Boots Advantage Card

fussyonion

Like a lot of women, I have a Boots Advantage Card which I use when I'm shopping in Boots.
As far as I know you get 4 points for every €1.

So anyway, for the past year I've been letting my points build up until I had a good amount so I could use them for my foundation. (It's €36.50-Estee Lauder)

Last week I went into Boots to buy my foundation (I only have to buy two bottles a year because it lasts so long) and I asked the girl to swipe my card to tell me how much I had on my card.
I was thinking it'd be great if I had a good amount so I could put it towards the cost of the foundation and I said this to the girl.
She swiped the card and said I had €22.50 on it.

I said "Great, can I put that towards the foundation?" and she said "No, you have to have the exact amount or more."

I was a bit surprised.
Surely it doesn't matter how much is on the card once it's being put towards/or off a product?

I spent money in the shop, ergo I built up points...is it not right that I should be able to use that money towards something?

cee_jay

With the boots advantage card, you can't spend your points in part payment towards a product, you need to have enough points to cover the total cost. See here: http://www.boots.ie/en/How-do-I-spend-my-Advantage-Card-points-_1343851/

fussyonion

I didn't realise that, cee-jay, thanks for the info.
I'll know in future, but it's a shame it's not allowed...would have been nice to pay for the make-up using the points on my card!

Toots

Were any of the products you bought baby food/formula because AFAIK they're not allowed to give promotional points on them for some reason.

fussyonion

Toots* wrote: »

Were any of the products you bought baby food/formula because AFAIK they're not allowed to give promotional points on them for some reason.

No I only buy toiletries and make-up in Boots.
At the time, last week, I was hoping to buy some foundation with the points.
I don't buy baby things at all.

cee_jay

fussyonion wrote: »

I didn't realise that, cee-jay, thanks for the info.
I'll know in future, but it's a shame it's not allowed...would have been nice to pay for the make-up using the points on my card!

It is a shame, it just means saving for that bit longer unfortunately. I have gotten quite a few expensive items with my points over the years, so letting those points build up is worth it in the long run.

Techno_Toaster

Toots* wrote: »

Were any of the products you bought baby food/formula because AFAIK they're not allowed to give promotional points on them for some reason.

afaik they don't give points in baby formula because they don't want to be seen to discouraging breast feeding. By giving loyalty points for the formula it would be seen as an incentive not to breast feed apparently

Mrs W

Its not just boots, all the supermarkets etc are not allowed to offer an incentive to buy formula. You can't get club card points on it and they're never on offer.
It only applies to stage 1 though

L1011

Will have to try dig it up, but from memory there's a list of things that you can't incentivise sale on and baby formula is one; tobacco another.

Corruptedmorals

You also don't earn points on prescriptions in Boots, understandably.

It's a fairly generous card with 4 points per euro, it's a pity about the rule - have been very close but not enough one or two times myself.

AngryLips

Boots, along with Dunnes, still offer the best loyalty programmes IMO

homemadecider

Read the terms & conditions when you sign up, then you know when is/ isn't allowed.

Fred Swanson

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