Nationwide 5% cashback on supermarket spending

dealyboy

@SpanishBlue said:

Does anyone know if any shopping done in an eligible supermarket tomorrow (Sat 29th) is likely to be counted for April's cashback, or as the transaction is likely to be dated in May, it won't be?

I have just reviewed my February spend (again). I received £5.97 cashback. The only way I can agree with that figure is if, when checking my statement, I include transactions from 10th Feb (Sainsbury's) to 28th Feb but then exclude the 28th Feb transaction. (Note - I received the current account interest on 28th Feb but it is noted as being effective on 1st Mar). (edit) Over half About 40% of the card payments were to Home Bargains and B&M which I included, and a couple were to Wilko which I excluded.

So what do I gather from this ... (i) despite appearances Home Bargains and B&M payments have been eligible (as previously reported), and (ii) the statement transaction dates are the payment dates but not processed (these payments would be included in the pending balance in online banking until processed) and it's the processed payments that count.

So @SpanishBlue the question is an excellent one, but as @badger09 states it depends when the transactions are processed. I do monitor things in online banking and invariably I see the pending balance update almost immediately after I've been shopping (which could be at 3 or 4 shops). They are typically processed the following day but not necessarily at the start, I think I have also seen the balance update (transactions processed) on a Saturday.

So (again) this is a long way of saying I don't know, but I suspect the Saturday 29th April transactions will not be processed until Tuesday 2nd May, skipping Sunday and bank holiday Monday.

pochisoldi

trickydicky14 said:

pochisoldi said:

March cashback landed today - minus odd pennies for a purchase at Home Bargains.

Is Home bargains not included then?

Definitely not - tracked my spend on a spreadsheet, and the only transaction that tallied with the discrepancy was Home Bargains.

It may be that the MCC for Home Bargains is set on a per branch basis, so anyone using the same branch as me wouldn't get cash back, while another branch might work.

Its like some pubs come up as "Eating Places and Restaurants" and others in the same chain as "Drinking Places" (Descriptions as seen on individual transaction details on my Barclaycard account).

MACKEM99

Is it just me or is the whole process of this scheme a  shambles?

HonestJohn

MACKEM99 said:

Is it just me or is the whole process of this scheme a  shambles?

It was an attempt by Nationwide to reduce people's shopping costs. I think it was rolled out in haste. There were a few shops that did not pay out for various reasons. Some were down to Visa's definition of an establishment. To be honest I would not expect anything in B and M or Home Bargains. Some were lucky.
I made a few pounds and have no complaints.

TheBanker

I wouldn't call it a shambles. The only way it can work is using the merchant classification. They were clear the cashback was for supermarkets and convenience stores, and provided a list of examples on their website. I don't think they ever listed B&M, Home Bargains or Wilko as qualifying. If some people have qualified for spend in those places, that's an extra bonus but I would not consider them to be supermarkets or convenience stores, even though they sell food products. 

I think Nationwide intended it to be a small bonus for customers doing their regular spending. I doubt they expected people to set up spreadsheets to track the cashback when the benefit to most customers is limited to £10 per month.

koenig

Do the supermarket gift cards have to be bought in store or can it be online? 
Which of the supermarkets allow fuel to be bought with a gift card?
Does Topcashback give cashback when supermarket gift cards are purchased via them?

Thanks

Section62

TheBanker said:

I wouldn't call it a shambles. The only way it can work is using the merchant classification. They were clear the cashback was for supermarkets and convenience stores, and provided a list of examples on their website. I don't think they ever listed B&M, Home Bargains or Wilko as qualifying. If some people have qualified for spend in those places, that's an extra bonus but I would not consider them to be supermarkets or convenience stores, even though they sell food products. 

I think Nationwide intended it to be a small bonus for customers doing their regular spending. I doubt they expected people to set up spreadsheets to track the cashback when the benefit to most customers is limited to £10 per month.

I think what really matters is what the people regularly using those stores (especially B&M) for their regular food shop would think.  B&M sells an extensive range of food and groceries, at lower cost than many of the big name supermarkets.

Whilst I'm not a regular B&M customer, I can see how a promotion which was sold on the basis of helping people out in the "cost of living crisis" is going to cause some Nationwide members to feel Nationwide don't care about them, when Nationwide exclude a store like B&M but include luxury/premium stores/services.

I would not consider Fortnum & Mason to be either a supermarket or a convenience store (I should imagine they would be horrified at such a description being applied to themselves) even though they sell food products. But since Nationwide took a lazy approach to designing this promotion, the well-heeled shopper at F&M can get their 5% whilst those who get their food at places like B&M (or at local/independent suppliers/markets) won't do*.

(*apparently with some random exceptions)

I'd call it a shambles.

