How to boost your Nectar points

New Nectar promotion allows shoppers to double the value of their points, but not everyone will be able to take part. We explain how it works and reveal seven more ways you can boost your Nectar points haul over time.

Double the value of your points with Points Power Up: ends 24 November

Nectar has relaunched its ‘Points Power Up’ promotion, which allows shoppers to get more from their Nectar points.

The scheme provides shoppers with a way to trade the points for vouchers which can be used at Sainsbury’s for twice the face value.

So if you’ve got enough points for a £5 voucher, you can instead turn them into a £10 voucher to spend with the supermarket.

Not everyone can take advantage

There are a few important downsides to bear in mind here.

Firstly, the scheme isn’t open to all Nectar members.

While the scheme has said that thousands can access it, they haven’t confirmed precisely how many, so you’ll need to check whether you can take advantage.

You can do this through the app or online, though it’s only through the app that you can actually convert the points for double the value.

In order to convert your points through the Points Power Up you’ll also need a minimum of 2,000 points, while you also only have until 24 November to take advantage so you need to move quickly too.

However, you will have a month to use the vouchers from when you convert them, so while you need to act now in order to double up the value of those points, you don’t need to spend those vouchers immediately.

If you're looking for even more ways to boost your Nectar points, read on to see our top tips. 

Note: the rest of this article is a classic loveMONEY guide that regular readers will likely have seen before.

Fill up for less

Every now and then Sainsbury's will run promotions where you can save big on fuel.

The catch is you need to spend a set amount in Sainsbury's to qualify, but you can save up to 10p a litre on fuel as a result. 

These promotions don't tend to last very long and you only get a few days' notice before they launch, so you need to act fast when you see them pop up.

We'll generally let our newsletter readers know when one's about to launch, so if you've not done so, consider signing up.

If you want to save even more when you fill up, read our guide to getting cheap petrol or diesel.

Rack up Nectar points with reward credit cards

There are a host of credit cards tied into the Nectar scheme that allow you to build up your points total, no matter where you spend your money.

Sainsbury's Bank has a host of credit cards that will give you three points per £2 spent at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing, as well as one point for every £5 you spend elsewhere.

Bear in mind that these are credit cards, so you'll need to be able to pay it off in full each month to avoid hefty interest charges

Read our round up of the best reward credit cards

Take advantage of sales

Of course, you can save a fair amount to staying on top of sales and discounts.

Sainsbury's has previously run sales for specific areas such as baby care products.

Keep an eye on loveMONEY's daily newsletter and our weekly roundup of top supermarket deals to ensure you're not missing out.

Take out Sainsbury’s financial products

Aside from credit cards, Sainsbury’s Bank offers a number of financial products, including home insurance, pet insurance, car insurance and life insurance.

If you take out one of these products, you can get double Nectar points on your shopping and fuel at Sainsbury’s.

This applies until you cancel your policy, miss a payment or don’t renew your policy with the same level of cover.

The more products you take out, the more you can boost your points, but it’s almost certainly not worth taking out such a product just for the sake of extra Nectar points.

Make sure you shop around for the best insurance policy, irrespective of whether you get extra Nectar points on top.

Book a holiday

You can get a bunch of Nectar points when booking your next holiday, if you do it in the right way. 

For example, book your hotel through Nectar Hotels ‒ which is run with Booking.com ‒ you collect points based on your stay. You can collect up to 2,000 points per night. 

Answer surveys

There are even ways to boost your Nectar balance which don’t involve having to spend money.

Nectar Canvass offers users the chance to earn Nectar points simply by answering surveys. It’s absolutely free to sign up too.

Use Nectar eShops

You can collect Nectar points on your online shopping, in much the same way that you can earn cashback from sites like Quidco.

Just go to the Nectar eShop website, search for the brand that you want to shop with, then follow the link over to that retailer.

Your transaction will be tracked and you'll get points back based on your purchases.