MORRISONS shoppers aren’t happy about a new charge that’s applied to their online basket “in case of substitutions”.
When they go to check-out online some have been met with a message that explains how 5% is added on top of their spend as a “payment deposit”.
The deposit is to cover things that might be swapped out before they reach your door, or when workers pick weighted items that turn out to be more expensive than your original order, and more.
It was highlighted by one Morrisons shopper on Facebook page Money Saving hints, tips and ideas, who shared a screenshot of the message that popped up while they were checking out.
They explained: “I’ve just done a Morrisons online shop and had new post come up saying it’s now taking 5% over my order.”
The supermarket explained to The Sun that a lot of the fresh food sold in-store does not have a fixed price as it depends on the size and weight of the product.
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So that goes for the same products sold online too.
The 5% hold will cover whatever might be the difference when you get your final confirmed order.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “To ensure customers pay the correct amount for their online shopping, we have introduced an additional hold on customer’s cards 5% above the value of their shop.
“This is held by their bank until the basket is processed and the final amount can be calculated. Then customers are only charged the final amount of their shopping.”
That means your shop could still be cheaper if it works out less than the extra charge.
But while the charge may be fair enough in covering the unknown cost of shoppers’ grocery bills, it doesn’t make them any happier about forking out extra.
And some are worried it could leave them with cash unavailable.
On the Facebook post one said: “It’s my second or third shop with morrisons so this is definitely a new thing and I won’t be using it again.”
Another said: “I was wondering why when I go to authorise the payment its higher than my total.”
Meanwhile a third said: “This is awful for people who are on an extremely tight budget and only have so much in the bank.”
And another agreed. They said: “I’ll be avoiding Morrisons then. I have pennies spare sometimes. Shame.”
Martyn James, consumer expert from Resolver, said: “People should rightly be concerned about any retailer putting a ‘hold’ on their card for money that may or may not be debited at a later stage.
“Firstly this undermines the whole business of paying by card. After all, you only authorise the sum that you pay at the till – any other cash debited isn’t really authorised by you, no matter what caveats the retailer adds in the small print.”
It wouldn’t be the first time consumers have been met with this kind of a prepayment problem.
At the petrol pumps many have had to fork out for a £100 charge upfront.
New checks are in place at several supermarkets including Morrisons, but also Tesco and Asda, that hold the cash while the transaction goes through.
Similar to the grocery shop holding charge, they are there to make sure customers have sufficient funds in their accounts before filling up on petrol.
Martyn continued: “We’ve seen the wave of complaints about the £99 hold on cards when people pay at the pump for petrol.
“But the technology can and does go wrong, leaving people without access to their own cash at a time when money has never been tighter.
“So until all of these problems are sorted out, holds should not be applied and a standard price for loose items like vegetables should be honoured.”
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It’s not the only major change to come from the supermarket as of late – along with other grocery heavyweight brands, Morrisons has agreed to scrap packaging on fruit and veg by 2025.
And it’s not to say you can’t still get your shop for less at the supermarket – one ex worker revealed how to make your money go further in the store.
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