New membership coming soon
Co-op Membership has changed
Since the publication of this article Co-op membership has changed – we are giving even more back to your community. Every time you buy selected Co-op branded products and services money goes to you and your community too. Find out more about Co-op Membership or download the app now.
From today tens of thousands of our colleagues will be receiving their new membership cards. This is the next big step for the Co-op as we prepare to send the card to more than 5 million members in the autumn.
The 5% for you and the 1% for your community, when you buy Co-op products and services, is the most significant change to our membership for decades.
We’ve been working hard over the last three years to rebuild our Co-op. This Rebuild phase comes to an end in 2018 and then we’ll bring back the much loved ‘Divi’ too, sharing our success with you, our millions of co-owners.
Co-op Food, Co-op Funeralcare and Co-op Legal Services are all included in the new 5 + 1 member rewards. Co-op Insurance will join later next year.
Colleagues first
We’re sending our colleagues the new card ahead of our wider membership so they’ll be familiar with how it works and be ready to explain it to you, our members and customers, from the autumn.
So to our colleagues, enjoy using your new card and tell us what you think, and to our wider membership, look forward to the autumn!
Thanks
Richard Pennycook
Group Chief Executive
Does the new membership card come automaticly? It’s March 2018 and I can’t find out how to get my new blue card.
Hi Maria, thanks for the post. Please give us a call on 0800 023 4708. We’ll get this sorted out for you. Thanks ^Scott
Hi I had the old yellow card and used it all the time yet I can’t remember how I logged on.
Anyhow I was told in my local just to buy a new one which I did, but is it possible to find out about my yellow card and what might be on it?
I also never got a replacement in the post but swiped it most days this year up to the changeover and plenty of times too in the previous few years
We are having the same problem in Suffolk. Different information given in different stores. It seems you need a yellow card for certain regional stores and a blue one for other stores. VERY confusing. I too have got rid of my yellow card but have been told that I need this for my local store NOT the blue one!!! phoned for replacement, tried to explain to a very rude and unhelpful person. WAS eventually told that a new one would be with me in 7-10 days. 3 weeks later I’m still waiting.
Hi Gail, I’m sorry you find it confusing. I admit it’s not like other retailers’ loyalty schemes – precisely because we’re not like other retailers. So, as a co-operative our membership means you’re effectively buying a share of the Co-op. You, along with around 5 million other shoppers, co-own our Co-op. Now, we have Food stores, Funeral Homes, an insurance, a legal services and an online electronics business for you to trade with. We also have interests in a bank, The Co-operative Bank and in The Co-operative Travel, a joint venture with Thomas Cook, where you can also get benefits form being our member. But, there are other co-operatives too, who also operate Food stores, Funeral Homes, travel agents and then have other businesses too like florists and child care centres. Instead of working against these fellow co-operatives, we share our (albeit older) brand with them and let them stock our food products and sell our Funeral services, among other things. So, there’s a lot of cross over but in effect we’re separate businesses, separate co-ops, which means we have separate membership schemes. They too can look similar, but they’re very different because the benefits you get from them are specific to the co-operative you’re trading with, and your rights as a voting member are specific to their democracies.
Now, the 5% and 1% benefit to members of our Co-op can’t be earned on transactions with independent co-operative society businesses, but membership points still accrue. If that independent co-operative society makes an annual profit and pays a divi, it’ll be paid to members by us, on the independent society’s behalf.
I hope that makes more sense, if you’re still confused feel free to talk to my colleagues in the membership team on 0800 023 4708 ^Jordan
I like some people threw out my yellow card and tried to use it in our Shanklin shop. I was rudely told that I couldn’t use it there and should have kept my old card! shop I am referring to is regent street, Shanklin, Isle of Wight – store 00125
Hi Tina, thankyou for your comment. I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Was this at the store on Regent Street in Shanklin? ^Catherine
Hi Catherine, thanks for your message. yes that is the store.
Hi there Heather, can you provide the postal code of your local store? ^Scott
Forest
Don’t have that, it’s in the Firest of Dean in Gloucestershire.
I got rid of my old card when the new blue one arrived. I tried to use it in Coleford today & was told I should have kept the original. What?
Hi there, can you provide the postal code for your local store? Thanks ^Scott
hi I had over 40 pounds worth of points on my old card when will they show up on the new one
Hi Sheila, all points you have earned this year will still be on your account. You can contact the membership team at any point to check the number of your points. You can find out more about earning points here: http://www.coop.co.uk/terms/membership-terms-and-conditions/#10 ^Catherine
Hi, just used the new card in Gloucestershire and the lady told me it does not replace my old yellow card, and the points on that will not transfer to this new card? She also said the dividends dont work on this new card (must admit, I dont know what that means). I threw my old card away as I thought this was a new one, and again must admit I did not really read the letter. So, is this the case, and if so how do I order a replacement for the old card? Cheers
Hi Steve, which store in Gloucestershire did you visit? There are other Co-operative Societies in this area so the store may belong to one of them. If the store is one of ours, the blue car replaces the yellow card like for like. Nothing changes about how your membership account works. ^Catherine
Hi cat
It is coleford. In the forest of Dean.
Steve
Hi Steve, the store in Coleford is owned by The Midcounties Co-operative Society who have their own membership which is separate to ours. This will be why the team were unaware of the new card. You can use the blue card in this store, however you won’t be able to earn the 5% and 1% or any points with us at this store, but you may get a reward from that independent co-operative. This is because the amount you spend with the other co-operative is recorded against your Membership account with us. You can find out more about how your membership card works in other Co-operative Societies here: http://www.coop.co.uk/terms/membership-terms-and-conditions/#12 ^Catherine
My wife and I both have yellow cards. When using the card in-store yesterday I was advised that the new card would be replacing our existing cards and was advised that I needed to buy two new cards, which I did.
However I have been unable to register the new cards as I am an existing member.
Have I wasted £2 on cards that I did not need to buy?
Thanks.
Where do I go to link my staff card to my old members number.
[…] 2000 charities have completed an application form to be in receipt of the 1% for your community, and are now being […]
Cards that have been sent out already have had different Membership numbers. Sorry about that Dan. ^Sophie
Well. I will learn the new one and try to not get it mixed up!
will the new card have the same membership number as I have learnt mine
Hi Paul. All members will receive a new blue card in the autumn. So as soon as you get that you can start benefiting from the 5% and 1% and get rid of your old one. Thanks Rachel
Well done great thinking
Can I ask about former Coop Elected members who are enjoying the privileges of the old card and discounts with the Yellow card.
Kind regards
Paul
With all that is happening to this country a the moment this seems insignificant.
Good news. the more the a Co-operative Society sticks to the Internationally agreed Co-operative values and principles, the greater its chance of success. It has been the group’s attempts to behave like Casino Capitalist Company, that nearly lead to its downfall. Co-operative Societies are totally different from Companies. Every colleague and member owner should be made clear of the V and P’s and why we are very different.