Loyalty Cards

We all like to feel special and appreciated, and one way that companies achieve this is by rewarding us for our loyalty to the brand. Whether it’s giving us a freebie or some money off our next purchase, more and more stores are cottoning on to the idea that good customer service is one of the easiest ways to hold on to customers. I was looking through my purse recently, clearing out old receipts and pieces of paper, and it inspired me to do a blog post about my favourite loyalty cards and what they offer. It also made me think about companies that don’t offer a loyalty scheme, and how brilliant it would be if they did!

The first collection of loyalty cards I have are those for supermarkets and food stores. The one I use the most is my Tesco Clubcard, which earns points every time you scan it for a purchase. You’re then rewarded with regular vouchers, as well as money-off coupons related to items you often buy. If you do most of your grocery shopping at Tesco it’s a no-brainer to use a Clubcard, and even if you only do the occasional shop, you can still be rewarded with smaller value vouchers.

John Lewis and Waitrose have also recently brought in loyalty cards, offering some fantastic benefits. If you shop at Waitrose and use your card, you are entitled to a free hot drink every day! The choice isn’t particularly extensive, but includes a latté, cappuccino and flat white. It also gives you money off certain products, as well as allowing you entry to competitions both online and in store. With the John Lewis card, you receive vouchers for a free hot drink and piece of cake each month, so even if you don’t do much shopping there, you can still enjoy a snack in their café!

I have a couple more cards that I don’t use very often these days – my Nectar card and Co-operative card, mainly because I don’t really shop in the Co-op or stores that accept the Nectar card. I don’t know a great deal about the benefits of these cards, but I’m sure they’re worth using if you happen to shop in those stores.

Another card that is very well used is my Costa Coffee Club card. Every time you buy something from Costa, present your card and it will be loaded with points. These can then be used to pay for further snacks and drinks. If you sign up online, they also run double points schemes occasionally, so your points will be doubled for a certain amount of time when you make a purchase. I never used to do much shopping in Holland and Barrett, but recently my doctor advised me to start taking a Vitamin D supplement from there, so I thought I might as well sign up for a loyalty card. Like a lot of other cards, you earn points when you spend in store, which are then sent to you in the form of vouchers. They also run special offers and point bonuses from time to time. The last card in this photo is my Waterstones card, as I absolutely love book shopping there. I have to admit I don’t use it as much as I’d like to, as it’s easier to buy books online, but this card earns you points, which can be put towards further purchases. They also offer competitions and member only benefits.

Now down to the most important selection of cards – beauty! My longest serving card is my Boots Advantage card, which has provided me with benefits for many years. You earn points when you spend, and these points can then be used to treat yourself to something special in store or online. There are also terminals in store that will print out discount vouchers when you insert your card. Recently, Boots started something called Treat Street, which allows you to collect and use points with other stores including New Look. My other beauty cards include Superdrug (collect points when you spend in store and online), Debenhams Beauty Club (points collected can be used to buy beauty products and perfume) and Space:NK, which rewards you with points and can be upgraded to a different card the more you spend with them. I also recently invested in a Love Your Body card from The Body Shop. I actually had to pay for this card, but it then means you can collect points when you buy products, as well as receiving a voucher on your birthday and other competitions and prizes throughout the year.

So, that brings me to the end of the cards I use. But there are so many other brands and stores that I wish offered a loyalty program. I must just mention Lush, who will reward you with a free facemask if you take back five clean black pots. Wouldn’t it be brilliant though if companies like Benefit, ASOS, New Look and even Paperchase started their own loyalty schemes? Or, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a great idea – I don’t think my purse would thank me if I found another excuse to go shopping!

Do you use loyalty cards at all? Which are your favourites and are there any that I haven’t included that I should check out?

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