An in-depth look at some of the best loyalty cards and discount apps in supermarkets, restaurants, and cafes throughout the UK – as well as how you can get the most out of them
With many UK households facing tighter purse strings due to the cost of living crisis, it’s important to know when and where you can find savings in every aspect of your day-to-day life.
Loyalty cards and discount cards (and apps) are a good way to find savings for purchases you make every single day.
On top of that, many of these loyalty cards and apps offer unique rewards and bonuses, meaning that your shopping choices can help you stretch your hard-earning money even further.
Here are some of the best loyalty cards, discount apps and rewards schemes that you can find throughout the UK – including some that provide a referral code too 🙂 :
SUPERMARKET LOYALTY CARDS / DISCOUNT CARDS
Sainsbury’s Nectar Card
What is it?
The Nectar card is Sainsbury’s loyalty card initiative.
Introduced exactly 20 years ago, it is currently the largest in the UK, with multiple millions of people benefiting from the discounts and savings that it offers. Shoppers can add up ‘Nectar points’ and then use them to buy goods and services.
What can Nectar points get me?
It can depend on what you’re buying, but as standard, Sainsbury’s will normally give you one point for every £1 spent in their shops. Certain brands and stores will offer two points per £1, and additional incentives are available at certain times. In most cases, the Nectar website will tell you about the Nectar points rate for each store – so it’s always worth keeping an eye on this to get the best savings possible.
In the stores themselves, one Nectar point is worth 0.5p, which means that you’ll get £1 off your shop for every 100 points that you accumulate.
Why is it worth having?
Since Sainsbury’s is one of the most popular supermarkets in the UK and has a massive range of products, services, and even restaurants, the Nectar Card is the perfect way to get yourself savings on all that they sell.
But on top of that, Nectar points actually apply to hundreds of different brands beyond Sainsbury’s, including popular brands like Argos, eBay, Esso, and Expedia, which means that your savings can go further. (However, it’s worth noting that with many of these additional brands, you can only collect these points when you shop online).
Are there additional ways to earn Nectar points?
Everyone wants to get the most out of their loyalty schemes and discount cards, so here are a few extra ways to build up your Nectar points.
By having a Nectar American Express credit card, you can earn two Nectar points for every £1 you spend with the card (and, if you use the card in Sainsbury’s, your regular Nectar points in-store will be added to this).
You can download the Nectar app, where customers can – on average – earn three times as many points.
You can sign up to Nectar Canvass and complete surveys to earn instant Nectar points without having to spend anything.
You can keep an eye on the Nectar website each week to look out for all their special details and promotions, which often come with additional Nectar points.
How does the Nectar Card compare to other loyalty cards?
As it stands, Nectar Card points are only worth about half of what Tesco Clubcard points are, with Sainsbury’s having cut the rate back in 2015. This has meant that it has been less competitive as a loyalty scheme, with many customers venturing elsewhere for their savings.
As well as this, your Nectar points will be wiped if your account is inactive for 12 months.
Tesco Clubcard
What is it?
Tesco introduced their Clubcard discount scheme over 25 years ago, offering discounts to millions of their customers. As it stands, it is currently one of the most popular Clubcard schemes in the UK – as well as being one of the best for savings across the board.
You’ll earn 1 point for every £1 you spend in Tesco, with each point then being worth a penny.
What can Tesco Clubcard points get me?
The Clubcard offers a wide range of discounts across Tesco’s own stores and countless other businesses. But at its simplest level, the card will give you 1 point for every £1 you spend in-store or online (or one point for every £2 you spend on fuel). Each point is worth a penny, which you can save up and use to save on future shops.
As well as offering savings on your shopping, customers can get additional savings if they have a Tesco credit card or if they have a Tesco mobile account.
The Clubcard values loyalty, with customers receiving vouchers every three months, based on the number of points they’ve accumulated.
And on top of all that, Tesco have begun a campaign of marking many of the products in their stores with ‘Clubcard Prices’, which offer discounts of up to 50%. This has encouraged many more people to apply for Clubcards – while also getting themselves good savings in the process.
What else can my Clubcard get me?
The Clubcard is one of the most wide-ranging discount cards offered in the UK.
