Big Tesco Clubcard changes arrive on Monday: Here’s how to beat them
The new changes mean your points could lose 25% of their value, but this quick solution will make sure you don't lose out.
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There's only a matter of days before Tesco Clubcard changes come into effect, so you need to act now to ensure your points don't lose value.
As of Monday 11th June, points which could previously be exchanged for vouchers worth four times their value, will only be exchangeable for points worth three times their value instead - meaning if you don't act fast, you could lose some serious cash.
However, it's not all bad news! In some cases your points will gain value too.
The changes were first announced back in January, but following a public backlash, they were put on hold until June, allowing customers time to exchange the points they've saved up before the changes come into affect.
So how exactly will this affect you and how can you beat the changes? Read on for all the info.
How do Tesco Clubcard points work?
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Essentially, if you have a Tesco Clubcard, you'll earn points every time you spend in store or online.
You earn one point for for every £1 spent (or 0.5 points per £1 spent on petrol), and each point is worth one penny if spent on items in Tesco.
So, if you spent £50 in store, you'd earn 50 points, giving you a 50p discount on your next Tesco shop.
However, there is a way to seriously boost the value of your points, and that is through Reward Partners.
Reward Partners are companies which let you exchange your points for vouchers to spend with them, and these companies include restaurants like Prezzo and Pizza Express, cinemas, airlines, magazine subscriptions and more.
When you exchange your points for vouchers they increase in value - so they might be worth two times or four times their value, depending on which company it is.
How will the changes affect me?
These new changes mean that instead of being able to exchange your points for two and four times their value, you'll only be able to exchange them for three times their value pretty much across the board.
So for example, £2.50 worth of points could previously be exchanged for a £10 voucher with some companies - as of Monday, you will get a £7.50 voucher instead.
However, for companies which previously only let you exchange your points for two times their value, you'll see a boost, and will receive three times their value instead.
It might not sound like a huge change, but if you've accumulated a large amount of points, the changes could mean that you lose a huge chunk of their value with the new 3x cap.
Should I exchange my points now?
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You have until midnight on Sunday 10th June to exchange your points for the current boost values - so if you want to exchange them for four times their value in Prezzo, for example, you need to act quick.
The vouchers are valid for six months, so your best bet is to exchange your points as soon as possible, even if you don't plan on using them any time soon.
However, it's worth assessing all the partners here, and which ones are increasing points value and which are decreasing.
There is an argument to be made that the companies which currently allow you to quadruple your points value with them (mainly restaurants and days out like theme parks), tend to have lots of discount vouchers available anyway - things like two-for-one deals or discount cards.
But some of the companies which are going up from a double to triple points boost are those where discounts are rare. For instance, Red Spotted Hanky (the train booking service) currently allow you to turn £5 into a £10 spend - as of Monday this will go up to a £15 spend. Where else are you going to get money off train tickets?
Therefore, check out all the partners affected and which you'll be most likely to use before you rush into exchanging your points. Here's some examples:
Companies reducing from a four times to three times points boost: Bella Italia, Zizzi, Ask Italian, Cafe Rouge and more
Companies increasing from a two times times to three times points boost: Red Spotted Hanky, Megabus, Spafinder and more.
Further shake-ups
These changes aren't the only things happening as part of this Tesco shake up.
The minimum points balance you need before you can exchange for vouchers is reducing in most cases. For many of the partners, you now only need 50p in points to claim a voucher, where it was previously around £1.50-£2.50.
You might have also noticed that Tesco are closing down Tesco Direct - their online store for homeware, technology and clothes.
The store will cease to exist on 9th July 2018, and they're holding a huge clearance sale as they get rid of stock, so check it out to see if you can bag any bargain deals.
What are your thoughts on the Tesco Clubcard shake-up? Let us know in the comments!
