Seven ways to make loyalty rewards work harder for you

Quote: The trick is to let your everyday spending earn rewards, not to let rewards dictate your spending. When used wisely, they can help make every rand work a little harder — Sarah Nicholson, JustMoney head of customer experience

With the cost of living squeezing household budgets, every rand counts — but shoppers could be missing out on savings by not using loyalty programmes wisely.

Loyalty programmes can help consumers cut everyday costs through discounts, points, vouchers and other rewards. But experts warn that chasing points can defeat the purpose if it encourages people to spend more than they planned.

JustMoney’s 2025 Money & Me survey found that 71% of respondents choose where to shop based on special offers rather than automatically returning to the same supermarket .

The popularity of loyalty programmes is also growing. According to the Truth & BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper 2025/26, about 85% of South Africans belong to loyalty programmes, up from 82% the previous year.

The average number of programmes held by each consumer also increased to 10.4 in 2025 — more than double the figure recorded a decade ago.

But having a wallet full of loyalty cards or a phone packed with shopping apps does not automatically mean you are saving money.

Head of customer experience at JustMoney, Sarah Nicholson, said consumers need to be strategic.

“The best loyalty programme isn’t the one with the biggest rewards — it’s the one that complements your budget,” she said.

“If you use points strategically, savings add up. But if you’re spending more just to earn points, you’re defeating the purpose.”

If most of your money goes towards groceries, fuel, banking, health care or travel, prioritise programmes that reward you for those purchases.

There is little benefit in joining a programme simply because it offers attractive rewards if you rarely use the company.

Some offer an immediate discount at the till, while others allow customers to collect points and redeem them later.

“Before signing up, find out how points are earned, which products or services are excluded, whether there are spending thresholds, when rewards expire, whether there are membership fees and what the rewards are actually worth,” said Nicholson.