Food shopping costs a fortune these days.
Every week, prices seem to creep up. Bread, milk, eggs – everything’s more expensive than it was six months ago.
So when Lidl launched their free loyalty app promising weekly coupons and exclusive discounts, I downloaded it immediately.
I’ve been using Lidl Plus for over a year now. I shop at my local store about once a week for top-up shops, and I always check the app as soon as I walk through the doors to activate any offers.
Is it actually worth having? Does it save real money? Or is it just another pointless loyalty scheme taking up space on your phone?
This honest Lidl Plus review shows you exactly what works, what’s annoying, and whether you should bother downloading it.
What Is Lidl Plus?
Lidl Plus is a free loyalty app for Lidl shoppers in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
You download it from Google Play or the App Stores, sign up with your mobile phone number, email address, and date of birth, and you’re done.
Takes about 3 minutes.
What you get:
- A digital Lidl Plus card to scan at checkout
- Weekly coupons on different products
- Monthly “Coupon Plus” rewards when you hit a spending target
- Scratch cards after every shop (might win free items or discounts)
- Digital receipts stored in the app
- Discounted EV charging at some Lidl stores (if you have an electric car)
How it works:
- Open the app before you shop
- Activate any coupons you want
- Shop normally
- Scan your digital card at the till
- Discounts applied automatically
- Get a scratch card to reveal your reward
The whole point is to save you money on your weekly shop through exclusive discounts that non-members don’t get.
Sounds good in theory. But does it actually work?
My Experience Using Lidl Plus
I shop at Lidl about once a week, usually on a Saturday morning, for a top-up shop.
Before I even walk into the store, I open the Lidl Plus app in the car park. This has become a habit now.
I scroll through the weekly coupons to see what’s available. Some weeks, there are brilliant deals on things I buy regularly – yoghurt, the crisps my son likes in his lunch, cheese, and fruit. Other weeks, it’s random stuff I’d never buy.
I activate the coupons I want (important – they don’t work unless you activate them), then I shop as normal.
At the till, I scan my digital Lidl Plus card. The cashier scans it like a normal barcode. Discounts come off automatically.
After paying, a scratch card appears in the app. I scratch it to see if I’ve won anything. Usually it’s nothing, but occasionally I get a free bakery item or a small discount for next time.
What I like:
- The discounts on items I buy regularly (this is the main benefit for me)
- It’s genuinely free – no subscription, no catches
- Digital receipts (I never lose paper receipts anymore)
- Dead easy to use once you get the hang of it
What annoys me:
- The app is glitchy (sometimes coupons don’t activate properly)
- Offers expire quickly (usually within a week)
- You see the same coupons repeatedly (bread and bakery items every single week)
- Need a good mobile signal in the store (doesn’t always work if the signal is poor)
Do I save money?
Yes, but not huge amounts. I probably save £3-5 per week on average from activated coupons. Sometimes more if there’s a really good offer.
Over a year, that’s about £150-250 saved just by scanning my phone. Not life-changing, but it’s something.
Key Features of Lidl Plus
Let me break down what you actually get with this loyalty scheme:
Weekly Coupons
Every week, fresh coupons appear in the app.
These are usually:
- Discounts on specific products (20p off bread, 30p off milk, etc.)
- Percentage discounts (10% off bakery items)
- Multi-buy deals (buy 2 get £1 off)
The good: You choose which coupons to activate. Don’t want the offer? Don’t activate it.
The annoying: The same coupons appear week after week. I’ve seen “30p off brown bread” about 15 times now.
My tip: Check the app as soon as you enter the local store. Activate offers before you shop, or you forget and pay full price.
Monthly “Coupon Plus” Rewards
This is where it gets more interesting.
Each calendar month, Lidl sets you a spending target (usually around £50-100, depending on your shopping habits).
Hit that target, and you get a “Coupon Plus” reward – usually a free item for your next shop.
Examples I’ve received:
- Free doughnut
- Free croissant
- Free bakery item of choice
- £1 off next shop
It’s not a massive reward, but it’s nice getting something free.
The catch: Rewards expire quickly (usually within a week or two). If you don’t shop during the validity period, you lose it.
I’ve missed a few free items because I didn’t shop that week. Annoying.
Digital Receipts
Every purchase is stored in the app as a digital receipt.
Why this is brilliant:
- Never lose receipts
- Easy to track spending
- Simple to return items (just show the digital receipt)
- Can see exactly what discounts you got
Why it’s sometimes annoying:
The app doesn’t always save receipts properly. I’ve had a few occasions where purchases didn’t appear in the app at all.
Most of the time, it works fine, though.
Scratch Cards
After every shop, you get a digital scratch card.
Scratch it (on your phone screen) to reveal a prize.
