Key takeaway: By topping up the right supermarket scheme just before its cut-off date, you can earn up to 6% back on your Christmas shop - free money for what you were going to buy anyway.

Christmas saver schemes sound quaint, but they’re quietly one of the easiest ways to get a small, guaranteed boost for the most expensive month of the year.

Several UK supermarkets — Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Co-op - reward shoppers who load money onto a saver card (or stamps) before Christmas. The clever part: you don’t need to save all year. Topping up just before the deadline can still earn the full festive bonus.

Here’s what’s available for Christmas 2025.

Save at least £50 by 1 November and get a 5% bonus for every full £50 saved — £2.50 per £50, capped at £25.

Spend it in Sainsbury’s or Argos. Exclusions include petrol, lottery tickets and concessions, and you must register the card first.

Savingsense play: keep your cash in a high-interest account until late October, then top up £500 to trigger the full £25 bonus.

Tesco’s “Christmas Savers” lets you boost your Clubcard vouchers with extra top-ups for a bonus of up to £12.

Vouchers and bonuses arrive in November to spend online or in-store. You don’t need to save all year — topping up near the deadline still counts.

Savingsense play: combine your Clubcard points with a last-minute top-up to pocket the full bonus.

Asda’s bonus tiers are simple:
£30–£79 = £1 bonus
£80–£129 = £3 bonus
£130–£179 = £6 bonus
£180–£229 = £9 bonus
£230–£279 = £12 bonus
£280+ = £15 bonus

That top band works out at about 5.3%. The cut-off is typically mid-November.

Savingsense play: target the £280 tier, then use it for your full Christmas food shop.

Iceland gives a flat £1 bonus for every £20 saved — roughly 5% back. Spend it in-store or online, and regular users sometimes get higher targeted bonuses later in the year.

Savingsense play: load £100 in November, earn £5 back, and keep an eye out for any “super bonus” surprises in your app.

Co-op keeps things traditional with £1 saving stamps. Fill a £48 book and, if you redeem it in December, you’ll get a £2 bonus — about 4% back.

You can only spend it at the same Co-op society’s stores, and exclusions apply for fuel, lottery and gift cards.

If you already shop at one of these supermarkets, this is an effortless festive win. But treat it like a bonus, not a savings account.

Your money isn’t FSCS-protected, and the bonus only makes sense if you’ll actually spend it in-store. The best approach? Keep your cash in a savings account until just before the cut-off, then move it into the supermarket’s scheme. That way, you earn interest and the festive top-up.

Set a reminder for each supermarket’s deadline (late October to mid-November). A quick top-up before those dates could add £10–£25 to your Christmas fund — for zero extra effort.

• Sainsbury’s: 5% bonus (up to £25)
• Tesco: up to £12 bonus
• Asda: up to £15 bonus (≈5.3%)
• Iceland: £1 for every £20 saved (5%)
• Co-op: £2 on £48 stamps (≈4%)