M&S just relaunched its Sparks card and you can now earn money while you shop

Key Points

• M&S revamped its Sparks loyalty card, now offering real money rewards for purchases.


• The new Sparks app includes a wallet for rewards, AI-driven personalisation, and Virgin Red partnership perks.


• Original Sparks benefits like birthday treats, coffee stamps, and baby club discounts remain intact.

Created with AI assistance.

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For years, shoppers have been begging Marks & Spencer for one thing – a better loyalty scheme.
The Sparks Card was launched in 2015, but unlike Tesco Clubcard or Nectar, you weren’t able to collect points to redeem against your shop in-store or online.

Instead, it offered personalised deals and discounts and the occasional treat – such as birthday freebies, and the chance to win your shopping each week.

However, as of today (April 15), that’s all about to change.

M&S has just revamped Sparks, and as part of the new loyalty programme, customers can now earn money when they buy things.

M&S CEO Stuart Machin said: ‘Customers told us they want Sparks to be simple, rewarding and personalised, and we listened.

New Sparks is built around a much more personalised experience, no tricksy pricing and real money rewards to thank our customers for shopping with us.

‘A stronger Sparks is another step forward on our journey as we invest for future growth.’
Here’s a look at all the major changes being made and how they will benefit you when you shop.

What’s new with the M&S Sparks Card?

The retailer says it will use a suite of transformed AI and data capabilities, including machine learning and advanced generative AI models to deliver more personalised offers and rewards.

They claim that the more customers shop with Sparks, the ‘better and more personalised’ their experience will be.

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How will Spark customers earn money in their wallets?

For instance, if you don’t normally buy bedding from M&S, you could earn £6 for spending £30 on bedding.

M&S is also partnering with Virgin Red, Virgin’s Rewards Club, as its first-ever Sparks partner, to allow customers to collect rewards in other ways.

This will include:

• Up to £130 into your digital Sparks wallet when you book a Virgin Atlantic Holiday.



• An £80 reward into your digital Sparks wallet when you switch to Virgin Media.



• Earn an £8 reward into your digital Sparks wallet for every £100 spent at Virgin Voyages.


• And you can get a £4 reward into your digital Sparks wallet on every £20 spent on Virgin Experience Days.

What’s remaining the same with the Sparks scheme?

Free birthday treats will remain, which sees a free packet of sweets/cookies/chocolate/or fruit added to your Sparks account at the start of your birthday month, for you to claim in-store.

Similarly, Coffee Stamps aren’t going anywhere, so you’ll still be able to buy six hot drinks and claim the seventh one for free.

The Parent Hood, a baby club with over 350,000 members, is sticking around.

As part of this, parents can claim 10% off babygrows until their child turns two, plus monthly rewards, and join baby and parent mornings at M&S Cafes across the UK, where you’ll enjoy a free slice of cake, pastry or a fruit pot, every week when you buy a hot drink, between 9.30-11.30 am.

Charity donations aren’t going anywhere either, with customers able to choose from 37 charities to support and M&S giving 1p per Sparks transaction.

Preferential rates on Travel Money, and discounts on insurance policies with M&S Pet and M&S Travel Insurance are still included in Sparks.

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Changes for M&S Credit Card customers

Existing customers can do this by signing up for Digital Rewards via M&S.com, while new credit card customers can do this when they apply for the card directly.

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.