Grocery Store Loyalty Apps: Are They Worth Using?

Most large grocery chains — Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Publix, Giant, Stop & Shop, and others — offer a free loyalty app that connects to a rewards card or phone number at checkout. These apps hold digital coupons you "clip" ahead of time, track points toward free groceries or gas discounts, and sometimes show you personalized deals based on what you tend to buy.

The core idea is the same across chains, even though the names differ. You create a free account with your phone number or email. In the store's app, you browse a list of digital coupons and tap "clip" on the ones you want. At checkout, you enter your phone number or scan a barcode from the app, and any clipped coupons apply automatically — no printing or cutting paper coupons required. Many chains also give you points for every dollar spent, which build toward a discount on gas at partner stations or a dollar-off coupon on a future grocery trip.

The real savings vary by household, but many shoppers report saving 5 to 15 percent on their regular grocery bill just by clipping relevant digital coupons before each shopping trip and using their loyalty number at checkout — savings that happen automatically and require no extra spending or subscription fee. The apps are free, and using them costs nothing beyond a few minutes spent browsing coupons before you shop.

One thing to watch for: some grocery apps show you "member pricing" that is not available without scanning your loyalty card, meaning skipping the app can mean paying a higher shelf price on hundreds of items. If you already shop regularly at one of these stores, setting up the free loyalty app is almost always worth the ten minutes it takes.

(Sources: Individual retailer support pages — kroger.com/i/how-to-clip-coupons, publix.com, safeway.com; Consumer Reports — consumerreports.org)