For over 140 years, Marks & Spencer has been one of Britain’s most trusted and best-loved retailers. The business spans food, fashion, home and beauty, serving millions of customers each week across more than 1,000 locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[1] On 15 April 2026, M&S launched the most significant overhaul of its Sparks loyalty program since the scheme went digital-first in 2020, replacing a points-based model with a real money digital wallet, AI-powered personalisation, and the program’s first-ever external partner in Virgin Red.[2] M&S has been named the UK’s strongest brand for four consecutive years in YouGov data, and CEO Stuart Machin has described a stronger Sparks as “another step forward on our journey as we invest for future growth”.[3]

As loyalty consultants, the Loyalty & Reward Co team have analysed hundreds of loyalty programs across every category and market. The transformation of Sparks is a genuinely instructive case study in listening to customers, simplifying a program without losing emotional depth, and using data and technology to make rewards feel genuinely relevant. This guide breaks down exactly how the new M&S Sparks works, how to earn and spend wallet rewards for maximum value, and what makes this relaunch one of the most significant developments in UK retail loyalty in 2026.

How M&S Sparks Works

M&S Sparks is a free, digital-first loyalty program that rewards members for shopping across the full range of M&S categories, including Food, Fashion, Home, Beauty, and through selected partners. The program is built around a digital Sparks wallet that holds real pound rewards, not points, which members can spend at their discretion across any part of M&S.

The program’s philosophy, as articulated by M&S in its April 2026 relaunch announcement, is direct. M&S describes the offering as “personalisation and pounds, not points and tricksy pricing”.[4] This is a deliberate departure from the abstract currency mechanics used by many UK loyalty programs, positioning Sparks as a transparent, cashback-style reward that customers can immediately understand and value.

Program Structure at a Glance

• Sparks is free to join with no minimum spend required to enrol.
• Members earn real pound rewards into a digital Sparks wallet, not points.
• Rewards are earned through personalised offers across three distinct earn mechanics.
• The wallet balance can be spent across any M&S category in-store, on the M&S website, or via the M&S app.
• There are no tiers and no minimum redemption threshold stated at launch.
• The program also includes a Virgin Red partner earn integration, birthday treats, coffee stamps, charity donations, and a parent and baby club.
• M&S Credit Card holders can connect their card to Sparks for additional benefits.
• Sparks is available in M&S stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland, at marksandspencer.com, and via the M&S app. It is not available at BP or Applegreen petrol stations, at M&S stores outside the UK and ROI, or on the Ocado website.[5]

A Brief History of Sparks

Understanding what is new about Sparks requires a brief look at what came before. M&S first launched Sparks in October 2015 as a points-based club that rewarded members with points per purchase and per pound spent, unlocking tiers and perks at points thresholds. While the program built a substantial member base, the points model was widely criticised for being complex and offering poor perceived value compared to competitors such as Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar.[6]

In 2020, M&S relaunched Sparks as a digital-first program, moving away from physical cards toward an app-led model with personalised perks, birthday treats, and charitable donations. The digital relaunch was successful, growing the program to 15 million registered members and building what M&S loyalty director Sharry Cramond described in 2025 as “phenomenal” overall brand love.[7]

However, member feedback remained consistent. Customers wanted tangible monetary value, not abstract perks they struggled to understand or redeem. The April 2026 transformation is M&S’s direct answer to that feedback.[4]

Getting Started with M&S Sparks

Download and Setup

The M&S app is the primary access point for Sparks and is available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.[5] The app provides access to the Sparks wallet, personalised offers, coffee stamps, birthday treats, the Parent Hood baby club, and the Virgin Red partner earn dashboard.

Account Registration

Joining Sparks takes only a few minutes.

• Download the M&S app or visit marksandspencer.com/sparks.
• Create an M&S account using an email address and basic personal details.
• Add your date of birth to qualify for birthday treats.
• Agree to the Sparks terms and conditions.
• Existing M&S customers with an online account can add Sparks directly within their account settings.
• In-store, members can use their registered email or phone number at checkout to access their Sparks account.[5]

Members can use Sparks from their first qualifying transaction immediately after joining.

