Millions of customers could lose unspent Clubcard vouchers unless they use or renew them before the August deadline
Millions of Tesco customers have been warned that £11million in Clubcard vouchers are set to expire within weeks.
The deadline falls at 11.59pm on August 31, with any unused vouchers expiring after that point.
Around 24 million people across the UK hold a Clubcard account, meaning a significant number of shoppers could be affected by the approaching deadline.
Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years from the date they are issued, so customers who have allowed vouchers to build up are being urged to check their accounts.
Vouchers can be held as physical paper copies or stored digitally through the Clubcard app.
Customers can log into their accounts before the deadline to check whether they have any vouchers approaching their expiry date.
Those who are able to spend their vouchers can also potentially increase their value by using them with Tesco's Reward Partners.
Tesco has more than 100 Reward Partners where Clubcard vouchers can be worth twice their face value, meaning a £5 voucher could become £10 to spend with selected partners.
These include attractions and services such as Alton Towers, Disney+ and Hotels.com.
Customers can potentially increase the value of their vouchers further by using selected restaurant partners.
Restaurant brands including Pizza Express, Bella Italia, ASK Italian, Zizzi, Frankie & Benny's, Las Iguanas and Prezzo Italian allow eligible customers to triple the value of their vouchers.
This means a £5 Clubcard voucher could become £15 to spend with a participating restaurant partner.
Customers can also choose to use their vouchers towards their grocery shopping or fuel purchases instead of exchanging them for rewards.
However, shoppers who are not ready to spend their vouchers may have another option to extend their validity.
The so-called 50p trick involves spending a small amount from a voucher and having the remaining balance returned to the customer's Clubcard account as a new voucher.
For example, spending 50p from a £5 voucher could leave £4.50 to be returned as a new voucher with a fresh two-year expiry period.
MoneySavingExpert has tested the method and reported that it worked, giving customers another potential way to avoid losing the remaining value of their vouchers.
One option is to use 50p of a voucher with a restaurant partner, where the remaining balance could then potentially be worth more when exchanged for a reward.
However, customers would need to repeat the process for each individual voucher they want to extend, meaning it may not be worthwhile for vouchers with very small values.
The number of customers holding substantial amounts of unspent vouchers is also significant.
More than 500,000 shoppers reportedly have more than £100 in unspent Clubcard vouchers, while around 95,000 customers have accumulated £200 or more.
Customers who want to check whether they are affected can log into their Tesco Clubcard account online or through the app.
They can then select "Clubcard account" followed by "Vouchers" to see the vouchers available on their account and check their respective expiry dates.
Customers will need their Clubcard number to access their account.
The number can be found on a physical Clubcard, key fob or digital wallet version of the card.
Those who have lost track of physical paper vouchers should still be able to see details of their available vouchers through their online Clubcard account.
With the August 31 deadline approaching, customers with unused vouchers are being urged to check their accounts and decide whether to spend them or use an available method to extend their validity.
