Nectar ditches ‘best’ offer from loyalty scheme and shoppers will not be happy

NECTAR has ditched a top offer from its loyalty scheme and shoppers are not happy.

Sainsbury’s loyalty card shoppers can no longer swap points for a free drink at Caffè Nero.

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Up until recently, customers with 400 Nectar card points could swap their points for a warm or iced beverage of any size from the major coffee chain.

That means they could have saved up to £5.50 if they chose to go for one of the chain’s frappés.

Customers who used the points in the cafe could download a QR code in the Nectar app which they scanned on site to get a free drink.

A spokesperson told The Sun: “From 19th August 2025 you can no longer swap your points at Caffè Nero.

“If you swapped your points for a Caffè Nero voucher on or before 18th August 2025, the voucher will be honoured up to its validity end date.”

That means if you have a voucher in your Nectar app you can use it up until August 18 2026.

Business and premium leisure travel site, Head for Points, described the scheme as “best” value Nectar redemption partner. 

They said: “With most drinks now costing over £3.50, at least in London, you are certain to get more than the usual 0.5p per Nectar point.””

Meanwhile, one shopper described the news as “a shame,” adding that the coffee chain was one of the “regular” places they used their points.

While another disappointed customer said: “It’s the only thing I spend the nectar points on.”

Now that Caffè Nero has stopped working with Nectar, shoppers can’t currently use their Nectar points for coffee anywhere.

Dan Evans, global senior deals content specialist,said: “Instead, the best way to make the most of your points is to spend with other Nectar partners, such as Argos, British Airways, Eurostar and so on.

“Look out for flash type promotions to that can double your points value, as well as opportunities to bag free points to help increase your spending power through the scheme.”

“Hotukdeals lists updated threads of opportunities to boost points such as 500 bonus points for linking accounts.”

HOW DO NECTAR CARD POINTS WORK?

Sainsbury’s shoppers who are signed up to its loyalty card scheme earn points when they shop in store.

The points can be transformed into money-off vouchers or for freebies.

One Nectar point is worth 0.5p, with 100 points worth 50p and 200 points are worth £1.

And you don’t need to spend money on food to get points.

For example, shoppers collect one Nectar point for every litre of fuel purchased, and 2 points for every £1 spent in the shop at participating Esso Branded Service Stations.

Shoppers can also use their Nectar points to get 5p off every litre of fuel when they swap 300 points.  

Nectar points don’t expire, but if you don’t earn or redeem them for a year, your account will be closed.

If you are a Sainsbury’s customer you can find the feature in the Nectar Card app, which can be downloaded in the Google Play or Apple store.

You points will be displayed on a virtual Nectar card as soon as you log into the app.

Customers now have the option to freeze spending on Nectar points in the app until they are ready to spend them.

You can do this by downloading the app and then go into settings and click on the section which reads “Lock or Unlock Spending”.

There will be an option to click which option you would prefer.