The Digital Sparks Wallet

The digital Sparks wallet sits at the heart of the new program. It functions as a stored-value balance of real pound rewards that members accumulate through personalised earn offers and partner transactions, then spend freely across any M&S category.[4]

The wallet replaces the previous points balance entirely. Where the old model required members to understand points-to-value conversion rates and redemption thresholds, the new wallet shows a straightforward pound balance that members can see, track, and spend with no conversion required. A member who sees £15 in their Sparks wallet knows precisely what that is worth.

Rewards loaded into the wallet carry no stated expiry conditions at the time of launch.[9] Members can save their balance toward a specific goal, such as Christmas food shopping, reduce their weekly grocery bill, or treat themselves to a fashion purchase. The flexibility of the wallet is a core part of M&S’s value proposition.

Wallet balances are visible at any time through the Sparks section of the M&S app or by logging in at marksandspencer.com. At checkout in-store, members can apply their wallet balance by scanning their Sparks account via the app or by providing their registered details.

How to Earn Rewards

The new Sparks earn structure is built around three always-on personalised offer types that reward members for how they actually shop. There is no flat earn rate. Instead, every member receives a set of personalised offers calibrated to their shopping history and stated preferences, meaning no two members will have identical Sparks earn opportunities at any given time.[4]

Spend and Earn

The spend-and-earn mechanic rewards members for shopping in the categories they already visit. Offer thresholds and reward amounts are tailored to each member’s behaviour. Example earn rates confirmed at launch include earning £10 when spending £50 on Fashion, Home and Beauty, and £5 when spending £35 in the Foodhall.[2][4]

These examples illustrate the earn rate logic. Spending £50 on fashion earns £10, representing a 20% return on that specific offer. Spending £35 in food earns £5, representing approximately a 14% return. Because offers are personalised, actual rates available to any individual member may differ from these published examples.

Buy and Bundle

The buy-and-bundle mechanic incentivises members to add complementary products to their basket in a single shopping occasion. A confirmed example is earning £5 into the Sparks wallet when buying a bra and knickers together in one transaction.[4] This mechanic is designed to grow basket size by making combination purchases feel more rewarding while staying relevant to natural shopping behaviour.

Try Something New

The try-something-new mechanic rewards members for exploring M&S categories they do not usually visit. A confirmed example is earning £6 when a member who typically shops only in Food spends £30 on bedding.[4][2] This mechanic is designed to increase cross-category engagement and drive broader share of wallet across M&S’s full product range.

How Personalisation Works

M&S uses two data sources to determine the offers each member sees. The first is preferences the member has explicitly shared, such as dietary choices entered into their profile. The second is behavioural data drawn from their shopping history across channels.[4]

Machine learning models drive the personalised offers available at launch, with advanced generative AI models planned for introduction soon after.[4] The program is designed to become more refined over time. The more a member shops with Sparks active, the more accurate and relevant their personalised offers become. As M&S described it, “the more customers shop with Sparks, the better and more personalised the experience”.[4]

Members can view their active Sparks offers at any time by opening the Sparks hub within the M&S app or logging in to their account at marksandspencer.com.[5] Offers are visible before purchase, so members can plan their shopping around active earn opportunities. Enabling push notifications in the M&S app ensures members receive timely alerts when new offers are loaded.

The Virgin Red Partnership

One of the most strategically significant elements of the new Sparks is the introduction of the program’s first-ever external partner. M&S has partnered with Virgin Red, the Virgin Group’s rewards club, giving members the ability to earn Sparks wallet rewards across the Virgin commercial ecosystem.[4]

The integration requires members to connect their Sparks and Virgin Red accounts via the Sparks section of the M&S app. Once linked, qualifying spend or activity across participating Virgin businesses earns pounds directly into the member’s Sparks digital wallet.[8]

Confirmed earn rates from the Virgin Red partnership at launch are as follows.

