Lidl revamps loyalty app, replacing monthly freebies with points rewards

Rising food prices have put a sharper test on supermarket loyalty schemes: are they still delivering real household savings, or just turning shoppers into data-rich, digitally managed regulars? Lidl’s answer in the UK arrived on 5 May 2026, when Lidl Plus Points replaced Coupon Plus in UK stores, shifting the rewards model from monthly spend thresholds to a straight points system.

Under the new structure, shoppers earn 1 Lidl Plus point for every £1 spent in store. Lidl says those points can be exchanged for selected products or money-off coupons, and its customer-care pages say the scheme launched on 5 May with rewards redeemable through the app. The retailer says the change followed customer feedback and is meant to give shoppers more flexibility over how they save. Lidl’s UK site now promotes the points scheme alongside weekly deals, in-app offers and other “activations”, keeping Lidl Plus central to the chain’s digital sales strategy.

The old Coupon Plus setup was more prescriptive, but it was also easy to understand. Shoppers could unlock a free in-store bakery item after spending £10 in a month, a free fruit or vegetable item at £50, a free Fin Carré chocolate bar at £100, a free Alesto nuts or dried fruit pack at £150, and 10% off the next shop at £250. That top reward was capped at £20. Coupon Plus terms also gave shoppers only 7 days after receipt to use a coupon, and any returns or refunds were deducted from the month’s qualifying spend. For inflation-stretched families trying to shave pounds off a weekly shop, those fixed monthly freebies had the feel of tangible savings rather than abstract points.

Not everyone will see the new version as an upgrade. Some shoppers have already pushed back, saying the points system feels less generous and may require more spending to reach similar value. One consumer guide estimated the old Coupon Plus tiers could return up to 8% at the highest spend level, compared with the new scheme’s 1 point per £1 spent. The shift also lands in a crowded loyalty market, where Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar continue to shape what shoppers expect from supermarket rewards.

For Lidl, though, the move fits a broader digital push. The company says its active Lidl Plus user base has grown by more than a third, helped by investment in the app and the rollout of Lidl Pay. That suggests Lidl sees loyalty not just as a discount mechanism, but as a long-term channel for retention, pricing power and customer insight. In a grocery market still defined by food-price pressure, the question is whether shoppers will value flexibility enough to accept fewer obvious freebies.