Cheapest online supermarket 2024

With so many online supermarkets, trying to find the cheapest online supermarket and deciding which one to do your food shop can be confusing.

Many supermarkets offer special offers and new customer discount codes for online shoppers, which means you may save even more money.

Which is the best supermarket for home delivery?

The supermarkets all charge different amounts for delivery and offer special packages to save you even more overall on your weekly shop.

Here are all the different online grocery options so you can see what works out the most cost-effective for you.

Cheapest online supermarkets

Asda online delivery costs

Home delivery cost: starts from £1

Asda delivery minimum spend: £40

Click and collect: Delivery tomorrow or later costs 50p with a £25 minimum spend. Same day collection will cost you £1.50 (you need to pay an extra £4 if your basket is less than £25). Or you can click and collect within 4 hours for a £3.50 fee (with no minimum spend)

Delivery pass: from £3.50 a month or £35 as a one-off payment

Discount code: typically £20 off a £50 spend, if you can find one

When is the payment taken?

Asda takes a pre-authorisation amount of 1p to check your card works, although you won’t pay that as it’s just held back.

The full amount will be taken either on the day of your delivery or collection or the day before.

If you choose same-day delivery or collection, they will authorise your card a few hours before your slot time.

How much does Asda charge for delivery?

Delivery cost starts from £1.50 with Asda, and they can charge up to £5 depending on when you want it. Cick and Collect is from 50p

The cheapest slots with Asda are Monday to Thursday in the evenings.

There is a £3 charge if you spend less than £40 on delivery or £3 charge for Click and Collect on orders under £25.

You can pick one-hour time slots.

Asda Delivery Pass

If you regularly shop with Asda, their Delivery Pass will save you money over time. They estimate you’ll save up to £199 a year.

An Anytime Delivery Pass runs for 12 months and costs £6.50 a month, or you can pay a one-off fee of £65. With this delivery pass, you get free delivery anytime.

Or, you can pick a mid-week pass for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for the lower price of £35 as a one off payment, or £3.50 a month, but you don’t get as much flexibility.

With a Delivery Pass, you’ll be eligible to access priority slots around the Christmas and Easter holidays.

As a price promise, if you don’t save money with your delivery pass vs shopping online as and when you need it, Asda will give you an eVoucher for the difference so you won’t lose out financially.

Iceland – cheapest online supermarket for delivery

Home delivery cost: from free

Iceland delivery minimum spend: £25 with £3/£4 delivery charge. There is no charge if you spend over £40

Click and collect: spend £25 in store and they will deliver it to your home for free the same day

Delivery pass: not needed as they already offer free delivery

Discount code: there are often codes for money off for new and existing customers. Check for up to date Iceland discount codes here.

When does Iceland take the payment?

Iceland will pre-authorise and reserve for the full value of your order as soon as you checkout. The money will be held to one side by your bank.

The actual payment will then get taken on the date of your delivery.

Can you get delivery cheaper?

You can’t really get cheaper than free delivery!

Even if you cannot reach the £40 spend for free delivery, for £25+£3, you can get Iceland food delivered, which is a far lower threshold than other supermarkets.

You can opt for free next day delivery at no additional costs, and deliveries occur Monday to Sunday with two-hour time slots.

They deliver between 8 am and 9 pm, but only if you live within 10 miles of a store.

Tesco

Home delivery cost: from £3 for a flexi saver slot or £4.50 for a fixed one hour slot. You can get delivery within 30 minutes for £2.99 if Whoosh is in your area

Tesco delivery minimum spend: £50 after 2 May 2023 for delivery; you can spend less but need to pay a £5 surcharge. No minimum spend for Whoosh, but you’ll have a surcharge if you spend under £15, and a £25 minimum spend for Click+Collect

Click and collect: you can get click and collect from free to £2, depending on when you want to collect it, with a minimum spend of £25

Delivery pass: Tesco Delivery Saver Plan gets you free grocery deliveries and free Click+Collect for £2.49 a month

Money off code: Sometimes on offer, but rarely

When will Tesco take the payment for online shopping?

While you’re ordering up to 3 weeks in advance, it can be a worry about when you’ll pay.