As well as offering you savings in Tesco, you can also use your points in many other high street stores, chain restaurants, and petrol stations.
To add to that, the vouchers that you get as part of your Clubcard membership can be used in Tesco’s highly popular Rewards scheme.
What is Tesco’s Rewards scheme and how can I benefit?
The Tesco Rewards scheme allows you to use your Clubcard vouchers with one of Tesco’s Reward Partners, where they can be worth as much as three times their value.
There’s a huge amount in the Tesco Reward scheme, meaning that there are plenty of ways to benefit. For example, you can exchange your Clubcard vouchers for Virgin Atlantic points, you can exchange them for a Disney+ streaming subscription, or you can even exchange them to spend on a 16-25 year old railcard (in certain parts of the UK).
Co-op Membership Card
What is it?
The Co-op Membership Card is a loyalty card scheme which offers customers:
- personalised offers from Co-op Food every week
- a digital membership card to earn points at the till
- exclusive membership deals and discounts
- rewards for you and your community every time you shop
What can a Co-op Membership Card get me in terms of savings?
The scheme offers you savings for every £1 that you spend in-store.
For every Co-op branded product and service that you buy, 2p out of every £1 goes into your membership account. This can then be saved up and used on anything in Co-op food stores. You’ll also get two personalised offers every week, which are based on what you buy in the stores.
On top of that, the same value (2p for every £1), will be donated to charities or organisations in your local community. Membership card holders are even invited to choose the local cause they want to donate to.
How does a Co-op Membership Card compare to other cards?
Getting a 2p saving for every £1 spent is better than many loyalty card schemes offered by supermarkets, so it’s definitely worth having if you shop in Co-op quite frequently.
However, Co-op charges £1 for joining their membership, so that might be enough to convince casual shoppers not to apply.
As well as that, customers won’t earn points on everything that Co-op offers, with things like fuel, postage stamps, cigarettes, carrier bags and clearance items all not being part of the scheme.
Iceland Bonus Card
What is it?
In recent years, Iceland has proven to be one of the best supermarkets for finding great savings – if you know where to look.
Their Bonus Card is an excellent savings scheme, which offers you a £1 bonus each time an aggregate of £20 of savings is added to your savings balance (you must top-up your Bonus Card before using it).
What can my Iceland Bonus Card get me?
With a £1 bonus for every £20 of savings, Iceland’s Bonus Card means that your money can go a lot further, especially if you regularly do big shops in their stores.
As well as that, you’ll get exclusive product discounts, free home delivery, a gift for your birthday, 1000s of chances to win great prizes, and a £2 welcome gift when you register.
How does it compare to other cards?
The Iceland Bonus Card is a bit more finicky when it comes to its savings balance process, and it involves a setup which is just that bit more difficult than some of the other schemes out there.
Despite that, there’s no denying that getting £1 bonus for every £20 that you save on your card can lead to massive savings in the long term.
Morrisons More
What is it?
The latest version of Morrisons’s loyalty scheme – Morrisons More – was introduced in May 2021 and is much more slimmed down than other supermarket discount schemes.
What can my Morrisons More card get me?
Well, not as much as other supermarket discount cards – but still plenty. Unlike other supermarkets, you won’t collect points based on the money you spend to be used in stores, but you are given personalised offers instead. These offers are based on the things you buy the most, from digital vouchers to money off your next shop.
As well as that, you can get savings on My Morrisons Clubs, including Baby Clubs, Teachers Clubs, and NHS Clubs. You can browse some of the clubs here.
A final thing that Morrisons offer with their More Card is a ‘Basket Bonus’. Each time that customers scan their My Morrisons Card, they’ll get a chance to win bonuses, such as £5 off their next shop, a bunch of flowers, or something tasty from the Morrisons bakery.
How does it compare to other supermarket discount cards?
The My Morrisons Card is much more of a slimmed-down version of a loyalty scheme, compared with the likes of Sainsbury’s and Tesco. The scheme also doesn’t offer a physical card and is only available through the app.
However, their personalised offers can still offer very good savings for customers, while their Clubs and Basket Bones are great incentives for shopping in their stores.
myWaitrose
What is it?