• Earn up to £130 into your Sparks wallet when booking a holiday through Virgin Atlantic Holidays.
• Earn an £80 reward when switching to Virgin Media broadband or TV.
• Earn an £8 reward for every £100 spent at Virgin Voyages.
• Earn a £4 reward for every £20 spent on Virgin Experience Days.[4][5]

These reward levels are notable in their scale. A member who books a Virgin Atlantic holiday and redirects the resulting £130 Sparks reward toward their M&S Christmas food shop would, in effect, receive a meaningful subsidy on a high-value retail purchase, funded entirely through activity outside M&S.[9]

The partnership is explicitly framed as a foundation rather than a ceiling. Both M&S and Virgin Red have confirmed that customers will gain access to further benefits across both programs as the relationship matures, with the possibility of additional Virgin businesses being brought into the earn structure over time.[4][5]

From a partnership strategy standpoint, the Virgin Red choice is well-considered. The Virgin brand carries strong consumer recognition and spans travel, entertainment, and telecommunications, all of which complement M&S’s core retail offering without competing with it. The partnership extends earn opportunities into high-value, aspirational categories that M&S cannot offer from its own product range, giving the Sparks wallet a reason to grow between routine shopping trips.

The Perks That Remain

A well-managed loyalty program transformation retains what members value most while improving what they do not. M&S has been thoughtful about this balance. Several features from the previous Sparks program that generated genuine affection among members have been explicitly preserved.[4]

Birthday Treats

M&S distributes a free birthday treat to every Sparks member who has registered their date of birth in their account. The treat is credited to the member’s Sparks account at the start of their birthday month and can be redeemed in-store or online, subject to individual treat terms.[5] In the year since the birthday treat feature launched in its current form, M&S distributed more than one million treats to members.[4] M&S Credit Card holders connected to Sparks receive a choice from a wider selection of top birthday treats.[4]

Coffee Stamps

The coffee stamp program remains in place. Members who buy six hot drinks at M&S Cafe locations earn their seventh free.[5] The coffee stamp mechanic operates independently from the digital wallet, functioning as a simple frequency reward for cafe visitors.

Charity Donations

Every time a Sparks member makes a purchase, M&S donates 1p from its own funds to the charity the member has selected from a list of 37 supported organisations.[4] To date, M&S has donated £20 million to charities through the Sparks program.[4] Members can select or change their chosen charity within the Sparks section of the M&S app or at marksandspencer.com.

The Parent Hood

The Parent Hood is M&S’s baby and toddler club, accessible through Sparks to members who register with a baby’s due date or birth date. The club now has over 350,000 members and is described by M&S as the fastest-growing element of the Sparks program.[4] Benefits include a 10% discount on baby grows for members’ children until they turn two, and a free slice of cake, pastry, or fruit pot when buying a hot drink in participating M&S cafes on Tuesday mornings at parent and baby coffee mornings for 12 months from registration.[5]

Travel Money and Insurance

Sparks members receive preferential rates on travel money across more than 50 currencies, both online and in-store through M&S Bank. Exclusive discounts on M&S Pet insurance and other M&S insurance products are also available to Sparks members.[4]

M&S Credit Card Integration

M&S Credit Card holders can connect their card to Sparks to access a set of enhanced benefits, positioning the card as an accelerator within the Sparks ecosystem. M&S refers to this as the ability to “supercharge” your Sparks rewards.[4]

Existing M&S Credit Card customers can connect their card by signing up for Digital Rewards at marksandspencer.com. New M&S Credit Card applicants who apply directly via the M&S app or website are connected to Sparks automatically as part of the application process.[4]

Once connected, M&S Credit Card holders receive the following additional Sparks benefits.

