Nectar loyalty card
Encyclopedia
Nectar is a loyalty card scheme in the United Kingdom
comprising partner companies including the supermarket
chain Sainsbury's, American Express
, and BP
. A separate Nectar program operates in Italy.
Nectar was launched in 2002 by Loyalty Management Group, then chaired by Sir Keith Mills, the founder of Air Miles
. The program was re-branded in 2007 to reflect a clear association with rewards. Loyalty Management Group was purchased by Groupe Aeroplan in 2009.
In 2010 Nectar claimed it had more cardholders than the Tesco Clubcard
program. Groupe Aeroplan launched a separate Nectar program in Italy in 2010.
for instance, collects points at a rate of one point per litre.
Sainsbury's shoppers effectively receive just under 1% discount on goods purchased there. After spending £250 (with each receipt rounded down to the nearest pound), 500 points are earned, which translates to a rebate of £2.50 to be redeemed at the next shop. The same applies at Homebase
. Nectar cardholders also collect points from selected online retailers, if the purchase is made via the Nectar website.
As a rule of thumb, collectors usually get back 0.5p for every point collected. One must collect at least 500 points to be eligible for any offers.
or Homebase
store without the cardholder having shopped in that particular store before, as these retailers operate web-based till systems that can communicate with the Nectar system as and when required. This is in contrast to the Sainsbury's till system, which communicates with Nectar just once per day, during the night, and only downloads cardholder information to a store if the card has been swiped in that store in the past twelve months.
Nectar offers a range of non-cash rewards. Providing the card is used to collect points at least once in any twelve-month period, Nectar points do not expire. This allows cardholders to save up for more expensive rewards, such as Eurostar
tickets and money off holidays with Expedia
.
Other members (in the order they joined):
Points can also be collected for purchases from the following via the Nectar online store:
The Nectar scheme also offers the ability to discover entertainment activities through the Nectar Entertainment page. These include "staying in" options such as movies, gadgets and games and "going out" activities like days out and tickets.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comprising partner companies including the supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain Sainsbury's, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, and BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. A separate Nectar program operates in Italy.
Nectar was launched in 2002 by Loyalty Management Group, then chaired by Sir Keith Mills, the founder of Air Miles
Air Miles
Air Miles is the name of separately operated loyalty programs in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain , the Netherlands and the Middle East, through which points are earned on purchases at participating merchants.-History:...
. The program was re-branded in 2007 to reflect a clear association with rewards. Loyalty Management Group was purchased by Groupe Aeroplan in 2009.
In 2010 Nectar claimed it had more cardholders than the Tesco Clubcard
Tesco Clubcard
Tesco Clubcard is the loyalty card of leading British supermarket chain Tesco. The Clubcard scheme operates in the UK, Ireland, Poland and several other countries, and in the UK market in particular has been highly successful, with over 15 million members as of 2010.-History:In 1993 Terry Leahy...
program. Groupe Aeroplan launched a separate Nectar program in Italy in 2010.
Benefits to consumers
Points are normally collected at a rate of two points for every £1 spent. Extra points may be earned when buying certain products or during particular promotions. The number of points on offer can vary, fuelPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
for instance, collects points at a rate of one point per litre.
Sainsbury's shoppers effectively receive just under 1% discount on goods purchased there. After spending £250 (with each receipt rounded down to the nearest pound), 500 points are earned, which translates to a rebate of £2.50 to be redeemed at the next shop. The same applies at Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
. Nectar cardholders also collect points from selected online retailers, if the purchase is made via the Nectar website.
As a rule of thumb, collectors usually get back 0.5p for every point collected. One must collect at least 500 points to be eligible for any offers.
Redemption
To be eligible to redeem at a given Sainsbury's store, the customer must have collected Nectar points in that store within the previous twelve months, and at least 24 hours earlier. Points may be redeemed at any ArgosArgos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
or Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
store without the cardholder having shopped in that particular store before, as these retailers operate web-based till systems that can communicate with the Nectar system as and when required. This is in contrast to the Sainsbury's till system, which communicates with Nectar just once per day, during the night, and only downloads cardholder information to a store if the card has been swiped in that store in the past twelve months.
Nectar offers a range of non-cash rewards. Providing the card is used to collect points at least once in any twelve-month period, Nectar points do not expire. This allows cardholders to save up for more expensive rewards, such as Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
tickets and money off holidays with Expedia
Expedia
Expedia is an Internet-based travel website based in the US with localised sites for 21 countries...
.
