Shoppers shopping online with major UK supermarkets may be surprised to find that the price they pay at checkout is not final. Several big chains, including Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose, display only 'guide prices' online, meaning the final cost can change before delivery. This practice has drawn criticism from disabled customers and campaigners, particularly as food price inflation remains high.
One Sainsbury's customer who uses a wheelchair expressed frustration on Twitter, describing the system as 'discriminatory'. She said she expects the price at checkout to be the price she pays, not for it to increase overnight. Adam French, a consumer rights expert at Which?, noted that customers are often given estimated prices for fresh produce, which are later adjusted based on in-store weighing.
Morrisons last month introduced an additional 5% charge on online orders, calling it a 'payment deposit' to cover changes at delivery or collection. This charge is added after the checkout total is displayed, meaning the final amount is higher than shown.
Supermarkets argue that final prices can only be accurately calculated after 'loose weight' items like fruit and vegetables are weighed. They also cite price changes between order and delivery dates, and expired promotions, as factors. A Tesco spokesperson said prices can vary 'marginally' between checkout and delivery, while Sainsbury's noted that customers might also end up paying less.
Food poverty campaigner Jack Monroe described the changing prices as 'obscene', asking why supermarkets do not honour the price at the point of ordering. Waitrose said promotional price changes are typically updated in advance, so choosing a delivery slot before shopping shows more accurate prices.
