Your Grocery Points Can Now Pay for Your Uber

If you have ever let a stack of Nectar points quietly expire because you could not be bothered to spend them at the till, the scheme's latest move is worth paying attention to.

Nectar has partnered with Uber and Uber Eats, meaning members can now exchange their points for Uber vouchers directly through the Nectar app, with the credit landing automatically in their Uber account for use on rides or food delivery orders.

How it works

Through the Nectar app, you can choose how many points to redeem in a single transaction, with options ranging from 500 to 4,000 points, equivalent to between £2.50 and £20. Once swapped, the voucher sits in your Uber app and applies automatically at checkout, whether you are booking a ride or ordering a takeaway. Your voucher is valid for 12 months, and your email address or mobile number needs to match across both your Nectar and Uber accounts for the transfer to work.

The conversion rate is fixed at 0.5p per Nectar point, which is the same rate applied to most other Nectar redemption partners. You are not getting a premium by going down the Uber route, but you are not losing anything either. The real benefit is flexibility. If you do not fly frequently enough to make Avios worthwhile, or you simply prefer a Friday night takeaway over a supermarket discount, this gives your points a genuinely useful new outlet.

For anyone who orders through Uber Eats regularly or uses Uber rides for commuting or nights out, the maths is straightforward: points you were already earning on your weekly shop can now quietly chip away at costs you were paying anyway.

The bigger picture for consumers

Loyalty schemes have long been better at accumulating points than making them easy to spend. The Nectar-Uber deal is a small but meaningful step in the other direction, connecting the routine moment of buying groceries to the rather more enjoyable moment of having dinner delivered to your door without reaching for your wallet.

If your points have been gathering dust, now might be the time to check your balance.