Customers who shop at various supermarkets including Tesco, Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have been warned they are being cut out of lower prices available to some customers due to an ‘age limit’ rule on controversial ‘loyalty prices’.
Loyalty pricing, such as Tesco Clubcard price, Sainsbury’s Nectar Card price and discounts available to Boots Advantage card customers, as well as similar schemes in Morrisons, Lidl and others, have become more and more popular with retailers.
The ‘two tier’ pricing structure increasingly sees a gulf between the price card holders pay and the much higher price available to everyone else.
But now, consumer magazine Which? has warned that young people like young carers, the homeless and other vulnerable groups are missing out on these cheaper prices.
Which says that depending on where they shop, a 17-year-old single mum may be unable to get discounts on baby food or a homeless person could be forced to pay more for a meal deal.
Sainsbury’s, Lidl Tesco and Waitrose all have a minimum age of 18 to sign up to their loyalty card schemes, while for Co-op and Morrisons the age limit is 16.
For Boots and Superdrug, their schemes are open to those over the age of 13.
Asda, meanwhile, has an Asda Rewards app but although it offers cashback on some ‘star products’ it does not yet have exclusive pricing for Asda Rewards customers.
Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: “Our research shows there are differences between supermarkets and retailers and their loyalty schemes, which mean some people could miss out on the lower prices offered because of factors such as minimum age requirements and needing an email address.
“All retailers should prioritise making their best deals accessible to all customers by implementing changes to their conditions for signing up.”
