Tesco Clubcard Plus: Is it Worth It?
Tesco introduced their Clubcard Plus subscription service in 2019. But what are the benefits and is it worth joining? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Clubcard Plus?
Clubcard Plus is a paid subscription service that costs £7.99 per month. My thinking is like Amazon Prime, Tesco are trying to create a “one stop shop” and build brand loyalty within customers. It offers its members a range of perks, which we will look at in detail in this post.
Clubcard Plus offer #1 – 10% off two shops per month up to the value of £200
This is the “flagship” Clubcard Plus offer, and the biggest incentive for shoppers to sign up for.
Every month, you can get 10% off on 2 shops to the value of £200 per shop – so this would be a maximum saving of £40 per month, which is obviously a much bigger saving than the £7.99 outlay.
However, bear in mind that this is the maximum saving available.
If you spend £100 on a Tesco weekly grocery shop, you would save £10, and could repeat this again the following week, but after that you would have to wait until the new month to get any more savings.
You could obviously plan to do 2 larger shops per month to get the maximum savings. Personally I do one large shop a month, but I know many people like the routine of a weekly shop.
If you do most of your food shopping at Tesco, or are happy to switch to Tesco in order to take advantage of the discount, then provided you spend over £79.90 per month you are going to cover the cost of your membership.
Can I choose when I redeem my 10% Clubcard Plus discount?
Yes – so if you are just popping in for £20 of groceries but know that next week you will be spending over £100, you can choose when to activate the discount, as your 10% discount needs to be scanned at the till.
Just remember, the 10% discount can only be used twice per month and will expire if unused, so it might be best to plan in advance when to use it to maximise your discount.
Can I use Clubcard Plus discount online?
No – and this is a massive negative point for many people who do most of their shopping online. The reason the offer is in-store only is because Tesco already offer a range of benefits and delivery savings offers to their online customers, so Clubcard Plus was designed for the in-store customer.
Are any items excluded from Clubcard Plus discount?
Yes, there are some items that are excluded from the offer as follows:
- petrol
- lottery
- gift vouchers
- tobacco
- baby formula
- prescriptions
- magazines
- stamps
- wine that is in the 25% off 6 bottles promotion
Note that alcohol is included in the discount, aside from wine in the 25% off 6 bottles promotions that run frequently throughout the year.
Clubcard Plus Offer 2 – 10% off Tesco brands in store on every shop
In addition to the groceries, Clubcard Plus also offers an unlimited 10% off its own brand products. The Tesco brands that you can enjoy a 10% discount on are:
F&F clothing – The discount is available on all clothing lines, which include Men, Women, Children, Baby, Footwear, Swimwear, School Uniform and Nightwear.
Fred & Flo Baby – The Fred & Flo Baby range includes nappies, wipes, baby toiletries, bottles, feeding utensils, bedding and nursery items.
Fox & Ivy Homewear – Fox & Ivy includes crockery, towels, candles, vases and small home decor items.
Go Cook – The Go Cook range includes kitchenware such as baking trays, kitchen utensils and other kitchen items.
Go Create – The Go Create range features stationery items for children including paints, colouring pencils, craft sets and notebooks.
Go Play & Carosel– Go Play and Carosel are Tesco’s own toy brands, featuring a wide range of traditional wooden toys, role play toys, dolls and cuddly toys.
Tesco Pet – Enjoy 10% off all Tesco branded pet food.
If you aren’t going to take advantage of the 10% off your grocery shop, I don’t think it would be worth paying £7.99 a month just for these savings, as the monthly fee would likely cancel out any savings made.
You may also feel more tied to buying clothes / toys / household goods from these particular Tesco brands even when they are sitting on the shelf alongside other brands such as Lego in the toy section, or Whiskas cat food.
Try telling a child choosing a pocket money toy that they are suddenly tied to Tesco own branded products! (Or even worse, see what happens when you switch a fussy feline’s food to Tesco’s own brand…)
And as you would expect, a quick check on the Tesco website revealed plenty of regular savings on branded toys, pet food and such like, that are open to all Clubcard holders. Of course, Clubcard Plus holders can take advantage of these, but you could get these without paying your £7.99 fee!
Even with the 10% discount, there’s always the chance that certain items such as petfood could be cheaper elsewhere, so it’s always a good idea to do a price comparison first.
Clubcard Plus Offer 3 – Double Data with Tesco mobile
This is probably the best of the perks aside from the in store 10% discount. However, the cheapest sim only deal with Tesco mobile is currently £9 a month for 12gb of data (April 2023).
This means that with Clubcard Plus you could get 24gb of data for £9 a month (plus the £7.99 fee). It’s unfair to add the £7.99 onto the monthly mobile cost as a direct comparison due to the other benefits the Clubcard Plus subscription pays for, but a quick Moneysupermarket search for best sim only deals reveals that you can get 120gb of data for £12 a month with Three.
You may not need 120gb of data, but the point illustrates that there are better sim only deals to be had. However if you’re paying for Clubcard Plus for the other bonuses, the Tesco mobile deal could prove worth it as an added extra.
Clubcard Plus Offer 4 – Fee Free spending abroad with Tesco Bank Credit Card
While this may be a useful perk if you’re already a Clubcard Plus subscriber, there are plenty of other banks that offer fee free spending abroad, such as Starling and Revolut, without a monthly fee so it is definitely not worth spending £7.99 a month for this feature alone.
Is Clubcard Plus worth it?
The answer is, it really does depend. If you are a loyal Tesco customer who regularly spends over £200 a month in store, then yes, Clubcard Plus is probably worth it for you. Additionally, if you already have a Tesco Mobile contract and are with Tesco Bank on top, then you’re laughing.
If you prefer shopping online and are not a regular Tesco shopper, it is unlikely that you will get your money’s worth.
Currently, Tesco are offering a 1 month free trial to Clubcard Plus, so if you’re unsure, you can try it for free.
In summary:
| Clubcard Plus Pros | Clubcard Plus Cons |
| Save up to £40 per month in-store on grocery shops with 10% off 2 shops per month up to £200 | Not available to use online – so you can’t get 10% off your online grocery shops 10% discount capped to 2 shops per month You might need to change your shopping habits in order to save money |
| Double data on 1 Tesco mobile contract per household | Better mobile deals available elsewhere |
| 10% discount on Tesco own brands (non grocery) | You may feel obliged to buy an item included in your discount over one you prefer |
| Fee free spending abroad with Tesco Bank credit card | Better fee free cards available elsewhere without a paid subscription |
What are your thoughts on Clubcard Plus?
What do you think? Are you already a Clubcard Plus customer? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with the community.
About the Author
Melissa is a working parent who left behind a senior management salary for a better work/life balance. Following her own money saving and money making strategies she was able to clear debt and live a life she loves. Blogging, selling digital products on Etsy and selling preloved items on eBay are her favourite side hustles. Read her story here.
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