M&S Sparks: Marks and Spencer announce loyalty card changes, is birthday treat remaining? (aff)

Marks and Spencer shoppers can unlock exclusive perks, personalised offers by signing up for a Sparks card - but changes have been announced.

M&S says they have been introduced to make the loyalty and reward scheme better after listening to feedback from their customers. But, what exactly is happening? Is anything staying the same, is anything going to be taken away from the old scheme and will anything be added?

Keep reading to find out all you need to know.

What is the M&S Sparks Loyalty & Rewards Scheme?

M&S Sparks is a free-to-join programme designed to give customers tailored treats, rather than a points system used by other retailers for their loyalty schemes.

Instead of collecting points like you would with other retailers, Sparks focuses on personalised rewards, surprise perks, and exclusive offers.

Once you sign up, you’ll get access to a digital Sparks card via the M&S app or website, making it easy to scan every time you shop so Sparks will learn what you like.

What changes are being made to M&S Sparks?

Marks and Spencer has announced any new changes to their Sparks loyalty and rewards scheme, in April 2026.

The biggest change will come with the brand new digital Sparks wallet, where customers earn real money rewards to spend across any part of M&S - from food and fashion to home and beauty.

You’ll be able to spend your rewards on what you want at any time; whether saving up for Christmas, money off the weekly shop or treating yourself.

M&S also say they will be using “transformed AI and data capabilities” to “deliver even more personalised offers and rewards”.

Rewards delivered to Sparks wallets will include:

• Spend & earn: Customers can earn their rewards when they spend across the categories they love. For example: Earn £10 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £50 on fashion, home and beauty or earn £5 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £35 in the foodhall.

• Buy & bundle: Pick up selected items together and get a reward for doing so. For example: buy a bra and knickers and earn £5 into your digital Sparks Wallet.

• Try something new: Customers will be rewarded for discovering a part of M&S they don’t usually shop. For example: spend £30 on bedding and earn £6 into your digital Sparks Wallet.

M&S also has its first ever Sparks partner as it is joining forces with Virgin Red, Virgin’s Rewards Club, to give customers another way to boost their Sparks wallet.

Whether booking a holiday, hotel or experience day, you can now grow your rewards across both brands. For example:

Earn up to £130 reward into your digital Sparks wallet when you book a Virgin Atlantic Holiday.

• Earn 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.
• Earn a £4 reward into your digital Sparks wallet on every £20 spent on Virgin Experience Days.

These latest changes follows on from the company announcement in March that the popular Delivery Pass feature, which gave unlimited next-day delivery for an annual fee of £25, is being stopped.

“From March 2026, M&S will no longer offer Delivery Pass to new customers,” M&S stated on its website at the time. “Existing Delivery Pass customers will not be offered a renewal once their current pass expires.”

The retailer also posted on X, writing: “As a business, we are constantly reviewing our perks and benefits. This product is currently off sale and also not able to be renewed whilst we review the proposition.” They added: “After reviewing this carefully, we feel it’s the right decision.”

What perks do you get with M&S Sparks?

M&S Sparks customers will continue to be rewarded in more immediate - and sometimes unexpected - ways including:

• Personalised offers based on what you buy
• Exclusive promotions and early access deals
• Birthday treats and surprise freebies throughout the year
• The chance to win your shopping for free
• Free hot drinks after collecting stamps in-store

Rewards are instant or surprise-based - and all tailored to your habits.

How to join M&S Sparks?

Getting started is simple and takes just minutes. It’s free to join, and also start using, the loyalty and rewards scheme. Here are the three steps to follow:

• Sign up online or via the M&S app
• Access your digital Sparks card instantly
• Scan it every time you shop (in-store or online)

Once you’ve signed up, all your offers and rewards will be available to see in your account, ready to use whenever you need them. You can also opt in for emails if you want to receive notifications to make sure you never miss a deal.

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Is signing up to M&S Sparks worth it?

Yes, I would say that signing up to M&S Sparks is definitely worth it, whether you’re a regular Marks and Spencer shopper or an occasional shopper. It’s completely free, the rewards are personalised which means they are more likely to be useful, you don’t need to wait for points to build up to get a benefit and there’s always the chance of surprise perks or freebies.

The best part of M&S Sparks for me is the birthday benefit. All you have to do is update your Sparks profile with your birth date and then you’ll receive a freebie at the start of your birthday month. In recent years, the treats have come in the form of food from the food hall - one year I had cookies and the following year chocolate mini rolls - and healthier options such as grapes are available as an alternative.

And wouldn’t we all like a birthday treat? Especially a free one. It’s worth signing up for that alone - and you don’t have to use the card a certain amount of times or spend a certain amount to be eligible. All you have to do is sign up, and add your birthdate to your account. Though please note if you add your birthday within 35 days of your big day you may not get a treat this year, but there’s always next year.