Supermarket loyalty cards can make a significant difference to the price of your weekly shop.

With so many membership schemes now offering customers access to cut-price groceries – deals unavailable to those without an account - having the relevant card in your back pocket is about much more than just collecting points.

And with food prices still sky-high – being able to unlock deals at the till is increasingly only possible if you’re a signed-up member to the relevant scheme.

With Morrisons the latest food retailer rumoured to be preparing member-only deals through a return of its More card, we take a look at what it means to be a card holder with each supermarket.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has introduced lower prices on hundreds of products, both in its supermarkets and online, for members of its loyalty card Nectar.

The new scheme – designed to rival that administered by Tesco - was rolled out earlier this month and marked a change to its previous arrangement which gave customers loyalty points depending on how much they spent.

Nectar Prices instead gives cardholders exclusive deals when they swipe their card or app in-store and the changes are marked. For example earlier this month grocery deals included Nescafe Gold Blend instant coffee costing £4 for cardholders rather than £8.10, Heinz baked beans costing 95p instead of £1.40, and Tanqueray gin costing £19 instead of £27.50.

Members still earn Nectar points on products they buy – which can then be spent with other partner brands such as Argos, Caffe Nero or British Airways.

But in November Sainsbury’s cut the amount of Nectar points customers could earn by 75% - from two points for every £1 spent, to one point for every £2.

Tesco

Tesco led the way among supermarkets offering dedicated grocery deals to loyal customers, with cheaper prices for those in possession of its Clubcard.

Shoppers with a card and a Clubcard account can access hundreds of items – from fresh food to toiletries – at cheaper prices when shopping both in the aisles or online.

And the discounts can be significant. For example 90g of Nescafe Azera Instant Coffee is currently £6 – or £3.50 for Clubcard holders while Vanish stain remover poweder will set you back £7.80 unless you have a Clubcard, in which case the price is £5.50.

Shoppers also collect Clubcard points when their card is scanned at the checkout and these points can be redeemed either in store against shopping bills or be exchanged for treats such as family days out and restaurant meals thanks to Tesco’s partnership with attractions such as Legoland and Alton Towers.

But recent changes to the scheme have angered some customers.

From June 14 Clubcard points will only be worth twice their value when they are exchanged rather than three times as they are now, having already dropped from four times their value a few years ago.

This means while points exchanged for codes to spend with the company’s reward partners, are now worth 3p – so 500 points equals £15, this will change on June 14, when they will be worth 2p, or £10 for 500 points.

Co-op

Co-op Member Prices follows in the footsteps of Clubcard and Nectar in now offering exclusive prices on groceries for those signed up to its membership scheme.

The new scheme was launched on April 19 and it is expected that the deals available to card holders will change every three weeks with future promotions in the planning likely to include ready meals and alcohol.

Among the current promotions is a discount of £1.45 off the supermarket’s range of pizzas and £1 off the Co-op ‘freezer filler’ deal in which shoppers can get five frozen items for £5.

Lunchtime meal deals are also 50p cheaper at £3.50 for members and card holders.

As a co-operative business, other member benefits also continue to exist. When buying certain items Co-op members will be given 2p for every £1 spent on particular products, that goes into a digital wallet which can then be redeemed and cashed-in against the price of a shopping bill at a later date.

Asda

Asda rolled out its new loyalty programme 'Asda Rewards’ to all 633 of its stores in the summer of last year.

Customers using the membership scheme earn pounds, rather than points, when doing their grocery shop, which build up in a ‘Cashpot’ that can be spent either in store or online.

Money can be collected by either completing ‘missions’ such as previously being able to earn £5 when spending £25 in ‘back to school’ uniform promotions or by buying Star Products, which are highlighted throughout the store.

While Star Products may not be discounted in price for Rewards members, by buying a ‘Star’ item account holders receive 10% back into their Cashpot when they addd these products to their basket.

Asda has around 400 ‘Star Products’ at any one time in both own brand and branded lines.

Once signed-up, both online customers and those shopping in the aisles can access the scheme by either scanning the app when they are at the checkout or linking their Asda Rewards Cashpot to their online shopping account.

Customers can keep track of their Cashpots as they shop using the dedicated app before using the pot of savings to create a voucher giving them money-off their next shop.

Morrisons

Morrisons scrapped its More card in 2021 and replaced it with the My Morrisons app.

While the More card had previously allowed customers to collect points that could be exchanged for money-off vouchers, the My Morrisons app sends members personalised deals and offers tailored to the items they buy alongside occasional money-off vouchers when spending a certain amount in store.

However the retailer is currently trialling a comeback for its More card – which just like Tesco and Sainsbury’s – would offer member-only prices and reductions thoughout the aisles.

The new scheme is currently being tried and tested in a number of stores in the north east of England, with plans to reportedly roll-out to more supermarkets this summer if successsful.

Iceland

Iceland first launched its Bonus Card in 2021 and it works like a savings card that rewards customers for putting money aside for their weekly shop.

You can get a Bonus Card by downloading the app or by requesting a physical card direct with your Iceland store.

Extra cashback is rewarded when shoppers load money onto the card with cardholders able to get £1 back for each £20 they transfer onto their card. When money is saved on the card, shoppers can then ask for this cash to be taken off their bill to pay for their shopping when at the till.

Similar to other supermarket schemes there are also exclusive offers both in store and online for those using a Bonus Card.

For example shoppers can currently get 50p off Chinese and Indian meals in the Takeaway range while a stuffed crust Takeaway pizza is £2.50 instead of £3 for those with a Bonus Card.

Lidl

The Lidl Plus app promises to open the doors to coupons, discounts and prizes – with new deals released every Thursday for shoppers.

The app is free to download and the more you shop in-store using it – the greater the deals will be that you can unlock.

These include a free in-store bakery item coupon for your next shop when you spend £50 in a month and a £2 off coupon when you spend £100 in a month.

While current product deals for app holders include 50p off sunflower oil and 15% off stonebaked pizzas.

Waitrose

A free hot drink with any purchase regularly awaits My Waitrose cardholders shopping in the aisles, who can collect their drink from a self-serve machine with their own resuseable cup during their visit..

There is also 20% off the fish counter every Friday and 20% off the Waitrose meat counter on Saturdays, alongside personalised vouchers, offers and discounts when taking out the free card.