TESCO is making a big change to online orders and it’s left shoppers furious.
The supermarket giant is upping the minimum spend customers have to reach for delivery.
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It is also increasing the basket charge for those that don’t mean the minimum spend.
From May 2, shoppers must spend a minimum of £50, up from £40.
If they don’t, they’ll be charged a £5 fee – this is currently £4.
The minimum spend for click & collect will remain at £25 across all stores.
Shoppers have been furious at the change and took to Facebook’s Extreme Couponing & Bargains page to vent their frustration.
One wrote: “The minimum checkout basket is rising from £40 to £50.
“I know this is easily done for families but I know lots of people on their own unable to do a weekly shop and it’s been a lifeline but the rise to £50 will be far too much.”
And another said: “I hate that supermarkets have this minimum spend. Makes it difficult for a two person household to shop.
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“I’d never spend £40 or £50 on shopping and then add the delivery on as well. It’s shocking.”
While another commented: “Won’t take long get it to £50 with the prices in there these days.”
A Tesco spokesperson said: “To ensure we can continue to serve our online customers as effectively as possible, from May 2 we are making some changes to our minimum basket threshold, the first change we are making in nearly eight years.
“For the vast majority of our customers, there will be no change to the way they shop.”
In comparison, Sainsbury’s requires a minimum spend of £40 or shoppers will incur a £7 fee.
For Asda, customers need to spend £40 too, but they’ll only be charged £3 if they don’t.
Morrisons shoppers need to spend £25 minimum and those below £40 will incur an extra £3 charge.
Iceland customers need to spend a minimum 0f £40 – those under will incur a £3 fee.
Tesco has been making a raft of changes lately.
It has rolled out Whoosh, which is a rapid delivery service, to 1,000 Tesco Express stores.
The online service first launched in May 2021 and is now available in half of Tesco Express stores across the UK.
Whoosh allows shoppers the chance to order food and get it delivered in as little as 30 minutes.
Orders can be placed via the Tesco app or website and there is a £2.99 delivery fee.
The grocery store has also made big changes to its Clubcard.
The supermarket chain is reducing the value of Clubcard vouchers spent with reward partners.
From June 14, Clubcard vouchers will only be worth double their value if exchanged at any of Tesco’s 100 reward partners.
The move will mean that their value won’t go as far as it used to on things like family days out at Alton Towers Resort, meals at PizzaExpress, sunny getaways with Hotels.com and much more.
Customers wishing to avoid the points devaluation for as long as possible can do so by ordering partner codes before June 14.
Also from June 14, you will collect one point for every two litres of fuel you buy.
As it stands, you get one point for every £2 of fuel you buy.
The current average cost of a litre of unleaded in the UK is 146.38p, according to the RAC, so two litres cost roughly £2.92.
That means the majority of people will be getting less Clubcard value from buying fuel.
The change excludes Esso filling stations with a Tesco Express store.
How can I find the best deals in the supermarket?
Get a loyalty card
Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.
If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.
The Sun compared the best supermarket loyalty cards in this handy guide.
Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks, bringing it in line with Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
But it’s worth comparing loyalty schemes – and remember you don’t have to stay loyal, despite the name.
Know when to shop
Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save you serious dough.
If you shop in the evening, you are more likely to find goods that have been marked down.
But each branch of a supermarket will have its biggest discounts at slightly different times of the day.
We put together a handy guide to what time supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Lidl reduce their prices.
Take note of unit prices
Unit prices are meant to make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.
You should be able to see the unit price of the product where its price tag is shown – it may be in the small print.
Compare this with the unit price of a similar item – for example, the cost per 100ml or two different types of cola – and chose the item with the lowest unit cost.
Stores are obligated to show unit pricing, under legislation known as the Price Marking Order 2004.
With this in mind, paying close attention to the unit prices of the staples in your shopping trolley could save you a fortune in the long term.
Make a list and take stock
One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.
Always do a stock take before going shopping.
It will stop you from buying what you already have and it’s amazing how many great recipes can be made from a few store cupboard items already sitting there.
Making a list will help to stay focused on getting the items that you really need, rather than being drawn into impulse purchases.
Another tip is to choose a smaller trolley – or a basket, if possible – to shop with.
A bigger trolley will look emptier even after you’ve finished trawling the aisles, and can encourage you to pick up more items.
Check out the world food aisle
Most supermarkets have a world food aisle stacked up with cupboard staples that are usually cheaper than elsewhere in the shop.
World food aisles typically have great value options on herbs and spices, as well as essentials like tinned tomatoes and chickpeas at lower costs.
The items found in the aisle are essentially the same, they are just labelled a little differently and with brands we are less familiar with.
Most of us are guilty of missing out on this “hidden” aisle when we do the weekly shop, so it’s definitely worth checking it out.
Shop wonky
Strange-shaped fruit and vegetables taste the same but cost less.
For example, Morrisons sells wonky veg products from 39p, while Lidl’s £1.50 Too Good To Waste boxes contain a whopping 5kg of fruit and vegetables that may be slightly damaged or discoloured but is still perfectly good to eat.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