Similar to the Morrisons More Card, you don’t get points with a myWaitrose card, but you can get offers, in the form of freebies, discounts, and other bargains.
So what savings can I get with a myWaitrose card?
A myWaitrose card offers you the opportunity to get exclusive, tailor-made discounts each week. The supermarket will send your relevant vouchers and coupons based on your spending history, allowing you to get the most from your shopping.
On top of that, there are added discounts, such as subscriptions to magazines, money off cookery classes, dry cleaning savings, and Waitrose’s own ‘Fish Fridays’, where you get 20% off selected fish at the fish counter every Friday.
You’ll also get access to ‘Quick Check’ scanners, which are exclusively for myWaitrose cardholders, and which will help you get your shopping done faster.
How does it compare to other supermarket discount cards?
People in the UK will know that Waitrose isn’t exactly the cheapest supermarket out there, so this card isn’t going to be for everyone.
That being said, this is actually a really great loyalty card if you find yourself doing your weekly shop in Waitrose, or even if you dip in once every few weeks. Their personalised discount options are normally very good, and they have a nice way of making sure they’re tailor-made to each person’s shopping needs.
Lidl Plus
What is it?
Lidl Plus is a discount app that allows you to get savings, bonuses, exclusives, coupons, and even a scratchcard, every time you shop in a Lidl store.
How does it work?
The scheme works as a digital card that you can get by downloading the Lidl Plus app. You’ll then be given a QR code which you can scan at the till to become identified as a Lidl Plus user.
This allows you to make sure you’re getting all possible discounts in the shop, and it also means that you immediately get a digital ‘scratch card’, where you’ll be able to scratch for prizes.
The app will also store a digital receipt of your purchase.
How does the Lidl Plus scheme compare to other supermarkets?
Despite the dominance of Lidl throughout the UK (and wider Europe), their discount scheme is surprisingly threadbare. It’s not a loyalty scheme, as with many other supermarkets’ offerings, so the act of scanning your QR code can sometimes feel slightly redundant.
However, the scheme is a good way to get yourself plenty of savings, offers, and prizes. The scratch card aspect, in particular, has proven popular with customers.
The Marks and Spencer ‘Sparks Card’
What is it?
Marks and Spencer have had plenty of discount card options over the years, with their latest – the Sparks Card – being introduced in 2015. Sparks loyalty card provides exclusive offers based on an individual’s spending habits, as well as priority access to M&S seasonal previews, sales, events, and experiences.
How does it work?
Customers who have the card can collect ‘sparks’ by purchasing at M&S. The more that a customer collects, the more that they’ll be ‘treated’ by M&S, with exclusive offers, invitations to events, and the possibility of donations to a charity of the customer’s choice. You’ll also gain priority access when M&S unveils its latest trends and collections.
How does it compare to other supermarket discount schemes in the UK?
The Sparks Card clearly doesn’t offer the same kind of monetary discount as other supermarkets do, meaning that this scheme is a lot more toned down compared to the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s (as well as some of M&S’ ownloyalty card offerings from the past).
However, some of the rewards offered by Sparks will be of interest to regular M&S customers. As an example, their 12 Days of Sparks initiative means that you can get a free Christmas reward each day in the lead-up to the 25th.
Asda Rewards
What is it?
If you haven’t heard of Asda Rewards, it’s because this supermarket loyalty scheme is really just getting started – it was only introduced across the UK in the summer of 2022. The scheme is notably different from other supermarket loyalty schemes, as it takes a quirky angle – with customers being asked to complete ‘missions’ to earn cashback.
What type of savings can I get with Asda Rewards?
Once you download the Asda Rewards app, you can start building your ASDA Rewards Cashpot, which is where you’ll grow your savings.
You can earn ‘ASDA pounds’ for your Cashpot by scanning your app at the till with each purchase you make.
You can also earn pounds by purchasing certain products highlighted as ‘Star Products’ in the app.
On top of that, ASDA has introduced a system where you can earn ASDA pounds by completely certain ‘Missions’, in order to build up your Cashpot even more quickly. Missions can vary week by week, but include things like: buying certain ‘Back-to-school’ products during the school months; buying 15 pieces of fruit; or buying 5 frozen items. Completing a mission will result in you getting ASDA Pounds.
