Martin Lewis warns ‘do it now’ due to the big change in Nectar points that will take place in a few weeks
MARTIN Lewis is warning households to act now due to a major change to Nectar points set to happen within weeks.
Shoppers who redeem their Avios points to spend at Sainsbury’s or Argos will soon see the value of their points drop.
The Avios rewards program allows customers to earn points towards British Airways (BA) Executive Club flights, upgrades and hotel stays.
It partnered with Nectar in 2021, allowing shoppers to earn points on brands including Sainsbury’s, Argos Esso, eBay, Caffé Nero and Vue.
Currently, every 300 Avios you convert earns you 400 Nectar points, or around £2.
But from March 11, you’ll need 400 Avios points to get 400 Nectar points, according to MoneySavingExpert (MSE).
For example, with 1,200 Avios points you can currently spend £8 at Sainsbury’s.
But within a few weeks, the same number of points will only earn you $6.
Martin Lewis wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Got Avios points?
“Currently you need 300 Avios to buy 400 Nectar points, from March 11 British Airways to change this will cost 400 Avios.
“For example, 1,200 Avios now worth £8 in Sainsburys will only be £6. So if you’re planning to exchange, do it now.”
The change will not affect customers regardless of how they collected their Avios points.
How to earn Avios points
The Avios rewards program allows travelers to earn points for purchasing flights, upgrades and hotel stays.
You can earn Avios points by joining one of these frequent flyer clubs: AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Vueling Club.
Once you are a member of one of these clubs you can earn points by shopping at the brands that work with Avios.
Becoming a member is free and you must select the club you want and register online.
Some brands, like British Airways Executive Club, let you set up a household account so your whole family can earn points and rewards.
But shoppers will be happy to know that Nectar is coming to Avios. the conversion does not change and remains at 400 Nectar points up to 250 Avios.
The Sun has contacted Sainsbury’s and BA for comment.
You can convert your Avios points online via your Nectar account and the change should take place within ten days.
How does the Nectar card work?
Sainsbury’s has been part of the Nectar program since 2002 and acquired it in 2018.
Customers collect points when purchasing certain products or goods, in-store and online.
For every €1 you spend, you receive one loyalty point.
You’ll also get one point for every £1 you spend on fuel bought at Sainsbury’s petrol stations. You can also collect points from hundreds of partners, including Esso and eBay.
You can register and download an e-Nectar Card by downloading the app on your smartphone.
You then have to swipe it every time you shop and the points are added to your account, which you can use to get cash on future purchases.
Each point is effectively worth 0.5 cents, which means you need 500 points to get a €2.50 discount.
You can also sign up for the program on Sainsbury’s website.
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