M & S certainly cutting back

When reward points were first introduced for using your card I would be able to buy a decent meal for two each time the rewards came out I would save them for Christmas.
I haven’t even bothered to spend what I received for the whole of last year yet.
It is just over £30.
It is what we have come to expect of all thing's financial.
Nectar points are exactly the same, as is interest on savings.

😢😢

I agree that the “rewards” now seem to be anything but and like you utbb often don’t bother.

In the past my birthday treats used to be an afternoon tea in the cafe then the last couple of years £12 to spend in the food hall. How is that a treat when you have to cook it etc? I used to spend mine on flowers and/or chocs. The 10% on clothing is useless to me as we only have food stores and have to travel to one of 3 closest cities.
We keep our card for the travel insurance perk but seriously think we might be better ditching it and looking elsewhere for that.

My experience is that its common across loyalty cards

I can’t think of anywhere that’s maintained or increased ‘benefits’ in the last few years, sign of the times.

Usedtobeblonde

When reward points were first introduced for using your card I would be able to buy a decent meal for two each time the rewards came out I would save them for Christmas.
I haven’t even bothered to spend what I received for the whole of last year yet.
It is just over £30.
It is what we have come to expect of all thing's financial.
Nectar points are exactly the same, as is interest on savings.

I’m sure you know as you’ve had them for years, the Reward card vouchers have an expiry date on them, don’t get caught out.
As for not getting as much as we used to, blame the EU changes at the end of 2015, when a lot of firms reduced the benefits to loyalty card holders.
M&S used to give 1 point for every £2 spent with other retailers when using the M&S card, it reduced to 1 point for every £5 spent.
Martin Lewis explains it much better than I can.

All shops are going the same way. We just save up any money vouchers until we have enough to actually get something free! ha ha

Mr C had his birthday ‘reward’ today. A happy customer? Err, no!

First world problems 🤣

I'm equally peeved with my John Lewis credit card. I've got a much higher spending limit on my other cards and it's really not worth using the JL one in terms of rewards because of the low spending limit. I recently wanted to use it to pay for new kitchen appliances recently at JL and couldn't do it without going over the limit.
I get much the same rewards from my bank's credit card without the hassle of having to remember how close to the limit I am.
I should add that I've got an excellent credit rating and pay the full balance every month.

sorry, too many "recentlys"!

Is this all you’ve got to worry about?? Really???

I dislike all loyalty schemes. I can’t be bothered checking to see if my John Lewis rewards have run out, or any of the Morrison’s More card offers are for anything I ever buy.
I’d rather shops & brands just reduced their prices.
Complaining because you ‘only’ got a voucher for 10% off something sounds a bit entitled.

Oohlookatyou

Is this all you’ve got to worry about?? Really???

Just scroll on by!

That’s no surprise .. but very disappointing.. loyalty doesn’t mean a thing today

Oohlookatyou

Is this all you’ve got to worry about?? Really???

This is a chat forum. On this thread, folks are chatting about M&S and its loyalty scheme. It’s not a case of posters only having this to worry about (yes, really), it’s a case of some posters wishing to discuss this issue. As Nannylovesshopping says, “Just scroll on by” if it’s not your cup of tea.

No the rewards are not as good as they once were. Regarding having no M&S to get the 10% off clothes I buy online and collect from my local food hall.

My local food hall has just closed. It was very handy and I thought well used. I collected items bought online. Now have to have stuff delivered or collect from miles away.

I stopped using Marks and Spencer a long long time ago.

M & S gave me the choice of a box of grapes or box of biscuits for my birthday treat a couple of weeks ago (I was virtuous and went for the grapes). It was a pleasant surprise as I don’t use them much - I really like their food but our nearest branch is only small and not very handy for where we live. I don’t have a credit card with them, this was a Sparks reward.

One of the reasons I have the M and S credit card is for the travel insurance which, I hoped, would be in place until I’m 80. As DH has been unwell they will no longer cover us and we have to look elsewhere. There wasn’t even an opportunity to pay extra. Now I will have to cancel it.

I used my birthday voucher with another that was expiring and bought 2 king size non iron duvet covers for virtually half price. As a long term buy they’ll save me a fortune in laundry
costs as I can wash them myself. No ironing which I struggle with.

I haven't got the M&S credit card, just Sparks.

It is a bit of a rubbish scheme really, I might save a tiny bit here and there but fundamentally the offers are not of much use.

Why don't they allow customers to save points to get money off or redeem for free products, something like that?

Well said Ziplok - why do some people have to be so horrible!!