Best ways to collect and spend Boots Advantage points

If you shop at Boots, are you making the most from your points?

Anyone who regularly shops at Boots should be collecting Advantage points on their spending, but there are ways to get extra points and rules on how you can spend them.

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How Boots Advantage works

Boots Advantage is the loyalty scheme for Boots and Boots.com. You can earn points or get special prices via it. If you don’t use your card within a four-year period the Advantage account will be closed.

How to join Boots Advantage

It’s free to join. This can be set up in-store, on the Boots app or online on the Boots website. You’ll get sent a card to use to take advantage.

How to collect Boots Advantage points

You collect points when you scan your card at the till or when you’ve connected it to your online Boots account. There are also ways to earn additional points, which I’ll go into later.

How to get Boots Price Advantage

Price Advantage gives Advantage cardholders discounted prices on selected products. Prices will automatically be reduced online, but you’ll have to show your card in-store. You’ll get these discounts on top of any points you earn.

From early May 2023 this includes a 10% discount on Boots own brand items.

What are Boots Advantage points worth?

It’s a very simple valuation for Boots points – each point you earn is worth 1p. So you need 100 points to have £1 and so on. Here’s a quick look at some valuations:

• 1 Advantage point = 1p
• 2 Advantage points = 2p
• 100 Advantage points = £1
• 250 Advantage points = £2.50
• 500 Boots Advantage points = £5
• 1,000 Boots Advantage points = £10
• 2,500 Boots Advantage points = £25
• 5,000 Boots Advantage points = £50

How many Advantage points do you earn?

From 9 May 2023 the number of points you’ll earn when you spend reduced to 3 per £1 (previously it was 4). This means using your card gives you 3p back on a quid, which is the equivalent of 3%. That’s much better than loyalty schemes such as Clubcard and Nectar.

Here’s a quick look at what you’d expect to make:

• Spend £1 get 3 points = 3p
• Spend £10 get 30 points = 30p
• Spend £50 get 150 points = £1.50
• Spend £100 get 300 points = £3

Using Boots Advantage points

The only way to use your points is on Boots purchases in-store or online. You can’t exchange them for other retailers or boost their value.

Is there a minimum number of points needed?

To use the points on your purchases you need at least 100 points, worth £1. They can only be redeemed in Boots – there are no extra retailers that accept the points.

You also need to pay in full for your purchase with points, so this either means collecting them for a while so there’s enough to cover the full price, splitting your basket in two, or using them on cheaper items.

How to check your balance

When you log in online, select your account. Right at the top, under your name, will be your current balance and how much they are worth.

You’ll also be able to delve a little further and see points statements, detailing earnings and spending, though only the last 50 transactions will show.

You can also find your latest balance on your receipts if you buy in Boots shops.

When do Advantage points expire?

You need to use your card once a year to prevent points from expiring. Note this is use the card rather than use the points. So if you don’t have enough points to cover a purchase that’s fine, just remember to use the card each year.

Extra ways to earn Advantage points

Get points “coupons” on your online account

Within your online Boots account, there’s a section called “Boots Advantage card” on the left-hand side. Click this and then select “Just for me” under “My offers”

You’ll see a range of offers which regularly change. Some are generic, e.g. 400 extra points when you spend £40. Others are specific to products or ranges, e.g. 150 points when you buy 2 No7 Suncare items.

These need to be added to your card by hitting the “Load to Advantage Card” button on each one. Often you can combine these coupons in a single shop, though check terms and conditions for exemptions.

Get double or extra points on Advantage events

These ways to get more Advantage points used to be on all the time, but they’re less common now and sometimes work differently.

The best ones were double and triple points events, though they’ve largely been replaced by offers giving £10 worth of points (1,000) on spending over £50 (£60 online). Sometimes this offer has been restricted to electrical items.

It’s worth keeping an eye on emails from Boots to see if these offers are happening.

Download the Boots app

Not only will you see your personalised offers in the app, but you’ll also get 200 points (worth £2) for downloading it and signing in.

Get receipts validated

If you’ve forgotten to bring your Advantage card with you (you can avoid this by getting the Boots app or by adding it to your phone’s digital wallet) then make sure you ask the cashier to validate your receipt. This means you can go back with your card within 30 days to get the points added to your account.

Sign up for over 60s Rewards

Any Boots Advantage customer aged 60 or above should sign up for the Over 60s Rewards club (it’s free). This will earn you double points on Boot’s own-brand products. You’ll also get sent regular extra offers.

Sign up for Boots Parenting Club

Similarly, there’s a club for parents of kids under 5 or for those who are pregnant. You’ll get 8 points per £1 spent on baby products, with the exception of infant milk.