As you build up ASDA pounds, you can then convert them into vouchers on the app, which can be used at the tills or online for discounts.
How do ASDA Rewards compare to other supermarket schemes?
ASDA Rewards can be seen as a slight twist on similar, more established schemes from Tesco and Sainsbury’s. This loyalty scheme incentivises buying across a range of areas within the stores, which may appeal to those who are doing big shops, or those who just want the challenge of completing ASDA’s ‘missions’.
With the right purchases, savings can be very big with ASDA Rewards.
RESTAURANT LOYALTY CARDS / DISCOUNT CARDS
KFC Rewards Arcade
What is it?
The KFC Rewards Arcade allows you to play vintage arcade games each time you spend over £3 in their restaurant (or £7 when ordering online or for delivery), for a chance to win prizes.
What can I get with this discount app?
As you might expect, there are plenty of options available in terms of possible freebies with the app. If you ‘win’ by playing an arcade game, you can get prizes such as:
- 2 single wings
- regular fries
- bbq dipped bites
- mini fillet burger
- flamin’ wrap
- fillet burger
- zinger burger
- regular popcorn
- A 6-piece original recipe bargain bucket
- 2 pieces of original recipe chicken
- 3 pieces of boneless chicken with dip
- mighty bucket for one
How does it compare to other restaurant discount schemes?
KFC doesn’t offer the sort of ‘loyalty points’ that other fast food chains offer, but there’s something quite fun about the ‘Arcades’ idea. For those who enjoy their KFCs, the idea of getting prizes like a mighty bucket for one is surely enough to make you consider you downloading the app and using it….
Subway Rewards
What is it?
You can get Subway Rewards – Subway’s loyalty scheme as an app. Once you register your Subway Rewards, you’ll be able to receive a generous one point for every 10p spent in the UK. You can save up your points to buy items from Subway’s menu, and you can check your balance on the app.
What savings can I get with Subway Rewards?
- 100 points – Free hot drink
- 200 points – Free side or snack
- 500 points – Free six-inch sub, wrap or salad
- 1,000 points – Free footlong sub
One of the best aspects of this scheme is that you can get double points in Subway for 28 days after you first register for Subway Rewards. You can find full details of the subway scheme here: FREE SUBWAY POINTS to get a FREE 250 points to get you started
How does it compare with other restaurant loyalty schemes?
Subway’s rewards scheme is one of the most tried and tested throughout the fast food world – and it still remains one of the best.
On top of their loyalty points, Subway Rewards have also begun offering exclusive treats and goodies on their app (including themed seasonal treats for the likes of Christmas). It’s always handy to have if you regularly frequent Subway’s outlets.
MyMcDonald’s Rewards
What is it?
After many years, McDonald’s finally launched its first loyalty scheme in the UK in the summer of 2022. The idea was long overdue, considering the number of return customers that the fast food chain has, as well as how effective some of its incentive ideas have been (McDonald’s Monopoly and Happy Meal toys, to name just two..)
The scheme offers a points-for-items-on-the-menu system, similar to other fast food chains.
What can I get with MyMcDonald’s Rewards in terms of savings?
MyMcDonald’s Rewards offers 1 point per penny that you spend at McDonald’s. Here’s what you can get with that:
- For 1,500 points, you can get smaller items like small fries, medium salad, regular McCafé, mini McFlurry or a hash brown.
- For 2,500 points, you can get Vegetable Deluxe, Bacon Mayo Chicken, Cheesy Bacon Flatbread, medium Fries or Double Cheeseburger!
- And if you manage to save up 4,000 points, you can get a Big Mac, Double Sausage & Egg McMuffin, Large Crispy Chicken Salad, 6 Chicken McNuggets or McChicken Sandwich.
You’ll earn the same points no matter how you order, whether it’s at a kiosk, a drive-thru, from the counter, or via delivery.
As well as that, you can keep an eye on the app, where you’ll find extra discounts, which are shared constantly. You’ll also earn bonuses for purchasing certain items.
How does MyMcDonald’s Rewards stack up against other restaurants?
