Nectar points are a juicy way to make the most out of your shopping with Sainsbury’s. Here are the best ways to collect and spend your Nectar points so that you can squeeze every opportunity to earn and save.
Nectar Points are the currency of the Sainsbury’s rewards program. And it’s not just for shopping in Sainsbury’s – you can use them to unlock savings at a multitude of UK retailers, including Argos.
Earning points using your Nectar card can be effortless, and as you collect Nectar points, you get closer to discounts and special offers that could save you money – and we all want to save money, don’t we?
In this article, I discuss the best ways to collect and spend Nectar points.
30-Second Summary
Let’s talk Nectar points – your ticket to savings across a variety of online and instore retailers, including Sainsbury’s and Argos.
You can earn points on every pound you spend, and then turn those points into discounts and special offers. Whether you’re filling up your car, shopping online, or even paying your energy bill, Nectar points can tot up to equate to some serious rewards.
But it gets even better. With the right strategy when collecting and spending your Nectar points, you can milk even more value from this incredible rewards scheme.
How Do Nectar Points Work?
When you present your Nectar card either physically or digitally with participating retailers and services, you earn Nectar points. One point is awarded for every £1 you spend, though there are ways to earn extra points – which I’ll cover later in this article.
There are several ways to redeem your points – using them when you shop, taking advantage of special offers, or exchanging them for rewards. How you spend your points is up to you – you can either hoard them until you have a big stash, or use them regularly.
Redeeming less than 500 points would typically give you £2.50 off your shopping. Not a bad little discount, but I personally like saving for longer for that bigger discount at the checkout!
(Our editor Lindsay saves her Nectar Points all year every year, and uses them for her Christmas food shop! Last Christmas she converted her points on Christmas Eve and got nearly £100 worth of shopping paid for, all from Nectar points!)
Checking Your Balance
There are several ways to check your points balance. You’ll find it printed on your receipts, and also on your Nectar app or your online Nectar account.
Personalised Offers
One thing that the Nectar card does (like all supermarket loyalty cards) is enable Sainsbury’s to track your spending, and get an idea of your spending habits. This also enables Nectar to make special offers to you, which helps to maximise the value of your points.
How to Collect Nectar Points
Being savvy about collecting Nectar means doing more than ensuring you scan your Nectar Card. The Nectar alliance includes a variety of partners and online platforms.
Here are the most popular:
Shopping at Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s isn’t merely a store to load a trolley with groceries. It’s where you can bring in the bacon when it comes to collecting Nectar points.
The one point per pound spent still holds true, but you should also keep your eyes peeled for special promotions that will help you scalp even more points.
You also get discounted prices for being a Nectar cardholder. You’ll see a big difference as you walk around, and be glad you have one!
Filling Your Tank at Esso
Filling up at Esso also boosts your points balance. You’ll earn yourself one point for every litre of fuel you purchase, but that’s not where it stops.
Every pound you spend in the shop at a participating Esso service station will win you another two points. What a great way to energise your points accumulation.
Earning Points with British Gas
There’s nothing to cheer about high energy prices, is there? Unless you’re a customer of British Gas, that is.
According to British Gas, here’s how each year a typical customer will be rewarded:
- Dual Fuel – 800 points
- Homecare 400TM – 600 points
- Submitting quarterly meter readings for every fuel – 800 points, or 960 points for monthly EnergySmartTM meter readings
- Booking boiler annual service online – 200 points
- Annual bonus – 200 points
You’ll also earn 500 points if you switch to paperless bills. Oh, and watch out for special promotions on new services and products, because these are usually rewarded with extra Nectar points, too.
booking Experiences & Travel
Do you book experiences, meals, hotel stays, and more through Groupon? It’s a great way to get bargain prices, isn’t it? But did you know you can also earn Nectar points on those smart deals?
Similarly, Nectar has teamed up with others like Expedia and Lastminute.com to help your travel spending go just that little bit further, with a boost to your points balance when you book hotels, flights, and more.
Boost Your Balance When You Shop Online
Fancy a bit of online shopping? Shop with your favourite retailers via the Nectar website and, you guessed it, you’ll earn Nectar points. A fantastic way to earn extra points on spending that you would be making anyway.
Financial Services & Insurance Products
Nectar has also teamed up with a host of financial companies, and you can earn Nectar points for doing things like opening a new bank account, purchasing car insurance, or switching energy providers.
A great way to build points while shopping around to save money on the best financial deals.
Special Offers & Promotions with Nectar’s Partners
Nectar has partnered with many of the UK’s favourite retailers to allow you to collect points when you spend on goods and services that range from dining to entertainment and more.
You’ll soon find out that these partners run regular promotions and special offers that could give a big boost to your points balance. However, you’ll need to be vigilant because these offers are time limited. Once they end, you never know when they may return.
By diversifying your approach to collecting Nectar points across these channels, you transform every pound spent into a step towards valuable rewards.
From your daily coffee to your annual holiday, leveraging these strategies ensures your Nectar points balance is always on the rise.
Bonus Points from Weekly Offers
Here’s something I like most about the Nectar points program – its weekly offers.
Each week, you’ll see new offers for the week ahead on your Nectar account. Usually these are product-specific, like 50 extra points if you buy organic potatoes, or 10 points on any salad product.
Often, these extra points are for everyday produce (such as bread and milk) and personalised to your shopping habits.
You may also receive bonus rewards offers, like an extra 100 points for spending £30 instore. Which can make quite a difference to your bank balance, especially if you would be shopping at your local Sainsbury’s over the weekend.
