SHOPPERS are only just realising they can get free cash back when they do their weekly shop.
The Asda rewards scheme allows customers to earn points which they can then transfer into cash.
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But, not everyone knows about the scheme or just how much they can save by signing up.
Posting on the Facebook group Reduce Your Supermarket Spend, a shopper said: “This Asda Rewards app. What’s the point of it?
“The cashier zaps my barcode every time I shop. I have got £21.45 so far.
“Can I save until Christmas and then use whatever is in it to pay for my shopping?”
The post was met with over a hundred comments from likeminded shoppers who were unsure how it works.
While others attempted to explain the handy app and what you need to do to get the cash.
With food inflation reaching 16.4% in December, apps like Asda’s can really help you save on your weekly shop.
But how does it work and when do you get the money back? We explain all.
Customers can sign up for the Asda Rewards loyalty scheme, which allows you to earn points and cash rewards known as Asda Pounds.
To take part in the loyalty scheme, you’ll need to download the Asda Rewards app which you can find on the Apple App Store and Google Play store.
You’ll need to have an account – if you don’t, it’s pretty easy to sign up. You’ll just need to pop in your name and a couple other quick details.
You’ll just need to scan the barcode on the app at the checkout.
If you’re shopping online, just make sure you’re logged into your account, and then browse as normal.
But you can only earn points on by buying certain ‘star products’, completing missions or by using the Asda money credit card.
You also need to spend a fair amount to get cash back – for example, customers might need to do a £50 shop to earn £1.50 in points.
After building up enough points in their cash pot, customers can transfer those points into a voucher.
Initially, shoppers were given the option to transfer their cash pot into a £10 voucher.
However, as of November last year, they’ll be able to transfer up to £100 of their cash pot into a voucher.
Shoppers can transfer their cash pot into vouchers in increments of £5 – so, £5, £10, £15 and all the way up to £100.
If your shop comes to below the value of the voucher then you just won’t be able to use it and it’ll stay on your account until you do get to use it or it expires.
But you can’t use one voucher more than once – so your shop will either have to come to exactly £100, or more than £100.
So it might be worth getting vouchers of lower amounts and using them each week if you’re not likely to spend a larger amount on a shop.
Remember that each voucher has an expiry date of 30 days, so you’ll need to use it before you lose it.
You have six months to transfer your cashpot into vouchers.
Of course, Asda isn’t the only major supermarket which offers schemes like this.
Below we explain what other shops offer and how you can sign up.
What other loyalty schemes are there?
It’s important to have a few options to choose from – just to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your money.
But don’t worry, we’ve rounded up a few for you below.
Tesco
Tesco’s Clubcard was launched in 1995 and shoppers can earn points as they shop which can then be used to turn into vouchers for money off food or other partner schemes.
Each time you spend £1 in store and online, you get one point when you scan your card or app.
You also get one point for every £2 spent on fuel.
One point equals 1p, so 150 points gets you £1.50, for example.
You’ll need a minimum of 150 points to request a voucher.
Once you have enough points, you can turn them into vouchers worth the face value to spend in store at Tesco, or you can triple their worth to spend at reward partners, including restaurants, and on days out.
Clubcard holders also get cheaper prices on some items compared to those without the loyalty card.
Sainsbury’s Nectar Card
One of the longest-running loyalty card schemes, the Nectar Card was launched in 2002 after Sainsbury’s, Debenhams, BP and Barclaycard all combined their loyalty schemes under one brand.
Sainsbury’s then bought Nectar in 2018 and revamped the loyalty scheme in 2019.
Sainsbury’s customers receive a range of points-boosting offers based on their shopping habits every week.
Customers would be able to see the deals on the website or app each week, then collect the extra points if they buy the item in store or online.
How it works is shoppers earn points when they spend money at Sainsbury’s, Sainsbury’s petrol stations and also at other retailers such as Ebay and Dulux Decorator Centres.
To get one Nectar point you need to spend £1 in Sainsbury’s store, or you get one Nectar point for every litre of fuel purchased in Sainsbury’s fuel stations.
At most of Nectar’s online partner stores, you’ll collect two points for each £1 you spend.
One Nectar Card point is then worth 0.5p, so you need 200 Nectar points to save £1 to spend.
Once you have enough points you can turn them into vouchers to buy your next food shop at Sainsbury’s or to buy things such as plane tickets at Expedia, train tickets from Eurostar or cinema tickets for Vue cinemas.
My Morrisons
My Morrisons was launched in 2016 originally under the Morrisons More brand.
Shoppers used to get five points for every £1 spent in store, and a £5 voucher to spend at Morrisons for every 5,000 points accumulated.
But shoppers are no longer be able to collect points through the loyalty scheme since May 2021 after the scheme was overhauled and saw points collecting was scrapped.
Instead of getting points, shoppers now receive digital coupons that can be used for instant savings in stores.
So you won’t be able to earn anything on your shopping, but you’ll get “personalised offers” and coupons to get money off your groceries.
Lidl Plus
Lidl launched a loyalty app in September 2020, which shoppers can use to get discounts on groceries, Sky bills and cinema tickets.
You have to scan your card as you shop in store (Lidl currently doesn’t offer an online shopping service), which sees you earn points.
Once you’ve earned a certain amount of points, Lidl will give you money off your shopping.
You can get a free in-store bakery item when you spend £50 in a month.
You’ll get a £2 coupon when you spend £100 in store a month, or a £10 coupon when you spend £200 in store a month.
Each time you spend there’s also a one in five chance of winning a prize with a digital scratchcard. Prizes range from 25p to £20 off your weekly shop.
You have seven days to use your coupons before they expire.
For more loyalty schemes, you can read a full list and our verdict over which ones are worth it here.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk
