Best ways to boost your Nectar points 2024

New Nectar promotion allows shoppers to earn up to 1,000 bonus points by taking part in personalised fruit and veg challenges. We explain how it works and reveal six more ways you can boost your Nectar points haul.

Great Fruit and Veg Challenge (ends 17 September)

Nectar has relaunched its annual challenge that gives you the chance to earn bonus points when shopping for fruit and vegetables at Sainsbury’s.

Running until 17 September, the promotion allows you to earn up to 1,000 bonus points when you complete personalised ‘portion’ challenges.

If you’d like to take part, you’ll need to sign up via the Nectar app.

You’ll then receive challenges based on your previous shopping habits – in effect, you’ll be rewarded for increasing the amount of fruit and veg you typically buy.

To make sure a purchase counts towards your challenge, you’ll need to scan your Nectar app at the checkout or link your app to your online grocery account.

Once you have completed a task, Sainsbury’s will add your bonus points to your account, in addition to the points you’ve earned for your usual shopping.

You can track your progress in the challenge through the app.

Fill up for less

Every now and then, Sainsbury's will run promotions where you can save big on fuel.

The catch is you need to spend a set amount in Sainsbury's to qualify, but you can save up to 10p a litre on fuel as a result. 

These promotions don't tend to last very long and you only get a few days' notice before they launch, so you need to act fast when you see them pop up.

We'll generally let our newsletter readers know when one's about to launch, so if you've not done so, consider signing up.

If you want to save even more when you fill up, read our guide to getting cheap petrol or diesel.

Rack up Nectar points with reward credit cards

You can earn Nectar points wherever you shop if you sign up for the right credit card.

The American Express Nectar Credit Card (representative APR 37.8%) allows you to earn two Nectar points for virtually every £1 you spend, which increases to at least three points when you shop at Nectar partners with your credit card and loyalty card.

If you spend £2,000 in your first three months, you’ll also bag a bonus 20,000 Nectar points.

The card costs £30 a year, but American Express currently waives the fee for the initial 12 months.

Take advantage of sales

Of course, you can save a fair amount by staying on top of sales and discounts.

Sainsbury's has previously run sales for specific areas such as baby care products.

Keep an eye on loveMONEY's daily newsletter and our weekly roundup of top supermarket deals to ensure you're not missing out.

Book a holiday

You can get a bunch of Nectar points when booking your next holiday, if you do it in the right way. 

For example, book your hotel through Nectar Hotels ‒ which is run with Booking.com ‒ and collect points based on your stay. You can collect up to 2,000 points per night. 

Answer surveys

There are even ways to boost your Nectar balance, which don’t involve having to spend money.

Nectar Canvass offers users the chance to earn Nectar points simply by answering surveys. It’s absolutely free to sign up too.

Use Nectar eShops

You can collect Nectar points on your online shopping, in much the same way that you can earn cashback from sites such as Quidco.

Just go to the Nectar eShop website, search for the brand that you want to shop with, then follow the link over to that retailer.

Your transaction will be tracked and you'll get points back based on your purchases.