New 'sustainable' loyalty scheme launched for Mastercard customers

The programme – run by a company called Ice – is free to join for all Mastercard users in the UK, and you'll be able to collect and spend points when shopping at participating retailers. The rewards offered will be in addition to any points or cashback available from your credit card company.

No major supermarkets are included in the Mastercard scheme, but travel operators Tui and First Choice, restaurant chain Harvester, over 300 pubs and outdoor adventure company Go Ape are among the businesses included.

See our Credit Card Rewards guide for more tips on how to get cashback, points or flights when you spend.

How does the scheme work?

You can collect points when shopping at Ice's selected retailers for its Mastercard scheme, which must have 'environmentally conscious business models'. It's worth noting the Mastercard scheme is different from the general Ice loyalty scheme which has been running for a while and can be used by non-Mastercard customers.

The amount of points you get varies from retailer to retailer, and depends on how much you spend. At Harvester for example, you collect one point for every £1 you spend if your purchase is £24 or less, and two points per £1 if you spend more than £100.

When it comes to spending your points, they are worth at least a penny, but again this varies between retailers, and is also dependent on how much you spend.

So at Harvester, if you spend £24 or less, the chain will double the value of points, so one 'double point' equals 2p. If you make a £24 purchase, you'd get a discount of 48p, using up 24 'double points'.

However, unlike other schemes, there is no minimum amount of points you have to build up before making a purchase – you can spend as little as one point.

So if spending £24 or less at Harvester, you could use one point to get 2p off your bill.

You can also get 150 points to spend by using the code WELCOME150 when you join.

Is it worth it?

While the scheme is not as generous as some credit card providers' loyalty schemes, the big boon is that it will work alongside these.

As always, you shouldn't let a loyalty scheme dictate where you shop, but if you're a Mastercard holder and were planning on making purchases with these retailers anyway, you can sign up and get points to use as a bonus.

Ice has also said it's planning to expand the scheme to include other retailers.

How do I sign up to the scheme?

To join the scheme, register your Mastercard credit card and begin collecting points at the selected retailers. You can see the full list here.

When you buy something you'll receive an email or text from Ice, usually instantly, asking you if you want to collect or spend your points – and if you wish to spend, how many points you wish to spend.

If you don't reply within five days, Ice will default to you collecting the points.