The Nectar card is free and earns points when you shop at Sainsbury’s, Argos and a range of partners, and Your Nectar Prices gives personalised discounts on top. Nectar is Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme, with over 27 million shoppers according to Nectar.
Earning Nectar Points
| Location | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Sainsbury’s groceries | 1 point per £1 |
| Sainsbury’s petrol stations | 1 point per litre of fuel |
| Argos | 1 point per £1 |
| Habitat and Tu | 1 point per £1 |
| Esso service stations | 1 point per litre of fuel, 2 points per £1 in the shop |
Earn rates vary between partners, so check the Nectar app or website for the current list.
Example (simplified). A household spends £500 a month at Sainsbury’s and £50 at Argos, both at 1 point per £1. That is 500 + 50 = 550 points a month. At 0.5p a point, 550 points is £2.75 a month (550 x 0.5p = 275p), or £33 a year (£2.75 x 12). The £550 spent returns 0.5%.
Your Nectar Prices
Nectar describes Your Nectar Prices as personalised discounts: up to 10 in the Nectar app, refreshed every Friday. You unlock them in the app before you shop. Because they are personalised, the offers you see may differ from another customer’s. The size of the saving varies by product.
Redeeming Points
Each point is worth 0.5p, so 500 points is £2.50. At Sainsbury’s groceries you can spend points in store, online or in the app. At Argos you can spend between 500 points (£2.50) and 100,000 points (£500) in one transaction, online or in store, after linking your Argos account to your Nectar account. At Sainsbury’s petrol stations points are worth the same, but you pay at the kiosk and cannot redeem them at the pump.
The Nectar App
The Nectar app is where Your Nectar Prices appear and where you unlock them, and where you can track the points you have collected and spent.
Is Nectar Worth It?
Nectar’s base earn rate (1 point per £1, worth 0.5p, so 0.5p per £1) is lower than the standard Tesco Clubcard rate (1 point per £1, worth 1p). The value of Nectar comes from:
- Unlocking Your Nectar Prices before you shop
- Collecting points at Argos and the other partners
- Spending points at Sainsbury’s and Argos
For regular Sainsbury’s shoppers, the card costs nothing and is worth having.
See also: Best Supermarket Loyalty Schemes UK Compared.
Nectar vs Clubcard: A Direct Comparison
| Feature | Nectar (Sainsbury’s) | Clubcard (Tesco) |
|---|---|---|
| Base earn rate | 1 point per £1, worth 0.5p | 1 point per £1, worth 1p |
| Discount scheme | Your Nectar Prices (personalised) | Clubcard Prices (selected products, Clubcard holders only) |
| Points expiry | Points do not expire, but the account is closed if you earn or spend no points for a year | Points convert to vouchers, which are valid for 2 years |
| Other places to earn | Argos, Habitat, Tu, Esso | Tesco Bank, Tesco Mobile |
The key difference: Nectar describes its discounts as personalised to each shopper, so the offers you see may not be on products you want.
Bonus Points
Nectar says it has partner offers for collecting points each week. Offers change, so check the Nectar app before a large shop rather than relying on a standing multiplier.
How to Get a Nectar Card
- Download the Nectar app (search “Nectar” in your app store)
- Register with name, email, and address
- Scan your Nectar app or physical card at the checkout in store to collect points. For online shopping, link your Nectar card to your account before ordering.
Is Nectar Worth It for Non-Sainsbury’s Shoppers?
If Sainsbury’s is not your main supermarket, Nectar’s value comes mainly from Argos and the other partners. At 1 point per £1 and 0.5p a point, that is a small return, but the card is free.
See also: Tesco Clubcard Guide UK, Best Supermarket Loyalty Schemes UK.
For cashback on top of Nectar points when shopping at other online retailers, see How Cashback Sites Work UK.