Nectar Card rewards consumers two points on every £1 you spend. These points can be collected from a wide range of everyday purchases as well as petrol, holidays and household bills including British Gas and eBay. By shopping online via Nectar e-shops, a customer can collect points for over 500 brands including Apple. Sometimes, Sainsburys will advertise offers where you can collect double points for specific items.

Tesco – ClubCard
With over 16 million users, Tesco’s ClubCard scheme is hugely popular with UK consumers, who can collect 1 point for every £1 they spend. Every three months, the points are added up and Clubcard vouchers are printed for the consumer. Each point is worth a penny, and can also be used for petrol at Esso petrol stations. Not only are you able to spend your points in any of the large Tesco or Esso stores, but the points can be used in one of Tesco’s many partner restaurants, pubs or attractions, including Ask and Café Rouge and cinema tickets.

Boots
Boots is one of the largest and most popular loyalty scheme provides in the UK, with almost 18 million active members. The scheme offers 4 points per £1 spent, as well as discount offers and extra points earned on specific items. The in-store kiosk provides the customer information on current offers which can be printed and used with their advantage card. Regular shoppers at boots can quickly earn a large sum of points which many choose to spend on gifts at Christmas.

NatWest – CashBack Plus Credit Card
The Cashback Plus scheme rewards customers for spending using their NatWest contactless credit card. Customers can earn 1% cashback on purchases made at participating retailers as well as on supermarket shopping and all contactless payments for a limited amount of time. So, if you spend £100, you will earn £1 cashback. There are three ways in which you can redeem your rewards which includes having the money transferred to your bank account, you can trade the rewards for gift cards or vouchers of a higher value at certain retailers, or you can donate it to a chosen charity.
Morrisons – Morrison Miles

Morrisons provide their loyal customers a Morrison Miles fuel card, which enables you to collect 10 points for every litre of fuel you buy from them. If the customer collects 5,000 points, they will receive a £5 discount voucher for in-store purchases. That’s 500 litres for each £5, which might sound like a lot, but you get through it in no time – especially if you’re a commuter.


Avios

Avios provides customers with a reward programs that lets you collect points from every day shopping such as buying groceries from Tesco or petrol at Shell, as well as via the Aviod eStore which includes over 200 online brands. These points can then be redeemed to spend on flights, hotels, day trips, car hire and even discounts on the Eurostar.
Other loyalty card schemes worth considering if they are shops you regularly spend at:

Debenhams Beauty Club - Earn 3 points for every £1 spent in store and online, and other rewards.

Costa - Earn 5 points per £1 with each point worth up to 1p to spend in Costa.

Holland & Barrett - Earn 4 points for every £1 you spend and get coupons to spend in store and online.

Superdrug Beauty Card - Earn 1 point for every £1 you spend. Each point is worth 1p. points are valid for two years only and can only be used with Superdrug.

Marks & Spencer – Provide their own-brand credit cards which give vouchers in return for spending (but they do not issue separate loyalty cards).

Disclosure - This is a collaborative post in association with NatWest Bank.