How to Use Nectar Points for Merlin Attractions and Save Money on Family Days Out
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
Alton Towers, LEGOLAND and More: Is This the Best Value for Your Nectar Points?
Family days out can be expensive, especially during the school holidays when you need to keep children entertained for weeks. Theme parks and attractions often come with eye-watering ticket prices, so any way to bring the cost down is worth knowing about.
Sainsbury's has launched a new partnership that lets you use Nectar points for days out at more than 20 Merlin attractions across the UK. If you collect Nectar points, this gives you a new way to turn your everyday shopping into cheaper trips to places like Alton Towers, LEGOLAND, and the London Eye.
I've collected Nectar points for years, and I've used them for days out before through various schemes Sainsbury's has run over time, though not specifically with Merlin until now.
The appeal is obvious: you earn points doing your normal shopping, then put them towards something the family enjoys, and that can be expensive!
This new deal is attractive to money-savvy parents because of how the points convert, but as with any offer, it's important to make sure you understand the details and compare it with other ways to get cheaper tickets.
This guide explains how it works, what you can save, and whether it's the best route for your family.
What attractions are included?
The partnership covers more than 20 Merlin Entertainments attractions across the UK. The list includes some of the biggest names in family days out.
You can use your points at:
This range of attractions matters because it covers a variety of day-out options. If you have thrill-seeking teenagers, the big theme parks like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park work well.
If you have younger children, LEGOLAND and Chessington are better suited, especially with attractions like World of PAW Patrol at Chessington. For a city day out, the London Eye and SEA LIFE centres offer something different. Whatever your family enjoys, there's likely an attraction on the list within reach.
The variety also means you can plan around where you live. Merlin attractions are spread across the country, so you're not limited to one region. Checking which attractions are closest to you helps you get the most value without spending a fortune on travel.
How much can you actually save?
The deal's biggest benefit is the points conversion; when you spend Nectar points on Merlin tickets, you can double their value. That means £5 worth of Nectar points gets you £10 off a Merlin ticket.
In normal Nectar spending, your points are usually worth their face value, so this doubling is a genuine improvement on what you'd get for spending your points in store.
To put that in context, Merlin gate prices aren't cheap! A family ticket to a major theme park can cost a significant amount if you pay full price on the day. Getting money off your ticket prices through double points reduces that cost. As an example, I picked a random Saturday in June for Thorpe Park and selected 2 adult tickets and 2 children's tickets under 1.2m. My online advance-booking price was £78.00, so I could use up £39 in Nectar Points and potentially pay nothing for my day out! (Other fees such as parking, fast passes, food, drinks, etc. need to be factored in!
During the school holidays, when money is often tight, and you're trying to fill long days, even just £10 off an attraction ticket can be a useful saving.
That said, you need to do your sums. Whether this is the best deal depends on your circumstances. If you rely on your Nectar points to help with your monthly or weekly food costs, you have to weigh up what matters more: cheaper food now or a cheaper day out later.
For some families, the points are better spent on groceries. For others, especially those who don't shop at Sainsbury's often and accumulate points slowly, saving them for a day out makes more sense. There's no single right answer. It depends on your needs and how you use your points.
How to redeem your Nectar points for Merlin tickets
To redeem your Nectar points for passes, open the Nectar app on your phone and look for the Merlin partner offer. Select it, and you'll be taken to a dedicated booking page for Merlin tickets.
From there, choose your attraction and tickets, then decide how many points to use at checkout. Once you've booked, your tickets are sent to you by email.
Everything is done through the Nectar app and the booking page, and your tickets arrive digitally, so if you've ever found loyalty point redemption frustrating, this is a more direct approach than some schemes.
Before you book, check whether you can combine the Nectar discount with any other offers. Sometimes loyalty discounts can't be combined with other promotions, so it's worth confirming which apply.
A quick check before you commit your points can save you from missing out on a better combined deal.
Other ways to get cheaper Merlin tickets
This is where being a savvy shopper pays off. The Nectar deal is good, but it's not the only way to get cheaper Merlin tickets, and depending on your situation, another route might save you more. It's always worth comparing before you book.
