Tesco has said it has 'simplified' its Clubcard rewards scheme to make it more straightforward to use amid criticism that customers will gain less from their points and were given no prior warning.

The UK's largest retailer has written to its millions of Clubcard holders telling them that it will offer three times the value of their vouchers with more than 100 scheme partners as the standard offer.

It is ending those which offered twice the value and four times the value, including some of the most popular deals such as meals at Pizza Express, Prezzo and Zizzi.

A Tesco spokeswoman said: "We've listened to our customers and simplified our Clubcard Reward Partners so that they're more straightforward for everyone.

"This means that from January 15, we will offer customers three times the value of their vouchers with over 100 Clubcard Reward Partners including days out, weekend breaks, holidays and more.

"This builds on the work we did last year to further help customers, when we introduced the new contactless Clubcard and made significant improvements to the Tesco Clubcard app."

Tesco has around 16 million active Clubcard customers, according to figures released at its half-year results announcement.

One customer wrote on Twitter: "We had £89 saved up in vouchers - worth £356. Now they are worth £267.

"No advance warning, really really poor from @Tesco #tescoclubcard - been loyal Tesco customers for well over 10 years - because of clubcard."

Another wrote: "All clubcard boosts going to 3x. Everything we chose was 4x so this is a big reduction. But highlight was the inane corporate-speak lathered over the announcement...'this is not a reduction in boosts, oh no, this is TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND' How dumb are we?"

Anika Newjoto, the editor of website shopperpoints.co.uk, said Tesco's move devalued the scheme and did not give customers time to spend their saved vouchers at the old rates.

She said only a small number of Clubcard partners gave twice the face value of vouchers, including National Express, redspottedhanky and Megabus, which are all now going up to three times face value.

She said: "Loyalty schemes are meant to work two ways, not one way.

"If a shopper gives their business to a store based on the promise of certain rewards, it is totally unfair for those rewards to be taken away or reduced in value with absolutely no notice."

The Tesco reward partners moving from 2x or 4x the value to 3x the value include: 

  • Denby 
  • Evans Cycles 
  • redspottedhanky.com 
  • APH Parking 
  • Pizza Express 
  • Prezzo 
  • Chimichanga 
  • Chef & Brewer 
  • Café Rouge 
  • Bella Italia 
  • La Tasca 
  • Ask 
  • Zizzi 
  • Oceanarium 
  • Trentham Gardens 
  • Passenger Boat Trips 
  • Folly Farm 
  • Exmoor Zoological Park 
  • P&O Cruises 
  • Abbotsbury Children's Farm 
  • Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens 
  • Abbotsbury Swannery 
  • Bird World 
  • London Zoo 
  • Whipsnade Zoo 
  • Barley Hall 
  • DIG 
  • Jorvik 
  • City Cruises PLC 
  • Hawk Conservancy Trust 
  • The Shakespeare Globe Trust 
  • Tower Bridge Exhibition 
  • Buckmore Park Kart Circuit 
  • ScotKart Indoor Kart Racing 
  • The Bowes Museum 
  • Conkers 
  • The Brewery Centre 
  • Supertubing 
  • Play Factore 
  • The Deep 
  • The MAD Museum 
  • The Museum for Children (Eureka!) 
  • Yellow Sub 
  • Black Country Living Museum 
  • Activity World Ltd 
  • British Motor Industry Heritage Trust 
  • Buckinghamshire Railway Centre 
  • Dundonald International Icebowl 
  • Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach 
  • Gypsy Lake Nature Park 
  • Highland Wildlife Park 
  • Lightwater Valley Attraction 
  • M&D (Leisure) Ltd 
  • Newbury Racecourse PLC 
  • Silver Blades – Solihull Ice Rink 
  • Tate Bros Ltd T/A Paradise Park 
  • The Hampden Experience 
  • Althorp 
  • Auld Reekie Tours 
  • Ayr Racecourse 
  • Blair Castle Estate Ltd 
  • Dinosaur Isle 
  • Discovery Point 
  • Verdant Works 
  • Falconry UK Ltd 
  • Gower Heritage Centre 
  • Highland Safaris 
  • Ironbridge Gorge Museum 
  • LC Waterpark 
  • National Showcaves of Wales 
  • New Forest Activities 
  • Ocean Beach Pleasure Park 
  • Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway 
  • Scottish Mining Museum 
  • Shepreth Wildlife Park 
  • Somme Heritage Centre 
  • Stratford-Upon-Avon Butterfly Farm Ltd 
  • The Dunes 
  • The Foxfield Light Railway Society Ltd 
  • The Needles Landmark Attraction 
  • The Raptor Foundation 
  • The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 
  • The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction 
  • The World of Glass Ltd 
  • Ullswater Steamers 
  • Ulster American Folk Park 
  • Ulster Folk & Transport Museum 
  • Wedgwood Visitor Centre 
  • Langham Glass 
  • Brean Splash Water Park 
  • Thruxton Driving Experience 
  • WWT London Wetland Centre 
  • Staunton Country Park 
  • Mersey Ferries 
  • Flambards 
  • Birdland Park 
  • St Paul's Cathedral 
  • Blackpool Tower
  • Blackpool Tower Eye
  • Blackpool Tower Circus
  • Blackpool Madame Tussauds
  • Edinburgh Dungeon
  • York Dungeon
  • London Dungeon 
  • The Coca-Cola London Eye
  • Shrek's Adventure! London
  • SEALIFE London Aquarium
  • SEALIFE Centres & Sanctuaries
  • Alton Towers Resort
  • Chessington World of Adventures
  • Warwick Castle
  • Legoland Resort Windsor
  • Legoland Discovery
  • Thorpe Park Resort
  • Merlin Annual Pass