McDonald’s is clearly hoping that its rewards point scheme will build the same kind of customer loyalty that Subway have with their long-standing scheme. There’s plenty to be excited about here if you’re a regular patron at McDonald’s, as you can quickly build up a lot of points and get some of your favourite items from their menu.
Greggs Rewards
What is it?
Greggs is now operating a Rewards loyalty scheme app to give customers savings based on what they buy.
Greggs Rewards basically works like a digital loyalty card, with a customer receiving a ‘stamp’ each time they purchase an item. On your 9th stamp, you can claim a free item.
What kind of savings can I get with Greggs Rewards?
With every 9th purchase of a breakfast, a savoury or bake, a hot drink, a sandwich or salad, or a sweet treat or hot food, customers get another completely free of charge. However, the Rewards scheme is divided into categories, which means that you need to buy 9 hot drinks in a row to be entitled to a free hot drink – it doesn’t mean that any 9 purchases in Greggs mean a free reward.
As well as the loyalty benefits, the app also comes with a quirky Click + Collect function, which allows you to skip the queues and get what you want whenever you order it.
How does it compare with other food and restaurant discount schemes?
Greggs Rewards does what it says on the tin – it’s a digital stamp card. The good thing about it being on an app is that you’ll never lose it in your wallet or find it crumpled up in your jeans pockets.
On top of that, the savings to be made here are actually very competitive. Getting your ninth item free after eight purchases is slightly cheaper than what it would cost to build up points at Subway or McDonald’s – so it’s a good system overall.
YourBurgerKing
What is it?
Joining McDonald’s in finally unveiling a loyalty scheme programme, YourBurgerKing is the new discount offering from Burger King. The scheme works as an app, which – when you download and set up an account – immediately rewards you with 200 points, enough to claim a cheeseburger, hamburger, drink or regular fries.
What kind of offers can I get with the YourBurgerKing app?
For every £1 that you spend, you’ll earn 10 points on the YourBurgerKing app. These can be totted up and saved, then exchanged for food. As mentioned above, 200 points will be enough to get you a cheeseburger or fries, while 400 points can get you the likes of a Burger King Whopper.
How does it compare to other restaurant loyalty schemes?
The scheme is very straightforward and similar to many other schemes introduced by other fast food restaurants.
However, customers have noted that it’s frustratingly difficult to find out exactly how many points are needed to exchange for items on the menu. No doubt Burger King will work out its problems as it moves forward…
Nando’s Card
What is it?
Nando’s operates a system where customers who have a Nando’s Card will earn a ‘Chilli’ if they spend £7 or more on their meal.
Customers can register their cards online (or get the app) and will receive a ‘Chilli’ for doing so.
What benefits can I get with a Nando’s Card?
With just a few ‘Chillis’, customers can quickly rack up a lot of savings and claim rewards.
Here’s some of what’s on offer:
- For Three Chillies (Green Reward) – you can get 1/4 chicken or a starter
- For Six Chillies (Orange Reward) – you can get 1/2 chicken or any single wrap, burger or pitta
- For 10 Chillies (Red Reward) – You can get a whole chicken or single combo meal with regular sides.
It’s also worth noting that each time you claim a reward, you don’t lose your ‘Chilli points’. For example, if you claim a Green Award with three Chilli points, you can keep them and you then only need four more to get an Orange Award.
How does it compare to other fast food loyalty schemes?
For the right customer who frequently goes to Nando’s, this could result in plenty of rewards, so it’s definitely one of the best loyalty schemes out there.
On top of that, even though you can only collect one Chilli per customer per day, if you’re dining with a fellow Nando’s customer, you can pay separately and maximise your Chilli earnings.
Frank & Benny’s App
What is it?
The Frank & Benny’s app is a good way to keep an eye on the latest money-off offers from Frank & Benny’s. It’s a good way to find out about the latest discounts, exclusives, menu updates, and rewards, or just find out information for booking at your nearest store.
What kind of savings can I get with the Frank & Benny’s app?
The first thing to note is that the app isn’t a loyalty scheme, meaning that you’re not in control of the type of savings you might get.
