Nectar Points General Discussion

[andrewkeith5]

Mod note - split from this thread and this thread

Most seem to use Nectar points, which are better than a kick in the face but only just.

Buying all the fuel for my car from BP has seen my nectar points balance rocket up (with a little help from FGW and moving closer to a Sainsburys...

...the problem I now have is finding something I want to spend them on! I seem to be excellent at accumulating loyalty points all over the place but the chance never really presents itself to redeem them at least with the East Coast points I can get access to the first class lounges for relatively few points, which is wonderfully useful when I have time to spare

 

[Clip]

I can understand that some people are annoyed about the rewards schemem possibly closing down at some point and a move to Nectar points but you would be surprised at just how many places you can use yoru nectar card to get points and they really do soon mount up - just a shame sainsburys are cutting down how many you get from a shop next year

 

[Deerfold]

I can understand that some people are annoyed about the rewards schemem possibly closing down at some point and a move to Nectar points but you would be surprised at just how many places you can use yoru nectar card to get points and they really do soon mount up - just a shame sainsburys are cutting down how many you get from a shop next year

They'll take a while to mount up to the cost of a first class York - Edinburgh return...

 

[bb21]

Nectar points are rubbish not because they are difficult to accumulate (well, until April when Sainsbury halves their pay out) but rather the rubbish ways you get to spend them on.

For all the ills of Tesco points, there are plenty of good opportunities to double, or even quadruple your rewards.

 

[Clip]

They'll take a while to mount up to the cost of a first class York - Edinburgh return...

Maybe so but not everyone who uses EC uses the rewards scheme either so at least some will be happy with Nectar points.
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Nectar points are rubbish not because they are difficult to accumulate (well, until April when Sainsbury halves their pay out) but rather the rubbish ways you get to spend them on.

For all the ills of Tesco points, there are plenty of good opportunities to double, or even quadruple your rewards.

Well being able to spend them with expedia and easyjet is quite handy to me. Yes Tesco does seem to be better with their rewards but you can only get them by using Tesco cant you? No good for me as I dont shop there.

 

[bb21]

Yes, personal perspectives differ and it will not be bad news for everyone. Personally I find the return on Nectar poorer than any other loyalty scheme I can find, and not many useful things I can spend them on.

On the subject of expedia, I find that in recent years their offerings have got poorer year by year. For example, my travel agent can always beat their quotes on long-haul air fares and there are not many good value accommodation deals compared to the likes of travel republic, etc.

I may look into the easyjet options. I have points accumulated from the last ten years and more and not spent a single one.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I do agree with that. Being a long term user of BP, my Nectar card is full of points but of negligible value. Our local petrol station changed to Esso recently and the wife has got me to use a Tesco Clubcard which Esso award points on and it's turning out to be much better value already

Sort-of. Personally I find all these loyalty schemes a massive faff, and would rather they were all abolished in favour of good prices for everyone all the time. Just like the "we overcharged you this time, have a discount next time" nonsense - I know they hope we won't redeem them, but perhaps if supermarket X know they are more expensive than supermarket Y they could be so kind as just to reduce their prices?

The usual basis for them is to collect data, of course, which is why Nectar may be cheaper for them than the present scheme. But with online booking sites they have the data anyway...

Neil

 

[Bletchleyite]

I may look into the easyjet options. I have points accumulated from the last ten years and more and not spent a single one.

Easiest way if you have one nearby might well just be to cash them in on Sainsbury's purchases.

Neil

 

[bb21]

Easiest way if you have one nearby might well just be to cash them in on Sainsbury's purchases.

Neil

I could, but at 1% that seems shockingly poor value to me.

 

[northwichcat]

The Nectar scheme also allows Virgin/Stagecoach East Coast to be promoted in joint mailings (electronic and direct) to all existing Nectar cardholders who haven't opted out of marketing materials.

As Sainsbury's are only going to offer 1 point (0.5p) per 1 pound and are removing the option to get Nectar points by reusing carrier bags I think the Nectar card scheme will become less attractive to new users.

 

[starrymarkb]

I do agree with that. Being a long term user of BP, my Nectar card is full of points but of negligible value. Our local petrol station changed to Esso recently and the wife has got me to use a Tesco Clubcard which Esso award points on and it's turning out to be much better value already

Agree, the only good thing about Nectar is the Easyjet flights

Though Tesco's Avios has also gotten me a £1 flight to Nice and £100 of our groups German trip next year

 

[northwichcat]

Agree, the only good thing about Nectar is the Easyjet flights

They sent an email recently saying "Shop. Collect. Fly." will be discontinued.

 

[infobleep]

They sent an email recently saying "Shop. Collect. Fly." will be discontinued.

So what will Nectar be left offering soon? I only use it to get money off shopping at the moment.

In future I'll book all my non Web discounted advanced travel via East Coast, providing any booking through them gets nectar points and not just Virgin East Coast based journeys.

 

[bb21]

The Gourmet Society membership looks quite good a deal, but for the life of me I cannot figure out whether it is 2000 points for a year's membership, or 2000 points for £20 off a year's membership.

 

[starrymarkb]

So what will Nectar be left offering soon? I only use it to get money off shopping at the moment.

In future I'll book all my non Web discounted advanced travel via East Coast, providing any booking through them gets nectar points and not just Virgin East Coast based journeys.

