£17 million of unspent Tesco Clubcard vouchers will expire this month, but there's a trick to extend them – here's how

Below we explain what you need to know. For further info, see our guide on how to reclaim and boost Tesco vouchers to get the most from the scheme.

How to check if your Clubcard vouchers are due to expire

Clubcard holders earn one point for each pound spent at Tesco. Every point is then worth a penny in vouchers, which you receive every three months with your Clubcard statement, to spend in store. You can also request your vouchers within 24 hours through the Faster Vouchers scheme.

But Clubcard vouchers are only valid for two years. If you're unsure when yours expire, and you've still got them in paper format, check the validity on the voucher itself.

If you've lost your vouchers, or are unsure if you have any in the first place, you can check via the Tesco Clubcard site or app. Here's how:

• To check via the website... go to the Tesco Clubcard website, select 'My Clubcard' and then 'Vouchers'. You'll need to be registered for a Tesco.com account and must know your Clubcard number, which is printed on Clubcards and Clubcard key fobs. You should then be able to see a table listing your available vouchers and their expiry dates. 

• To check via the app... open it up (if you don't have it, you can download it on Apple or Android), then go to the 'Vouchers' section.

Once you've found your vouchers, you can spend them online using the code provided – or, if you plan to spend in store, you can print the vouchers off or scan the barcode available on the app at checkout. 

Though bear in mind you can get the biggest boost to your points' value by exchanging vouchers for Clubcard Reward Partner* tokens. These are then worth up to three times their value when spent at selected retailers, for example, on train tickets, bicycles, jewellery and more. For full info on how to boost your vouchers' value, including our top 10 partner picks, see boost your points to get max value.

Trick to extend Clubcard vouchers

While Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years, if yours are expiring but you don't want to use them yet, there's a crafty way you can extend their expiry date for another two years, but you must do so before 11.59pm on Tuesday 31 May. Here's how it works:

• Make a small purchase

   

  on the Tesco Clubcard Rewards* page 

  (not in store or on other Tesco pages) and the remaining balance is credited back to your Clubcard account as points.

• They'll then be reissued as new vouchers

   

  (with an expiry date up to two years in the future) when you next get a batch. So if you spend 50p using a £10 Clubcard voucher, you'll get £9.50 back as new vouchers.

• There's no minimum spend, but the aim's to shell out as little as possible.

   

  A good option might be a 50p restaurant voucher* (worth £1.50 at your chosen restaurant).

Note that you'll need to do this for each individual voucher though, so weigh up if it's actually worth it for smaller denominations. For example, if you've a £10 voucher it's probably worth it – if you've got a handful of £1 vouchers, maybe less so.