More problems with points theft at Tesco and elsewhere

More and more tales of points and miles theft are popping up at the moment.  This is nothing new (I wrote about Clubcard points theft last year) and little seems to have improved.

Whilst Tesco Clubcard theft is the most reported problem, it also impacts other programmes.  JAL Mileage Bank, for example, emailed members last week to report that redemptions for Amazon Gift Certificates had been stopped with immediate notice.  They should have learnt their lesson after IHG Rewards Club suffered a similar problem last year.

(Theft via Amazon is too easy.  Most programmes email you an Amazon voucher code as soon as you redeem.  You can place an order immediately for overnight delivery to an Amazon locker or pick up point.  The thief has the goods before you even notice.)

Meanwhile, Head for Points reader Andrew sent me this email last week:

I’d like to let you know that the Tesco voucher theft problem is still happening.  I’ve had over £1000 (thousand!) stolen just over a week ago and all redeemed in one day in stores in the Kent area.  I had no idea of this issue until I googled the problem and found many articles on it!  Tesco have agreed to replace all the vouchers. 

Recent posts on Flyertalk reveal the theft on £60, £130 and £900 of Clubcard vouchers.  In all cases, Tesco has reimbursed those who were impacted.

There are two ways this can happen.  The first is that paper vouchers are stolen somewhere between Tesco and your house.  The second is that your online account is hacked and the vouchers are redeemed electronically.   Whilst it is likely that these are inside jobs, Tesco receipts do print your entire Clubcard number (apart from the last digit) plus your current balance, which makes it easy to see if you are worth hacking.

My usual suggestion is to use a service such as Award Wallet to track the balances of all your miles and points programmes.  Run it once a day and you will see any that have gone missing within 24 hours.  For Tesco, Award Wallet also tracks the amount of unredeemed vouchers on your account from previous periods.

Some people have concerns about sharing passwords with a service like Award Wallet, although you can operate it by having the passwords stored on your PC rather than on their servers.  I would rather have the overview and take the (very small) risk of Award Wallet ever getting compromised.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (March 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

American Express Business Platinum

Up to 120,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

Up to 60,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.