DO you fancy an extra bit of cash for Christmas?
Free money is up for grabs from various supermarket schemes, which are designed to boost your savings for the festive period.
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Here, Harriet Cooke looks at how to bag the best bonuses.
Morrisons
MEMBERS of the My Morrisons saver scheme can buy themselves “stamps” in-store throughout the year, which are then converted into Christmas vouchers.
The cut-off for saving is October 31. If you’ve got stamps worth £49 or more, you’ll get a £1 bonus, for £97 worth you’ll earn £3, for £146 you’ll land £4 and £194 makes you £6 — which is also the maximum payment.
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Just buy your stamps at the checkout and the cashier will link them to your My Morrisons account by either scanning your physical card or the digital one in your app.
Vouchers are digital only, which can be loaded on to your My Morrisons card for use in the supermarket.
Or you can request an e-code to spend on the Morrisons website.
Christmas Savers vouchers must be redeemed between November 6 and December 31.
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Fail to cash them in by the end of the year and they will expire.
Bonus value: Up to 3 per cent of saving
Pay-in deadline: October 31
Payout limit: £6
Asda
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THE Christmas Savings Card can be picked up in store or ordered online. Register it to your online Asda account.
You get a bonus £1 for saving £30-£79.99, £3 for £80-£129.99, £6 for £130-£179.99, £9 for £180-£229.99, £12 for £230-£279.99, and £15 for £280 or more.
The cut-off date is 5pm on November 13 and the bonus will come through on the card by November 14.
Top up online using your Asda account or in store.
The card can be used online on the Asda groceries site, in stores and at George.com.
Bonus value: Up to 5 per cent
Pay-in deadline: November 13
Payout limit: £15
Iceland
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IT doesn’t actually have a Christmas savings scheme but its Bonus cards can be used to save towards the event.
The cards give you £1 extra to spend in stores when you save £20 on to them, with a maximum of £1,000 saved per card.
Order cards online or pick them up in store (you will need to register them online) and top them up at the till or online.
To use savings, tell the cashier how much you want to spend and the amount will be taken off the card.
Bonus value: 5 per cent of saving
Pay-in deadline: Any time
Payout limit: £47 per card (cards hold £1,000 max)
Sainsbury’s
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THE Sainsbury’s Christmas Club card must be activated and loaded at checkouts and self-service tills, and you will need to register it online.
Rewards of £2.50 are given for each full £50 you have saved on your card by November 1, up to a maximum of £25 on £500 savings.
The bonus will be added to your card by the end of November.
The balance can be used in store or online at Sainsbury’s and Argos.
Bonus value: £2.50 for every £50
Pay-in deadline: November 1
Payout limit: £25
Co-op
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SHOPPERS get paper savings books that they can stick stamps in.
Each stamp costs £1 and you can buy 48 maximum per book, which you can then redeem against your shopping.
Fill your book with £1 stamps and cash them in when you want with a £2 bonus for a full book at Christmas.
Saving and spending is all done in store.
Bonus value: £2 for every full stamp book worth £48
Pay-in deadline: Anytime, bonus doubled in December
Payout limit: £2 per £48 spend
Is it worth it?
UNLIKE bank accounts, the schemes are not protected so you would be better off putting the money into a savings account.
If you lose the card or stamps book then you lose your cash, too.
But a bonus £15 could be an extra present under the tree — so if you know you will definitely spend that amount of money at that supermarket, put it into the scheme the day before the deadline to cash in.
All savings schemes operate differently, but be aware that if you don’t spend your vouchers at Christmas they may expire.