When you first place your order, Tesco needs to validate your card and will pre-authorise £2 from your account.

The full amount will be taken from your bank on the day of delivery (or click and collect) (and the £2 pre-authorisation will be removed).

Can you get delivery cheaper?

If you want to have your food shop delivered, you can switch up your saved Clubcard points into eVouchers with Tesco Clubcard Partners and get the Delivery Saver Plan for free.

Click+Collect is the cheapest option, as you can get it from free.

Aldi

Aldi delivery minimum spend: £20 minimum spend via Deliveroo

Click and collect: click and collect is £4.99 directly from Aldi in 177 stores

Home delivery cost: stopped delivery via Deliveroo in 2022

Delivery pass: No

Discount code: There are occasional money off codes for Deliveroo, but they are rare for Aldi Click and Collect

When will Aldi take the payment when shopping online?

With Aldi for click and collect, they will check your payment card is valid and request to hold £0 from your account when you place the order.

When your groceries are picked, they process the order and request a pre-authorisation of the order value.

It’s not until you collect the shop that the payment is taken and the amount is deducted from the pre-authorisation.

If you order for delivery through Deliveroo, payment is taken as soon as you place the order.

Morrisons

Home delivery cost: from £3.50

Morrisons delivery minimum spend: £40

Click and collect: Click and collect can be free for one hour slot

Delivery pass: Delivery pass are from £5 per month, with unlimited deliveries

Discount code: Regularly offer deals and coupons for new customers like £10 off a £60 spend

When will the payment be taken?

Morrisons will reserve £1 from your account to make sure the payment card is valid.

The full amount for your food shop will be taken within two days of delivery.

Can you get delivery cheaper?

If you regularly do your online grocery shopping with Morrisons, the Delivery Plan will be the most cost-effective. Plus, if you don’t save money overall, they will give you a refund.

Sainsbury’s

Home delivery cost: from £1

Sainsbury’s delivery minimum spend: £40

Click and collect: from 50p collection when you spend over £40. Pay a £4 surcharge if you spend less than £25

Delivery pass: get a monthly anytime delivery pass for £7.50

Discount code: There are occasional coupon codes for money off your shop. You can also get Sainsburys freebies (free food) when you shop online

When is the payment taken?

Online payments for Sainsbury’s will be taken when your order is ready for delivery.

Can you get delivery cheaper?

For regular shoppers at Sainsbury’s, there are other options.

You can get a one month anytime pass for £7.50, a 12 months Anytime delivery for a one-off £80 payment, or 6 months Anytime pass for a £43 payment. You need to spend a minimum of £40 at Sainsbury’s to get unlimited free deliveries.

Ocado inc M&S Food

Home delivery cost: Free

Ocado delivery minimum spend: £40

Click and collect: No

Delivery pass: Midweek Smart Pass starts from £3.99 a month or anytime delivery is £8.99 a month

Money off code: VOU3291357 – 25% off orders over £60 (max £20 off), includes 2 months of free unlimited deliveires

When is the payment taken?

Payment for your food shop from Ocado isn’t taken until after it has been delivered.

However, they will take a pre-authorised payment a day or so before the delivery. This means you will need to have the full amount in your account a few days ahead.

How much is the delivery charge for Ocado?

Ocado offer free delivery, which might make you question why you’d bother to sign up for a Smart Pass.

A Smart Pass isn’t just about getting food to your front door.

You also get 10% off selected brand groceries with the pass, so your food shop might work out lower than other supermarkets.

You also get a free gift for your birthday, priority access to Christmas slots and exclusive 50% off sales.

How much is an Ocado Smart Pass?

An Anytime Smart Pass gets you deliveries seven days a week:

• Monthly £8.99 per month
• Six Month £49.99 = £8.33 per month
• Annual £89.99 = £7.50 per month

Or, if you are happy with Midweek (Tuesday to Thursday) deliveries, it’s cheaper:

• Monthly £3.99 per month
• Six Month £22.49 = £3.75 per month
• Annual £39.99 = £3.33 per month

Morrisons via Amazon

Home delivery cost: free when you spend over £60, from £4 if you spend less

Delivery minimum spend: £15

Click and collect: from free

Delivery pass: No

Money off code: £15 off your first 3 Morrisons shop – enter OFFERMOR1 at checkout

Co-op

Home delivery: Delivery is from 99p when you spend £15 or more and live within the designated area for your store.