Prizes I’ve won:
- Free bakery item (most common)
- 50p off next shop
- £1 off household essentials
- Nothing (this happens a lot)
It’s a bit of fun, and occasionally you get a decent free item.
My kids like scratching the card when we get home. Makes grocery shopping slightly less boring for them.
Discounted EV Charging
Some Lidl stores have EV charging points.
If you’re a Lidl Plus member, you get a discounted price compared to the non-member price.
I don’t have an electric car, so this is useless to me.
But if you do drive electric and there’s charging at your local store, this could save you a few quid.
What I Actually Save Using Lidl Plus
Let me be honest with actual numbers:
Average weekly saving: £3-5 Best week ever: £12 (had a really good 10% off coupon plus several product discounts) Worst weeks: £0 (when there’s nothing I want in the coupons)
Over the last year, I estimate I’ve saved about £180.
That’s based on shopping there roughly 45 times (I don’t go every single week).
Not a fortune. But it’s £180 I wouldn’t have saved otherwise, for literally zero effort beyond scanning my phone.
The monthly Coupon Plus rewards add maybe another £20-30/year in free items.
Total annual saving: Around £200-210
For a free app that takes 10 seconds to use each shop, I’ll take it.
Advantages of Lidl Plus
Here’s what actually works well:
1. Genuine Savings for Regular Shoppers
If you shop at Lidl weekly (or even fortnightly), you’ll save money.
The weekly coupons aren’t massive, but they add up. £3 here, £5 there, over a year it’s meaningful.
The key is shopping there regularly. If you only go once a month, you’ll miss most of the weekly offers because they expire so fast.
2. Discounts on Things You Actually Buy
This is what I like most.
The coupons are often on everyday items: bread, milk, cheese, fruit, veg, bakery items.
It’s not like Tesco Clubcard where half the “deals” are on random products you’d never buy.
Lidl seems to focus the weekly offers on household essentials and popular products.
3. Completely Free
No subscription. No annual fee. No minimum spend to join.
You don’t even need to spend anything to sign up.
Download, register, start saving. That’s it.
4. Easy to Use
Once you get the hang of it, it’s dead simple.
Open app → Activate coupons → Scan at till → Done.
Even my mum uses it, and she struggles with most apps.
5. Digital Receipts Are Handy
I genuinely love never losing paper receipts.
Everything’s stored in the app. Need to return something? Pull up the digital receipt. Easy.
Also makes tracking spending much simpler if you’re budgeting.
Disadvantages of Lidl Plus
Now for the annoying bits:
1. The App Is Glitchy
This is my biggest complaint.
The Lidl Plus app crashes. Regularly.
Sometimes coupons don’t activate properly. Sometimes the digital card won’t load at checkout. Sometimes digital receipts don’t save.
I’ve had the app freeze completely while I’m trying to scan my card at the till, with a queue of people behind me. Embarrassing.
My workaround: Take screenshots of activated coupons before shopping. If the app crashes, show the screenshot to staff. Most are understanding.
2. Offers Feel Repetitive
The same weekly coupons appear over and over.
Bread. Bakery items. Croissants. Fruit. More bread.
After a few months, it gets boring seeing identical offers every week.
I’d love more variety. Special offers on different products each week would make it more interesting.
3. Everything Expires Quickly
Weekly coupons expire in 7 days.
Coupon Plus rewards expire in 1-2 weeks.
Scratch card prizes expire in days.
If you don’t shop at Lidl regularly, you’ll miss most of the rewards.
I’ve lost several free items because I didn’t shop during the validity period.
This is really annoying if you only shop occasionally.
4. Needs Good Mobile Signal
The app requires internet connection to load coupons and your digital card.
If your local store has poor mobile signal (like mine sometimes does), the app won’t work.
I’ve had to abandon coupons at the till because the app wouldn’t load and I couldn’t prove I’d activated them.
Solution: Take screenshots before you enter the store. Works as proof if signal fails.
5. Activation Hassle
You must activate coupons BEFORE you shop.
Forget to activate them? You pay full price. Even though the offers are sitting there in your app.
It’s not automatic. You have to physically tap “Activate” on each coupon you want.
I’ve lost money multiple times by forgetting to activate a coupon I meant to use.
How Lidl Plus Compares to Other Loyalty Schemes
I use several supermarket loyalty apps. Here’s how Lidl Plus stacks up:
Lidl Plus vs Tesco Clubcard
| Feature | Lidl Plus | Tesco Clubcard |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Instant discounts and coupons | Points-based system |
| Savings | Immediate (at checkout) | Delayed (collect points, redeem later) |
| App reliability | Glitchy, crashes often | Generally stable, fewer issues |
| Reward frequency | Weekly coupons + monthly rewards | Quarterly vouchers |
| Value | Better for immediate weekly savings | Better for long-term accumulation |
| Variety | Same offers repeated weekly | More variety in products |
| Expiry | Very short (days/week) | Longer (vouchers last months) |
My take:
Lidl Plus gives you better immediate savings if you shop there weekly.
