Is the Club Pret Coffee Subscription worth it?

Hello everyone! Popular coffee chain Pret a Manger launched something new is the marketplace with the Pret Coffee Subscription (also known officially as Club Pret). With this, in exchange for a fixed price per month, you can claim multiple coffees per day from your local branch.

We love a bit of caffeine here at The Financial Wilderness, but does the maths of the Club Pret Coffee Subscription work out or not? We review the scheme and put it to the test!

(Also, if you’re interested in coffee loyalty programmes, you’ll find a few mentioned in our guide to the best UK loyalty cards and apps).

If you are getting the Club Pret Coffee Subscription, it’s also well worth combining it with Pret’s loyalty scheme, Pret Perks which we reviewed here.

What do you get with the Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

There are two main benefits of the Pret Coffee Subscription:

The Club Pret Coffee Subscription gets you up to 5 Barista-made drinks a day

The Pret Coffee subscription will let you get 5 drinks ordered at the counter a day, hot or iced. It doesn’t have to be coffee – anything like a hot chocolate or one of Pret’s cooler range is also included.

I will star that last bit with a note of caution – I’m aware that some people were frustrated as they were finding ice machines etc. for making the coolers were often out of order.

I know Pret was taking steps to change processes here and try and improve the problem (but I’m not aware if it’s still widespread or not).

To claim, you simply scan your QR code at the till after orders.

The Club Pret Coffee Subscription gets you 10% off all food

The Pret Coffee Subscription will also get you 10% of the entire menu – no matter if you’re getting a cookie with your coffee, or grabbing a lunch sandwich.

How do I use the Club Pret Coffee Subscription in-store?

It’s simple! Once you’re subscribed you just scan the QR code on your phone at the till and the discount or free coffee will automatically apply.

How much does the Club Pret Coffee Subscription cost?

The Club Pret Coffee Subscription is £30 a month. However, if you haven’t registered before, the initial introductory month is £15.

Our Review: Is the Club Pret Coffee Subscription worth it?

The Club Pret Coffee Subscription can be a very good deal in the right circumstances (and if you like Pret coffee of course).

Usage is everything here, so the key question you need to ask yourself is if you live or work close to a Pret – if you do, you’re well placed.

Now being somewhat cynical, I’ve noticed Pret have put up the prices of their coffee quite a bit since introducing the Club Pret Coffee Subscription, I suspect to try and nudge you into membership.

So I am not going to use Pret’s own prices as the basis for my analysis – I’m going to use rival bakery chain Greggs, which I think is a fair coffee comparative rather than a more premium Costa or Cafe Nero.

Where I am in London Zone 2, a Greggs Cappuccino is £1.90 (see note on local price variability below). The local Pret equivalent is £3.50, or £3 if you bring your own cup.

(Note on assumptions: Both Greggs and Pret use a local variability model for their prices so it may be more or less near you. In Zone 1 Central London you’ll find it’s quite a bit more, and so savings there are more beneficial).

If we use the Greggs price as a basis for comparison as I refuse to accept Pret’s calculations, that means you hit a point of breakeven at 15-16 coffees, or one every half a day.

Simply put, if you’re by a Pret and would make nipping in most days a habit, it’s worth it. It’s worth noting I also haven’t accounted for the 10% off food here, but that provides extra benefit if you do like Pret’s food.

Also, if you’re likely to have more than one drink a day, it clearly can become worth it very quick.

(The reason being is I’ve found most people target the Club Pret Coffee Subscription for the drinks – food benefit usage is more subjective and harder to judge, so I’ve treated it as a nice add on).

If you’re a local office worker that’s near a Pret, I think the appeal of the scheme is very obvious.

How do I sign up for the Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

There are two ways you can do it, but the easiest way to buy and use the subscription:

Downloading the Pret a Manger App

Downloading the Pret a Manger app is probably the easiest way to access Pret Perks as the QR code is immediately accessible within the app. You’ll need to create an account with Pret a Manger to do this.

Once done, and in, if you select “Wallet” in the app, then below the QR code you’ll see a prompt arrow to sign up for the Club Pret Subscription. You can also find a banner in the “Account” section, which I am including a screenshot of below.

Logging into the Pret a Manger Website:

You can also sign up for the subscription through the Pret a Manger website – if you log in there on your phone, you can pull up the QR code within your account to scan at the till.

We don’t particularly recommend this route as you’ll have to bring up the website to scan the QR code every time you use your subscription.

Can I cancel Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

You can cancel the Club Pret Coffee Subscription at any time, but it’ll apply from your next billing period.

I.E if your subscription renews of the 16th of the month but you cancel on the 2nd, you can continue using the subscription up till the 16th and won’t be billed beyond that, but you can’t stop immediately and get a refund for the days between the 2nd and 16th.

Can I pause a Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

You can pause your Club Pret subscription at any stage, which will take effect at Midnight from the following day.

Once done, this will pause your subscription for either 31 days, or earlier if you choose to do so. Once restarted, your billing date for the subscription will move accordingly to reflect the length of time you’ve paused it.

I really like this element of Pret Perks as it’s very fair, and allows you not to be charged for times you’re on holiday or will be away and not making as much use of the subscription as normal.

Can I earn Pret Perks with a Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

You can, yes! For those unfamiliar with Pret Perks, it’s a loyalty stamp card scheme where after 10 stamps Pret will give you a freebie based on something you’ll like.

We reviewed the Pret Perks scheme here and all relevant details can be found on that page.

If you have the Club Pret Loyalty Subscription:

• You won’t be awarded stamps when picking up any coffees included with your subscription, however you will be awarded stamps upon renewing your subscription. (We are unclear on how many are awarded, so if you could mention your personal experiences in the comments, appreciated).
• If you buy anything with your subscription coffee, no matter how big or small you will also get a stamp.

Can I share a Club Pret Coffee Subscription?

Club Pret isn’t really intended to be shared and is designed for use by one person – in fact sharing your QR code is banned under the Club Pret Terms and Conditions.

Pret has put in place some restrictions to limit abuse:

• The fact you are limited to 5 drinks a day itself limits how much you can share the subscription.
• Once you’ve collected your subscription coffee or drink, there is a 30 minute waiting time before you can collect the next one.

Can I use my Club Pret Loyalty Subscription everywhere?

Nearly everywhere, but there are some exclusions for Pret stores found within motorway service stations which are technically tie in’s with operators. Where Pret has on-campus University stores, these are also excluded.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the Club Pret Coffee Subscription on thoughts after using the scheme we’d absolutely love to hear from you! Just drop us a note in the comments below.

And that’s it!

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