Asda is hoping to emulate the success of Tesco's Clubcard by using the data from its credit card to generate targeted direct marketing.

Since the Asda credit card was launched in 2004, it has only been used to reward customers with a discount at Asda petrol stations. However, it has now started using customer transaction information in a similar way as Clubcard and Nectar do.

It sent out its first direct mailing last week to credit card holders who had recently shopped at Boots, urging them to buy their toiletries at the supermarket.

"We want to say that if there is a certain product you like buying at Boots, come down to Asda and compare our prices, and here is an incentive to give us a try," said Gev Lynott, Asda financial services director. "We can only do that because we can tell where they are shopping. This is only the very early stages as there is so much more we can do. But we are being very careful only to send out mailings to customers who give their consent ."

There are 300,000 active Asda credit card users, compared with Tesco's 13 million Clubcard and Sainsbury's 10 million Nectar card holders.

Lynott also launched Asda's first savings account this week, and he claimed Asda now offered one of the best interest rates on the market at 6.35%.

Next on the cards is the Asda mortgage, but ­Lynott said work was still ­ongoing to develop a "straightforward product that works for our customers".

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