Current account holders will be able to get 5% cashback – capped at £10 per calendar month, per card – when shopping in-store or online at both larger and smaller supermarkets for a limited time.

It includes budget chain Aldi, crowned the cheapest supermarket in January, as well as rival Lidl, plus retail giants Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and Waitrose. You could also get cashback for Hello Fresh and Abel & Cole orders.

This means shoppers will get the £10 maximum cashback when spending £200 a month. But if you have a joint bank account, you can earn £10 each with both your cards.

Nationwide said the cashback offer is part of “its drive to support members coping with rising costs.” Its own data showed that supermarkets were the top category for spending last year, as 54 million purchases on average were made each month, totalling £1bn.

How to get the Nationwide supermarket cashback

It’s open to all adult current account holders, including those with a FlexDirect, FlexAccount, FlexPlus, FlexStudent, FlexGraduate and FlexBasic. Cashback isn’t available on the FlexOne youth account.

The offer’s open between 9 February and 30 April 2023, or when £99m cashback has been paid to customers, whichever comes sooner.

You don’t need to register to start earning the cashback, so just use your Nationwide debit card at the listed supermarket and convenience stores, which can be both in-store or online.

Cashback isn’t paid on spends in petrol stations (fuel or groceries), including supermarket-owned petrol stations, service stations, pharmacies, in-store concessions e.g opticians, cafes etc or any independent/third party butchers, bakeries and other specialist stores or wholesale stores.

The cashback will be automatically made into the account used to make the purchase, within six weeks.

For those who have shared their mobile phone number with the mutual, they will receive a text alert following the payment, as long as a minimum £3 cashback is earnt.

Food costs soar

Grocery price inflation hit a record 16.7% in the four weeks to 22 January, with shoppers warned that food bills could be £800 more expensive this year.

Tom Riley, director of retail products at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Food costs have risen sharply and many households now think carefully about how and where they shop.

“We’re helping members with £10 a month cashback on supermarket spending – just one of the benefits of having a current account with the world’s biggest building society.”

Nationwide runs a freephone cost of living helpline (0800 030 40 66) which encourages members facing financial hardship to seek help at an early stage. Financial health checks are also being offered in branch, over the telephone and via video.

It has also extended forbearance support for members struggling to meet their mortgage payments but not yet in arrears. Customers can apply for support via its Mortgage Manager tool, which allows borrowers to review their terms and consider payment options.