Are supermarket loyalty cards actually worth it?

Loyalty cards are designed to do two things: give you a small reward, and keep you shopping in a store that may not be the cheapest. Both can be true at once. Here’s the honest verdict on Tesco Clubcard, SuperValu Real Rewards, Dunnes and Lidl Plus — worth having, but never a reason to shop somewhere dearer.

Are loyalty cards worth getting?

Yes — they’re free, and they give you something back on shopping you’d do anyway. The rule is simple: get the card, but never let it keep you in a dearer store.

There’s no downside to holding the card (beyond the data you share). The mistake is letting loyalty override price. If Tesco’s card earns you a few euro back but your whole basket is 25% dearer than Aldi, the card is a rounding error on an overpayment. Have the card; shop on price.

Is a Tesco Clubcard worth it?

The points are modest, but Clubcard Prices — member-only discounts on specific items — are the real value, and vouchers can stretch further with reward partners.

The headline is the member-only Clubcard Prices on selected products, which can genuinely beat non-member prices and sometimes the discounters on those specific lines. The points themselves are small. If you shop in Tesco anyway, it’s a clear yes — just cherry-pick the Clubcard-Price items rather than assuming the whole shop is now cheap.

What about SuperValu, Dunnes and Lidl Plus?

SuperValu Real Rewards and Dunnes give money-off vouchers over time; Lidl Plus offers app coupons and spend-based rewards. All are worth using in a store you already shop.

SuperValu Real Rewards builds points toward money-off vouchers and partner offers. Dunnes issues spend-and-save vouchers that are decent if you’d spend it anyway. Lidl Plus is app-based coupons and scratch-cards plus rewards for regular spend — handy at a store that’s already cheap. None of them changes the core ranking; they’re icing, not the cake.

So what’s the verdict?

Get every card for the stores you use, use the member-only prices, but choose your store on total basket cost — not on which points you’re collecting.

Loyalty schemes are built to make switching feel like a loss. Don’t fall for it. The honest hierarchy: store choice beats own-brand beats loyalty points. Nail the first two (cheapest store + own-brand swaps), then let the loyalty card add a little on top. Not the other way round.

General information, not financial advice. We take no money from any supermarket. Prices and offers vary by store, week and region — always check in store.