Best ways to use Tesco Clubcard vouchers

There is far more to Tesco Clubcard points than just exchanging them for money off your shopping. Exchanging points for one of their partner vouchers can get you 3 x their value. Take a look at the best ways to use Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

Ah, Tesco Clubcard points. Every little helps, or so they say. It’s nice to get a little something back for your loyalty, even though it probably means we have to spend more on our weekly shop. But Clubcard points have been useful to me in the past. And the Clubcard continues to grow in popularity, with the introduction of Clubcard Plus.

I used to save my points for the double-up events and buy all my kid’s Christmas presents. However, these stopped a few years ago, so I started using their voucher scheme. This meant that I could exchange my points for up to 4 x their value at places like London Zoo and Pizza Express.

Then, in 2018, there was some slight controversy as Tesco decreased the value of some of their exchanges from 4 x to 3 x. However, getting 3 x the value for your points is still a bargain.

If you also shop at Sainsbury’s, why don’t you also look at the best places to spend your Nectar points?

How much are Tesco points worth?

You will earn 1 Clubcard point for every £1 you spend. 100 Clubcard points is equal to £1, which gives each point a value of 1 pence.

• 500 points are worth £5
• 750 points are worth £7.50
• 1000 points are worth £10
• 5000 points are worth £50
• 10000 points are worth £100

When are my Tesco Clubcard vouchers due?

When you shop and earn with Tesco, your Clubcard points aren’t immediately available to spend. Instead, they are sent to you in vouchers four times per year in February, May, August and November. 

How long do Clubcard vouchers last?

Once your voucher has been issued, it will last for two years. You can check your online account for expiry dates. Vouchers are listed with the oldest vouchers (closest to expiry) at the top.

Can I use my vouchers for money off my shopping?

You can, but it’s a little bit of a waste. Instead, shop at one of the Tesco partners and get 3 x more for your money.

How do I swap vouchers for 3 x their value?

You must log in to the Tesco Clubcard website and browse the available offers. When you see something you like, you must decide how many vouchers you want to exchange. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough vouchers, as most offers allow you to pay the rest by another form of payment.

If the value of your vouchers is more than the purchase price (for example, you have a £45 Clubcard voucher and only need £40), the extra money is converted back into points and will be available in your next statement.

What can I swap my vouchers for?

There are five categories where you can switch your Clubcard vouchers:

• Eating Out
• Home & Essentials
• Fun
• Lifestyle
• Travel

Which restaurants are included?

Swapping your Tesco vouchers for 3 x their value at your favourite restaurant may sound quite tempting. However, the choice is fairly limited. At the moment, you can eat at:

• Ask Italian
• Bella Italia
• Cafe Rouge
• Chef & Brewer
• Hungry Horse pubs
• La Tasca
• Pizza Express
• Prezzo
• Zizzi

What are the best deals?

Now TV *No longer available*

Now TV is a great alternative for those who don’t want to pay the full wack for Sky. Ok, so you don’t get as many channels, but you can save a lot of money.

You could buy an Entertainment Pass for one month for only around £3.50 in vouchers (usually £10). That includes Sky 1, Sky Witness, Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky History, Sky Nature, Gold, Sky Crime, Comedy Central, Sky Arts, Fox, MTV, Nat Geo, Discovery Channel and SyFy.

Please note that this partnership ended on the 31st of January 2021. But all is not lost…

Disney Plus

Although it’s a shame you can no longer get discounts at Now TV, you can get money off Disney Plus. For just £8 worth of Clubcard vouchers, you can get a 3-month subscription worth £24. It does say the offer is available to new and existing customers, but I have only been able to add a voucher once my subscription had finished.

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle

If you’re looking to take a jaunt over to the near continent, the quickest way to do it is through the Channel Tunnel. However, it’s not always the cheapest, with the ferry companies offering very competitive deals. However, you can swap £5 of Tesco Clubcard points for £15 to spend on your Eurotunnel journey.

Just exchange your vouchers and call Eurotunnel with the number provided in the email to book your trip. And take a look at my post about Dover to Calais to see whether you should go by tunnel or ferry.

Cinema tickets

If watching the biggest blockbusters is your thing, why not get a discount at your local Cineworld? Fifty pence in points will give you £1.50 to spend. It is worth noting that if you book your ticket online, you will need to pay a booking fee when paying with Tesco vouchers. There is no fee if you book the ticket to the cinema.

If you’re a regular cinema goer, then the Cineworld Unlimited card might take your fancy. As it sounds, you can watch any film anytime, as often as you like. Plus, you get 10% off snacks and drinks. £10 of Tesco points will give you £30 towards the card.