Delivery can also be available through Uber Eats and Deliveroo, but the prices are slightly higher and you need to add a service charge and the provider’s delivery charges.

Co-op delivery minimum spend: £15

Click and collect: Free, within selected stores or lockers

Delivery pass: No

Coupon code: Rare

Approved Food

Home delivery: £3 for one box(up to 25kg) or free if you spend over £55

Approved Food delivery minimum spend: £22.50

Click and collect: No

Delivery pass: No

Discount code: There are occasional discount codes sent after you sign up to their email

Waitrose

Home delivery cost: £2 for a asver (4 hour slot) or £4 for a one hour time slot

Waitrose delivery minimum spend: £40

Click and collect: free with £40 minimum spend

Delivery pass: No

Discount code: They offer codes for £10 off a £80 shop which you can use for your first three shops

How much does Waitrose charge for delivery?

Waitrose offers free click and collect with a £40 minimum spend.

Although it’s free and a cheap option versus some of the other supermarkets, as Iceland offer a lower threshold for the minimum spend, and Waitrose items can sometimes be more expensive for food shopping, it’s not the cheapest supermarket overall.

When is the payment taken?

Your payment card won’t be charged until your order is packed and goes through the checkout in store on the day of delivery or collection.

Amazon Fresh online delivery costs

Home delivery cost: The minimum order amount for free two-hour delivery included with your Amazon Prime membership is £60. Orders between £40 and £60 will be available for delivery within a two-hour window for £2 or a one-hour delivery window for £5. Orders between £15 and £40 will be available for delivery within a two-hour window for £4 or a one-hour delivery window for £7.

Delivery minimum spend: £15

Click and collect: No

Delivery pass: you need to be an Amazon Prime member to get the benefits, and it’s only selected postcodes who can shop

Discount code: there are new discount codes as well as free samples for existing shoppers

Benefits of grocery shopping online

Shopping online does come with its own set of perks.

Saves you time

If you use the same supermarket each time or use a selection of them in different weeks, your previous shops are saved in your account.

This has been a lifesaver to me in the past as I’ve been able to re-add everything I got last time, do a quick sense-check that it’s got everything I need, and then head to the checkout.

I’ve been able to do a week’s food shop in about 5 minutes when I’ve been mega-rushed before!

So, whether you’re a student who needs to get things done quickly between lectures and parties, a hardworking parent who doesn’t have the time between everything, or you just like the idea of someone else taking care of it for you, it’s a real time-saver.

A more relaxing way of shopping

I also love that I don’t need to get out of my PJs to make an online food shopping order.

I can relax and shop with a cup of hot tea while getting our food for the following week.

If you live a busy lifestyle, you’re not limited to the store opening times.

When shopping online, if you want to browse the online aisles of the supermarket, you can do it at 3 o’clock in the morning if it suits you.

Eggs, milk and bread top-up

With supermarkets now allowing smaller shops to be done, it’s far easier to get a top-up shop delivered with just the basics like eggs, milk and bread.

The costs aren’t always that high, and you can find delivery within an hour.

You don’t even need to use a supermarket chain directly, as the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats now offer this service (again, it’s not necessarily the best way of saving money, but it can help you out in a pinch).

Cons of online grocery shopping

You may end up getting food close to the use-by date, which doesn’t help if you wanted to keep food in the fridge rather than the freezer.

If this happens, get in touch with their customer services as they can usually offer a partial refund or cash off a future shop.

Another thing I miss is that you cannot rummage through the best deals in the yellow sticker section with online stores.

However, unless you shop at specific times, you’re unlikely to find the best bargains anyway – see supermarket reduction times.

When it comes to finding the cheapest supermarket, the cost of delivery can impact making it the best overall value.

While the supermarket’s average basket costs could be higher, if you get free delivery and a discount code for cash off, it is cheaper than shopping on the high street.

For an unbiased comparison of the best deals on goods and food, check out these alternatives to MySupermarket (which is now shut).