Save extra with present playing cards over the likes of Chase and Amex
This hack will prevent cash each time you spend cash on the grocery store, probably including as much as a whole lot of kilos every year.
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Easy methods to earn cashback on the grocery store
There are a handful of the way to make cash again in your grocery spending:
- Cashback debit or bank card
- Go through a cashback website (on-line orders solely)
- Use a reduced present card
A cashback debit or credit card might be the best, as you simply faucet with a card that provides this characteristic, probably as a lot as 1%. Whereas on-line orders can generate a barely increased quantity if you happen to go through a cashback site.
However probably the most profitable choice for the long run is to pay with a present card that has been discounted or boosted indirectly.
Although the sort of saving has been round for a very good few years, I feel most individuals nonetheless solely consider present playing cards as presents. However you completely can use them on your personal purchasing.
Now there’s no level doing this if the present card is full worth. In reality there are a number of downsides, together with dropping part 75 and chargeback protections. However with as much as 5% on grocery store purchasing out there through this route, you’re on to a winner.
The place to get discounted grocery store present playing cards
There are an increasing number of companies providing this low cost, from devoted apps to banks and work perk websites. The important thing ones are listed under. In the event you click on on the hyperlinks you’ll be taken to our critiques of every one, together with a hyperlink to get a welcome provide the primary time you purchase a present card.
You may also get a lift, slightly than cashback, if you happen to use your TopCashback and Quidco earnings to purchase a present card. That is how I at all times are likely to money out, slightly than paying it direct to my financial institution.
You should purchase present playing cards from these apps for different retailers and enterprise, although I are likely to solely use them for supermarkets and a handful of others. I’ve defined why additional down the article.
Which supermarkets can you purchase discounted present playing cards for?
You sadly gained’t discover Lidl or Aldi, however the different core supermarkets are on all, if not most, of the apps.
- Asda
- Iceland
- Marks & Spencer
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Waitrose
You need to use John Lewis present playing cards at Waitrose (and visa versa) and infrequently they’ve increased cashback charges, so do verify each.
How massive are the grocery store present card reductions?
How a lot you’ll get will rely on which grocery store you store at, and the speed on provide from the app once you purchase. The latter specifically can differ, with quick time period boosted promotions that means you’ll wish to verify a few them earlier than shopping for.
This record under is from 15 April 2025 and provides you an thought of what’s out there. It’s value noting that simply the day earlier than Jam Doughnut had boosted Asda to 4.75%, so timing will make a distinction.
| Jam Doughnut | Cheddar | TopGiftcards | HyperJar | |
| Asda | 3.5% | 3% | 2.6% | 3% |
| Morrisons | 3.1% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Sainsbury’s | 3.1% | 3% | 2% | 2.5% |
| Tesco | 4.1% | 5% | 2.5% | N/A |
| Waitrose* | 3.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 3% |
How a lot are you able to save in your groceries?
The common UK family spends £508 a month on the grocery store which provides as much as £6,096 a 12 months. Right here’s what that might appear to be based mostly on totally different cashback charges.
| Cashback charge | Annual saving |
| 1% | £60.96 |
| 2% | £121.92 |
| 3% | £182.88 |
| 4% | £243.84 |
| 5% | £304.80 |
Utilizing a reduced present card
When you will have a present card for a grocery store you need to use it like some other fee methodology, both at a self-service or customary until. Most will even be nice to make use of on-line, however do double verify – and vice versa.
Shopping for the present card from these cashback apps is fast and simple to do, and infrequently the present card is shipped instantaneously so that you can use. Which means you can even be standing on the until and purchase one for the precise quantity you owe – serving to you keep away from smaller quantities left on playing cards. Nonetheless I’d initially order prematurely till for sure that this may occur for the grocery store and app of your alternative.
More often than not you’ll have the ability to entry the digital present card from the app pockets, although some will e mail it to you. The best means to make use of the present card is to scan it on the until. Printing ought to be attainable, although most individuals might want to switch the present card out of your telephone to your laptop to take action.
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What to be careful for
You’ll usually get the cashback in your app fairly rapidly. You’ll have to withdraw your cashback to your financial institution, and a few have restrictions such at least pay out stage. Every app operates barely in a different way, so do verify our critiques for the broader particulars.
Technically you possibly can’t use a present card to purchase a present card, so in case you are stocking up on the grocery store on present playing cards for a unique model (resembling Netflix), that might be a problem. Although typically you’ll be okay.
Keep in mind, present playing cards expire so it’s worthwhile to be sure to use them earlier than this occurs, or earlier than you overlook you’ve obtained it within the first place. And if you happen to lose it, you’ll lose your cash.
Lastly, if you happen to have been to return an merchandise you bought you’d get a refund as a present card. That shouldn’t be a problem for grocery store purchasing. However it may be for a retailer you utilize commonly. For instance, shopping for some costly tech or white items value just a few hundred quid. If that’s not proper for no matter cause, you’d probably have just a few hundred quid nonetheless to spend, and also you may not need or want to do this with the identical store.
In fact, if you happen to’re sure you gained’t return the product then go for it. And there are different companies, like tickets (through Ticketmaster or cinemas) and eating places, which provide present playing cards that it’s most unlikely you’d be want a refund on.
