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Catherine Furze

Tesco's big change to online shopping orders sparks angry backlash

Tesco Clubcard Sainsbury United Kingdom

Tesco shoppers have been hit with the third change in as many weeks - this time affecting the minimum spend for online orders at Tesco.com.

From May 2, shoppers must fork out a minimum of £50 on their orders - up from £40. And customers who do not meet the £50 limit will pay a £5 surcharge on their order, an increase from the current £4.

The changes mean that Tesco will have the highest minimum order value of all of the online supermarkets from May. Customers have been left fuming at the move, branding it 'greedy' in the cost of living crisis, as families face hikes in interest rates, council tax and water rates from April 1. The grocery giant has justified changes, which affects subscribers to its Delivery Saver Plan as well as more occasional online shoppers, saying the move would help ensure its grocery home shopping operation remained as efficient as possible. A notice on its website said the increases aimed to 'reduce the cost of home deliveries to your groceries'.

A Tesco spokesperson said the majority of customers would not be affected by the change, as the average order value is over £90, but the retailer's Twitter feed has been awash with complaints from angry shoppers since the announcement.

@AlAliJ3 said: "From May 2 you are increasing the minimum basket cost for home delivery from £40 to £50. A 25% INCREASE at a time people are struggling. Well done Tesco - showing as much greed and profiteering as everyone else. After me giving you £40 a week for years, you've lost me," and @AndrewPhisher fumed: "First you slash the Clubcard rewards value AGAIN and now I have to spend a minimum of £50 or else I get charged for delivery? Everyone’s trying to SAVE money and you’re pulling ridiculous crap like this?? Absolute greed, disgusting."

Customers are also concerned that the changes will hit single and disabled people particularly hard. @iwantedtobelisa said "I'm disabled and live alone. I cant afford to spend £50 plus delivery every week. Fortnightly shopping means you can't always have fresh fruit/veg. Terrible decision made without considering low income, single people.

@Nicky92483426 echoed her comments, saying: "Shocking to hear that you are increasing the minimum spend on online shopping from £40 up to £50 when I actually struggle to spend £40 on a shop. I don't go out as I suffer from mental health and heart issues and depend on delivery and now I will struggle to eat and heat."

@LazyFrance said: "So Tesco shows its true colours in the midst of #CostOfLivingCrisis, announcing minimum shopping basket for home delivery is to go up by a whopping 25% on May 2. From £40 to £50 or face a £5 surcharge on your bill. #Everylittlehelps... But every huge #hike hinders," and @Jasperj01399734 said: "Just wanted to pop in and say bye Tesco. From 2 May, the minimum basket charge increase to £5. Minimum basket charge is added to all orders that don’t meet the minimum basket value. At the same time, the minimum basket value for Home Delivery will change to £50."

The announcement on Tesco.com website alerted customers to the upcoming change: 'From 2 May, the minimum basket charge will increase to £5. The minimum basket charge is added to all orders that don't meet the minimum basket value. At the same time, the minimum basket value for Home Delivery will change to £50. The minimum order value for Click+Collect will remain at £25 for all stores.'

The thousands of households signed up to Tesco Delivery Saver - a plan that allows regular online shoppers to save money on deliveries, will also be affected by the change. Tesco's website explained: 'Depending on which Delivery Saver plan you sign up to, as long as you stay above the minimum basket threshold, orders will be delivered without charge during the times or days outlined in your chosen plan. You can do that once per day for every day your plan is valid. And with the Delivery Saver Guarantee, if your plan doesn't save you money, we'll give you an eCoupon for the difference.'

A Tesco spokesperson told This Is Money: "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."

The news comes just days after Tesco announced it is reducing the value of Clubcard vouchers spent with reward partners from the same date. Angry Tesco shoppers flooded social media to complain about the change, which means Clubcard vouchers will only be worth twice their value if exchanged at any of Tesco's Reward Partners, such as Hungry Horse pubs, Pizza Express, RAC breakdown cover and Legoland, instead of the current three times. Within a week of this announcement, Tesco revealed that from June 14, motorists will only collect one Clubcard point for every two litres of fuel they buy instead of the current one point for every £2 worth of fuel, downgrading the value by around a third.

More than 20 million people in the UK hold a Tesco Clubcard, collecting points every time they shop instore or online or use a Tesco filling station. The retailer has already announced that the supermarket's Clubcard app will be scrapped from April 18, to be replaced by another app - the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app - which will incorporate extra features.