10+ of The Best Loyalty Cards and Apps

Loyalty cards can be a really useful way to save money on your shopping. Combine them with cashback, freebies and shopping smart to keep your bank balance looking healthy. I’ve put a list together of some of the best loyalty cards, how many points you can earn, and what you can do with your points.

If you’re not a fan of carrying around copious amounts of plastic in your wallet download your loyalty cards as apps! Alternatively, you could use Apple or Google wallet to load all your loyalty cards and store them all in one place!

Top Loyalty Cards and Apps:

Loyalty cards are a great way to earn rewards and discounts on the shopping that you’re already doing.

Avios

Avios is the reward currency of the British Airways Executive Club. You collect Avios when you book flights, hotel stays, car hire and more with British Airways and their partners, including American Express.

250 Avois is worth £1.65 when converted to Nectar points.

Boots Advantage Points

Four points for every £1 you spend.
Each point is worth 1p (1,000 points are equivalent to £10).
Points can only be redeemed against your shopping at boots.
Download the Boots app too as it often gives out extra vouchers and coupons!

Note: You can also only use your Advantage points for money off – if it covers the entire of an entire item – so if something costs £5, you can’t use £4 worth of points and pay the remaining £1 – you have to use £5 worth of points, covering the total cost of your item. Bonus: if you’re a student you can now get 10% student discount when you show a valid student card.

Sainsbury’s Nectar card

One point on your Nectar card for every £1 you spend at Sainsbury’s, or other nectar e-shops (including eBay).
Each point is worth 0.5p (1,000 points are worth £5).
Points can either be put towards money off your shopping, or you can make them go further by putting them towards rewards such as days out or cinema tickets.

Note: If your account remains inactive for 12 months your points will be wiped!

M&S Sparks card

10 ‘Sparks’ points for every £1 you spend at Marks & Spencer.
You can’t redeem the points for cash, but they will give you access to special deals. The more points you save, the better the offers you’ll get. For example, if you have 5,000 Sparks points you ‘ll be able to see & buy sale items online before other shoppers have access to them.

Tesco Clubcard

One Tesco Clubcard point per every £1 spent, either in-store or at partners including energy company E.on.
Each Tesco Clubcard point is worth a penny if you use them when shopping (so 1,000 points to get £10 off)
However, if you swap your vouchers for Clubcard Boost tokens instead, then every £10 voucher is worth up to £40. These can be put towards days out, holidays, hotel deals & other offers.
You’ll also receive regular vouchers through the post (normally every three months) that you can then redeem in store.

Note: Tesco will deactivate your account if it is unused for more than two years. Any vouchers you earn also have an expiry date – the expiry date should be on your voucher.

My Morrisons app

Morrisons will be ending their points based loyalty more scheme in 2021. Now they have the My Morrisons app which is more often than not seasonal offers.

Win a ‘basket bonus‘ – usually a fee or discounted item when you scan your card at the checkout.
Various offers for students, NHS staff and teachers as part of their club offers.
Free and discounted baby items via the Baby Club.
Various other seasonal offers around major holidays and events.

Co-op’s membership scheme

It’s less about earning loyalty points, more about ‘earning’ what you spend on co-op’s own-brand products.
For every own brand item that’s in your shopping basket, you’ll get 5% of the cost stored in an online account for you – this can be spent using your card in any co-op store.
A further 1% will automatically be donated to charity too!

Note: you can get 10% student discount at Co-op with a valid NUS/Totum Card.

Starbucks Card

Firstly, you’ll need to load your Starbucks Card up with cash before you can use it. Once you’ve got cash on your card, you use it to pay & you’ll earn ‘stars’ for every beverage you buy.
15 ‘stars’ will earn you one free drink.
You’ll also receive emails with details of any drinks promotions they have going.

If you’ve made more than 50 purchases in a year, you’ll be upgraded to gold level membership! Meaning you can get a free extra shot in your drink/soy milk/syrups/whipped cream.

Nando’s Card

You’ll earn a ‘chilli’ every time you spend £7 or more on your meal.
Three chillies get you a free 1/4 chicken/appetiser. Six chillies get you a free 1/2 chicken/single wrap, burger or pitta. Ten chillies get you a free whole chicken/single combo meal.

Note: your Nando’s rewards only last for a year so make sure to spend them before they expire!

Subway card

Once registered you’ll earn 10 points for every £1 you spend.
100 points will get you a free drink, 200 points will get you a free snack. 500 points will get you a free 6″ sub & 1000 points will get you a footlong sub!
For the first 28 days when you register, you’ll be earning double points.
They’ll also send you a free cookie on your birthday!

Note: you can only have 5000 points on your card at any one time.

Get More From Your Loyalty Cards

Why not start earning something back for your custom? Some loyalty cards offer more in return than others, but if you’re going to shop there anyway, you might as well take advantage of what’s on offer. One thing to bear in mind is to not let loyalty cards dictate how and where you shop – these should only be used to gain some additional bonuses from your usual shop. Remember to use your loyalty card when claiming free food!