What is the point of an M&S Sparks card?

[WWGD]

It’s starting to really get on my tits. The offers are rubbish and there seems no benefit in scanning it. Am I missing something?

I’ve currently got 10% off ready meals and 10% off cakes. I don’t buy either of these and I think they target you with discounts on what you wouldn’t normally buy rather than what’s regularly in your shopping basket.

I’ve just had a look at my underwhelming Sparks offers:

10% off cheese, bread, salad or chocolate.

Ten frigging percent. Whoopdedoo

I wouldn't mind 10% off cheese as I quite often buy it there. Also I do like their salads.

But honestly, the cards where you choose where to spend the points are the best. I would be really interested to know what the M&S rationale behind the shite offers is!

I have this…genuinely torn over which to get…will probably be cake 😂

I’ve not had an offer for ages. I don’t bother to scan it these days, why should I give them my data for nothing? It also gets on my pips when they email you a survey afterwards, why would I waste my time on that?

I’ve had quite a lot of nice freebies on mine, candles, room spray, Percy pigs and a free cake/loaf from the bakery now and again. Also useful when they do 20% off events, or if there’s money off what I’m planning to buy, eg: kids clothes. Also get a free coffee now and again.

No clue. And yet I scan it like a numpty every time. I know there is some way for me to get offers but every time I try to get to the bottom of it there's some issue with my password or something and I just never sort it out. Ditto Morrisons and Tesco, except they do have "card price" offers.

Waitrose now you're talking, coupons galore, free newspaper and coffee and straightforward app, though they do keep messing with it. Sainsbury's is OK and you accumulate points.

I get quite a lot of free stuff with mine, sweets or bakery usually and I’ve got a free tub of those mini cake/choc thingies to pick up this week. I also get plenty of 20% off offers - used for knickers and pyjamas recently. I like it!

They donate to charity every time you scan. That’s the high point for me

I didn’t know that. Are you serious?

I scan my card regularly and usually add offers but most of them are useless. I don’t mind them knowing my shopping habits - my main habit is to buy only if it’s a good price.
I usually spend vouchers at the cafe if out so they make a nice bonus.

It's crap it's up there with the John Lewis and Waitrose loyalty card. All rubbish.

I got 15% odd kids shoes in August which was great timing! Got school shoes and trainers for them.
But I agree wish you got points.

Yeah they are totally pointless!

Alrhough the JL one is still good if they give me a free drink and cake on my anniversary! I’m sure it used to be 3 times a year though.

My current offer is buy six sandwiches, get the seventh free - I only ever buy their sandwiches when travelling by LNER train, so offer would have expired long before I notched up six. Bah. I just scan the card to get the minuscule donation to my chosen charity, Marine Conservation.

Sparks card is as useless as the TK Max Rewards card. I don’t know why I even bother scanning those cards.

I had 15% off coats recently, good timing as I need a new one and had seen 2 or 3 I liked in M&S - not a single one of which was in stock in my size online or any store near me.

of course cake.
They do red velvet and their carrot cake is nice.

@WWGD 100% agreed. It's the worst loyalty card ever and mine often fails to work 🙄

Theres isnt one, apart from M&S collecting data on you.
I chucked mine in the bins ages ago, seemed utterly pointless with very few if any offers worth having, probably its best use was to scarp ice off my windscreen when i coudnt find my ice scrapper

Agree it’s shit. I can’t be bothered to use it or look at it. I live alone (which I thought they should have been able to work out from my spending habits) and shop little and often, and used to get offers like ‘buy 6 veg and get a 7th free’. Pointless.
Obviously it’s market research, which I wouldn’t mind if it there was some benefit to me, such as with Boots. But I’m not giving M&S more info than I need to without getting anything worthwhile in return.

So they can use your data for their own commercial interests.

It works just fine for M&S...

Oh yes, the TK Maxx one is another total letdown. After five purchases you can enter a competition? Gee, thanks.

I get great offers! I regularly get 15% off clothes and money off food shopping.

Apparently they have been testing their program this year to see what works, e.g. one test group is not to receive offers at all anymore on the sparks app. They want to see 1) if people still scan the card and 2) if they spend less money after they stop receiving offers. I stopped scanning I read this.

Let me know when you find out