Tesco Clubcard is better if you want to accumulate points for big rewards later (like days out, restaurant vouchers, etc.).
I use both. Different purposes.
Lidl Plus vs Aldi
Aldi doesn’t have a loyalty scheme in the UK.
There’s an “Aldi Savers” app in some other countries, but not here.
So Lidl Plus wins by default – it’s better than nothing.
If you split your shopping between Aldi and Lidl, the Lidl Plus app gives you an extra reason to choose Lidl for your weekly shop.
Tips for Getting the Most from Lidl Plus
Here’s what I’ve learned after a year of using it:
1. Activate Coupons As Soon As You Enter the Store
Don’t wait until you’re at the till.
As soon as I walk through the doors, I open the app and activate everything I want.
Takes 30 seconds. Saves money. Simple habit.
2. Take Screenshots for Offline Use
Signal in my Lidl is rubbish.
So I take screenshots of:
- My digital Lidl Plus card
- Activated coupons
- Any Coupon Plus rewards
If the app won’t load at checkout, I show the screenshot to staff. They usually honour it.
3. Check for Hidden Offers
Sometimes there are extra offers buried in the app.
Click through all the menus. Sometimes there are special offers on specific product categories that aren’t obvious on the main screen.
I’ve found extra discounts this way that I’d have missed otherwise.
4. Use Coupon Plus Rewards Quickly
As soon as you get a Coupon Plus reward (free item), use it on your next shop.
They expire fast. Don’t put it off.
I set a phone reminder when I get a reward so I don’t forget to use it.
5. Don’t Buy Stuff You Don’t Need
This should be obvious, but it’s easy to get tempted.
“Ooh, 20p off croissants!”
Don’t buy croissants if you weren’t going to buy them anyway. That’s not saving money, that’s spending money.
Only activate coupons for things on your shopping list.
Is Lidl Plus Worth It?
Yes, if:
- You shop at Lidl regularly (weekly or fortnightly)
- You want to save a few quid on your weekly shop
- You’re happy to spend 30 seconds activating coupons
- You don’t mind occasional app glitches
No, if:
- You rarely shop at Lidl (offers expire too quickly)
- You want a completely reliable app (it’s glitchy)
- You hate technology and apps
- You’re expecting massive savings (it’s modest, not huge)
My honest verdict:
It’s free. It saves me about £200/year. It takes minimal effort.
Is it perfect? No. The app is glitchy, offers are repetitive, and things expire too quickly.
But it’s better than nothing.
If you already shop at Lidl, you might as well download it. Even if you only save £50-100/year, that’s £50-100 you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Just don’t expect miracles. It’s a decent loyalty app, not a money-saving revolution.
Common Questions About Lidl Plus
How do I get Lidl Plus? Download the app from Google Play (Android) or App Stores (iPhone). Sign up with your email, mobile phone number, and date of birth. Takes 3-5 minutes.
Can I get Lidl Plus without the app? No. It’s app-only. There’s no physical card, and you can’t use it via the Lidl website. You need the app on your phone.
Do weekly coupons work on all products? No. Each coupon is for specific products (e.g. “30p off brown bread” only works on brown bread, not any bread). Check the coupon details.
What if the app crashes at the till? Show a screenshot of your activated coupons or digital card to staff. Most will honour it. If not, ask customer service later – they can usually sort it.
How long do Coupon Plus rewards last? Usually 1-2 weeks. Check the validity period in the app. They expire fast, so use them quickly.
Can I use Lidl Plus at Lidl US stores? This review is for Lidl Plus in the UK. Lidl US has a different version. Check with Lidl Stiftung (the parent company) for US-specific details.
Does Lidl Plus track my data? Yes, like all loyalty apps. Check their privacy policy in the app. They track your purchases to send you relevant offers.
Final Thoughts
Lidl Plus isn’t revolutionary, but it works.
I’ve saved about £200 over the last year just by scanning my phone at the till. That’s paid for a nice meal out, a few bills, or some Christmas presents.
The app is glitchy. The offers are repetitive. Things expire too quickly.
But it’s free, it’s easy, and it saves money on things I buy anyway.
If you shop at Lidl regularly, download it. You’ll probably save a few quid.
If you only go occasionally, it’s probably not worth the hassle.
My rating: 3.5/5
Good enough to keep on my phone. Not perfect, but definitely useful.
Have you used Lidl Plus? What’s your experience? Let me know in the comments!
Last updated: January 2026