Stamp cards and loyalty schemes: worthless clutter or money-saving essential?

Start ten separate stamp cards, never get that free sandwich. Collect points all year, forget to spend them before they expire. Can loyalty schemes deliver real rewards – and has anyone ever stuck with one long enough to find out? We take a closer look at whether they’re worth the wallet space.

If your regular expenditures can offer a little something extra, why not take advantage? Perhaps you can’t live without your weekly shop loyalty card or you think sharing your personal data isn’t worth the points. We share a few people’s approaches and attitudes to loyalty schemes.

Turning the weekly shop into the trip of a lifetime

Some supermarket rewards schemes allow you to earn one point for every £1 you spend – which can add up to substantial rewards.

Writer Michelle from Barnsley saved points for around five years, and was able to convert them into airline miles, which covered round-trip travel for her family of four to Cape Town and New York.

'We easily saved £3,000 minimum,' she says. And with extra points she paid for three nights in a New York hotel 'worth around £800'.

'It meant we could go on the trip of a lifetime with the children,' she says. 'It wouldn’t have been possible without the discounts.'

The ups and downs of rewards

At the same time, those looking to travel using their points should read their rewards policies carefully. You may encounter unexpected turbulence.

Joanne, a retired teacher from Halifax, says, 'We saved credit card points for ages and were able to give the air miles to our daughter.'

'But then we suddenly got a letter saying our points had expired.'

'It’s unfair if companies decide to change the rules or not make the small print clearer,' she says.

If you’re enrolled in a rewards scheme, it’s worth reading through the terms and conditions – many will state that they’re subject to change without notice.

'We eventually successfully fought it,' Joanne says, 'but it was a bit of a kick in the teeth.'

Collecting points year-round for memorable Christmas meals

Kath from Cleethorpes pays for Christmas dinner every year with points saved on her supermarket loyalty card.

'I’ve had the card for around 15 years,' she says, 'I've always shopped at the same supermarket.'

Kath takes advantage of every opportunity to earn points. 'I have also gotten extra points from using the same company’s travel money and their credit card,' she says, 'as well as purchasing from their partners, such as an online auction site.'

She also browses the supermarket’s app for opportunities to earn additional points.

Her savvy shopping has regularly enabled her to redeem between £75 and £125 toward her groceries at the same supermarket, which she uses for food and drink at Christmas.

'The points have been extremely useful when money’s been tight,' she says.

Prioritising data privacy over points

However, not everyone is sold on rewards schemes.

Dave, a motorbike mechanic from Holmfirth, says, 'I have serious concerns around loyalty programmes.'

'I feel like I can’t go into a shop without being offered money off for signing up to regular emails.'

'For me, it’s really not worth the hassle and I don’t think companies do enough to inform customers about where that data is going.'

'I prefer to just buy the thing and leave and be left alone.'

A few things to consider before collecting points…

If you’re interested in enrolling in a rewards scheme, it’s worth looking into what’s required from you and what redeeming your points actually entails. You might find that your privacy is worth more to you, or that you can get better deals through other avenues.

Ultimately, whether you use your loyalty card to save toward rewards – or just to add some visual interest to your wallet – is up to you.

Regardless of whether you use a loyalty scheme, you could get 1% cashback on everyday debit card spending with Chase.

18+, UK residents. 1% cashback on everyday debit card spending. Available for your first 12 months as a new customer. Max £15 per month. Cashback exceptions apply.

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Disclaimer: The Hub is intended as a knowledge portal to provide information on a range of topics, including financial products. Articles may reference products and services that Chase UK does not currently offer. This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice.