Boots Advantage Card

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I feel Boots only have one main competitor and that is Superdrug. Superdrug doesn't seem to carry such a large range as Boots but are slightly cheaper. Due to having a larger selection of products they also draw in customers by having a loyalty card, the Boots Advantage card.

I got my cards years ago and over the years the amount I have spent in Boots has changed. It has gone up and down; when I was living at home I hardly ...
...into Boots to get everything I needed cosmetically. When I left home, I had to be stricter where I was spending my money so used to look around for the best deals at the times for things like deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, etc, etc. Then I had my little girl I started using Boots a lot more due to the offers available to me. Now she is a toddler/child I don't shop there as often as it easier to buy things from the local supermarket when doing my ... more

We all know companies want are business and want to keep are business. One of the best ways they have found is by using loyalty cards, you spend money in their shops, their give you points and you can convert you points in to gifts.

I feel Boots only have one main competitor and that is Superdrug. Superdrug doesn't seem to carry such a large range as Boots but are slightly cheaper. Due to having a larger selection of products they also draw in customers by having a loyalty card, the Boots Advantage card.

I got my cards years ago and over the years the amount I have spent in Boots has changed. It has gone up and down; when I was living at home I hardly went in to a supermarket so I would regularly go into Boots to get everything I needed cosmetically. When I left home, I had to be stricter where I was spending my money so used to look around for the best deals at the times for things like deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, etc, etc. Then I had my little girl I started using Boots a lot more due to the offers available to me. Now she is a toddler/child I don't shop there as often as it easier to buy things from the local supermarket when doing my weekly shop, unless they have a better deal on and I am passing a store.

How to get started
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There are two ways you can get your advantage card, you can either apply on line or pick up a leaflet from a boots store.

When you apply on line you fill in your relevant details and within 2-3 weeks they will send you Boots advantage card. If you can not wait that long you can start collect points straight away by picking up a leaflet in a store. You fill in your personal details like name, address, date of birth, email etc, etc, and send it off, no need for a stamp as it is prepaid. You should receive your card within 2-3 weeks but in the mean time when you get a piece of card the same size as the Boots advantage card and looks the same which comes with your leaflet to use in the stores and as you already know your Boots advantage card number you can order on-line and collect points.

What you get
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Like most reward cards, you get a credit card size card. It s white in colour and has the Boots logo in the middle taking just over half of the top half of the card. In the bottom left hand corner it has your name and account number printed in the card in black. In the bottom right hand corner is says "advantage card time to treat yourself" in a purple/pink colour, with the advantage symbol above it in the same colour. The best way to describe the symbol is a flower made up of ovals.

On the back of the card there is a place for you to sign, and some information about the card, usually jargon you get on these type of cards. I never know why they ask you to sign the back as I have never been asked to sign something when redeeming my points to check it is me redeeming the points.

You also get a copy of the terms and conditioners, which if you want to read if not don't worry I doubt there is anything in there you can not figure out while using the card. It does give you suggestions on how you can spend your points though, which is handy.

How to use your card
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To use the card is very easy, every time you go into the shop just hand over your card to the cashier before you pay and the points goes on to your card. Don't panic if you don't have you card with you when you go in as you can get them to validate your receipt, so next time you go in there take the receipt and the card to a cashier and they can put the points on to your card as long as it is within 28 days.

You can even collect points on-line. When you register you will be asked for your advantage card number so that the relevant points can be added to your account, it also means that you don't have to type in your account details each time you order.

You can not collect points on certain items; these include baby formula milk, prescribed medication, gift vouchers, stamps and mobile top up vouchers.

For every 25p in Boots you get 1point and every point is worth a penny.

How do you know how points you have got
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Each time you go into Boots and you buy an item you current points will be stated at the bottom of the receipt and how much you have to spend. You can check by using the advantage machines in the stores, just pop you r card in to the machine and it will tell you how many points you have and how much you have to spend. Alternatively, if your account is registered on line you can check how many points you have on-line.

How to get bonus/extra points
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Every so often you will find that they have special offers on like, triple points, buy this and get extra points or spend so much and you get extra points.

Also if you pop your card into the advantage card machines, you can print offers which are available at the moment and sometimes they have offers if you spend a certain amount in store you can get extra points and you are not restricted to certain products (part from the ones you cannot collect points from).

Extra cards and lost cards
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You can not get an extra card to get extra points. If you loose your cards you can simple ring them or log on to the website if you are registered to order a new card. Just simple give them your name and address when you phone up and they should be able to find you on the system, they stop the original card so no one can spend your points and send you a new card with a new account number and all your points transferred to your new account. Alternatively if you are registered online, just log on to the website and they is section to report your card lost or stolen and they will do the same fro you this way, stop the original card so no one can spend your points and send you a new card with a new account number and all your points transferred to your new account.

Updating your details
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To update your details on your account can be done two ways either on line or by using advantage machine within the Boots stores. Just put your card in the advantage card machine and use the touch screen to enter your new details. Alternatively your can log on to your account online and change your personal details. I would advise you to do this as they do send your special offers through the post every so often to get money off items or extra points.

What can you get
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You can buy almost anything within the Boots using your points, just look out for a * on the ticket next to the price, if it appears you can pay for it using this. This includes anything from toothpaste to children toys to experience packs. There are some items which you can not buy using your points, like medications, phone vouchers and infants milk but you can buy certain follow on milk, we used SMA follow on milk and I could buy this using my advantage points card.

Even if items are on special offer, like buy one get one free, you can buy these using your points, saving your even more money.

How to turn your points into gifts for yourself or other people
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It is quiet easy to use your card, pick up the item you want from the shelf, take it to the cashier and tell them you want to use your card to pay for the item and they will then take the appropriate points from your card. Though you can not pay for an item part points and part cash, it has to be paid fully by points.

At present you can not pay for things over the net using your points.

Conclusion
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I have cut down on using this card in the last year mainly as it is easier to do my all my shopping at the local supermarket and I don't need so much baby products. Though at Christmas it does get used a lot as Boots have a 3 for 2 offers.

When I was pregnant and up to when my daughter was 2 years old, I would buy all her baby stuff from here, as it would be spend £25 or £35 and get a 1000 bonus points. I think this a good return. So I would go in and buy a load of wipes, usual on buy one get one free, her nappies, baby lotion, etc etc. This meant when I was short of money I knew I had money on my card to buy her things which she needed. Now it mainly gets used at Christmas time when I buy presents, Christmas cards and wrapping paper, which are usually all 3 for 2. Plus as I usually order over the net I get bonus points anything between 600 and 2000 depending on the offer at the time. Now I usually use the points to buy myself a sandwich while I am out on weekends during the year.

Overall if you buy your toiletries from here or you a mum with young children or pregnant then it is worth having as you can build up your points pretty quickly and the return can be quiet good at times. I will be definitely being doing my baby shopping here again if I have another little baby (wishful thinking at the moment).

Over 3 years I had about £75 each year to spend within the store during the year and I would say that I had spent no more than a £750 each year that is a return of 10%. I feel this is a large return and that it is a better return than other loyalty cards available at the moment, for instance you have to spend £250 in any stores that accept the nectar card to get 500 points which can be converted to a voucher worth £2.50, which is only a return of 1%.

www.boots.com
 

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