Lidl Plus Loyalty Scheme Update adds points and changes rewards

Lidl’s lidl plus loyalty scheme update came into force on Tuesday, replacing reward coupons with points for shoppers in the supermarket’s loyalty programme. Under the new system, £1 spent equals one point, and Lidl said the change follows customer feedback.

The company said the update offers shoppers “even better value” and “offers a brand new way for shoppers to save even more on their weekly essentials and middle aisle finds.” But some customers said the scheme feels less generous than before, when £250 in a month could unlock 10% off vouchers.

Tuesday points change

Lidl said customers will “consistently be earning more than one point per £1” because of campaigns including double points, triple points, and free points on selected products. That leaves the day-to-day structure simple on paper: spend, collect points, and work toward rewards rather than waiting for coupon thresholds.

Several shoppers compared the new set-up with the old one. One customer said they would now need to spend a lot more to get a free bakery treat than under the previous £10 in a month offer. Another said £250 worth of shopping used to get 10% off the next shop.

Lidl Plus value debate

Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said, “While it feels less generous up front to the shopper, it will be more controllable in the longer term and will allow Lidl to reward shoppers at important moments in the year.” Her comment points to the trade-off inside the new system: a more flexible points model for Lidl, but a change in how customers judge the value of their shop.

One customer summed up the difference by calculating that the new scheme now gives them a loaf of bread and a cucumber. The previous structure linked rewards to fixed spending thresholds; the new one changes that calculation into points, and shoppers will see the result in how quickly they reach benefits.

Competition and Markets Authority

The change comes after the Competition and Markets Authority investigated loyalty systems used by many supermarkets in 2024. The watchdog found customers can almost always make a genuine saving on the usual price by buying loyalty priced products, and it said supermarkets could do more to make sure that those without smartphones and under-18s were able to use their loyalty schemes.

For Lidl customers, the immediate shift is practical: reward coupons are out, points are in, and the pace of earning now depends on both regular spending and Lidl’s extra-point campaigns. Shoppers comparing their receipts with the old system will be measuring value in points rather than vouchers.