• Exclusive earn offers that provide additional opportunities to accumulate Sparks wallet rewards on qualifying purchases.
• An annual discount in Fashion, Home and Beauty to celebrate the cardholder’s credit card anniversary.
• Access to a choice of top Sparks birthday treats each year, a step up from the standard birthday treat available to all members.[4]

The card-linking strategy deepens the integration between M&S’s banking and retail operations and gives the credit card a meaningful loyalty-adjacent reason to hold alongside the financial benefits. It also creates a data link that allows M&S to better understand and serve customers who consolidate their M&S spend on the card.

Tips to Maximise Your M&S Sparks

As loyalty program experts, the Loyalty & Reward Co team have identified the following strategies for getting the most from the new M&S Sparks.

Check your active offers before every shop. Because Sparks earn is personalised and offer-driven, rewards only accumulate when an active offer is triggered. Checking the Sparks hub in the M&S app before visiting a store or shopping online ensures you are aware of which categories and spend thresholds are active. This is the single most important habit for effective Sparks earning.

Enable push notifications in the M&S app. M&S will notify members when new personalised offers are loaded to their account. Turning on push notifications means you will not miss a time-limited earn window. Push notification settings can be managed within the M&S app settings.

Share your preferences to improve offer quality. The Sparks personalisation engine draws on both explicit preferences and purchase history. Completing your profile with dietary choices and category preferences gives the AI model more signal to work with, resulting in offers that are more relevant and more likely to align with planned purchases.

Link your Virgin Red account to extend your earn ecosystem. If you are already a Virgin Red member or regularly use Virgin services, connecting your accounts unlocks additional pound rewards into your Sparks wallet from outside M&S. Even a single Virgin Atlantic holiday booking returning up to £130 into your Sparks wallet represents meaningful additional value.

Connect your M&S Credit Card for enhanced birthday perks. M&S Credit Card holders who connect their card to Sparks unlock access to top birthday treats and an annual Fashion, Home and Beauty anniversary discount. If you hold an M&S Credit Card, connecting it to Sparks is a no-cost step to unlock better rewards.

Save your wallet balance toward a high-value purchase. Because the Sparks wallet carries no stated expiry conditions, there is no pressure to spend rewards immediately. Saving a wallet balance toward Christmas food shopping or a larger fashion purchase can deliver more satisfaction than spending small balances at low basket sizes.

Make the most of the buy-and-bundle mechanic. If you regularly buy coordinating pieces in lingerie or other bundled categories, doing so in a single transaction rather than separate visits can trigger bundle earn offers. Check whether your planned purchases qualify as a bundle before separating them into multiple shopping trips.

Explore new categories to trigger cross-category offers. The try-something-new mechanic is explicitly designed to reward members for venturing beyond their usual M&S categories. If you primarily shop in Food, checking the Sparks hub for offers in Fashion, Home, or Beauty before your next visit may reveal earn opportunities in categories you would not otherwise have considered.

Register your date of birth to activate birthday treats. Birthday treats require a date of birth to be registered in your Sparks profile. Members who have not yet done this will not receive a treat in their birthday month. Date of birth can be added in the Personal Details section of the M&S app or website account.

Register your baby’s details to join the Parent Hood. Members expecting a baby or with children under two can access significant additional value through the Parent Hood, including a 10% discount on baby grows and free cafe treats on Tuesday mornings. Registration requires joining via the Sparks section at marksandspencer.com/the-parent-hood.

Common Issues and Solutions

Even well-designed programs have friction points. Here are the most common issues M&S Sparks members encounter and how to resolve them.

Wallet balance not updating after a purchase. Sparks wallet rewards are only credited when a qualifying offer has been triggered. If a purchase did not align with any active offer, no reward will be credited. Check the Sparks hub in the M&S app to review your current active offers and their spend thresholds before your next shop. If you believe a qualifying transaction was not credited, contact M&S customer service through the M&S app or website.