Newspaper promotions are a popular way to get cheap Merlin tickets. Various newspapers run token-collection schemes that can get you tickets at a fraction of the gate price. These appear periodically, so keep an eye out, especially before the school holidays.
The Blue Light Card offers discounts for NHS staff, emergency services, social care workers, and the armed forces community. If you're eligible, it can provide savings on Merlin attractions and many other days out.
Kids Pass is another option worth considering. It's a subscription service offering discounts on family days out, cinema, and dining, and it often includes attraction discounts that can work out cheaper than other routes, and they often offer £1 trials that last a month, and that can be £1 well spent!
Gift card cashback apps like JamDoughnut offer cashback for Merlin, and you can earn a minimum of 3% cashback by paying with a gift card, which you should be able to stack on top of your Nectar discount. Cashback services like Topcashback and Quidco offer cashback on Merlin attractions of around 1.6% to 2.4% cashback.
You can also often find ticket deals on breakfast cereal packs and cereal bar promotions. These on-pack offers are popular and appear regularly, letting you collect codes for discounted entry. If you buy these products anyway, it's an easy way to save.
The point is to compare. The Nectar route is convenient and offers good value through doubled points, but a quick comparison against these alternatives ensures you're getting the best price for your family.
Why this matters for your family budget
Loyalty schemes like Nectar are most useful when they give you flexibility. Being able to use Nectar points for days out, rather than only on shopping, means you have more control over how you spend what you've earned. For families trying to manage tight budgets while still giving children memorable experiences, that flexibility is valuable.
The school holidays are a particular pressure point for families; six weeks of summer, plus half terms and other breaks, add up to a lot of days to fill.
Days out cost money, and the costs add up quickly with a family, so anything that reduces the cost of attractions helps, much like cheap kids' meals out can.
Using points you've already earned through normal shopping means you're not having to find extra cash from an already stretched budget; you're taking advantage of the rewards you've earned from your grocery shopping over the last few months or so.
The doubling of points value makes this deal worth considering. It turns your everyday grocery spending into a bigger discount on something the family will enjoy, and saves you money on something you'd otherwise likely have to pay for with real money.
As long as you weigh it against your other needs and compare it with alternative ticket options, it's a useful addition to your ways of saving on family days out.
The new partnership gives Nectar collectors a fresh way to use their points for days out, and the doubling of points value makes it worth a look. For families facing expensive school holidays, knocking money off attraction tickets using points you've already earned is a sensible way to save.
Just remember to weigh it against your other needs and compare it with other ticket routes before booking. Used wisely, it's a useful tool for keeping the cost of family days out down.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use Nectar points at Merlin attractions? Open the Nectar app, select the Merlin partner offer, and book through the dedicated booking page. Choose how many points to use at checkout, and your tickets arrive by email.
Is it true I can double my Nectar points value? Yes. When you spend points on Merlin tickets through this partnership, £5 of Nectar points gets you £10 off, doubling the usual face value of your points.
Which Merlin attractions accept Nectar points? Over 20 attractions, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, LEGOLAND Windsor, Chessington, the London Eye, SEA LIFE aquariums, Warwick Castle, and Cadbury World.
Can I combine Nectar points with other Merlin discounts? Not always. Loyalty discounts sometimes can't be stacked with other offers. Check the terms before booking to make sure you're getting the best available deal.
Is using Nectar points the cheapest way to visit Merlin attractions? Not necessarily. It offers good value through double points, but newspaper offers, Blue Light Card, Kids Pass, and cereal pack promotions can sometimes work out cheaper. Compare before booking.
Should I save my Nectar points for days out or use them on shopping? It depends on your circumstances. If you rely on points to help with food costs, groceries might be the priority. If you accumulate points slowly and want a treat, days out can be better value, especially with the doubling.
Do the tickets expire once I book? Check the specific terms when you book through the Nectar app, as conditions vary by attraction. Make sure you understand any date restrictions or validity periods before redeeming.
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