Praise: Lidl Plus App launch 9 September 2020 at 9:38AM edited 9 September 2020 at 10:45AM in Praise, vent & warnings 5 replies 743 views

Cornucopia

I have something of a mixed opinion of loyalty schemes - mainly based on their tendency to provide less and less consumer value over time, as well as sometimes having arbitrary restrictions and poor rates of return for often more than trivial effort.

However, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Lidl Plus App since its launch a few weeks ago.   It works as an app rather than a card, and you aren't collecting points but instead getting various cash vouchers and discounts.   It also has a number of sub-component schemes rather than just one that involves collection over time.

In fact, I count 4 sub-components:-

- A weekly set of discounts (each one so far applying to the whole of one of Lidl's fake brand names, for example, Mr. Choco chocolate and sweets the other week).   The discount rate seems to be 10, 15 or 20%.   There are 4 of these vouchers each week, and they can only be used on a single shopping trip (although you can buy multiple products within the same voucher).

- An accumulation scheme (providing a voucher after a certain level of spend has been achieved in a month).   There are reward levels of £100 and £200 spend.

- A virtual scratchcard competition with voucher prizes (I've only won once, and got a £1 voucher).

- An initial sign-up bonus voucher of £5 off £25 spend.

In addition, it retains an electronic copy of your receipt together with details of any vouchers used.

It seems to work very well via a QR code that is scanned at the till and impressive that it seems to have started with no problems at all, AFAICT.

Penguin_

Yep, I agree. I've been using it for a few weeks now & am quietly impressed.

MidlandsGlory

A word of warning, got caught out on this weekend.
We do most our shopping at Lidl as they have what we use the most so have been very successful in hitting the £200 a month spend and getting both the £2 and £10 vouchers (the £10 one usually goes on a free bottle of rum lol)
But beware, its calendar monthly. We had already hit the target for October but went shopping on Saturday and spent about £90 as they had lots of things we use on the app discounts so bulked up. As it was the 31st October it counts for nothing towards the next discount. If we had just waited until Sunday to shop instead we would be almost at the £2 and halfway to the £10 too.

Oh and speaking to other people, they have won various things on the virtual scratch card, in 20 times we have not won a bean despite supposedly being 1 in 3 or something. I strongly suspect they are profiling people, as we are so regular we are deemed as not needing any incentive. Perhaps people who are more sporadic customers get targeted to get a small 'win' to encourage loyalty.

Another note, you can share an account, if you and your partner both install the app and put the same details in you can both earn points etc so it doesn't matter who goes shopping or scans it.

Cornucopia

Another little catch - I have 3 cash vouchers - one for monthly spend in October and 2 scratchcards.   You can only use one of them at a time, though - if you try to activate more than one, you get a message about "incompatible vouchers".   They still only last for 7 days.   

I can't honestly see that it makes that much difference to Lidl whether I get to spend my 25p voucher or not.   Now that I'm aware of it, I might leave any new scratchcards until later in the week.

bbruce

The same has happened to me. Can you return the same day to use the other coupons or do you have to wait a day?

MidlandsGlory

Cornucopia said:

Another little catch - I have 3 cash vouchers - one for monthly spend in October and 2 scratchcards.   You can only use one of them at a time, though - if you try to activate more than one, you get a message about "incompatible vouchers".   They still only last for 7 days.   

I can't honestly see that it makes that much difference to Lidl whether I get to spend my 25p voucher or not.   Now that I'm aware of it, I might leave any new scratchcards until later in the week.

That one got me last weekend, £20 monthly and 75p scratchcard, I only found out near checkout when I tried to activate both. Of course I used the big one on an £80 shop, and I could have gone through again straight away with a single item held back from the first checkout to use the 75p one but couldn't be bothered. As you say, Lidl would 'lose' the same money so why not let you use both in one checkout?
Apparently there is a new thing now instead of scratchcard that gives you a wheel spin, one big prize (£20) and lots of money off THEIR choice of products... all stuff I wouldn't buy!  Prefer scratchcard, even if I only won 1 in 20 times!