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Major supermarket makes big change to free coffee offer and shoppers will be delighted
It's not the only change the supermarket has brought in
A MAJOR supermarket is making a big change to its free coffee offer.
In a boost for shoppers Waitrose is changed the terms and conditions for the deal, meaning its easier to bag a freebie.
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Previously the posh supermarket chain only offered the free drink to shoppers who had bought something in store first.
But from next week shoppers can bag the beverage without having bought anything.
This is the same rule as was initially brought in when the deal was first launched back in 2013.
Shoppers will still need to bring a reusable cup in order to bag the freebie though.
READ MORE ON LOYALTY
The offer is still only available to loyalty scheme members.
In an email sent to My Waitrose shoppers the chain outlined the rule change as well as a raft of other tweaks to the scheme.
It said: "We’re making some changes to the My Waitrose terms and conditions on 27 January, 2025.
"You’ll be able to get your free hot drink without buying anything in store first. Don’t forget your reusable cup!"
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Waitrose told The Sun the move has been formally brought in to allow shoppers to sip their coffees as they shop.
It said that many already for this but the process has now been brought in formally.
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Loyalty scheme members have been reacting to the change online.
One said: "GOOD spot. In ALL honesty, the coffee ain't great, but it is perfectly drinkable, yet fer FREE (as was, once upon a time) it somehow becomes DEEElish."
Another wrote: "I think its great they brought it back."
The free takeaway coffee offer has been a huge success for the supermarket, bringing in thousands of extra customers, since its launch in 2013.
In January 2015, the supermarket introduced a rule that anyone who wanted a free coffee from the chain’s cafe to drink at a table would also need to buy some food.
Then in November 2016, Waitrose changed the rules for the free drink offer - asking shoppers to make a purchase before getting their freebie - in a small number of stores.
The following year customers the rules changed again and customers had to buy something else before they could claim their freebie.
Waitrose staff handed out cups to customers after they had paid for their shopping, and there was no minimum spend requirement.
The move left many scheme members fuming but some such as Martin Lewis pointed out you could in fact buy something as small as a banana to bag your free coffee.
Social media sites were flooded with posts from unhappy Waitrose shoppers.
One customer said on X, formerly Twitter: “Today is a sad day, RIP free Waitrose coffee."
Another added: “The rumours are true, my heart is breaking.
"I cannot simply get a free coffee in @Waitrose without buying something first.”
In 2018, as Waitrose began phasing out plastic cups the offer was changed again and is now no longer be available for customers who don't bring a reusable cup.
The only requirement for the reusable cups is that they can fit under the nozzle in the self-service coffee machine.
Now from Monday, the only requirement to bag a free coffee is that you bring a reusable cup - no store purchase needed.
What else is changing?
Also included in the email to My Waitrose members, the chain outlined several other changes to the scheme.
Dear Tara,
We’re making some changes to the My Waitrose terms and conditions on 27 January 2025.
Here’s a summary of what the main changes mean for you:
You can now save 20% at the cheese counter on Thursdays.
Full information for this can be found in the ‘Promotional Offers’ clause online.
The supermarket giant has also tweaked the way shoppers can use a voucher, now you can select your vouchers before you checkout and they’ll be automatically applied when you scan your My Waitrose card.
It has also removed any reference to daily newspaper vouchers, which was axed back in October.
You can now be a My Waitrose member if you live in Northern Ireland.
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Plus, scheme is now referred to as My Waitrose rather than myWaitrose.
My Waitrose is free to sign up to and shoppers can do so on the chain's website.
Supermarket loyalty schemes - which has one?
MOST UK supermarkets have loyalty schemes so customers can build up points and save money while they shop.
Here we round up what saving programmes you'll find at the big brands.
- Iceland: Unlike other stores, you don't collect points with the Iceland Bonus Card. Instead, you load it up with money and Iceland will give you £1 for every £20 you save.
- Lidl Plus: Lidl customers don't collect points when they shop, and are instead rewarded with personalised vouchers that gives them money off at the till.
- Morrisons: The My Morrisons: Make Good Things Happen replaces the More Card and rewards customers with personalised money off vouchers via the app.
- Sainsbury's: While Sainsbury's doesn't have a personal scheme, it does own the Nectar card which can also be used in Argos, eBay and other shops. You need 200 Nectar points to save up £1 to spend on your card. You need to spend at least £1 to get one Nectar point.
- Tesco: Tesco Clubcard has over 17million members in the UK alone. You use it each time you shop and build up points that can be turned into vouchers - 150 points gets you a £1.50 voucher. Here you need to spend £1 in Tesco to get one point.
- Waitrose: myWaitrose also doesn't allow you to collect points but instead you'll get access to free hot drinks, and discounts off certain brands in store.
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