Loyalty Programmes: Which Are Worth Joining and How to Get the Most From Them

The loyalty programmes worth joining are the free ones at shops you already use every week, because their member prices usually save far more than the points they pay out. For most UK households that means one or two supermarket schemes (such as Tesco Clubcard, Nectar, Lidl Plus or Morrisons More) plus Boots Advantage if you buy toiletries or prescriptions there. Paid memberships and schemes at shops you rarely visit are rarely worth it.

This guide explains how the major UK schemes work at the time of writing (September 2026), what your points are really worth, how to work out whether a scheme pays for itself, and the habits that squeeze the most value from the ones you keep. It also covers the traps loyalty schemes are designed to set.

Are loyalty programmes worth it?

For free schemes at shops you use regularly, usually yes. The strongest evidence comes from the Competition and Markets Authority. In its review of loyalty pricing, published on 27 November 2024, it found that 92% of around 50,000 products on loyalty price promotions offered genuine savings compared with the usual price at that retailer. Average savings ranged from 17% to 25% across the supermarkets it studied.

The CMA also found that 97% of shoppers belong to at least one loyalty scheme, and the average person is a member of three. But it added an important caveat: a loyalty price at one supermarket isn't always the cheapest price on the high street. In a smaller sample of 429 products, 61 were cheaper somewhere else. So a scheme saves you money at that shop, but it doesn't make that shop the cheapest.

Where the value really comes from

There are two ways a scheme can save you money:

• Member prices: lower shelf prices when you scan your card or app. These are often worth 17% to 25% on the items that are discounted.
• Points or rewards: money back after you spend. These usually return between 0.5% and 3% of what you spend.

That's why the member price is normally the main reason to join, and points are a bonus on top.

How the big UK loyalty schemes compare

Here's a summary of the main schemes, based on retailers' own pages and Which?'s loyalty scheme comparison (May 2026).

Schemes change often. Tesco, Boots and Lidl have all made significant changes in the last few years, so check each retailer's terms before you rely on a figure.

Tesco Clubcard: is it worth joining?

For anyone who shops at Tesco even occasionally, yes. Clubcard Prices on the shelf are usually the biggest saving. You also collect points: most guides, including PocketWise's 2026 Clubcard guide, put the rate at 1 point per £1 on shopping and 1 point per £2 on fuel.

Tesco says 150 points become £1.50 in vouchers. Vouchers arrive with statements in February, May, August and November and are valid for two years. They can't be used on Tesco Marketplace.

Reward Partners

Tesco says you can exchange vouchers for up to twice their value with Reward Partners. In May 2026, MoneySavingExpert reported double value at partners such as Alton Towers, Disney+ and Hotels.com, and triple value at several restaurant chains. MSE also reported £17 million of vouchers about to expire at the end of that month, which shows how many people forget them.

Is Clubcard Plus worth it?

Clubcard Plus is a paid add-on at £7.99 a month after a free first month. It gives 10% off two in-store shops of your choice each month, 10% off F&F and selected Tesco brands, and double data on Tesco Mobile pay monthly plans.

So Clubcard Plus roughly breaks even if your two biggest monthly in-store shops add up to about £80, before counting any F&F savings. Check the current terms for any cap on the discount, and cancel if your habits change.

Sainsbury's Nectar

At Sainsbury's you usually earn one Nectar point per £1, and each point is worth 0.5p when you spend it, so 500 points equals £2.50. MoneySavingExpert lists more than 350 partners where you can collect points, including Argos, eBay and Esso, but far fewer places to spend them.

MSE also notes that many of the old partner deals giving double or triple value have disappeared, with Merlin attractions such as Alton Towers and Legoland the main consistent boost. The better value is in Nectar Prices and the personalised "My Nectar Prices" offers in the app.

Boots Advantage Card

Boots still offers one of the highest points rates on the high street: 3 points per £1, with each point worth 1p, a 3% return. According to MyVoucherCodes' 2026 guide, the rate used to be 4 points per £1 until May 2023.

In 2026 Boots dropped the long-running 10% discount on own-brand products for cardholders. Instead it moved to lower everyday prices on hundreds of own-brand lines for everyone, plus more personalised app offers. Member-only Price Advantage deals are still available.

• Parents Club: 8 points per £1 on baby products until your child turns five.
• Over 60s: 8 points per £1 on own-brand and selected products.
• Watch expiry: points can be removed if your card isn't used for 12 months, so any small purchase resets the clock.

Lidl Plus, Morrisons More and the rest

Lidl Plus

Lidl replaced its spend-based Coupon Plus rewards with a points system on 5 May 2026. Lidl says you earn one point per £1 in store (rounded up), points last two years, and you swap them in a Rewards Marketplace of more than 100 options, from free products to money off. Once you pick a reward, you have 30 days to use it. Extra Points campaigns can give 2x, 3x or even 10x points on selected items.

Morrisons More

Which? says Morrisons More gives five points per £1 in store, online, on fuel and with partner brands, with member-only prices and personalised Points Boosters. At 5,000 points for a £5 voucher, the points return is 0.5%.

Co-op, Waitrose, Asda and M&S

• Co-op Membership costs £1 (you buy a share) and gives member prices rather than points.
• myWaitrose is free, with no points but perks such as a free hot drink when you use a reusable cup and offers on selected groceries.
• Asda Rewards gives Asda Pounds on selected "star" products and missions, which build into vouchers. It doesn't use member-only shelf prices.
• M&S Sparks uses personalised offers that pay money into a digital wallet, plus perks such as a birthday treat.

