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Tesco have announced major changes to the Tesco Clubcard and its loyalty programme, Based on a drop in profits and a rise in operational costs they have been forced to restructure how the rewards vouchers are paid out. The word is that they will not be the last of the supermarket loyalty schemes to make these money-saving changes.
As the current economic climate continues and inflation rises, causing the cost of living to increase, we are getting used to seeing large companies and corporations make significant changes to their customer based loyalty schemes and none more so than the big supermarkets and their supermarket loyalty cards.
The big supermarkets are renowned for their comprehensive customer loyalty schemes, which which reward its loyal customer base for in store and online purchases ranging from food, petrol and credit cards to personalised offers and discounts, whilst earning vast sums of money as part of the huge rush towards large retailers and away from shopping on the high street.
The loyalty card and reward schemes would help you save money on selected items as well as earning points on the the increasingly popular customer rewards voucher system in which you can exchange your reward points for vouchers to affiliate companies for meals, trips, days out, theme parks and a host of other benefits depending on who you belong to.
However, this is going to change, and the first to make the big move is Tesco. From June 14, 2023, your Clubcard vouchers will be worth less when turned into Reward Partner codes.
They will be worth twice their value instead of three times. So, for every £3 in Clubcard vouchers to spend with one of the loyalty scheme’s many Reward Partners, this will soon translate to £6 to spend instead of £9.
This signifies a significant shake-up to their entire Clubcard Reward Points Scheme, which will also change the number of points awarded per purchase. One of the biggest changes that Tesco will introduce is when buying petrol or diesel as at the moment, Clubcard holders receive one point for every £2 they spend, which will change to one point for every two litres of fuel from next month.
The change excludes petrol and diesel filling stations with a Tesco Express store.
Can I Still Redeem The Points On My Clubcard Account
Yes the points that you have accumulated are still there as the scheme is still running but the value has now changed considerably.
In order to take advantage of the current value of your Tesco Clubcard points with Reward Partners is to visit their website, where you must redeem any codes on your account that you want to use before June 14.
You will need to exchange your Clubcard vouchers sent to you in your quarterly statement, or you can request one through the Tesco Grocery & Clubcard app.
To request them, open the app or website and go to ‘My Clubcard account’. Then, select the button to turn your Clubcard points into vouchers which will appear if you have enough points.
Click ‘request vouchers’. Once they are in your account, you can exchange them for a Reward Partner code in the app. You will then receive the code via email to be used with the Reward Partner.
They still have all of the usual affiliate partnerships including Disney, Legoland and Hotels.com so you are going to be viewing the exact same account pages as before. Nevertheless as this has been announced today on BBC Breakfast it is likely that the website and app may been somewhat busier than usual.
Once you have received the code, it will be valid for six months unless stated otherwise.
If your Clubcard voucher is of higher value than the amount you would like to exchange, you will get the difference back in points.
This is going to affect the 19 million people here in the UK that have a Tesco Clubcard account and some of whom are reliant on the in store savings, personalised offers, and exclusive discounts that were some of the many benefits to what was and still is considered to be of the best supermarket loyalty cards out there today.
Whilst in store and online purchases are still available with all the original savings available to Clubcard members it is the reward and voucher scheme that will not only affect but disappoint some of the millions that rely on these benefits for restaurants, vouchers and days out.
While on the subject it is not fully clear how this will affect the affiliate members of Tesco such as Legoland who’s tickets were one of the most popular redemptions against the loyalty points. Whether it affects their sales is still not known but with other supermarkets and high street names like Boots, Mark & Spencer and Argos expected to follow suit it not only looks bad for the consumers but retailers alike.
At the time of writing, Tesco have not spoken directly to the media regarding the changes but a statement is expected to arrive within days.
A Good Time To Redeem
So, as of next Wednesday your Clubcard points will not be worth the value they are today so it may be an opportune time to visit their website and maybe book a night away at one of the many accommodation affiliates or a meal out or who knows you could even get your adrenaline junkie side out and hurtle down a roller coaster at Legoland.
If you are worried or concerned about this matter then contacting Tesco directly on 0800 591 688 or via the website at www.secure.tesco.com/clubcard and one of their advisors will be able to assist you.
Should I Look At All Of My Loyalty Cards
In short, yes as it is possible that not just the supermarkets will follow suit on this one. Costa Coffee who have a huge loyalty card scheme have announced that you will now need to collect 10 “beans” instead of eight to obtain a free drink which is an above inflation rise of 25%. This is due to go live as of August 1, 2023.
The likelihood that others will amend, change or even scrap their customer loyalty schemes cannot be overlooked as it puts another squeeze on consumers, retailers and suppliers whilst we fight the ongoing economic crisis that is causing the cost of living to hit us ever harder.
