I’m a loyalty card expert – how to get 100s of points for free to slash your grocery bill

GROCERY costs keep rising - but you could save cash in the long term by joining retailer loyalty schemes.

Supermarket loyalty schemes reward you for your spending but there are ways that you can earn points for free.

Now that groceries are pricier than ever, many of us want to cut our costs - but it can feel like there are no feasible ways to do that.

And figures from the Office of National Statistics show that our food cost 12.7% more than this time last year.

It comes as inflation hit 9.9% in August, according to the Office For National Statistics.

The Bank of England now predicts inflation will peak at 11% in October and then remain above 10% for a few months after.

To help, we spoke to the co-founder of the money-saving community Latestdeals.co.uk, Tom Church, to find out how people can best utilise their loyalty card membership.

Tom said: "It’s easy to overlook our loyalty cards when we’re in a rush, but simply downloading the apps and enabling notifications can open up a world of offers you didn’t know existed."

Tom has shared his four easy tips to make sure that you make the most of your loyalty cards - including how to get 100s of loyalty points for free.

1. Get 100s points for free

Shoppers can simply collect hundreds of free loyalty card points by downloading the associated schemes app.

Tom said: "Most loyalty cards have apps now, and lots of them will give you bonuses just for adding them to your phone screen."

For example, the Nectar Card app says that on average, their customers earn three times more points on their shopping when using the bonus offers found in the app.

Nectar card customers using the app have also been able to scoop up to 2,000 free points in the past - meaning shoppers could get up to £10 off their shop for free.

Clubcard members can earn hundreds of points by completing online surveys.

Shoppers could collect 100 Clubcard points for every survey completed - meaning you'll be paid £1 for each survey.

Tom said: "If Tesco is your local store then take a look at Tesco Shopper Thoughts.

"It’s a quick way to get some extra points and you never know when they’ll come in handy.

"Tesco also has Tescoviews where you can give them feedback and each month you earn a fixed number of points.

"What’s more, you’ll be in with a chance of winning a £1,000 gift card - that could last you an entire year in groceries."

2. Make use of regular points bonuses

Retailers often have promotions available where you can earn more points on specific products at specific times.

Tom said: At Superdrug, for example, you can get triple points on own-brand items if you have a health & beauty card.

"Plus, until November 14, you can exchange Clubcard vouchers for Delivery Saver Reward Partner codes and triple the value."

Other shops have "points days," where you’ll earn double or triple points on everything you buy that day - so it's worth keeping in the loop with your loyalty card offers.

Firms also offer customers incentives for taking out deals with the company that runs the loyalty scheme.

For example, Tesco offers Clubcard incentives on their phone plans - for every £1 you spend on your phone bill, you’ll earn one point.

So if your bill comes to £25 a month you could earn 25 points or 300 points across any twelve-month period - worth £3.

3. Exchange vouchers to boost the value of points

Loyalty card members can also boost the value of their points by exchanging vouchers at other retailers or for other means.

Tom said: With Tesco Clubcard points, you can exchange them for vouchers on holidays, train tickets, jewellery, bikes, days out and lots more.

"And if you use them on Partner Reward Vouchers rather than in Tesco shops, they’re worth three times the value - it’s a no-brainer."

For example, Clubcard holders can use £8 worth of vouchers towards a Disney+ subscription - usually worth £24.

4. Consider splitting transactions

Tom said customers shouldn't be afraid to split their transactions to make the most of their points.

For example, if you have a Boots Advantage Card, your points need to cover the whole amount of your shopping if you want to use them.

Tom said: "If you’re having a difficult month, split your shopping and use the points to cover as much as possible, then just pay the remaining balance."

Other ways to cut the cost of your supermarket shop

Research what you need before you go. Prices always vary by supermarket and it can pay to change up your shop.

One shopper ditched going to supermarkets altogether in favour of their local wholesaler, that way they could stock up in bulk, at lower prices.

You can also cash in on reduced foods like yellow sticker bargains - these will be items reduced because they're about to meet their best-before date.

They'll still be safe to eat or freeze to make them last longer, but it means you can pick up the same products at an even cheaper price.

Sometimes even timing your shop to stock up just as items are discounted on the shelves can help you get the best bargains - lots of shoppers have said this is in the evening typically.

But being smart about how you shop isn't the only way to slash spending.

Especially as prices continue to rise, there are schemes in place to help the most hard-up buy essentials.

We've compared the best and worst supermarket loyalty schemes including Asda Rewards and Tesco Clubcard.