Sainsbury's leave bitter taste with plans to halve Nectar reward points
Sainsbury's has announced that from April 2015 it will reducing the number of points shoppers can earn.
Currently, shoppers earn two points for every £1 they spend in Sainsbury's stores. From next April, that will be slashed to one point.
You will also no longer receive a Nectar point for reusing carrier bags.
Points accumulated up to that point will remain the same. So you won't see your current balance being cut, and the value of your points against goods in store will remain the same.
Various retailers, cinemas and restaurants take Nectar points as part payment, and some offer a better trade-in rate than the standard '500 points = £2.50' arrangement.
Boost your Nectar points balance with a rewards credit card
Why Sainsbury's is changing its Nectar points deal
Sainsbury's says that customers will still earn one point for every litre of fuel they buy, and promises "new opportunities to boost your balance faster and more value when you spend your points," citing as an example the 'Thanks a million' event.
There will also be a month-long period after the changes are introduced where shoppers can collect 10 points per litre of fuel purchased, equivalent to 5p a litre. In addition Sainsbury's will be running Christmas and Easter 'Double Up' events among other promotional activities.
However, these changes probably won't win over non-drivers, as they will not benefit from the extra fuel points and will lose half of their in-store point earnings.
A mission statement from Sainsbury's says that it "aim[s] to be the UK's greenest grocer," so it's an interesting twist that it has dropped the point incentive for customers to reuse bags and will be encouraging them to buy extra fuel instead.
What do you think about the changes? Will they discourage you from shopping at Sainsbury's? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.
Boost your Nectar points balance with a rewards credit card
Read more about Sainsbury's on AOL Money
Why you should shop at supermarkets for financial products too
Sainsbury's cuts prices - and drops Tesco from Brand Match scheme
Sainsbury's Bank launches personal loan sale - but you'll need to act fast
