Tesco Clubcard reward vouchers extended for an extra six months

Tesco shoppers with Clubcard vouchers due to expire this month now have an extra six months to use them, due to the coronavirus crisis.

Tesco Clubcard vouchers due to expire on 31 May 2020 - which would have been issued in May 2018 - will now be valid until 30 November 2020. The supermarket is also giving customers more time to retrospectively add Clubcard points to their accounts.

While shoppers are still able to earn and spend Clubcard vouchers, some reward options are not available due to coronavirus measures currently in place, affecting shoppers who had been wanting to spend their vouchers on a trip to the cinema or a restaurant, for instance.

Here, Which? explains how to check if you've got Clubcard points left to spend and what to do if you've already converted your Clubcard vouchers.

• Read the latest coronavirus news and advice from Which?

How to check if unused Clubcard vouchers are due to expire

If you're not sure when your vouchers are due to expire, or you've lost track of what you have left to spend, you can check for unused Clubcard vouchers on the Tesco Clubcard app, or online.

In both cases, you'll need to login to your account and go to the 'vouchers' section.

Once there, you'll be able to see your vouchers, including how much you have to spend and when they're due to expire. Any vouchers due to expire this month will show up with their extended expiry date.

The expiry date should have been extended automatically.

Vouchers with an extended expiry date can be used as normal with Tesco, online and in-store or with reward partners.

Tesco Clubcard vouchers usually last for two years from the date they were issued.

• Find out more:best and worst supermarket loyalty cards

How to retrospectively add Clubcard points

For any shoppers who have had trouble adding Clubcard points to their account, they can now do so in-store for dates between 23 March 2020 (when government lockdown restrictions were first introduced) and Sunday 14 June 2020.

You'll need to present your receipts at a Tesco customer service desk - but you'll only be able to claim up to two receipts per day.

It's hoped this measure will help those who missed out on points while self-isolating, social distancing or waiting for a replacement Clubcard.

If you've already converted your Clubcard vouchers

Many people are also likely to be in the position where they've already converted their Clubcard vouchers to spend with one of Tesco's reward partners.

In this case, Tesco told us most reward partner codes will now be valid for 12 months from the original order date - usually, you're only given six months until they expire.

However, points converted to air miles with British Airways Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are excluded from this extension. These points will remain valid for as long as your account remains active - that means collecting or redeeming at least one point over a period of 36 months.

We recently asked several providers of rewards points schemes - including Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - what people could do with their points during the lockdown.

Tesco says it's advising customers to visit its Rewards Partners page on the Clubcard website for updates on where and how to redeem your vouchers.

• Find out more:how is lockdown affecting loyalty schemes?

How do Tesco Clubcard vouchers work?

The Tesco Clubcard scheme was first introduced in 1995, allowing members to collect one point for every £1 spent in-store, and one point for every £2 spent on fuel.

It's also possible to collect points through Tesco Bank and Tesco Mobile.

Every 150 points collected is worth £1.50 to spend in-store or online, but can be worth up to three times as much when spent through Tesco's reward partners.

These partners include the likes of Pizza Express, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and several magazine subscriptions - many of which are severely impacted by the coronavirus lockdown.

Vouchers are issued with Clubcard statements four times a year. They're valid for two years - or 21 months if you opt for 'Faster Vouchers', which mean you can get vouchers within 24 hours, rather than waiting for your next points statement.