Unable to see personalised offers. Ensure you are using the latest version of the M&S app by searching for M&S in the App Store or Google Play and selecting Update if available. Offers update regularly, and older app versions may not display the current offer set correctly.[5]

Virgin Red earn not crediting to Sparks wallet. Virgin Red earn requires both a linked Sparks account and a linked Virgin Red account. Confirm that both accounts are connected via the Sparks section of the M&S app. Virgin Red transactions may take several days to appear in the Sparks wallet depending on the specific Virgin business involved.

Birthday treat not received. Birthday treats require a date of birth to be registered in the Sparks profile. If your birthday month has passed without a treat being credited, confirm that your date of birth is saved in the Personal Details section of your account. Treats are credited at the start of the birthday month, so members who add their date of birth mid-month may need to wait until their next birthday year.[5]

Coffee stamp not recorded. Coffee stamps are recorded when the Sparks account is scanned at the time of purchase at M&S Cafe locations. If a stamp has not been recorded, contact the cafe directly. Stamps are not retrospectively added after the transaction is complete.

Sparks not working in specific locations. Sparks is not available at BP or Applegreen petrol stations, at M&S stores outside the UK and ROI, or on the Ocado website. Purchases at these locations will not earn Sparks wallet rewards or record coffee stamps.[5]

Charity donation query. Members can check their current charity selection and change it at any time within the Sparks section of the M&S app. Changes take effect from the next qualifying transaction.

The Psychology of M&S Sparks

The behavioural design of the transformed M&S Sparks reflects several well-established principles from loyalty psychology, and examining these helps to explain why the new model is likely to engage members more effectively than the points-based predecessor.

The Endowment Effect and Real Money Rewards

The most fundamental shift in the new Sparks is the move from abstract points to real pound rewards. This taps directly into what Kahneman and Tversky (1979) identified as a foundational principle of prospect theory: people value tangible, concrete gains more than equivalent abstract ones.[10] A member who sees £10 in a Sparks wallet experiences a stronger sense of ownership and value than a member who sees 1,000 points that nominally equate to the same amount.

Research on the endowment effect, building on the foundational work of Thaler (1980), shows that people ascribe greater value to things they feel they already own.[10] By framing earned rewards as real money sitting in a digital wallet, M&S creates a stronger psychological sense of ownership that motivates both continued earning and eventual spending. The wallet balance becomes something members want to protect, grow, and ultimately enjoy spending.

Personalisation as a Form of Artificial Empathy

The AI-powered personalisation at the heart of new Sparks aligns with what Liu-Thompkins, Okazaki and Li (2022) describe as artificial empathy in loyalty interactions.[11] Their framework identifies perspective-taking, the ability of an AI system to model and respond to individual customer goals and preferences, as the most commercially implementable form of empathy in program design. When a Sparks offer arrives that reflects a member’s actual dietary preferences or shopping behaviour, it communicates that M&S sees and understands them as an individual, not as a generic customer. This recognition has a measurable effect on engagement and trust that a mass-distributed discount cannot replicate.

Goal Gradient and the Spend-and-Earn Mechanic

The spend-and-earn thresholds in Sparks, for example earning £10 when spending £50 on Fashion, Home and Beauty, create exactly the conditions that Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng (2006) identified as driving the goal gradient effect in loyalty programs.[12] Their research demonstrated that members accelerate their purchase frequency as they approach a reward threshold, with inter-purchase time decreasing by approximately 20% from the first step to the last. A member who has spent £30 of the required £50 on Fashion knows precisely how much more they need and is more likely to complete the threshold than one offered a vague promise of future reward. The clarity and specificity of the new Sparks earn mechanics are features, not incidental details.

Reciprocity Through Charity and Surprise

The charity donation mechanic, 1p per transaction to the member’s chosen cause, operates through the norm of reciprocity that Gouldner (1960) identified as one of the most universal principles in human social exchange.[10] When M&S donates on the customer’s behalf with every purchase, it initiates a relationship dynamic that creates diffuse goodwill and a sense of shared values beyond the purely transactional. The £20 million donated to date across 37 charities represents both a significant financial commitment by M&S and a source of meaningful differentiation from programs that offer only financial rewards.

