Supermarket Savings UK 2026 — Loyalty Cards, Cheapest Supermarkets and How to Cut Your Food BillLoyalty Points Guide UK — Nectar, Clubcard, Avios, and More
How to make the most of UK loyalty schemes including Nectar, Tesco Clubcard, Avios, and others. Earn more points, get the best value, and avoid the traps.
Loyalty schemes pay back a small share of what you spend, and how much depends on where you shop. This guide covers the main UK programmes.
Main UK Loyalty Schemes at a Glance
| Scheme | Where to earn | Point value | Best use |
|---|
| Tesco Clubcard | Tesco, Tesco Bank, Tesco Mobile | 1p per point | Clubcard Prices, Reward Partners |
| Nectar | Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat, Tu, Esso | 0.5p per point | Spending at Sainsbury’s and Argos, Your Nectar Prices |
| Boots Advantage Card | Boots | 1p per point | Spending at Boots |
| Avios (BA) | BA flights, Amex cards, partners | About 1p on average (varies) | Flight redemptions |
| Virgin Points | Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card | Varies by redemption | Flights, upgrades |
| Amex Membership Rewards | American Express cards | Varies by redemption | Transfer to Avios or Virgin Points |
| myWaitrose | Waitrose | No points | Free hot drink if you bring your own cup, selected discounts |
| IKEA Family | IKEA | Discounts and offers | In-store offers |
| Costa Coffee Club | Costa | Free drinks | Earn beans per visit |
Tesco Clubcard
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Earn rate | 1 point per £1 in Tesco stores; 1 point per 2 litres at Tesco fuel |
| Point value | 1p in Tesco, up to 2p with Reward Partners |
| Clubcard Prices | Lower prices on selected products for Clubcard holders |
| Reward Partners | Around 100, including Alton Towers, Café Rouge and Hotels.com |
| How to redeem | Vouchers to spend with Tesco, or exchanged with Reward Partners |
Maximising Clubcard Value
| Strategy | How |
|---|
| Always scan your Clubcard | Clubcard Prices only apply when the card is scanned |
| Use Reward Partners | Points worth up to twice as much at partners |
| Check the app | Personalised coupons for bonus points or extra discounts |
Nectar (Sainsbury’s)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Earn rate | At least 1 point per £1 in Sainsbury’s, variable at partners |
| Point value | 0.5p |
| Key partners | Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat, Tu, Esso |
| Your Nectar Prices | Up to 10 personalised discounts a week, unlocked in the app |
| How to redeem | Sainsbury’s (in store, online or in the app) and Argos; 500 points = £2.50 |
Maximising Nectar Value
| Strategy | How |
|---|
| Unlock Your Nectar Prices | Personalised discounts, refreshed every Friday |
| Check partner offers | Nectar says there are partner offers each week |
Avios (British Airways)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| How to earn | Flights, hotels, car hire, shopping and Avios credit cards |
| Point value | MoneySavingExpert uses around 1p on average; it varies with what you spend them on |
| Best use | Flights |
| Flight prices | Set per route; you can usually trade fewer Avios for more cash, so check the options before booking |
| Expiry | Your Avios expire if you go three years without earning at least one |
| BA Amex card | Earn 1 Avios per £1 spent (Premium Plus: 1.25 per £1) |
Best Ways to Earn Avios
| Method | Earn rate |
|---|
| BA Amex Premium Plus | 1.25 Avios per £1 (£300 annual fee) |
| BA Amex | 1 Avios per £1 (no annual fee) |
| Flights with BA and partner airlines | Enter your BA Executive Club number when booking |
| Shopping via the BA site | Earn Avios by clicking through to retailers |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Transfer at 1:1 ratio |
Boots Advantage Card
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Earn rate | 3 points per £1 spent in store or online |
| Point value | 1p per point (so 3p back per £1, computed) |
| Best for | Health and beauty products |
| Offers | Personalised offers, including regular double points from May 2026 |
| Member pricing | Boots has member-only prices, including personalised offers |
See the Boots Advantage Card guide for what changed in 2023 and 2026.
Making Points Worth More
General Tips
| Strategy | Detail |
|---|
| Stack offers | Combine loyalty points + coupons + cashback |
| Redeem at peak value | Compare spending Clubcard vouchers in Tesco with exchanging them at Reward Partners (up to 2x) |
| Mind the expiry rules | Clubcard vouchers are valid for 2 years; a Nectar account is closed if you earn or spend no points for a year |
The Value Hierarchy
| Redemption | Value per point |
|---|
| Clubcard Reward Partners | Up to 2p per point |
| Avios for flights | About 1p per Avios on average (varies) |
| Nectar at Sainsbury’s | 0.5p per point |
| Clubcard at Tesco | 1p per point |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it’s a problem |
|---|
| Spending more to earn points | Points are only valuable if you’d spend the money anyway |
| Letting points expire | Use or convert them before they disappear |
| Ignoring member pricing | Clubcard Prices and Nectar Prices only apply to members, so skipping them means paying the standard price |
| Not unlocking offers | Your Nectar Prices must be unlocked in the app before you shop |
| Letting Avios lapse | Avios expire if you earn none for three years |
| Paying for premium cards you don’t use | BA Amex Premium Plus needs significant spending to justify the £300 fee |
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