TheBanker

Section62 said:

TheBanker said:

I wouldn't call it a shambles. The only way it can work is using the merchant classification. They were clear the cashback was for supermarkets and convenience stores, and provided a list of examples on their website. I don't think they ever listed B&M, Home Bargains or Wilko as qualifying. If some people have qualified for spend in those places, that's an extra bonus but I would not consider them to be supermarkets or convenience stores, even though they sell food products. 

I think Nationwide intended it to be a small bonus for customers doing their regular spending. I doubt they expected people to set up spreadsheets to track the cashback when the benefit to most customers is limited to £10 per month.

I think what really matters is what the people regularly using those stores (especially B&M) for their regular food shop would think.  B&M sells an extensive range of food and groceries, at lower cost than many of the big name supermarkets.

Whilst I'm not a regular B&M customer, I can see how a promotion which was sold on the basis of helping people out in the "cost of living crisis" is going to cause some Nationwide members to feel Nationwide don't care about them, when Nationwide exclude a store like B&M but include luxury/premium stores/services.

I would not consider Fortnum & Mason to be either a supermarket or a convenience store (I should imagine they would be horrified at such a description being applied to themselves) even though they sell food products. But since Nationwide took a lazy approach to designing this promotion, the well-heeled shopper at F&M can get their 5% whilst those who get their food at places like B&M (or at local/independent suppliers/markets) won't do*.

(*apparently with some random exceptions)

I'd call it a shambles.

I don't think they did take a lazy approach. The only practical way to identify types of retailer is to use the merchant code. They provide a list of retailers on their website and B&M etc do not feature. I have a Natwest credit card which offers 1% cashback at supermarkets, it works in exactly the same way. As does the supermarket debit card cashback on Santander's Edge account. And, the other way around, Chase exclude certain merchants from generating cashback based on the merchant code. 

How would you suggest they design it? Send researchers to every shop in the UK to check what goods they sell? 

NB - I said earlier, I don't think Nationwide are actually paying this cashback. I think Visa are funding it. Probably Visa trying to keep Nationwide as a client given they've lost a lot of business to Mastercard over the last few years.

Section62

TheBanker said:

I don't think they did take a lazy approach.

We will have to agree to disagree.

TheBanker said:

The only practical way to identify types of retailer is to use the merchant code. They provide a list of retailers on their website and B&M etc do not feature. I have a Natwest credit card which offers 1% cashback at supermarkets, it works in exactly the same way. As does the supermarket debit card cashback on Santander's Edge account. And, the other way around, Chase exclude certain merchants from generating cashback based on the merchant code. 

The list on the website is part of the problem.  It isn't definitive - it is a list of "Other stores where you could get cashback" (my bold).

And also "Some of the stores likely to qualify for cashback include" (my bold) which includes Co-op, which anecdotal evidence suggests depends on which specific Co-op store you shop in.

Nobody is claiming B&M are on the list.  The argument is more subtle - that B&M (as an example) should be on the list, because Nationwide should have taken a more intelligent approach to helping people with their monthly spend.

The inclusions and exclusions are not logical if the intent is to help people who are struggling - for example only paying cashback on debit card spend when many struggling people will be relying on their credit card to see them through.

You've focussed on how Nationwide should identify types of retailer, whereas I'm suggesting Nationwide should think how best to help members.

Ultimately, it is difficult to conclude this scheme is not about helping members, rather it is a promotion of Nationwide current accounts.  Which seems to be at the root of many of Nationwide's recent promotions.

TheBanker said:

How would you suggest they design it? Send researchers to every shop in the UK to check what goods they sell?

Bit of a strawman there?  Why on earth would you send researchers to every shop in the UK?

I would have simply given every member £6.13.  And left them to decide what to do with the money - but highlight (and provide an easy to use link) that members who didn't need the money could donate it to a charity, preferably related to helping people in need.

Nationwide is a mutual.  It ought to at least attempt to ensure that all members can benefit, with some kind of nod towards equality if possible.

TheBanker said:

NB - I said earlier, I don't think Nationwide are actually paying this cashback. I think Visa are funding it. Probably Visa trying to keep Nationwide as a client given they've lost a lot of business to Mastercard over the last few years.

You've said, but there appears to be no evidence to support this suggestion.

On the other hand, Nationwide are claiming they are paying this cashback as part of its "latest cost of living support for its members".  No mention of Visa funding it.  If I were Visa I'd be a bit miffed if Nationwide were claiming all the credit for something I was funding, and the lack of a public spat between the two - along with the legalities of Nationwide publishing misleading statements about their financial help to members - might suggest your theory is wrong.

wmb194

TL;DR; Dear oh dear. Most people buy their food at the main supermarkets. Most people's grocery spending will have been covered by this offer. Is this just another example of how you can never win? No good deed goes unpunished?