Tesco slashes value of its Clubcard rewards — and customers are furious
Customers have been able to get four times the value of vouchers with partner firms - but this will now go down to three times the value
TESCO has upset customers by revamping its Clubcard scheme again - and cutting the value of rewards.
Under the popular boost scheme, customers have been able to get four times the value of vouchers with partner firms like Pizza Express, Zizzi, Cafe Rouge and London Zoo.
From yesterday, it has changed to three times.
It means that families had been able to get £10 to spend at certain restaurants and days out with a £2.50 Clubcard voucher. Now it is worth £7.50.
At other partners it was two or three times the value - so with these firms customers will get more value or the same.
Tesco broke the news to customer in an email sent out yesterday.
It read: “Previously your vouchers were worth two times their value with some of our Reward Partners – and others were worth four times.
“We’ve decided to make things easier. From today, you’ll get three times the value of your vouchers across the majority of our Reward Partners.”
Customers can collect Clubcard points by shopping in stores, at petrol stations and online. You get one point for each pound spend. You can also get more points with a Tesco credit card.
Once you've collected over 150 points in a three month period Tesco sends your points as vouchers to use in store or online.
Tesco is set to send out the latest batch of vouchers to customers next month.
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Furious customers took to social media.
Caroline Jordan, from Worcester, wrote on Facebook: “Many thanks for your ever-so-friendly letter advising me that you're going to make my life easier by offering three times voucher value across the majority of your reward partners rather than the four that I've been used to.
“Maybe you would be so kind as to explain how having less to spend on summer treats for the family is making my life "easier."
And Kim WIlling wrote on Facebook: “Anyone else annoyed with Tesco Clubcard saying they've lowered some reward vouchers to x3 from x2 and raised some to x3 from double? Means for meals out you only get x3 now instead of x4 i.e. for every £5 of vouchers it's worth only a £15 spend instead of £20. How mean. Last time they did something like this there was an outcry. I hope there is this time as it's the first time I've heard of it and it starts TODAY which means you can't get your x4 vouchers now, although if you already have any, that's fine!”
On Twitter, Lou said: “Just got email “to make things easier” we are reducing value of your vouchers by 25 per cent without notice every little helps.”
MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis called the changes as a "slap in the face to 100,000s of loyal customers".
He said: "The issue is that these changes have been made immediately without any notification. Many people save their reward points month after month after month, waiting to redeem on a big item. These changes leave many of those people missing out on £50 or £100 – not good when so many are struggling.
"This is a terrible policy implementation by Tesco. I call on it to urgently review its policy to give a window of opportunity to those who’ve already saved substantial points, and will lose out by these changes, to still redeem at the prior value."
This is not the first revamp to Clubcard.
In April 2016, Tesco ended a separate element of Clubcard Boost - so-called “events” that doubled the value of vouchers on goods in a range of departments in stores.
Last week, we reported on how Amazon Fresh is under cutting big supermarket prices by as much as 25 per cent.
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A Tesco spokesman said yesterday: “We’ve listened to our customers and simplified our Clubcard Reward partners so that they’re more straightforward for everyone.
“This means that from January 15, we will offer customers three times the value of their vouchers with over 100 Clubcard Reward Partners including days out weekend breaks, holidays and more.”
Customers who have already placed orders worth four times the value will still get these.
HOW TO RECLAIM LOST CLUBCARD POINTS
MOST people lose or forget their Tesco voucher but it's easy to claim back up to two years or unused vouchers.
The supermarket doesn't remind you of vouchers that you have leftover, so it's up to you to check.
Log into the Tesco Clubcard website and check for unspent vouchers.
You’ll see a tab saying "my vouchers" and this will list the ones you still have to spend.
You can print the vouchers to use them in store or note down the number and visit the Boost website to exchange them.