Waitrose customers have spotted a change with how their favourite supermarket has changed its loyalty scheme.
Shoppers using the myWaitrose membership programme previously received personalised discount vouchers each week to give money off products.
But customers were recently informed vouchers may now arrive from ‘time-to-time’ and may take several weeks to appear in customers’ accounts.
Cardholders had been ‘entitled to two vouchers each week’ which were sent out every Wednesday and could be used in store or online until the following Tuesday.
But terms and conditions, updated on February 14, now say: ‘If eligible, the customer may receive vouchers for personalised offers on products from time-to-time.’
But sources within Waitrose insisted it was still issuing vouchers in ‘exactly the same way – rewarding customers for regular visits, based on the same criteria’.
They also do not expect customers to see any difference as they will continue to receive new vouchers each week, but there may be ‘short breaks’ between them.
The scheme’s terms and conditions state that vouchers will now only arrive from ‘time-to-time’
It is the latest change made to MyWaitrose which launched in 2011 and became known for perks including its free newspaper deal, which was modified in 2016 and ended in February 2022.
Another popular draw was the free hot drink, which was initially available with no purchase necessary in 2013 but has been changed several times over the years.
Since November 2022, customers wanting a free Americano, latte, cappuccino or tea have been required to bring their own cup and buy something in store. In the past, the deal had also included mocha or espresso options.
Waitrose is battling to hold onto market share among middle-class shoppers amid an intensifying supermarket war that has seen it lose customers to Marks and Spencer.
The two chains now both hold 3.8 per cent market share – but this is a fall for Waitrose from 3.9 per cent this time last year, while M&S has risen from 3.6 per cent.
One customer, who found out the changes after writing to Waitrose, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘My wife received no vouchers at all last week or this, even though she shops at our branch at least twice a week and spends over £20 each time.
‘Whereas I shopped twice last week and spent less, but still received my usual quantity of vouchers, some of them being £2 off some products.
‘They have not publicised it at all in the press or in their Weekend newspaper and stopped it with no warning. It doesn’t make sense and will stop us from shopping there in the future.’
Other customers have taken to social media in recent weeks to complain about not seeing any vouchers in their account.
One tweeted: ‘I don’t have any personalised vouchers. Didn’t get them last week either. Generic response ‘sometimes you may not get vouchers’ isn’t really satisfactory.
‘Either we are no longer eligible in which case please explain why or something has gone wrong in which case please say so.’
Another said: ‘Did anybody else know that Waitrose can stop giving you loyalty vouchers at any time?
‘I’ve used them for years, but all they’re offering me today is two complimentary vouchers for junk foods which we don’t eat.’
But Waitrose has insisted that any breaks in its vouchers for customers will be infrequent and only impact a very small percentage of customers at any given time.
A Waitrose spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘We haven’t changed the frequency of our vouchers; customers still receive these weekly – alongside benefits like daily free hot drinks and exclusive member-only discounts.
‘Just like all other supermarkets, our T&Cs simply reflect the fact that there may be brief windows when vouchers don’t update.
‘These are very infrequent and only ever impact a very small number of customers, whose vouchers will return very soon.’
It is also understood that this is the same approach taken by all comparable supermarket loyalty schemes, and it is in line with industry standards.
Shoppers using the myWaitrose membership card can get a hot drink – but must now bring their own cup and make a purchase to quality for the Americano, latte, cappuccino or tea
MyWaitrose launched in 2011 and became known for perks including free newspapers