Days out – annual passes

If you like a bit of adventure and fun, then take a look at a Merlin Annual Pass. Merlin covers most of the biggest parks in the UK, including

• Legoland Windsor
• Thorpe Park
• Chessington
• Alton Towers
• The London Eye
• Various Sea Life Centres

Once again, 50 pence in Clubcard points will earn you £1.50 towards an annual pass. Although you may want to look at my post on whether the Merlin Pass is worth it before you choose that option

Legoland Annual Pass

If you don’t think you will make the most of all the Merlin parks, then an annual pass to Legoland may be more suited.

Through the Tesco Clubcard link, the price of an annual pass is £89 – or £30 in vouchers.

If you don’t want an annual pass and fancy just visiting for the day, why not look where to find half-price Legoland tickets?

Tesco Mobile

Tesco offers competitive prices on its mobile network. But you can swap your vouchers for airtime if you don’t want to pay cash. Although you used to be able to get double the voucher’s value, now, a £5 voucher will get you £5 airtime.

Not everything is such a bargain

But, after a couple of exchanges, I realised I might not get the bargain I hoped for.

I decided to renew my car breakdown cover with the RAC during the summer. Usually, I do this through TopCashback to get the best deal. However, I remembered seeing that the RAC was one of Tesco’s exchange partners.

So, off I toddled to drastically cut the cost of my cover, only to find out I wasn’t getting quite the deal I hoped.

You see, to exchange these vouchers, you often have to click on a link from the Tesco Clubcard site. Instead of taking you to (for example) RAC’s main site, it takes you to a slightly different part. Here you enter your details but will find that your price will be slightly different. And not in a good way.

That’s right, using the Tesco Clubcard site means your price could be higher.

A few comparisons

Below are a few examples of how you can pay different prices.

RAC

A new customer looking for RAC cover including:

• Cover in any vehicle
• Roadside
• Recovery
• At Home
• Onward Travel
• Key Replace

Through the Tesco Clubcard link, the total cost comes to £184, or £61.50 in Clubcard vouchers.

If visiting the RAC direct, the exact same coverage will cost you £72.50

Not only that, but if you purchase through TopCashback, you’ll receive another 11% off.

That means that your cover should come to around £65.

So, although you think you’re saving lots at first, it’s less than £5 if you go with Tesco. Take a look at other ways to save money on breakdown cover if you don’t want to use your Tesco vouchers. Or take a look at my AA vs Rac comparison.

Great Magazines

Why not exchange your vouchers for your favourite magazine subscription?

I took a look at the cost of Grazia magazine. Probably, the finest literature out there.

Through the Tesco link, 51 issues will cost you £127.50.

But visiting Great Magazines directly will cost you £80.90. Plus, you will also receive a free Clive Christian 1872 Citrus Perfume – worth £45. (Please note that these offers seem to change each month)

At the time of writing, purchasing your subscription through TopCashback will earn you £6.30 back.

That means that buying directly will cost you £74.60 Deducting the value of the perfume will make the cost £29.60.

Through Tesco, it will cost you £43 worth of vouchers.

As you can see, the better value comes from visiting Great Magazines directly. But only if you want the perfume.

Restaurants

Although money off your food may sound tempting, the restaurants on the Clubcard list have plenty of other discounts available. Take a look at their websites to see that most offer meal deals, or do a quick google search to find discount vouchers.

I still decided to email Tesco to find out why some of their prices differ, and this was their response:

 Hi Pete,

Ours is against the full price for all our deals because it is already an offer and the company may have their own offers and reduced prices which don’t apply to our offer.

I hope this is helpful.

Kind regards

Amanda J

Please don’t get me wrong, as there is still value in Tesco Clubcard vouchers. However, I do think that if a company is offering a special deal, it should be available to all customers at that price.

I recommend that before you exchange your vouchers, look at cashback sites first to see what offers are available. For example, there is little difference between the price of RAC membership between Tesco and the RAC site, so you will be better off using your Clubcard points elsewhere.

If you’re unsure where to spend your points, the Delivery Saver option offers good value if you shop online with Tesco. Or look at exchanging your points for restaurant vouchers, as long as there is one near you.

How to earn extra Tesco Clubcard points

There are several ways to boost how many Clubcard points you can earn.

• Tesco Mobile – earn 1 point for every £1 you spend on your contract (includes SIM only).
• Tesco Bank Credit Card – earn 1 point for every £4 you spend at Tesco or 1 point for every £8 you spend elsewhere.
• Tesco surveys – when you complete a shop at Tesco, visit www.tescoviews.com and fill out a short questionnaire. You’ll be given 25 points and a chance to win a £1000 gift card.
• Esso petrol stations – I’m sure you’re aware that you can earn Clubcard points in Tesco petrol stations, but you also earn 1 point for every £3 you spend on fuel at Esso. Any other purchases from Esso will earn you 1 point for every £1 spent.

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