How Does It Rate Against Loyalty and Reward Co’s Essential Eight Principles?

As a global loyalty consulting company, Loyalty & Reward Co has developed the Essential Eight principles. These are elements which appear in all best-practice loyalty programs. Here is how M&S Sparks rates against each one at launch.

Is it Simple?

The new Sparks scores strongly on simplicity at its core. Real pounds in a digital wallet is far easier to understand than a points balance with opaque conversion rates. The three earn mechanics, spend and earn, buy and bundle, and try something new, are intuitive and aligned with natural shopping behaviour. However, simplicity at the individual offer level depends on how clearly each personalised offer is presented in the app. If offer mechanics become complex or stacked, the simplicity advantage could erode. At launch, the available evidence suggests M&S has prioritised clear, single-action earn conditions per offer. M&S’s stated principle of “no tricksy pricing” is the clearest possible signal of where the program sits philosophically on this dimension.[4]

Is it Valuable?

The program delivers strong perceived value, with the caveat that actual value is personalised rather than universal. Confirmed example earn rates, such as £10 on a £50 fashion spend (20%) and £5 on a £35 food spend (approximately 14%), are generous by UK loyalty program standards. The Virgin Red partnership adds a significant second dimension of value for members who use Virgin services, with wallet contributions of up to £130 per qualifying Virgin Atlantic holiday booking available.[4] The retained features, birthday treats, coffee stamps free seventh drink, charity donations, and the Parent Hood, add non-financial value that deepens the overall proposition beyond pure cashback.

Is it Stimulating?

The personalised, always-on offer model creates a reason to check the Sparks hub regularly, which is the primary stimulation mechanism. Unlike programs with fixed earn rates, Sparks offers will evolve as M&S’s AI model learns more about individual members and as new earn opportunities are introduced. The Virgin Red partnership adds a second dimension of stimulation by giving members reasons to engage with Sparks outside M&S retail occasions. The coffee stamp program provides a simple, immediate micro-stimulus on every cafe visit. The program is in its early stages and M&S has explicitly stated that more features are coming, which sustains anticipation. The primary risk to stimulation is if personalised offers feel too similar across members or refresh too infrequently to generate genuine excitement.

Is it Emotional?

The emotional dimension of Sparks is a genuine strength, and notably one that M&S has chosen to preserve and extend rather than sacrifice for financial simplicity. The birthday treat program, which has delivered over one million gifts since its launch in the current form, creates an annual moment of personal recognition.[4] The charity donation mechanic connects every transaction to a cause the member has chosen, introducing a values dimension that generates ongoing goodwill. The Parent Hood creates a strong community-adjacent emotional connection for members with young families. Retained alongside the new financial wallet, these elements give Sparks a richer emotional texture than a pure cashback program would deliver.

Is it Complementary?

The program integrates across M&S’s channels, covering in-store, marksandspencer.com, and the M&S app. The M&S Credit Card integration creates a financial services bridge. The Virgin Red partnership extends earn into travel, telecommunications, and experiences. The Parent Hood serves as an adjacent community product for parents. The Sparks wallet is spendable across all M&S product categories, from Foodhall weekly shopping to fashion and home. The breadth of category coverage within M&S’s own offer, combined with the Virgin Red extension, gives Sparks a complementary footprint that rewards the full range of an M&S customer’s engagement with the brand.

Is it Accessible?

Accessibility is a genuine strength. Sparks is free to join, available across all major M&S shopping channels, and requires no prior spending or qualification to start earning. The app-led model is straightforward, and the marksandspencer.com web interface provides an alternative for members who prefer a desktop experience. The offer to use Sparks via a registered email or phone number at in-store checkouts reduces dependence on the app at point of sale. The main accessibility consideration is that the program is materially more valuable for members who are comfortable using the M&S app and engaging with personalised offers than for those who shop infrequently or without checking their active offer set first.

