Supermarket Loyalty Cards and Your Data: What Tesco Knows and How to Shop More Privately
Why Loyalty Cards Exist
Supermarket loyalty cards are designed to:
- Encourage repeat shopping
- Track buying habits
- Enable personalised pricing and promotions
Savings are the incentive. Data is the trade-off.
What Data Do Supermarkets Collect?
When you scan a loyalty card, supermarkets can track:
- Product preferences
- Household spending patterns
- Price sensitivity
- Promotion effectiveness
Over time, this builds a detailed picture of your shopping behaviour.
Is This Data Dangerous?
Not necessarily — but it is valuable.
Customer data influences:
- Dynamic pricing
- Targeted promotions
- Stock and supplier decisions
Some consumers are comfortable with this. Others prefer to limit how much data they share.
How to Shop More Privately
Options include:
- Paying without loyalty cards
- Avoiding personalised offers
- Using third-party tools that provide discounts without profiling
For Tesco shoppers, EasyClubcard is one such option — allowing access to Clubcard prices without linking purchases to a personal account.
Related reading:
Why Tesco Clubcard Prices Push People to Sign Up
Final Thoughts
Loyalty cards aren’t just about savings anymore — they’re about data. Understanding that trade-off helps you decide how much convenience you’re willing to exchange for privacy.