Loyalty programme examples are the quickest way to see what works, and I’ve done the hard part for you, which was reading an awful lot of small print. My eyes may never recover. We picked twelve well-known programmes across six sectors, from supermarkets to banks, checked each one on the brand’s own website, and picked out the one idea it does especially well.
None of them is perfect, but every one has something worth borrowing. Borrowing, not stealing. We’re a nice website.
At a glance
| Programme | Sector | Model | The idea worth copying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nectar at Sainsbury’s | Supermarket | Member prices and personal offers | Discounts picked for each shopper |
| Co-op Membership | Supermarket | Paid membership (£1) | Members get a say |
| IKEA Family | Retail | Points | Small, everyday rewards in store |
| M&S Sparks | Retail | Personal offers | A penny to charity every time |
| Hilton Honors | Travel | Points and tiers | Clear tiers, with a free night bonus |
| LNER Perks | Travel | Credit back | Simple, money-like rewards |
| PizzaExpress Club | Food and drink | Tiers | Perks that grow with every visit |
| Krispy Kreme Rewards | Food and drink | Points | Earning in supermarkets too |
| National Trust | Membership | Paid membership | Value members can see |
| Uber One | Subscription | Paid membership | Savings across several services |
| American Express Membership Rewards | Banking and cards | Points | Lots of ways to spend points |
| Revolut RevPoints | Banking and cards | Points | Points from spare change |
Supermarkets
Nectar at Sainsbury’s
At Sainsbury’s, Nectar Prices are lower prices for Nectar members on thousands of products. On top of that, Your Nectar Prices gives each member up to ten personal discounts a week, chosen from what they usually buy and refreshed every Friday. Members still earn Nectar points on the discounted price.
Why it works. Offers based on your own shopping feel like they were made for you, and a weekly refresh gives people a reason to check in. Friday has never looked so exciting.
Co-op Membership
Co-op Membership costs £1 to join, and members get the £1 back on their first shop in store when they choose a personalised offer. Members get lower prices on everyday essentials and weekly offers, and help choose the local causes the Co-op supports. Because members are part-owners, they also get a say in how it’s run, including a vote at the annual meeting.
Why it works. It gives members a real stake, not just a discount. Where else does a pound get you a vote? Worth knowing. Member prices aren’t available in independent co-operative societies or franchise stores.
Retail
IKEA Family
IKEA Family is free to join. Members collect one point for every £5 they spend, plus points for things like logging in, and swap them for vouchers. For example, 65 points saves £5 on a spend of £6 or more, and 500 points saves £40. There are food rewards too, such as cheap meatball meals, and a free tea or filtered coffee perk.
Why it works. Small, frequent treats in the restaurant keep the programme in mind between big furniture purchases. A free coffee is also exactly what you need before building a wardrobe. Worth knowing. Unused points expire 18 months after they’re collected.
M&S Sparks
M&S Sparks is free for UK adults. Members switch on personalised offers, and when they hit an offer’s spending target, the reward is paid into a digital Sparks wallet to spend on a later shop. Every time a member scans their Sparks, M&S gives a penny to charity, and in M&S Cafés every seventh hot drink is free.
Why it works. A small donation with every scan makes members feel good about shopping, even when there’s no reward that day.
Travel
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors is free and gives points for every US dollar spent, from 10 points for a basic member up to 22 at the top tier. Status comes from nights stayed, with 10 for Silver, 25 for Gold and 50 for Diamond, and a new Diamond Reserve level above that. Points pay for free nights with no blackout dates, and from Silver upwards the fifth night of a standard room booked with points is free.
Why it works. Members always know how far they are from the next level, and what they’ll get when they reach it.
LNER Perks
LNER Perks gives 2% credit back on LNER journeys, to spend on Advance tickets bought direct. New members get £5 credit when they join, and £10 for each friend they refer. Credit can also be donated to the mental health charity CALM. LNER says more than 1.5 million people are members.
Why it works. Credit in pounds is easy to understand, unlike points with a value nobody can remember. I’ve tried. I can’t.
Food and drink
PizzaExpress Club
PizzaExpress Club gives a Pizza Stamp for each dine-in visit of £15 or more, with part stamps for delivery, collection and even supermarket pizzas. Members move up from Bronze to Silver at three stamps and Gold at ten, where hot or soft drinks are free on every visit.
Why it works. Each tier gives regulars something better to aim for. See more food and drink ideas in our guide to restaurant loyalty programmes.
Krispy Kreme Rewards
Krispy Kreme Rewards gives 10 Smiles for every £1 spent, whether in Krispy Kreme shops, online or on its products in supermarkets. 100 Smiles become an Original Glazed doughnut and 200 a hot drink, and once Smiles are turned into a reward, the reward doesn’t expire. Members also get a doughnut on their birthday.
Why it works. Letting customers earn wherever they buy the brand, not just in its own shops, keeps them in the programme. A reward that never expires is also the most reassuring sentence I read all week.
Membership and subscription
National Trust membership
National Trust membership is a paid yearly membership, costing £100.80 a year or £8.40 a month for an individual aged 26 or over, with cheaper rates for 18 to 25s. It includes free entry to more than 500 places and free parking at most National Trust car parks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus a handbook and a magazine three times a year.
Why it works. Members can see exactly what the fee buys, and a few visits pay it back. The scones are a matter for your own conscience.
Uber One
Uber One costs £4.99 a month or £49.99 a year. Members get free delivery on eligible Uber Eats orders over a minimum spend, and earn credits on rides, 5% on most trips and 10% on Exec and Lux. Credits expire 60 days after they’re issued.
Why it works. One fee covers savings across food delivery and travel, so members find value more than one way.
Banking and cards
We’re describing how these programmes work, not recommending financial products. Check the terms and costs before choosing any account or card.
American Express Membership Rewards
Membership Rewards comes with selected American Express cards and gives one point for every full pound of eligible spending. Points can be used for online shopping, gift cards and travel, or to reduce the card balance.
Why it works. Lots of ways to spend points means members are more likely to use them.
Revolut RevPoints
RevPoints gives up to one point per £1 of eligible spending, depending on the Revolut plan, with bonus points on some bookings. Points can be turned into airline miles with partners such as British Airways, or used for travel discounts, and members can also buy points with spare change rounded up from card payments.
Why it works. Rounding up spare change turns everyday spending into progress, without people changing how they shop.
What the best examples have in common
- Rewards that feel personal. Nectar and Sparks build offers around each member’s own shopping.
- Something good every time. M&S’s penny for charity and IKEA’s free coffee mean there’s always a small win.
- Goals people can see. Hilton and PizzaExpress make it clear how far members are from the next tier.
- Simple value. LNER’s credit in pounds is easier to grasp than abstract points.
- Earning beyond the shop. Krispy Kreme and PizzaExpress reward supermarket purchases as well.
- A fee that pays for itself. National Trust and Uber One work because members quickly get their money back.
- Doing good. Co-op, M&S and LNER all give members a way to support causes.
Which model suits your business?
Most programmes use points, tiers or a paid membership, or a mix. Our guide to types of loyalty programmes explains when each works best, our small business loyalty ideas show what works on a small budget, and our list of the best loyalty card platforms covers the tools to run one.
And if you join all twelve after reading this, you’ll need a bigger wallet. Trust me on that one.
Details checked on each brand’s own website in October 2026. Programmes change their rules often, so check the brand’s page for the latest.
Run a loyalty programme worth adding to this list? Enter it in the Online Loyalty Awards. It’s free, your customers decide, and every nominee gets its own voting page. See the categories.