Tesco has launched a version of its Clubcard for 16 and 17-year-olds - but they will still have to get an invite from their parents to join. 

The scheme gives teenagers access to the loyalty membership prices in Tesco shops for the first time, including its £3.85 lunchtime meal deal. 

With supermarkets increasingly offering cheaper 'member-only' prices on everyday goods, it meant younger Tesco shoppers were previously forced to shell out more.  

To be able to join the supermarket's Clubcard for 16-17s, teenagers will need to be invited to join from the Clubcard account of a parent or guardian. 

After being invited to join, teenage shoppers will be given access to Clubcard Prices in Tesco stores and be able to collect Clubcard points that can be converted into vouchers for money off at the checkout. 

The new scheme for teenagers is only available via Tesco's app or website and no plastic card will be provided. The scheme can be used in Tesco shops but not online.

The move follows campaigning from consumer group Which? urging supermarkets to lift what it called 'unfair restrictions' on who can access loyalty schemes. 

To invite a teenager aged 16 or 17 to join, their parent or guardian can click on the identity icon in the top corner of the Tesco app, which gives access to the account's settings.

In the account settings section, they can then click on the 'Invite to Clubcard' button and choose the option to send a sign-up link to their 16 or 17-year-old.

The 'Invite to Clubcard' button will only be visible to Clubcard members using the latest version of the app, so Clubcard members will need to update their app if it is not showing.

The Competition and Markets Authority has previously said that, while supermarkets' eligibility requirements are unlikely to breach consumer law, some could do more to broaden access, including permitting under-18s to benefit from schemes. 

Most of the largest supermarkets, including Sainsbury's, still require shoppers to be 18 or over to sign up for their rewards schemes. 

Shama Wilson, Tesco Group membership and loyalty director, said: 'We are delighted to be giving younger customers access to Tesco Clubcard for the first time, and we have no doubt that it will prove popular with 16 and 17-year-olds, whether they are shopping in one of our "big Tesco" or "little Tesco" stores.

'From today our new Clubcard for 16-17s members will not only be able to get Clubcard Prices in-store, including our iconic Tesco lunchtime meal deal for just £3.85, but also collect points that they can turn into vouchers for money off their in-store shopping.'

In the last few years supermarkets have ramped up loyalty price offers in their shops and online. 

Supermarkets get a haul of useful data about shoppers signed up to the schemes. Membership schemes also help to bring back customers to shops repeatedly. Shoppers without a loyalty card often face paying significantly more for a product than those with one.  

Tesco Clubcard has been running for more than 30 years and the group said more than 24million households in the UK have one. It said shoppers used a Clubcard in more than 80 per cent of sales at Tesco. 

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said: ' As the UK’s biggest retailer, Tesco is sending an important message about supporting young people who may be hit hard by cost of living pressures - and other supermarkets that still have restrictions should follow suit. 

'That said, the requirement for a parent or guardian to unlock membership for their 16-17 year old could be a barrier for young people who may be parents, carers, or guardians themselves.

'Our research shows that Clubcard prices aren’t always the cheapest on the market, but they still offer substantial savings compared with standard prices.'

James Bore, managing director of Bore Group, told This is Money: 'We tend to underestimate just how well loyalty schemes can profile us based on our purchases. When that's applied to younger users, there are additional concerns, with children's data requiring stronger safeguards under UK GDPR.'

He added: 'Retailers capture this data to build up these profiles so that they can predict our behaviours, and manipulate us into spending more money with them.

'For teenagers, that risk may be even higher, as they may be less aware of how their data is analysed.'