Current members
Launch members:- Sainsbury's
- BPBPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Other members (in the order they joined):
- Vision ExpressVision ExpressVision Express is one of the four major opticians that control 70% of the British market for spectacles and contact lenses.The company opened its first store in 1988 at the MetroCentre. After buying out LensCrafters' UK base, they further increased their number of stores. They had over 220 stores...
- FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
- ExpediaExpediaExpedia is an Internet-based travel website based in the US with localised sites for 21 countries...
- HertzThe Hertz CorporationHertz Global Holdings Inc is an American car rental company with international locations in 145 countries worldwide.-Early years:The company was founded by Walter L. Jacobs in 1918, who started a car rental operation in Chicago with a dozen Model T Ford cars. In 1923, Jacobs sold it to John D...
- American ExpressAmerican ExpressAmerican Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
(co-branded credit card) - The AAThe Automobile AssociationThe Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
- Thomson DirectoriesThomson DirectoriesThomson Directories, more commonly referred to as Thomson Local is a local business search company based in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. They are a subsidiary of Seat Pagine Gialle, and a competitor to the Yellow Pages....
- TNS mysurvey.comTaylor Nelson SofresTaylor Nelson Sofres is a leading market research and market information group. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by WPP Group in October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.-History:...
- HomebaseHomebaseHomebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
- ArgosArgos (retailer)Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
(in store: redemption only; online: collect only) - Jokers' Masquerade
- British Gas plcBritish Gas plcBritish Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
(joined 1 February 2011) - AuchanAuchanGroupe Auchan SA is a French international retail group and multinational corporation headquartered in Croix, France. It is one of the world's principal distribution groups with a presence in 12 countries and 175,000 employees....
Italy - DHLDHLDHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
Points can also be collected for purchases from the following via the Nectar online store:
- AmazonAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
- Apple Inc.
- DellDellDell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
- Dixons
- ebayEBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
- F. HindsF. HindsF. Hinds is a jewellery retailing chain, operating in England and Wales. There are currently 110 F Hinds stores within the United Kingdom.The chain is an independent retailer which was founded in 1856 by George Henry Hinds, although his father Joseph was also a clockmaker in Stamford,...
- Play.comPlay.comPlay Ltd., trading as Play.com, is a Jersey-based online retailer of DVDs, CDs, books, gadgets, video games, DRM-free MP3 downloads, and other electronic products, as well as clothes and accessories. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rakuten Group....
- SkyBritish Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
- viagogo Ticket ExchangeViagogoviagogo is an online ticket exchange that that allows people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe, secure and transparent environment free from fraud and illegitimate street touts....
- Virgin MediaVirgin MediaVirgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
- VodafoneVodafoneVodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
(joined 2003 , left 2005 , rejoined 2009)
The Nectar scheme also offers the ability to discover entertainment activities through the Nectar Entertainment page. These include "staying in" options such as movies, gadgets and games and "going out" activities like days out and tickets.
Former members
- BarclaycardBarclaycardBarclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a global payment business. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972....
(was a launch member, however membership ended on 31 August 2005) - EDF EnergyEDF EnergyEDF Energy is an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom...
(stopped issuing Nectar points as of 31 December 2010) - DebenhamsDebenhamsDebenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
(was a launch member, however membership ended on 15 February 2008) - ebookersEbookersEbookers.com is an online travel company based out of the UK and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Travelport, the former travel arm of Cendant which was bought in October 2006 by an affiliate of Blackstone Partners. Travelport split out itself into three companies...
(membership ended on 1 June 2009) - Gala Bingo (membership ended on 1 June 2010)
- MagnetMagnet KitchensMagnet is a British kitchen retailer operating in over 200 locations across the UK supplying products under the Magnet and Magnet Trade brands. The company has over 2,000 employees and its headquarters are in Darlington, County Durham...
- TalkTalk (membership ended on 31 August 2009)
- Threshers
- Winemark (Northern Ireland only)
- D&A
- Brewers FayreBrewers FayreBrewers Fayre is a chain of around 125 licensed family and casual dining pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread.They are known for serving traditional British pub food, including gammon and steak & ale pie which are among the most popular choices. Nearly all Brewers Fayres are...
(membership ended on 1 Feb 2011) - Beefeater (restaurant)Beefeater (restaurant)Beefeater is a chain of pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. There are currently 131 Beefeater restaurants in the UK.- History :...
(membership ended on 31 January 2011) - Table TableTable TableTable Table is a brand of restaurants set up by Whitbread Plc in 2008. The brand was created following a rethink of the brand formerly known as Out & Out, a previous brand owned by Whitbread...
(left scheme on 31 January 2011)