How to work out if a loyalty scheme is worth joining

Use this five-step check before you download yet another app:

1. Count your visits. If you shop there less than once a month, the scheme is unlikely to pay back the effort.
2. Estimate your yearly spend. Multiply your usual basket by how often you shop.
3. Apply the points rate. Multiply your yearly spend by the return (for example 0.5%, 1% or 3%).
4. Add member-price savings. Check your last receipt: many retailers print how much you saved with your card.
5. Subtract any fee and any extra spending. If the scheme costs money or tempts you to buy more, take that off.

Worked example: what a year of points is worth

Those points are useful, but compare them with member prices. If loyalty prices save you just £3 on an average £100 weekly shop, that's £156 a year, several times the value of the points. That's why choosing where to shop on overall price, then scanning your card, beats choosing a shop for its points.

Are non-supermarket loyalty schemes worth joining?

Beyond groceries, you'll be asked to join schemes at coffee shops, fashion brands, beauty retailers, airlines, hotels and online stores. The same rules apply, but the maths is often weaker because you spend less, less often.

• Coffee and food chains: "buy several, get one free" stamp schemes can be good value if you already buy there weekly. They are poor value if they turn an occasional treat into a habit.
• Fashion and online retailers: many offer a welcome discount for signing up. That can be worth having for a one-off purchase, but unsubscribe from marketing emails afterwards if you don't want the prompts. Our guide to first order discount codes explains how welcome offers work.
• Tiered schemes: these give better rewards once you pass a spending level. Only worth it if you'd reach the tier naturally.
• Paid memberships: delivery passes and paid clubs need to save more than they cost, every year. Put a reminder in your diary a few weeks before renewal.

How to stack loyalty with coupons and cashback

Loyalty schemes are one layer of saving. Coupons and cashback can often sit on top, although each retailer sets its own rules. Here's how it can work on an online beauty order:

1. Your basket is £60 at a retailer with a free loyalty scheme.
2. A member price takes £6 off one item, so you pay £54.
3. A valid 10% discount code takes a further £5.40 off, bringing it to £48.60, if the code's terms allow it on member-priced items.
4. You earn 3% back in points on the £48.60 you actually paid, worth about £1.46.
5. If you went through a cashback site that tracks the order, you might earn a little more on top.

In that example, the loyalty price and the code together save £11.40, and the points add a small extra. The points are never the main event. Our coupon stacking guide explains which combinations usually work and which don't.

How to get the most from the schemes you keep

• Scan every time. Add cards to your phone wallet or use the app so you never forget.
• Activate offers before you shop. Personalised offers in the Nectar, Lidl Plus, Morrisons and Boots apps often need to be switched on first.
• Save points for boosts. Partner multipliers and points events are where the best value is, if you'd use those partners anyway.
• Diary expiry dates. Clubcard vouchers last two years; Lidl rewards last 30 days once chosen; Boots points can go after 12 months of inactivity.
• Combine with other savings. Loyalty prices often work alongside coupons and cashback. See our guides to cashback vs coupons and where to find coupons.
• Keep it to a few. Three or four schemes you actually use will save more than ten you forget about.

Common mistakes and loyalty traps to avoid

Loyalty schemes are designed to change your behaviour, and not always in your favour. Watch out for these:

• Chasing thresholds. "Spend £40, get 500 bonus points" only helps if you'd have spent £40 anyway. Adding £10 of extras to earn £2.50 of points loses you money.
• Assuming member prices are the cheapest. The CMA found some loyalty-priced items were cheaper elsewhere. Compare the basket, not the badge.
• Letting vouchers expire. Millions of pounds of Clubcard vouchers expire unused every year.
• Paying for memberships you don't use. A monthly fee needs to be earned back every month.
• Ignoring your data settings. All schemes use your shopping data. Review privacy and marketing preferences in the app and switch off what you don't want.
• Chasing tiers. Tiered schemes (common with US retailers and some UK brands) reward bigger spenders, which can nudge you to spend more than planned.

What to check in your data settings

Open each app's account or privacy section once a year. Look for marketing consent (email, text and push notifications), whether your data is shared with partners for advertising, and how to delete your account if you leave. The CMA found only a small share of non-members cited privacy as their reason for not joining, but it's still worth knowing what you've agreed to.

Tips for choosing your loyalty line-up

1. Pick the supermarket where your weekly shop is cheapest overall, and join its scheme.
2. Add a second supermarket scheme only if you regularly top up there.
3. Add Boots Advantage if you buy health or beauty products or collect prescriptions there.
4. Join store schemes for online shops only if you order from them several times a year.
5. Review every six months, and delete apps you haven't opened.

For the bigger picture on food bills, our guide to saving money on groceries shows how loyalty prices fit alongside other tactics. For online shopping, check the retailer on CouponsBeast's store pages for codes that may work alongside your member price.

Bottom line

The loyalty programmes worth joining are free, at shops you already use, and valuable mainly for their member prices. Keep a small set, scan every time, activate app offers, and spend vouchers before they expire. Treat points as a bonus rather than a reason to shop somewhere, and only pay for a membership like Clubcard Plus if your regular spending clearly covers the fee.