First Rail also offer Nectar

As regards "collect more fly more" I'm not surprised, Sainsbury's are really cuting back Nectar. Earlier this year they stopped awarding points on Alcohol (allegedly due to Government regs that don't seem to affect Tesco), then next year they are halving the amount of points they give (and removing the bag reuse points too), but Good news! The Points on Fuel isn't being cut back (because they already did that a couple of years ago)

 

[Kite159]

Did anybody else get an email from Nectar earlier in the week/last week with a survey link asking various questions reference it's involvement with First Group sites?

 

[infobleep]

I use Sainsburys because their is one in Guildford's town centre and also another not to fat from Woking station. Perhaps I should switch to Waitrose instead. They have a supermarket very close to Surbiton station.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The Gourmet Society membership looks quite good a deal

It's not that good, you can get free Gourmet Society memberships with pretty much anything these days. I got a free membership with my Two Together Railcard. I've not used the Gourmet Society card once yet, because most places round here don't accept it on a weekend.

Nectar points are rubbish. There's all sorts of things you can allegedly use them on, but when you look into it the points barely covers the additional administration fee that the companies charge. DFDS, for instance, charge you an extra £20 if you pay with Nectar vouchers.

I use First TPE for non-EC purchases of less than £22 as the Nectar points are better than a kick in the backside. But they're not that much better...

 

[bb21]

It's not that good, you can get free Gourmet Society memberships with pretty much anything these days. I got a free membership with my Two Together Railcard. I've not used it once yet, because most places round here don't accept it on a weekend.

Seeing I was looking at getting a Two Together that puts a damper on that idea then.

They really are useless to me barring cashing in at their face value.

 

[Busaholic]

Agree with most on here about Nectar Points being very poor value. When Sainsburys ran their own Reward Card the benefits were much greater e.g. extra points on certain items so a £3 purchase could be had for £2 in effect, also loads of '£10 off when you s
pend £60' type offers. I've also noticed when I use my Nectar Card any further 'rewards' are derisory, but when my wife uses hers they are more prolific, so it could be a sexist position is being adopted in women's favour, for a change.

 

[po8crg]

I generally save up Nectar points and use them for Eurostar.

 

[jon0844]

Agree with most on here about Nectar Points being very poor value. When Sainsburys ran their own Reward Card the benefits were much greater e.g. extra points on certain items so a £3 purchase could be had for £2 in effect, also loads of '£10 off when you s
pend £60' type offers. I've also noticed when I use my Nectar Card any further 'rewards' are derisory, but when my wife uses hers they are more prolific, so it could be a sexist position is being adopted in women's favour, for a change.

Sainsbury's still likes to give me a voucher for triple points if I spend £90 in the next 24 hours (okay, not literally, but often a week or less) and a handful of points on something trivial, valid for months.

I know WHY Sainsbury's does this, but it still annoys me and I don't go rushing back to shop in a few days to get triple points and try to spend £90 if I've just got that voucher after a £100 shop.

The money off petrol vouchers also expire ridiculously quick (but that's off topic relating to Nectar points).

I think I've got a bit over £50 in actual value on my Nectar account, which is shared with my wife, but I don't know what I can do with that of any value - besides just using it as cash, but if Tesco is anything to go by then using it for money off is nowhere near as beneficial as redeeming points for something specific.

 

[Kite159]

I guess i must be the only one who redeems nectar points at a regularish basis, £2,50 off a £3 soon adds up.

 

[Busaholic]

I guess i must be the only one who redeems nectar points at a regularish basis, £2,50 off a £3 soon adds up.

No, I almost always redeem them straightaway- don't trust them still to be there after a few weeks.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Seeing I was looking at getting a Two Together that puts a damper on that idea then.

I meant I've not used the Gourmet Society card, not the Two Together railcard. That railcard gets a regular bashing.

I see how my last post was very ambiguous!
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I know WHY Sainsbury's does this, but it still annoys me and I don't go rushing back to shop in a few days to get triple points and try to spend £90 if I've just got that voucher after a £100 shop.

The Sainsbury's vouchers all have ridiculously short use-by dates on them, and I don't understand why. These vouchers are handed out after a shop and have a use-by date a week in advance. I can see that they're trying to encourage me back next week, but what happens in reality is that I end up two weeks later with a stack of useless vouchers and, looking at them, a feeling that Sainsbury's are idiots who are trying to rip me off.

 

[infobleep]

I meant I've not used the Gourmet Society card, not the Two Together railcard. That railcard gets a regular bashing.

I see how my last post was very ambiguous!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


The Sainsbury's vouchers all have ridiculously short use-by dates on them, and I don't understand why. These vouchers are handed out after a shop and have a use-by date a week in advance. I can see that they're trying to encourage me back next week, but what happens in reality is that I end up two weeks later with a stack of useless vouchers and, looking at them, a feeling that Sainsbury's are idiots who are trying to rip me off.

What I often do is spend just over £20. Put one item through. This then gives me a voucher and if it's a month off, I get the money off the £20 I spend. One time the voucher was only for £10 spend so I actually put shopping back so I only spent £10 that day. I bought the rest of my shopping another time.

 

[Kite159]

What I often do is spend just over £20. Put one item through. This then gives me a voucher and if it's a month off, I get the money off the £20 I spend. One time the voucher was only for £10 spend so I actually put shopping back so I only spent £10 that day. I bought the rest of my shopping another time.

I did that when purchasing some clothes last year, put something small through the till first (I think it was a magazine), which gave me a couple vouchers (double points next stop & money off), which were used the same day.