Nectar versus Tesco points?

blufish_2

Think it probably depends on where you do the majority of your shopping I only have a Sainsbury's and a teeny-tiny Tesco Express nearby for example. To get to the nearest full-size Tesco would cost me more in travel than any potential savings I would make, so clubcard points are nearly worthless to me.

Referring strictly to monetary value I think Clubcard points work out better, but having said that with Nectar's eShops, Canvass surveys and Adpoints schemes it's pretty easy to accumulate points very quickly and, quite often, for nothing.

AimingForBetter

For me the nectar card works out much better as I can spend the points in whatever quantity I want in Sains at any time, I don't have to wait for them to send me a voucher every quarter.

I've also gained more nectar points despite spending less on my shop (better planning but also sains always works out cheapest when I do the list on mysupermarket) than when I used to shop at Tescs. This is also partly due to gaining points for managing energy account online.

Till spit vouchers for additional points when you shop also add up quite quickly.

I don't like the way Tescs have changed over the last few years so only use the local express store for milk & bread so it takes a while to gain points, I won't go into the main stores any more.

Nectar wins for me but it depends on your shopping habits and what you want to use the points for.

maman

I think Tesco points probably give you a better deal on the actual points (both how many you get and how you can trade them up for treats) but to get them you've probably spent more on the shopping. So unless you're limited on where you can shop (e.g. it'll cost you loads to drive to Sainsbury's) then I'm sticking with Nectar as it's nearest for me.

Friends of mine do really well on Tesco points as they live really close to the store and need loads of petrol for work so they swear by them. It's really not as simple as Tesco v Sainsbury's.

Enterprise_1701C

I have loyalty cards for anywhere I shop that does them.

I use my Clubcard points to fund the RAC membership and some little extras for myself.

The Nectar points are currently being saved up for a soup maker that I shall manage to get by next winter. I am also doing Nectar Adpoints to help build this up.

I have a BHS Choices card that gets me 5% off all purchases.

I have the Boots Advantage Card, the Superdrug Card, Holland & Barrett, Subway and some others I can't currently recall.

However, none of these make me pay extra for anything, I only buy for the best price wherever that may be. Indeed, a lot of my grocery shopping is now done in Lidl and Aldi.

My meaning is that I treat localty cards as a bonus, not as an incentive. I do NOT buy in a shop because I have a loyalty card for it.

Lip_Stick

I prefer Nectar, as I've got about £15's worth in the last 6 months and I've yet to step foot in a Sainsbury's. I gained them by doing Adpoints and getting bonus points here and there. Also I like that I can spend their points at Argos and such like. The Tesco 4x deals aren't any good for me so I can only spend them at Tesco and get their normal worth out of them.

geordie_joe

kazd wrote: »

If I am totally wrong about this please put me right as I do want Sainsbury's to work for me.

If I were you I would ignore the points and shop at both stores to get the cheapest prices. Otherwise you are just falling for the loyalty card con of shopping in one particular store just because you get points.

But the best thing you could probably do is get your son to buy your groceries at Tesco.

jenniewb

As a shopping environment (customer service, food being in stock..etc) and for quality of food Sainsburys wins hands down, but where points come into it, Tesco really wins. I also would say you can get a whole load more out of them via their (when they do it) double up scheme and if you have a family or like to go places their 3x or 4x offers seem worth saving for- however always price compare first as sometimes you can end up paying over the odds as it can be cheaper in cash as some people highlighted a while back.

Where vouchers come into play I generally wouldn't use them to choose your supermarket, with Sainsburys your getting 0.5% back and with Tesco its 1% back, yes it does add up over time but unless your shopping for several (hundred!) people its going to take a long time to get anywhere.

TheBanker

Nectar and Tesco are both 1% back if you use the points in store.

Tesco give 1 point per £ spent, and each point is worth a penny.

Sainsburys give 2 points per £1 spent but you need 500 points to get £2.50 off.

Tesco wins hands down if you use your points for deals though as they are worth 2/3/4 times the value. Nectar are pretty poor in this respect, it is very rare for them to offer deals where the points are worth more than 0.5p each. You may as well just use the points towards your shopping at Sainsburys as they're not worth any more by exchanging them for deals.

Sainsburys are more generous with their extra point till spits, but Tesco send extra point vouchers throughout the year.

The best thing is to have both cards, and shop where ever you prefer. Treat the points as a bonus to use to buy yourself a treat or put towards a Christmas gift etc. I have both because I do my main shop at Sainsburys but the nearest shops to my house and work are Tesco Expresses so I collect their points if I'm buying lunch or extra bits.

If you use Topcashback you can convert your Cashback into Tesco points which is worth doing if you're saving for a deal.

Vickyh

We have both- however as we don't shop often in Tesco we don't receive much in benefits.

However we have collected nectar points via their website when shopping online - such as eBay or amazon. We got a nice amount of nectar points when booking our (cheapest) flights for our honeymoon, and collected points when buying for our baby from Kiddicare (cheapest baby website for many items- but now owned by Morrisons) . Energy providers also give out points. Meaning that christmas 2012 food shop was paid for by nectar points £130 worth- but we defiantly did not go out of our way to collect them.

However if we found that Tesco was as lucrative then we'd use them.

Edwardia

Not often I find myself agreeing with Geordie Joe but in this instance I think he's dead right. I think they are all a con to get marketing information which is far more valuable to them and their partners than the points they give you.

I got a Nectar card, lost it, called up to report it and found that they were putting the points I had earned on my card onto my husband's Nectar card. If I opened an account at the bank my OH uses, I wouldn't expect the bank to make it a joint account without informing me - same principle. So I told them where to stuff it.