Boots loyalty card gives you an advantage (Boots Advantage Card)

Member Name: Happyjaw

Product:	Boots Advantage Card
Date:	13/11/08 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extra points hits here and there but great freebies

Disadvantages: Not all card holders benefit in the same way

Being a Boots fan and having written previously about the Boots loopholes I thought I'd share my thoughts on the advantage card.

Boots Advantage Card was one of the earlier loyalty cards launched and remains one of the most popular and well used by loyal Bootsers.

So, with every full pound you spend you'll get 4 points. It used to be each 25p you spent got you a penny but that system changed in 2007. The only difference is that Boots save an extra point or two with many transactions, which over a day of millions of purchases must save them quite a lot of goodies.

The advantage card machine in store can be of benefit anyone, the offers are tailored to match your needs when you apply and you can join any of the various clubs at any time. After all, what use are nappy deals if you are drawing your pension?

The AC machines will draw your attention to the current offers in store which you might interest you, how you can claim extra points and what items are on multiple purchase offers, like buy 2 get one free.

Recent offers have included items such as a free eye dazzle when you buy any item from the No 17 range. As it happened there was another offer on too, buy any foundation product and get a free blusher, then print the AC eye dazzle voucher and you're buying 1 product but getting 2 free. Not bad.

Sometimes you can find extra offers like the recent Jemma Kidd glitch, where you got 500 points (£5) if you bought two Jemma Kidd items. Generally that should have been a great deal for Boots except they missed the nail files priced at £2, which meant you could buy two nail files for £4 and get £5 in points back on your card.
A the time, by spending another pound you also got a £5 off coupon for Ruby & Millie or No7 products AND a £5 off for facial skin care, which actually gets you a lot of freebies!

Almost all purchases gain you points, except prescriptions and a few other bits. Even your online purchases will gain you points and you can check your points total online too. But you can't spend them online yet.

However, you can spend them if you order from the online stock instore and use your points.

You can use your points to buy items in store at any time, I prefer to use mine in the sales after Christmas but in fairness I've used over £100 worth in the last couple of months in buying gifts for others, especially while the 3 for 2 gifts offer is on.

You'll get a lot of points when you purchase items such as glasses instore, or the Boots appliances site and you can often take advantage of 'minimum spend' coupons, which means if you spend say £30 or more, you'll get an extra amount of points. Another way to maximise the points on larger purchases.

A recent and novel offer is reduced prices when paying by points. In particular Soap & Glory and Boots Time Delay products have been offered at around 20% off if you use points to pay. Which still gained me a free gift with £15 off Soap & Glory products. No monetary outlay and a freebie besides.

If you have an advantage card you'll get Boots mailings in the post too, generally extra points for specific interest purchases, which has included nappies, wipes and baby food for me over the last couple of years. Sometimes you'll get extra points, sometimes you'll get free items. The parenting club is especially generous with giveaway products for mums to be and money off coupons too.

It's worth noting that those of us who signed up for Boots cards early seem to get better offers than some of the more recent members. I don't know why though. Still, it's worth remembering that out of the thousands and thousands of card holders only around 25% will get coupons in the post every quarter.

In my opinion it's worth having. I used to total around £10 of points per year before having kids, now my annual total reaches more like £30 or so and then since I started using the Boots Grabbit thread on monesavingexpert.com I'm now getting over £100.

Summary: A loyalty card which sems to yield the best benefits