Your colleague membership card is for your use only on the purchases you make for your own personal use. Colleague membership discount is not to be used for business-to-business transactions. Colleague Membership cards MUST NOT be shared.

Membership discount is not a contractual benefit and as the Colleague Membership Policy explains, breach of the Policy may result in removal of colleague membership.

Any usage of your colleague discount which goes against the policy will not be tolerated. It’s really important we all understand and follow the Colleague Membership Policy which sets out the rules of use. 

You’ll get discount on everything you buy except:

• Cigarettes and tobacco (including lighters and matches)
• Pay-point and other concessions (such as Costa Coffee)
• Mobile top-ups
• Coffee shop
• Baby milk
• Lottery and scratchcards
• Fireworks and sparklers
• Fuel and forecourt services
• Saving stamps
• Postage stamps
• Carrier bags
• Gift vouchers and gift cards
• Home delivery charges

If you buy alcohol and your discount would mean you’d pay less than the minimum legal selling price, you won’t get the full discount.

To make sure Co-op can keep offering colleague discounts, they need to make sure it’s genuinely colleague member-owners who are benefitting from it. So they are making some changes to Colleague Membership to give them better control over who’s receiving discounts, helping to reduce misuse across the group and save money for our Co-op. 

Q: What is Colleague Membership?

A: Colleague Membership is all the benefits of being a Co-op Member and more, colleague members also get discounts off Co-op own brand and branded products along with services across our family of businesses.
 

Q: What are the changes?

A: There are a number of changes that will affect Co-op Academies Trust colleagues and colleagues across the entire group. These include:

Removing Partner Cards

These cards can not easily be attributed to a colleague and so its difficult to ensure they are being used as they should be. Partner Cards will be removed from 22 April. A more digital solution is being looked into with the hope to be able to bring them back in the future.

Data storage

All colleagues within Co-op have their data stored in the internal MyHR system. This is a separate system to what we use in the Trust. When Trust colleagues originally applied for their colleague membership, they will have completed a data sharing agreement, consenting to the sharing of their:

• Surname
• date of birth
• work location
• employee number
• whether you are a teacher or member of support staff
• start date of employment
• and, where applicable, leaving date of employment.

To make sure Co-op Academies Trust colleagues can keep their Colleague Membership, we will be re-sharing this data with Co-op to be stored securely in MyHR. This will allow Co-op to match Colleague Membership numbers to colleagues within the Trust. Without being on this system, cards will be cancelled by 19 May.

Data will be stored securely and only shared specifically to match membership numbers to colleagues. Data will only be stored by Co-op for the duration of your employment in the Trust. If you have any questions, or object to your data being processed in this way please contact your data protection ambassador within your academy, or alternatively you may contact the Trust’s Data Protection Officer, Tammy.pyszky@coopacademies.co.uk

Applying a fair usage check

As part of the ongoing monitoring of colleague member spend, checks will be carried out to ensure the discount is being used appropriately. If misuse is suspected, you will be contacted. If necessary your card will be cancelled and could result in disciplinary proceedings.

Removing the double discount during payday events

Effective immediately, the decision has been made to stop offering double discount payday events. This will ensure discount benefit is brought to an affordable level and ensures Co-op are still able to offer their market-leading own brand 30% colleague discount. This will be monitored with the hopes to reintroduced at key seasonal events in the future.

Discount stacking

Work has begun on looking at how promotions and discounts are stacked at the till. This will be improved to ensure discount isn’t applied at a loss on certain deals or member prices. Where an item might end up selling at less than cost price, colleague discount will not apply.

Q: Why is the policy changing?

A: There’s a number of reasons why Co-op is changing the policy. The main reason is to protect our Colleague Membership benefit.

Over the last 18 months, there has been misuse of the discount that was costing Co-op a lot of money. These changes will help reduce this and also make sure discounts are applied in the right way.

Q: Do Colleague Members get an additional Partner Card?

A: No, they can’t easily be identified to a colleague member account so Co-op can’t be sure they are being used as they should. 

Q: Will Partner Cards be converted to standard Co-op Membership and new cards sent?

A: Partner Cards were separate to Customer Membership and enabled partners to receive the discount element of the benefit. Most partners were already members but if they were not, the can become members via Co-op Membership.

Q: Can we give our Colleague Membership cards to our friends and family to use?

A: Colleague Membership is for you only, as such this means you should be the only one to use the card and benefit from discounts associated with it.

If you have misused your Colleague Membership card, this will be taken seriously and could result in disciplinary action being taken, and/or your membership card being taken away.

Colleague card usage is regularly monitored via audits, spot checks and regular reviews. 

Q: What does misuse look like?

A: Misuse can be sharing your card with those not entitled to receive the benefit or buying things with your Colleague Membership to resell. Colleague card usage and spend is monitored, indicators of misuse can include:

• Payment method checks - an unusual amount of different payment types swiped with the membership card
• High value transactions
• High volume transactions
• Geographical indicators, such as high number or stores or unusual spread of stores where the membership card has been swiped in a short period

Q: How will our discount work with other offers like Member Deals?

A: Co-op need to make sure discount isn’t applied at a loss on certain deals or member prices. Where an item might sell at less than cost price, colleague discount will not apply.

For Lunchtime Meal Deal offers, the 50p member discount will be removed when there is a combination of own-brand and branded products being purchased. If 3 branded products are selected, then colleagues will get the 50p off in a combination of discount and meal deal deduction.

Q: Who is eligible to become a Colleague Member?

A: You can become a colleague member if you are employed by Co-op or Co-op Academies Trust on either a fixed-term or permanent contract.

Q: How do I become a Colleague Member?

A: If you do not have a Co-op Member card, you can join by completing our Become a Colleague Member form.

Q: How do I become a Colleague Member if I already have a card?

A: If you’re already a Co-op Member and want to upgrade to Colleague Membership, use this link.

Q: I’ve lost my card, what should I do?

A: If you lose your card, or if it is stolen, you must call 0800 023 4708 to get a replacement.

Q: Do we get discount if we shop online?

A: You can use your Colleague Member discount when buying groceries online at shop.coop.co.uk, either for home delivery or collection from your local food store, just check the website to see if the service is available in your area.

Q: Can we use our Membership cards in other Co-ops?

A: You’ll get 10% off eligible products when you shop in the following independent Co-op societies:

•  East of England Co-op
• Midcounties Co-operative (colleagues need to ask for it at the till and it’ll be applied manually)
• Southern Co-op
• Central England Co-operative

Q: For Funeralcare, who can use my Colleague Membership for funerals or funeral plans?

A: In this instance, it’s okay to give your membership details to a qualifying immediate family member for them to purchase a funeral plan or funeral for another member of your immediate family.

Funeralcare immediate family includes:

• A spouse or partner at the same address
• Children, stepchildren and adopted children (children under the age of 18 are free of charge, excluding third-party fees)
• Parents, stepparents, parents-in-law and stepparents-in-law
• Grandparents and step-grandparents
• Siblings and stepsiblings