Supermarket chain Morrisons is changing the way customers pay for their online orders - and it means more of your cash will be tied up while you wait for your delivery.
The grocery giant is now taking a 5% holding "deposit" on top of the total bill to help cover the cost of substitutions, which will be taken at the time you book your delivery slot and complete your order - even if the date you want your shopping is several days in the future.
Up to now, Morrisons has reserved £1 from your bank or card provider to ensure your payment card was valid when you made an order, then the full payment was taken within two days of delivery, including any accepted substitutions or last-minute changes on the order.
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But the change will mean that any additional payments, for instance for substitutions or weighed items, will be taken from the 5% deposit at the point of delivery, although shoppers will be emailed any substitutions and given the chance to reject them.
If no deductions are needed, or if there's cash leftover from any deductions, the money will be returned, but bear in mind that you can't access this 5% deposit - or what's left of it - until your final bill clears.
For example, if you order an online delivery on a Friday to be delivered the following Tuesday - the 5% deposit will be held by your bank from Friday until your full payment clears between Tuesday and Thursday.. If your shopping came to a total of £200, this would mean your bank would hold £10 (5% of £200) until your order clears.
When customers check-out online, they are met with a message that explains the 5% charge is added on top of their spend as a "payment deposit".
The message reads: "To allow for any changes at delivery or collection that could alter your order total, we need to reserve an amount 5% higher than your order total.
"This will show as pending payment on your account. This means your bank will hold the money and you can't spend it. We will calculate the final total after delivery or collection and only charge you that amount."
A Morrisons spokeswoman said the change is to "ensure customers pay the correct amount for their online shopping".
Morrisons - which started rolling out online shopping in 2013 - is the first chain to charge a holding fee or deposit to cover substitutions for online orders.
The UK's biggest online grocery retailer, Tesco, takes £2 on placement of order, with the full amount being debited on delivery day, while second-place rival Sainsbury's takes the whole cost on delivery day.
Other online grocery retailers have a variety of ways of taking payment, from Asda, which holds just 1p to check the card works before taking full payment on delivery, to Iceland, which sets aside the whole amount as 'pending' until confirmation on delivery day.
Ocado - which is widening its delivery area within the North East - sets the whole amount aside the day before delivery day.
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