Loyalty Cards - What's The Point?

southerndave

Can anyone please explain the advantages of 'loyalty cards' which are heavily promoted across stores and the media and money saving programmes like Martin's and similar?

My wife and I have used Tesco's Clubcard for years, but really it doesn't give you many rewards. Sure we get sent lots of coupons but most aren't usable as they have so many caveats with them like use by this date or only applies when you buy three or more of an item or worse, they are often for the branded version of a Tesco product we would ordinarily buy, so in effect useless. I know we get money off coupons every now and then, and these are great, but for the rest it seems a colossal waste of time.

We thought this year we'd try other schemes as we spend a lot on various bits and pieces through our jobs and life and thought we could rack up some decent rewards.

I tried the Shell Drivers Club. Registering the card was hellish, the website is abysmal and clunky. IN the end I gave up trying. However when I started to work out the rewards I'd have to fill our car up for over a year exclusively at Shell to earn less than a £10 off fuel. Waste of time and same savings could be made by simply going elsewhere.

Today we have tried Nectar. Again registration on-line impossible as the site says it doesn't recognise my surname?!! Why I don't know, its nothing out the ordinary and surely I can have whatever name I like? But no, it will not accept it. None of the help sections cover this, the e-mail us button send you to the log in page and the only alternative is a premium rate line to speak to an Indian (according to online reviews) call centre. We have not registered, the card is in the bin. Why big stores like Sainsbury's and Homebase are connected to this scheme is beyond me. Other reviews around the net abound with complaints about the scheme and the lack of customer support.

So what, really, is the point of these schemes and can't you really save more by not buying as much and/ or just shopping around for bargains?

DigForVictory

My tesco card earned us enough points for free CADW membership for 2 years, getting us into any Welsh castle, & in year 2 any English Heritage or Scottish Heritage site free.

Since we started doing the main shop elsewhere, we drop in on tesco to recoup as many points for as little spend as possible, to rack up enough points to renew the CADW membership again.

Nectar points I fell into since I was spending half a kidney getting my car fixed - it bought the lads water pistols.

The Waitrose card sorts me a real coffee any day I go in & the machine is working.

I'm pretty much loyal to every card giving store in town, for the freebies...

nearlyrich

A loyalty card gives some kind of bonus to the holder, it might not be a fortune's worth but it's nice to get something for nothing...we got a free double bed with Tesco points and we have had many airmiles over the years.

Doc_N

Certainly agree that the Tesco Clubcard is pretty rubbish. Good once, pre-Aldi/Lidl, but not any more.

The tiny 1% payback is dwarfed by the much higher prices you pay (25-30% more) by comparison with Aldi/Lidl - and Aldi quality's certainly much better than Tesco's.

And the Clubcard Rewards? Almost always overpriced - the 3 or 4x is meaningless when you're having to pay much higher prices than you'd ordinarily pay.

*Jelly_Tots*

We do most of our shopping at Sainsburys so Nectar points are just a tiny little bonus. I think they are a bit rubbish, but at xmas they had double value days when you could change, say, £10 of points into £20. Better than a kick up the ***e.

Tuareg

southerndave wrote: »

Can anyone please explain the advantages of 'loyalty cards'

A Loyalty card is just a tool that companies use to extract as much personal data from you as possible. The bait is a bit of a discount here some money off there.

Thing is these schemes cost millions to run..... which is millions that could be given in discounts that won't.

Also how long before these loyalty card schemes start selling there data to other companies.

"So Mrs Smith we've seen your last years worth of grocery shopping at Tesco and noted that you bought a lot of alcohol as such we're putting your motor insurance up because your statistically more likely to drink drive and cause and expensive accident"

Its coming people!!!

Enterprise_1701C

Tesco Clubcard has paid for RAC membership for some time, Nectar has paid for a soup maker and the suchlike, there is also Nectar Adpoints as another way of earning points, Advantage card builds up gradually and I can spend it on what I want, I have the BHS card that gives me 5% off, I have the John Lewis card that give me a free cake and hot drink once a month, Superdrug that builds up gradually. I have most loyalty cards that cover all the shops I visit but I never spend in the stores just because I have the loyalty card, so to me it is just a nice little bonus.

As for the schemes selling actual information on what we buy like that, I'm not sure that would currently be allowed due to Data Protection.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Loyalty cards are just a marketing tool to get info on your shopping habbits, to find out where you live, and how far you have travelled etc to shop. work out how to use the points to YOUR advantage... Years ago, when clubcard points were worth 4x as much if you exchanged them.. loved it when MFI was around and took the points, more or less kitted out my kitchen...... this Christmas I took full advantage on exchanging them for double the amount if you spent them on health and beauty stuff, so bought a load of smelly gift sets that were hald price etc and along with the £3 off vouchers if you spent more than £30 etc...... nectar point card I have added it to my ebay accounts, so I collect points when I buy stuff of the bay, and I have signed up to adnectar to collect points.. so its all about playing them at their own game, and taking full advantage and maximising your return too

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Tuareg wrote: »

A Loyalty card is just a tool that companies use to extract as much personal data from you as possible...

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Loyalty cards are just a marketing tool to get info on your shopping habbits, to find out where you live, and how far you have travelled etc to shop...

Well said. I have a wallet-full of loyalty cards but I try not to let them influence where I shop. If companies want to give a few pennies away in exchange for some personal details who am I to say "No thanks".

DCFC79

For nectar you can contyact them via online chat.

Guineapigsqueaks

Tesco Clubcard has been great for me, over past few years I have used vouchers to buy Merlin annual passes for family which have enabled several days out at Legoland, Alton Towers and Sealife centre, with the extra discounts those passes have brought (free parking, discounted refreshments, early entry). I have also used vouchers for days out at Blackpool zoo and tower circus, Madame Tussauds. Entry to Drayton Manor theme park and Cadbury's World. To buy a Family Railcard for a year's discounted rail fares. For several meals at Pizza Express. Cinema tickets at Odeon. Have exchanged them on clubcard exchange promotions to buy clothes and gifts at Christmas. Probably others I can't remember. In fact, just remembered, my son had subscription to Dr Who magazine a few years ago.


I gather more points than average as I have a Tesco credit card which I use to pay for most things and pay off in full at end of month, so I gather points everywhere.


Less useful to me is Nectar card, although I swipe card anyway and every so often use them for money off at Argos, bought a watch, a rotary airer and part of a desk that way. I always swipe my Boots card too, although I don't shop there often (unless for deals), but I gather enough to have a free meal deal every so often.