Is it Differentiating?

Sparks differentiates meaningfully from the dominant UK grocery loyalty programs. The major alternative programs in the UK market, including Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar, use points-based currencies with partner redemption ecosystems. Boots Advantage Card uses a cashback model but without AI-powered personalisation. The combination of real pounds, offer personalisation powered by machine learning, a digital wallet that spans all M&S categories, and the first open-ecosystem partnership in the program’s history gives Sparks a distinctive value proposition that is difficult for competitors to replicate without similar investment in data infrastructure and AI capability. M&S’s explicit refusal to adopt member pricing, stating that CEO Stuart Machin is “against loyalty pricing” and prefers “everyday pricing”, is also a differentiator, positioning Sparks as a reward for loyalty rather than a discount available to anyone who signs up.[3]

Is it Cost-Effective?

Commercial returns from the new Sparks at program level are not yet publicly disclosed, given the program’s April 2026 launch date. The investment in AI and data infrastructure is substantial, as M&S has described the Sparks transformation as a “key strategic milestone” and a central element of its reshaping for growth strategy.[4] The variable earn rate model, where rewards are funded against specific personalised offers rather than a universal flat earn rate, provides M&S with more commercial control than a fixed cashback model and allows reward costs to be tied directly to behaviours the business wants to drive. The retained features, charity donations in particular, represent a relatively low-cost source of significant emotional differentiation. The Virgin Red partnership introduces an external funding mechanism, with partner-funded rewards reducing the direct cost to M&S for those earn events. Long-term program ROI will depend on the quality of the AI personalisation engine, member engagement with active offers, and the incremental revenue generated through cross-category discovery.

Is it Evolving?

M&S has been explicit that the April 2026 launch is “just the first stage of new Sparks with much more to come for customers in the future”.[4] Advanced generative AI models are planned for introduction after the launch date. The Virgin Red partnership is framed as a foundation for a broader partner ecosystem. Additional Virgin businesses and potentially other partners may be added over time. The program has a clear evolution roadmap, which is a positive signal for long-term member engagement. The history of Sparks, which has evolved from a points club in 2015 to a digital-first perks program in 2020 to an AI-powered cashback wallet in 2026, demonstrates that M&S is willing to make fundamental structural changes rather than incremental tweaks when member feedback demands it.

Conclusion

M&S Sparks has undergone its most transformative redesign since the program’s launch in 2015. The shift from points to real pound rewards in a digital wallet addresses the single most consistent piece of member feedback M&S received about the program. Members had said it was not rewarding enough, not clear enough, and not personalised enough.[4]

The new model combines a transparent cashback-style earn mechanic with AI-powered personalisation that makes every member’s Sparks experience different from every other member’s. The addition of Virgin Red as the program’s first-ever partner marks a structural shift from a closed-loop retail reward scheme toward an open earning platform, connecting Sparks wallet growth to high-value consumer occasions in travel, entertainment, and telecommunications. The retention of birthday treats, coffee stamps, charity donations, and the Parent Hood ensures that the emotional dimension of the program remains intact alongside the new financial engine.

As loyalty experts, the Loyalty & Reward Co team assess the new M&S Sparks as one of the most significant loyalty program transformations in the UK in 2026. The combination of monetary transparency, meaningful personalisation, and a credible partnership ecosystem gives M&S a competitive foundation that aligns with where the UK loyalty market is heading. The program’s stated commitment to further development, including generative AI models and expanded Virgin Red benefits, means that the version of Sparks that launched in April 2026 is best understood as the starting point of a longer journey.

For members seeking to maximise their value from Sparks, the combination of checking active offers before every shop, enabling push notifications, sharing preferences to improve offer quality, linking a Virgin Red account, and connecting an M&S Credit Card provides a strong foundation for accumulating meaningful wallet rewards across the full range of M&S shopping occasions.

