Tesco, Sainsbury's, Lidl and Boots customers warned they may be ‘excluded’ from cheaper prices

The consumer group has raised concerns that vulnerable individuals, including young carers and homeless people, are being "excluded" from accessing lower prices offered by popular loyalty programmes.

These exclusions stem from factors often beyond shoppers' control, such as minimum age requirements, the need for a UK address, and digital access needs.

Which? warns that, depending on where they shop, a 17-year-old single parent may be unable to get discounts on baby food, while a homeless person could face higher prices for meal deals.

Customers must be 18 or over to join schemes at Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose, while Co-op and Morrisons set the minimum age at 16.

Boots emphasised its commitment to providing value for all customers, stating that anyone aged 13 or above with a UK postal address can join their Advantage Card scheme. Superdrug also allow shoppers as young as 13 to access their programmes.

Some retailers offer alternatives for younger consumers. Co-op and Sainsbury's provide junior memberships or allow under-16s to be added to a parent or guardian's account.

Address requirements and digital access needs also vary between retailers, potentially creating additional barriers for certain groups of shoppers.

Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: "Our research shows there are differences between supermarkets and retailers and their loyalty schemes, which mean some people could miss out on the lower prices offered because of factors such as minimum age requirements and needing an email address.

"All retailers should prioritise making their best deals accessible to all customers by implementing changes to their conditions for signing up."

Co-op clarified that individuals of any age can become members, with those under 16 requiring parental permission, while Lidl defended its 16-year-old age restriction, explaining that there are legal requirements for certain promotions within its app.

Sainsbury's Nectar scheme spokesperson highlighted multiple sign-up options to ensure an easy and convenient sign-up process for customers to join Nectar. These include on the website or mobile app, registering in-store with one of the colleagues, or contacting the Nectar helpline team over the phone.

Tesco boasted that Clubcard users can save £360 annually, with 22 million UK households already benefiting. Waitrose defended its digital approach, stating it allows for personalised offers and quick, secure benefit sharing. Their age and address requirements are in line with those of some other retailers and reflect store locations.

Morrisons emphasised its commitment to customer value, citing price matching with Aldi and Lidl, alongside their More Card benefits.

Which? compiled a table of loyalty scheme requirements, revealing varied age limits from 13 to 18, differing address requirements, and some schemes necessitating digital access.

• Boots - customers need to be 13, a UK resident, and no digital access is needed
• Co-op - customers need to be 16 (or junior membership for any age if under 16 and using a card purchased by parents). There are no address requirements or digital access necessary.
• Lidl - customers need to be 18, and there are no address requirements, however, customers will need digital access to download the app, and need a phone number and email address.
• Morrisons - customers need to be 16, UK residents, and there is no digital access required
• Sainsbury’s (Nectar) - customers need to be 18 (except where they are an additional collector on the Nectar account of a parent or guardian), they also need a UK address. There is no digital access required as physical cards are available. If a customer contacts the Nectar helpline they can be registered without an email address.
• Superdrug - customers need to be 13, a UK resident (someone does not need an actual address), and there are no digital requirements
• Tesco - customers need to be 18, have a UK address, and there are no digital requirements
• Waitrose - customers need to be 18, and a resident of England, Scotland, Wales, or the Channel Islands. and the need to have access to the internet and an email address to sign up

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As the cost of living continues to rise, access to discounted prices through loyalty schemes becomes increasingly important for budget-conscious shoppers.

The consumer group's call for retailers to make their best deals more accessible to all customers underscores the need for a more inclusive approach to loyalty programmes.