Supermarket Fuel Loyalty Cards: Are They Worth It?

The Allure of the Loyalty Point

Every major UK supermarket wants you to buy your fuel exclusively from their forecourts, and they use loyalty schemes like the Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury's Nectar, and Asda Rewards to lock you in. Earning points every time you fill up feels like a great way to save money, but the math isn't always as straightforward as it seems.

Doing the Math

Typically, supermarket loyalty cards offer you 1 point for every £1 or £2 spent on fuel, or sometimes 1 point per litre. In real money, this usually equates to a saving of roughly 0.5p to 1p per litre. While every penny counts, this saving is entirely wiped out if the base price of the fuel is higher than a competitor down the road.

The "Loyalty Trap"

The danger of loyalty cards is that they discourage drivers from checking local prices. If you blindly drive to a Sainsbury's to earn Nectar points, you might miss the fact that the independent station or Asda around the corner is currently 3p per litre cheaper. In that scenario, you are actually losing money by being loyal.

The Best Strategy

Never rely solely on loyalty points to secure the best deal. The most effective strategy is to use FindPetrol's live price tracker to find the absolute cheapest base price in your area first. If the cheapest station happens to be a supermarket where you hold a loyalty card, treat the points as an extra bonus-but always let the pump price dictate where you stop.

Prices vary widely between sites even within one chain - see current Tesco fuel prices across the UK.

Where to find the cheapest fuel near you

Supermarket forecourts usually undercut the oil majors, but the gap varies enormously by town - a competitive independent will often beat a supermarket that has no rivals nearby. You can compare every UK fuel brand side by side, or search your postcode to find the cheapest petrol near me right now. The UK average is currently 161.4p a litre across 7,916 stations.