For more information about the program and to join, visit marksandspencer.com/joinsparks or download the M&S app.

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References

[1] Marks & Spencer. (2026). Key Facts and Figures. https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/about-us/key-facts-figures

[2] Marketing Week. (2026). M&S revamps Sparks loyalty program. https://www.marketingweek.com/marks-and-spencer-loyalty-revamp/

[3] Marketing Week. (2026). M&S revamps Sparks loyalty program. https://www.marketingweek.com/marks-and-spencer-loyalty-revamp/

[4] Marks & Spencer Corporate. (2026). M&S Announces Transformed Sparks Loyalty Program. https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/newsroom/press-releases/ms-announces-transformed-sparks-loyalty-program

[5] Marks & Spencer. (2026). Loyalty and Rewards. https://www.marksandspencer.com/help-and-support/loyalty-and-rewards

[6] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2026). M&S Transforms Sparks: Pounds Not Points, Personalisation Everywhere. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/ms-transforms-sparks-pounds-not-points-personalisation-everywhere/

[7] Marketing Week. (2022). M&S on the next stage of its transformation. https://www.marketingweek.com/ms-next-stage-transformation/

[8] Head for Points. (2026). Virgin Red partners with M&S in Sparks loyalty program revamp. https://www.headforpoints.com/2026/04/16/marks-and-spencer-virgin-red-sparks-loyalty-program/

[9] Westminster Pimlico News. (2026). M&S Sparks rewards revamped with wallet and AI in 2026. https://westminsterpimliconews.co.uk/ms-sparks-rewards-revamped-with-wallet-and-ai-in-2026/

[10] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). The Psychology of Loyalty Programs: Why We Really Join and What Really Keeps Us. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/the-psychology-of-loyalty-programs-why-we-really-join-and-what-really-keeps-us/

[11] Liu-Thompkins, Y., Okazaki, S. and Li, H. (2022). Artificial empathy in marketing interactions: bringing together human and artificial intelligence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50, 1177-1197.

[12] Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O. and Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected: purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(1), 39-58.

[13] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). The Essential Eight: Guiding Principles for Best Practice Loyalty Program Design. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/essential-eight-guiding-principles-best-practice-loyalty-program/

[14] Marks & Spencer. (2026). Join M&S Sparks. https://www.marksandspencer.com/joinsparks

[15] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). How AI is Revolutionising Loyalty and Membership Programs. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/how-ai-is-revolutionising-loyalty-and-membership-programs/

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[17] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). The Power of Partnerships in Loyalty Programs. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/the-power-of-partnerships-in-loyalty-programs-three-things-every-company-should-consider/

[18] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). Points to Personalisation. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/points-to-personalisation/

[19] Loyalty & Reward Co. (2025). Digital Wallets, Payments and Convergence in Loyalty. https://loyaltyrewardco.com/digital-wallets-payments-and-convergence-in-loyalty/

[20] Statista. (2023). Number of members of Marks and Spencer Sparks customer reward scheme in financial years 2021 to 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1400435/sparks-number-members/

[21] Marks & Spencer. (2026). The Parent Hood. https://www.marksandspencer.com/the-parent-hood

[22] Grocery Gazette. (2025). M&S resumes its Sparks membership rewards program and launches discounts. https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2025/07/18/ms-sparks-membership-rewards/

[23] Retail Technology Innovation Hub. (2026). Marks and Spencer puts new digital wallet at heart of retailer’s revamped Sparks loyalty program. https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2026/4/15/marks-and-spencer-puts-new-digital-wallet-at-heart-of-retailers-revamped-sparks-loyalty-program

[24] Gouldner, A.W. (1960). The norm of reciprocity: a preliminary statement. American Sociological Review, 25(2), 161-178.

[25] Thaler, R.H. (1980). Toward a positive theory of consumer choice. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation, 1(1), 39-60.