Angry customers have denounced Tesco for again reducing the value of their Clubcard reward vouchers in protest against ‘spend more but get less’.
The supermarket giant announced this week that it is reducing the value of Clubcard vouchers spent at its Reward Partners for the second time in five years.
As part of the Clubcard scheme, customers can use vouchers in Tesco stores, but they can also currently triple their value by redeeming them to gain access to over 100 Reward Partners – including Disney+, Thorpe Park, Pizza Express and Cineworld .
The scheme originally allowed shoppers to increase the value of their vouchers by 2x or even 4x, but this was reduced to a standard 3x in 2018 – which also sparked revolt among shoppers at the time.
Now, from June 14, Clubcard vouchers are only worth double when redeemed at one of Tesco’s Reward Partners.
Furious shoppers have condemned Tesco for again reducing the value of their Clubcard reward vouchers
Shoppers can currently triple the value of their vouchers by redeeming them to gain access to over 100 Reward Partners. This is reduced to 2x
The announcement has been met with anger, with irate customers labeling the move as “an insult to customers.”
As irate shoppers flocked to social media amid the cost of living crisis, one user commented: ‘So…we all have to spend more at Tesco to do our food shopping but get less reward for it. Thanks for the support @Tesco’.
Another added: ‘@Tesco clubcard vouchers devalued again? They were 4x then 3x and now 2x? A loyalty program that shows dwindling returns for that loyalty – and an insult to customers while still raking in record profits. Awful. #how longuntil 1x
A third weighed in on the controversial move, adding: “Dear @tesco. I just received your email in which the redemption value of the club card voucher changes to 2x, not 3x its value. Really disappointing! Not too long ago they were worth 4x the value. Aren’t you making enough profit already?’
Meanwhile a fourth complained: ‘We were always grateful for the Clubcard X4 when our children were younger, it helped immensely on days out, we used our vouchers to buy Merlin passes which saved us so much money. We now use it for ourselves and X3 is good, but what an insult #X2 is to customers!’
Tesco had notified their customers of the move via email, announcing: From 14 June 2023, if you exchange your Tesco Clubcard vouchers for a Tesco Clubcard Reward Partner code, they will be worth 2x their value. You will still get up to 3x its value until June 13, 2023.
“We are making this change to the schedule to ensure we can continue to offer a wide range of rewards to meet the needs of all our Tesco Clubcard members, while keeping prices low for everyone.
‘Tesco Clubcard continues to have the largest and most generous Reward Partner Program with access to over 100 Partners for 2x the value of your Clubcard voucher.’
Tesco has more than five million customers and offers products such as pet insurance, savings accounts and credit cards.
Furious shoppers flocked to social media to criticize Tesco for lowering the value of vouchers again
The UK’s largest supermarket looked set to be a pandemic winner, raking in £2.2bn in 2022, up from £1.1bn the previous year, perhaps further frustrating shoppers.
Tesco customers have also been warned that the supermarket’s Clubcard app will be scrapped from April 18.
It will be replaced by another app – the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app – which will include other supermarket features. However, unused points or vouchers will not be lost.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “Clubcard unlocks Tesco’s best value – from thousands of exclusive deals through Clubcard prices, to discounts on your groceries and fuel, or access to double the value of your vouchers with over 100 Clubcard Reward Partners.
“Millions of people tap into their Tesco Clubcard every time they shop and benefit from access to over 8,000 weekly offers at Clubcard prices, which we’ve now rolled out in every area of our stores – so from food to clothing, from Tesco Mobile to Tesco Bank, you can now find even more great deals.
And with potential savings of up to £351 a year, more people than ever before are taking full advantage of the instant value that Tesco Clubcard offers.
“We are making a change to how members can use their vouchers with our Reward Partners, but they will still be able to unlock great value in the same ways as before.”
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and use it for free. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.