But there’s still plenty of goodies to be found by regularly keeping an eye on the Frank & Benny’s app. In fact, they occasionally have very big discount offers on their meals, and customers can sometimes earn up to 50% off on their mains.
How does it compare to other food and restaurant discount apps?
As stated above, this isn’t a loyalty scheme, so it can’t compare to most of the other food and restaurant apps listed above.
However, seeing as Frank & Benny’s is considered by many households to be something of a treat for bigger gatherings, it’s worth having this app just for the chance of making a massive saving…
DRINKS LOYALTY CARDS / DISCOUNT CARDS
Starbucks Reward Card
What is it?
The Starbucks Reward Card is a popular loyalty card which has been around for many years – and earned millions of customers some big savings. Customers can load up their Starbucks Cards with money, then when they use them in stores, they’ll earn ‘Stars’ for each beverage that they buy. These stars will eventually add up so that you can eventually earn rewards from Starbucks.
What kind of savings can I get with my Starbucks Reward Card?
Starbucks Stars are divided into ‘membership levels’, which makes things slightly complicated – but also means you could potentially get a lot more rewards.
Once you make your first transaction with a Starbucks Card, you officially become a Green Level member, meaning that you’ll get a free drink for every 150 stars (you earn three Stars for every £1 that you spend).
If you make it to 450 stars within a 12-month period, you reach Gold Level membership. At this level, you’ll get all the same perks as Green Level members, but you’ll be able to add extras including syrups, extra shots of espresso, whipped cream, and more. You’ll also receive a free drink on your birthday!
How does it compare to other cafe loyalty schemes?
At 150 Stars for a free drink, and 3 Stars per £1, you have to pay £50 just to get your hands on a free Starbucks cup of coffee – meaning that this isn’t the best Card for those who don’t visit the cafe franchise very often.
However, customers can also get bonus stars and extra rewards from time to time on the app, either by buying a particular product or signing up for email updates.
Costa Club
What is it?
Costa Club is the loyalty card offered by Costa Coffee. With this Club card, you only need to purchase 8 cups of coffee in Costa, in order to be entitled to a free coffee. You can get the best usage of the Card by downloading the Costa Club app.
What other great savings can I get with Costa Club?
If you use a reusable cup, you can get your free cup of Costa Coffee much faster, as it will only take 4 coffee purchases before you’re entitled to a free one.
As well as that, the app offers exclusive rewards, information on deliveries, and even a free cake option on your birthday!
Great! So how does it compare to other drinks/cafe loyalty cards?
Costa Club is one of the best – if not the best – in terms of value and savings. With a reusable cup, you could easily be getting a free coffee on every fifth visit to Costa.
Caffe Nero Loyalty Card
What is it?
The Caffè Nero loyalty card and the app offer a ‘stamp system’, so that customers can get a free coffee after every ninth purchase (they even have a fun, quirky digital stamp card, in case you’re missing the real thing).
What other benefits does the Caffe Nero loyalty card offer?
Caffe Nero has a very efficient, speedy ‘Click & Collect’ option, which is a real-time saver. You can order ahead, pay using a card saved on your phone, skip the queue, and take your coffee to a table the moment you arrive.
As well as that, each time you use the app, you’ll have the potential to earn some rewards along the way.
Note: You need to make sure you have the latest version of the Caffe Nero app in order to make sure you get the Click & Collect option.
How does it compare to other loyalty cards?
In terms of potential savings, you can save a lot more than with a Starbucks Card, and just slightly less than with a Costa Club card.
But the Click & Collect option will no doubt get a lot of on-the-go coffee drinkers very excited….
Conclusion
Each of the loyalty cards, discount apps, and savings schemes listed above has its benefits – and will appeal to different people in different ways.
For those who frequently visit the same restaurants, supermarkets or cafes, certain loyalty cards listed above can offer them some truly big savings.
Alternatively, other businesses have switched from loyalty schemes to offering tantalising rewards benefits with their cards and apps.
And, as we’ve seen with the likes of KFC and ASDA, some businesses are even reinventing the idea of what a discount app might look like – trying to make it fun in an effort to woo new customers and promote new products.
Whatever you’re looking for, be sure to keep an eye on Refer and Save’s website for all the latest on discounts and savings.
Happy shopping!
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