MAYAH RIAZ was a schoolgirl in 1997 when the Boots Advantage card was launched.
A big fan of the store chain, she couldn’t wait to sign up and start collecting points on her purchases.
This month, Boots celebrates 25 years of the Advantage card, which continues to offer four points (each worth roughly 1p) for every £1 spent[/caption]
Mayah, then 15, says: “I’ve been a member since the beginning when they brought the card out and I have loved it ever since.
“I’d buy my toiletries and make-up from there, so it seemed like a no-brainer to sign up, and I don’t remember there being any other loyalty cards back then.
“I’m all about the points. The Boots card is iconic and its headquarters is in my home town of Nottingham.”
This month, the brand celebrates 25 years of the Advantage card, which continues to offer four points (each worth roughly 1p) for every £1 spent — one of the most generous points saving schemes around.
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Superfan Mayah, now 39 and working as a publicist, says: “I can’t imagine how much I have saved over the past 25 years, but it must run into thousands.
“I used to buy smaller items like make-up for around £30, then perfumes, but now I save for bigger items.
“Using my points, I recently bought a Philips laser hair removal gadget, which was worth around £300, and my next purchase will be a Dyson hairdryer costing around £330.
“Currently I’ve got around £120 of points on my card so I’m saving up.”
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‘The buzz of picking up points is great’
It typically takes Mayah three months to save £100 of points, which does equate to more than £2,000 of spending.
She says: “I know Boots might not be as cheap as other shops, but it’s only by a few pence and the buzz of collecting the points is great.
“I always bulk-buy items like micellar water, deodorant and shampoo — I avoid getting them from the supermarket just because with Boots the points really add up.
“I also love shopping with friends who don’t have loyalty cards as I can get their points too. I’m obsessed!”
And Mayah is not the only one.
There are 15.1million of us collecting points on Advantage cards, which are also available via the Boots app on smartphones.
After making a few purchases, the app will become accustomed to your favourite products and begin tailoring special offers just for you.
Customers can also benefit from the Boots Price Advantage scheme, which has so far lowered the price of 400 products by an average of 30 per cent when you show your Advantage card or app at the till.
The company is set to boost the number of discounts to 1,000 by the end of the year.
Data manager Nicola Frapwell, 31, from Crawley, West Sussex, believes she is Boots’ biggest fan and has more than £240 of points stashed away on her Advantage card.
She says: “I never shop anywhere else, I love the reward system. I always buy when Boots have their Advantage card weekends.
“They often offer £10 in points when you spend £60 and will send lots of offers through the app too.
“Sometimes I will get a shop worth £120, but make sure I split the bill into two so I get double points on my card.
“I am constantly looking for new deals to get extra points.”
Nicola adds: “They also do £10 Tuesdays, offering lots of favourites for a tenner.
“That’s when you can get expensive brands for cheap if you have the loyalty card.
“I will shop there at least once a week, and reckon it takes me a couple of months to save up more than £100 in points.”
Boots also offers double points for mums and dads who join the store’s Parenting Club.
Cora, 29, and Helen Harrison, 30, who are parents to nine-month-old Oliver, have managed to save £100 in points after stocking up on baby essentials thanks to the service.
Cora, from Wakefield, West Yorks, says: “We buy all of our baby products from there, we are huge fans of the card.”
MAXIMISE REWARDS
AS prices increase on many beauty essentials it’s never been more important to sign up for exclusive offers and discounts from your favourite retailers.
Below, Yasmin Harisha reveals what you can do to get the best out of the top high street beauty reward schemes.
SUPERDRUG
THE Superdrug Beautycard offers shoppers one point for every £1 they spend, but shop online and they often have deals where you can double or triple your points.
Sign up for the brand’s newsletter to get a heads up on their money-saving events. They will also email out occasional surveys which you can complete in exchange for points.
DEBENHAMS
DEBENHAMS’ Beauty Club has three tiers of membership – Enthusiast, Pro and Icon.
In the first, you receive three points for every pound spent. Once you spend between £101 and £299, you will move up into the Pro tier.
This earns you four points for every pound, sale previews and a 15 per cent birthday discount.
When you’ve coughed up £300, you’re an Icon, bagging five points for every pound, free unlimited next-day delivery and a 20 per cent discount on your birthday.
HOUSE OF FRASER
THE Recognition Reward card gives you one point for every £1 spent.
But the biggest benefit of membership is access to sales events, where you can bag ten per cent discounts, as well as live streaming masterclasses and beauty seminars from your favourite brands. You can also bag more points when shopping on your birthday.
MARKS & SPENCER
MARKS & Spencer now stocks big beauty names including Stila, Pixi and Nails Inc, while the Sparks card provides members with early access to sales.
The Sparks card app also lets you pick which of your favourite beauty buys you’ll receive a discount on.
THE BODY SHOP
YOU get ten points for every pound spent (with points worth 1p each). And the brand offers members a £5 voucher on their birthday each year.
As a bonus, you’ll also get double points and 15 per cent off your first purchase when you subscribe to club membership, which also offers double points whenever you buy refills.
HOLLAND & BARRETT
IT might not be your first port of call when shopping for beauty products, but Holland & Barrett carries great natural, eco-friendly and vegan products.
Join its club and you will be given 300 bonus points – worth £3 – and then you collect four points for every £1 spent in store.
FEEL UNIQUE
AFTER becoming a member of website Feel Unique, you can earn £5 for every £75 you spend.
You can also choose two favourite brands, which you’ll receive a ten per cent discount on. Plus, opt in for the email and get a 20 per cent discount on your birthday.
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MAC
THERE are three levels to Mac Cosmetics’ loyalty programme – Lover, Devoted and Obsessed.
You can exchange points you earn on purchases for products and services, including getting your make-up professionally done. You can also win prizes, plus free delivery on all orders.
Once you’ve reached Devoted or Obsessed levels, Mac will give you a birthday gift and early access to exclusive collaborations.