Boots are slashing the Advantage Card points that shoppers earn in a move that has angered loyal customers.
From May, Advantage Card holders will now only collect 3p worth of points for every £1 they spend, instead of the 4p customers have been used to.
But at the same time, the health and beauty retailer has announced it will be increasing the number of items that card holders can earn discounts on.
They will also introduce a new scheme which will give users 10 per cent off around 6,000 of its own-brand items.
The bold move comes as retailers are increasing the costs of their products, despite the cost of living crisis and inflation taking a toll on households across the UK.
From may this year, holders of the Advantage Card will now only collect 3p worth of points for every £1 they spend, instead of the 4p customers have been used to
Boots have also introduced a new scheme which will give users of the Advantage Card 10% off own-brand items
So, if you have a higher-priced purchase planned for later in the year – like a perfume you’ve been eyeing up, swanky new straighteners or an extravagant gift – it could be worth buying before May to get the extra points.
Boots have said that this move was in response to customer feedback as shoppers hunt down better value products and ‘are looking at access instant savings’.
In advising customers about the change, Boots sent emails and notifications to shoppers. They wrote: ‘We’re making changes to the Advantage Card terms.
‘From May 2023, Advantage Card holders will now get 10% off Boots own products, and collect 3p worth of points for every £1 you spend.
‘You’ll get to keep the number of points you’ve already collected, and they’ll be still worth the same amount.’
This means that current Advantage Card holders shouldn’t worry about losing any savings as any points accrued until 23 May will not change in monetary value.
But shoppers have branded the move ‘ridiculous’ and said it is about time Boots ‘allowed advantage card points to be used as part payment towards purchases’.
One person said: ‘Boots loyalty points value reduced…it’s about time Boots allowed advantage card points to be used as part payment towards purchases…it’s ridiculous that shoppers can’t…puts me off of using Boots!’
Another said: ‘Just what we needed, boots are now reducing their points on their advantage card from 4 to 3 points !!’
While a third put: ‘Greedy move @BootsUK re. Advantage Card points. May as well get my cosmetics during my Tesco shop now instead’
One more person added: ‘Boots reducing Advantage Card points to 3 per pound is the thing about living on this piss-wet rock that has finally sent me over the EDGE’
And a fifth said: ‘It’s a sad day. Boots advantage card is even dropping their points value.’
Defending the change, Pete Markey, chief marketing officer at Boots, said: ‘Customers want to be rewarded with on-the-spot lower prices and instant value.
‘We’ve also noticed that Advantage Card members are now more frequently using their points to buy essentials instead of saving them up.
Customers have been left furious at the fact that Boots is reducing the number of loyalty points they will be receiving from May as they wrote on Twitter how ‘ridiculous’ the move is
However, the reduction in the amount of points that can be collected has left shoppers furious. They have taken to social media to express their anger, saying the move is ‘ridiculous’
‘We’ve listened and have expanded the scheme to give more instant reward, immediate value and lower prices.’
However, Boots have introduced a new scheme which will give users of the Advantage Card 10% off own-brand items.
And what this means is that specific groups of customers will get additional benefits on top of the loyalty points.
Price Advantage allows Boots cardholders access to lower prices on certain products – in a similar way to how Tesco Clubcard prices are lower than ‘on shelf’ prices for people with the supermarket loyalty card.
Members of Boots’ Parenting Club and Over-60s rewards will still be able to get eight points per £1 on certain items.
This will apply to baby products and Boots own-brand products.
And Advantage Card holders will also still be able to collect double points on their birthday month.
However, from May this will only be six points per £1 spent, rather than the current eight points per £1 spent.
And students will receive an added 10% discount and Boots Opticians customers on a Contact Lens Rewards Plan will get an extra 10% off Boots own brand products.
Boots have been contacted by MailOnline for a comment.
