Martin Lewis’ MSE sends December warning to millions of Co-op customers

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) team has issued a December warning to millions of Co-op customers who have shopped there using the convenience store's membership card.

Like Tesco Clubcard, Lidl Plus, Sainsbury's Nectar card, and Morrisons More, Co-op delved in to the realm of giving customers proper deals on food, drink, and other items for sale.

And they are proper deals, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which last month found that 92 percent of loyalty-priced items are real discounts with 'genuine savings'.

Listen up if you're a Co-op member (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

These loyalty cards are also good for giving you some money back, with many of them giving you points that you can swap for real money discounts off of your shops.

Well, one loyalty card that used to do this and no longer does is the Co-op Membership.

Despite this, Martin Lewis's lot over at MSE headquarters have said that a tonne of money is not being claimed - and time is running out.

You're running out of time (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

Co-op membership

The MSE team have issued to every Co-op loyalty scheme member - and it is one that you only have weeks left to take advantage of.

Up until early 2024, anyone with a Co-op Membership who scanned their card used to get two pence in rewards for every £1 spent on Co-op branded goods or services.

You could save up your cash and spend it however you liked.

But in January, the 2p per £1 cash back scheme was ended and replaced by Co-op 'Member Prices'.

With Co-op 'Member Prices', members pay 'less across the board' and get 'personalised offers every week', the supermarket's website says, which is similar to discounts offered for scanning a Nectar card at Sainsbury's.

Martin Lewis conducted his experiment on X (ITV)

MSE warning to Co-op members

With five million Co-op members, according to MSE, the scheme was used by a good chunk of the British population.

Well, if you still have cash on your Co-op card, time is running out.

"Check now if you have any cash left on your rewards balance, as any unused amounts will expire on Tuesday, 31 December," the MSE website states.

You've got until New Year's Eve to scan and spend anything left on your account otherwise the amount will disappear forever.

If you don't want to spend it, or only have a little bit you're not too bothered about, you can choose to donate to help local community projects.

This is done through your online Co-op account or using the Co-op app.

MSE says: "Co-op no longer lets you earn rewards for charity directly – instead you can choose a local cause to get a share of the Co-op's profits (again, you can do this through your online account or the Co-op app)."