(Tip: You’ll need to save the offers to your Nectar account to collect the points – just press the ‘Save all offers’ button. The app makes this super easy, and notifies you when new offers are ready to load.)
Earning Points Without Spending
Here’s something you’ll really like (I know I do): earning points without spending! Here’s how:
Points Booster
When you go shopping and tap your Nectar card, you’ll get points for it. But a few minutes later, your Nectar card will offer the chance to boost these points.
It’ll send you a notification, take you to the app, and a screen will appear. Rub the screen like a genie lamp! (I quite like doing it, but you can opt not to rub!)
When you do this, you’ll reveal whether you’ve won a boost, such as 5 extra points, 40 extra points… all for not much effort at all. You don’t always win a boost, but I’d say 95% of the time you do – and they get instantly loaded to your balance.
Turn Daily Activities into Nectar Points
If you enjoy taking surveys and polls, or doing online competitions, you can earn yourself a points bonus.
These are often quick, so you can slip a survey into a coffee break, for example, to add points whenever it’s convenient.
Save the Planet for Nectar Points
Some of Nectar’s partners reward you with Nectar points for being green and recycling. Making sustainable choices has never been so rewarding!
Referrals & Feedback
Sainsbury’s and its Nectar partners are keen to hear the views and opinions of their customers, and you’ll earn Nectar points for giving feedback. It’s nice to be appreciated, and even better when rewarded with a few bonus points.
Engaging with Partner Apps & Websites
Are you a web surfer? You could earn Nectar points for browsing through partner websites, or completing tasks on partner apps.
Watch a promotional video, download an app, or register for newsletters, and you could see your points balance ride the waves to new heights.
Special Events & Promotions
More special events and promotions to watch for! There are often plenty of points available for taking part in seasonal contests and interacting with online events.
Seriously, the ways you could earn Nectar points without making a trip to the shops are almost endless.
How To Spend Nectar Points Wisely
You’ve worked hard and used every trick in the book to maximise the points you earn and boost your points balance as high as you can get it. Now it’s about finding savvy ways to maximise the highest value from your points as you possibly can.
Here’s how to unleash that value:
Groceries at Sainsbury’s
Perhaps the easiest way to redeem your points is to ‘spend’ them at Sainsbury’s. Present your Nectar card at the checkout, and ask for your points to be applied to your total. The better you’ve collected points, the bigger the reduction to your bill.
If you’re shopping online, the process is a little trickier if you’ve never done it before. You’ll need to convert your points into a coupon, which you then apply to your basket at checkout.
Fuel & Holidays
Redeeming points at Esso can reduce the cost to fill up, making driving that little bit more economical.
You can also convert Nectar points into travel vouchers to be spent with partners like Expedia. Earn and save enough, and you could find yourself on a free flight to a destination of your choice.
Or maybe use your points when booking hotels or holiday packages.
British Gas Bills
Lower your utility bills by using your Nectar points when paying for energy from British Gas. Yep, they pay you points for being a loyal customer and using their services, and you get to use those points to pay less!
Exclusive Experiences
Let’s look beyond the most practical ways to redeem your Nectar points. Your points could also be the gateway to exclusive experiences and luxury items.
Fancy VIP tickets to gigs or the theatre? Maybe a gourmet dining experience is more you. Or you’ve got your eye on the latest electronic gizmo.
You can use Nectar points on a whole range of out-of-the-ordinary purchases – helping you to create memories as well as saving money.
Maximising Your Nectar Points: Tips & Tricks
To really squeeze every ounce of value from your Nectar points takes a blend of strategy, timing, and awareness. Here are my top five tips to becoming a Nectar points star:
Earn Points on Promotional Offers
Watch for those special offers and promotions, and ‘double-dip’ by earning bonus points on top of basic points. For example, shop at Sainsbury’s during a Points Power Up event, when you can convert your points to ‘Double Up’ vouchers.
Whether it’s a seasonal promotion at Sainsbury’s or a special offer from a partner like British Gas, these opportunities can offer substantial rewards.
Play the Long Game
Plan your spending around points accumulation. You may need to delay some purchases until a bonus event takes place, or shop with partners that are offering higher points per spend.
Over time, these strategies can pay significant points dividends.
Keep Up with the Latest Nectar News and Offers
Check the Nectar website regularly, allow app notifications (I don’t feel pestered with these at all) and subscribe to newsletters. You’ll never miss a first-class points collection or points redemption offer again.
Plan Your Points Strategy
Set goals for your Nectar points. Maybe you want to save for a big-ticket item, or reduce your Christmas shopping bill.
You might be accumulating points to help pay for a family holiday. Whatever your goal, keeping focused will help to motivate your efforts to collect Nectar points at every opportunity.
Don’t Overvalue Your Nectar Points
Always remember that your points have a monetary value when you redeem them (e.g. 500 points = £2.50 when shopping at Sainsbury’s).
Always think about the cost of redeeming your points against the cost of paying with cash or credit to make sure you are getting the best value.
The Nectar Card Conclusion
It’s not just a piece of plastic. Your Nectar card is a key to unlocking a world of savings and rewards.
(Did I mention the SmartShop app yet? No? Look for ‘My Nectar Prices’ in the Nectar app, make a note of your offers, and use the SmartShop app when shopping to get up to 30% discount!)
To get started on your path to Nectar stardom, follow these four steps:
- Sign up for a Nectar Card online or instore.
- Complete your registration online if you have a temporary card from in store.
- Activate your card by following instructions sent to you.
- Link your card to your accounts with Nectar partners to streamline the points collection process, especially if you order your shopping online with Sainsbury’s.
What are you waiting for? Get more reward honey for your money with one of the best grocery loyalty programs around.