Behind our old receipts and ATM statements, our tatty Driving License card and our worn out Visa Debit, most of our purses and wallets hold an array of loyalty cards. Yes? Does that ring a bell? Aside from your Starbucks card, could you honestly admit you were using the loyalty part of those cards for all they’re worth? Taking advantage of the discounts, exclusive offers and freebies that, as a card owner, you are so privileged to receive?
The answer is probably a shameful no, but don’t beat yourself up; apparently, all of us are pretty rubbish at it. It’s pretty ironic that in our ‘money saving/anything for free’ culture we are neglecting or forgetting the cards that offer us credit, yet are always quick to reach for the plastic that puts us in more debt. Reportedly us Brits are obliviously walking around with about £30 extra in our pocket due to the savings and rewards we haven’t cashed in from our loyalty cards (and men are the worst culprits).
Reportedly us Brits are obliviously walking round with about £30 extra in our pocket
I am undoubtedly a culprit myself; handing over my Boots card every time I buy something there (a lot) but neglecting to check my points and print out my vouchers on a regular basis. More often than not I realise too late that if I’d have been more organised and checked my offers’ expiry dates, I could’ve got my new perfume for a fiver cheaper.
I use my Costa card like my life depends on it; I’m surprised the strip hasn’t worn out already, yet despite my total points being printed out before my eyes on every one of my receipts, it was only a few months ago I happened to glance at it and realise I had almost £10 worth of points on there. Thankfully they weren’t about to expire and were invested wisely in a few chai lattes and flat whites, but even I gave myself a slap on the wrist realising just how scatty I had become keeping track of what money I could be saving.
Now, the loyalty card comes in all shapes and sizes with all sorts of terms and conditions these days; but the general consensus is that once you sign up for one (and are therefore classed as a ‘loyal’ customer, in turn helping them reap financial and strategic rewards by keeping track of your purchases) you will be rewarded in one way or another.
The stipulation that may affect the gratitude you feel towards a particular card/retailer is the requirement of you having to spend money before you receive your rewards. The conversion of money spent = points is worth looking at if you are a regular customer to a certain business but only ever spend small amounts at a time. More information can be found on DataBlog.
Then there is the matter of the evolution of both the loyalty card and the consumer. Is it any wonder that sometimes we get completely lost with which offers are still valid and who they belong to when retailers bombard us with a deal after deal in a constant effort to maintain our custom? Competition among retailers is extremely relentless; just look at how many times leaflets are pushed through your door for offers on at the local supermarket or vouchers for your local takeaway, both of which you don’t own any kind of loyalty card for.
How many of us actually have any time to sit down and organise the discounts we have been offered, where we can use them, and what time frame we have to use them in….?! You would need to employ a secretary just to keep track. Could it be that the loyalty cards are becoming just something of a bonus, but not enough to keep us loyal to that one retailer? After all, how can we promise our custom to just one place when our choices are presenting themselves to us day after day? The Jigsaw Research Blog explores this is more detail.
So what about the loyalty cards that stretch that extra mile and offer us something really enticing; excelling just the standard ‘spend money, get points’ model?
John Lewis, for example, offers generous freebies to loyalty card holders – freebies in the form of coffee and cake. We all love coffee and cake, and we all definitely prefer when we don’t have to pay for it. There is also a great mix of offers and rewards every so often. Make the most of it and check it out here.
M&S has a ‘Sparks’ (get it?) Loyalty card for their customers, which doesn’t necessarily reward the customer but instead unlocks benefits. So, you can access personalised discounts or exclusive deals. Every pound spend gives ten ‘sparks’ points, and you can further increase the points by such things as online reviewing products or ‘shwopping’ (exchanging an old piece of clothing for your new one). The points, therefore, don’t have monetary value but save you money so it is a win-win.
They also do really good deals if you take out a credit card with them, such as money off purchases in store, gift cards or 0% interest for 18 months. Worth considering.
Waitrose is a pretty similar working. There are no points to collect but you can immediately enjoy things such as gifts, money-off deals and competitions. Freebies can include free copies of their in-house magazine, free tea and coffee in store, and occasional treats to go with your hot drink, as well as 20% off Friday fish or Saturday steak purchases and being able to Fast Track your shopping straight into your bag as you go round the store. No queuing? Sign us right up.
The Body Shop has a loyalty club – quirkily named the Love Your Body club – which lets you add up points and enjoy offers. They offer double points at certain times of the year, as well as invitations to member-only beauty events AND £5 to spend as a little birthday present. And with their wide range of choice, there will certainly be something you can get with that.
Waterstones offer you points for your spending both in-store and online, as well as vouchers for money-off purchases. Their loyalty card can also give you access to exclusive offers, as well as letting you know about all of the hottest releases from your favourite authors. You can total up all of your points on your smartphone, which gets rid of the actual physical card – great for those who like to dash out without carting their wallet with them.
The Best Sellers
Most of us know of or own the high streets top loyalty cards; they continue to attract millions of members for a consistent and rewarding selection of offers – let’s just have a recap on why they really are a necessity for that purse or wallet of yours shall we?
The Boots Advantage Card rewards customers’ loyalty with a scheme that earns you 4 points every time you spend £1, whether that’s in-store or online. You will regularly be sent tailored offers straight to your phone or inbox, and when you’ve got enough points you can treat yourself to whatever you wish. If you’re a parent, why not join the Parenting Club? You can get a huge 10 points for every £1 you spend on your baby shop. There is also a contact lens Reward Scheme if that is something you are in need of.
Nandos – the chicken lovers paradise offers a stamp service style card that allows you to ‘collect chillies’ every time you spend over £7 in store. Three of these chillies entitles you to a free quarter chicken, and 10 chillies get you a whole free chicken meal! Using the card every time you visit equates to an estimated 20% saving – no more flapping about your bill in there then! (Sorry)
Nectar Card – Do not rule this out just because you don’t do your food shopping at Sainsbury’s! Nectar points can be collected by spending at a massive selection of retailers, a lot of which is actually online. It may surprise people that Homebase, ASOS, eBay and PC World all tot up nectar points which can, in turn, be spent on an even bigger selection. Check out their website for the latest deals and to see the 500+ shops in the scheme.
If you do shop at Sainsbury’s, why not just keep saving them up until Christmas and get your food shop for pretty much free? Families who spend a lot of money on their weekly shop could have their Christmas purchases for pretty much free, as well as taking advantage of some of the in-store gift ideas.
So, have a good rummage through the deepest, darkest corners of your bag, get those loyalty cards in an easy-to-reach place, and become a proud loyalty card-savvy shopper. Used in the correct way they could end up saving you hundreds of pounds per year!
Are there any loyalty cards that you couldn’t imagine living without? Let us know in the comments below, or over on our Facebook Page or Twitter.
Leave a Reply