Does coffee shop loyalty pay?

GAETAN BALLY/PA

We love our coffee. In fact, we love it so much we spent a whopping £1.9 billion at coffee chains in the 12 months to August 2011, according to figures from insurer LV=.

Most of us who pay for our daily caffeine fix know we could save a packet by making it ourselves, but the convenience and superior taste keeps us forking out around £2.70 a time at our favourite cafes. So just what do we get in return?