Tesco is tapping into the Bank of Mum and Dad with the launch of a new student card that parents can top up to help their kids pay for their weekly shop when they are away at university.
The Student Shopper scheme comes with two cards – one for the parent and the other for the student – with a shared balance that either party can access, so the parent can add money to help students in their hour of need.
There is no minimum amount to load on the card and spending is free of charge; the card itself is also free. It can be topped up to a maximum of £200 at any customer service desk in store. However, as both parties have access to the account, nosy parents can also see exactly what their little darlings have been splashing the cash on, whether that is quinoa or copies amounts of alcohol.
The Student Shopper card can be used across the supermarket giant’s 3,400 UK outlets, including superstores and smaller Extra outlets.
Tesco Bank group payments and money services director Mark Loch said: “The Student Shopper card aims to offer some reassurance to parents and guardians that there’s always money available for the basics like food and other essential household items.
“For students themselves, having a card dedicated to their groceries means they can keep it separate from their other spending, helping them to budget better.”
For those who firmly believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Asda launched a scheme, dubbed the Asda Student Shopper Card, based on exactly the same principle back in 2016.
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