Nectar points

Sainsbury's has added a new 'Spend Lock' feature to its Nectar loyalty app that prevents your points from being redeemed without your knowledge. It follows a spate of complaints in recent months from shoppers claiming their points had been stolen.

If you have a Nectar card, you may be able to earn a few quid's worth of extra points over the next few weeks, as Sainsbury's has brought back its 'shop for points' promotion for some members. Unlike most other offers of this type, where you need to buy specific items, all you need to do here is spend £1 or more at a time in a few separate transactions. So it's a no-brainer if you were planning to do that anyway.

If you have a Nectar card, you may be able to earn a few quid's worth of extra points this month, as Sainsbury's is running a limited new promotion – though millions of shoppers can still get it. Unlike most other offers of this type, where you need to buy specific items, all you need to do here is spend £1 or more at a time in a few separate transactions. So it's a no-brainer if you were planning to do that anyway.

If you collect Avios – the reward currency of the British Airways 'Executive Club' loyalty scheme – and you're planning to convert them into Nectar points, you should make the swap before Monday 11 March. From this date, the value of Avios being converted to Nectar will be slashed. But only do this if you're sure you won't use your Avios for reward flights, as that can be much more lucrative.

Sainsbury's has quietly relaunched its popular Nectar 'double-up' promotion for some shoppers. The offer, now called 'Points Power Up', lets you swap your points for vouchers worth twice the normal amount. However, it's only open to some Nectar cardholders this year. Here's what you need to know.

Loyalty giant Nectar has launched a new scheme called Nectar Connect, which lets you link your account to a debit or credit card and earn bonus points when spending at selected partners, such as Costa Coffee, Just Eat and Interflora. You'll need to be comfortable sharing your bank data though and must actively opt in to offers.

Sainsbury's has promised to give shoppers who missed out on its in-store points promotion £5 in Nectar points. It comes after MoneySavingExpert.com pushed the supermarket to ensure shoppers who met the minimum spend for Saturday's promotion didn't go empty-handed after a "technical error" meant vouchers weren't issued. We had threatened to report the supermarket if it didn't help shoppers.

Nectar cardholders can get between 50 and 5,000 extra points – worth 25p to £25 – when shopping at Sainsbury's tomorrow (Saturday 4 February). But you'll need to spend at least £20 and do so at a larger store, as the offer is not available at any of Sainsbury's 800 Local outlets. Here's what you need to know.

If you collect Avios and were planning to convert your rewards currency into Nectar points, you should do so before 16 November when the value of the conversion is set to plummet. Below we explain what's changing, and what you can do about it. 

If you have a Sainsbury's credit card and use it to earn Nectar points, you have just one week until the supermarket cuts the number of points you earn when shopping at the retailer. From 1 November, you'll get just one Nectar point for every £2 spent at Sainsbury's.