Tesco Ireland, Superquinn and Dunnes Stores are making suppliers pay for bonus point schemes in their stores, the latest edition of the grocery magazine Shelflife has claimed.

Bonus point schemes involve special promotions of products where customers collect extra points which are subsequently exchanged for discounts. The schemes are open to customers holding a loyalty card with the supermarket.

A spokeswoman for Tesco Ireland said Tesco absorbed the cost of its ordinary ClubCard points scheme, but requested suppliers to fund the bonus points scheme. "There is no coercion in it; if suppliers want the boost to their product this way, the option is there," she said. Neither Dunnes Stores nor Superquinn was available for comment last night.