Are you struggling in trying to order an online shopping slot? Well, you’re not alone. Take a look at how to get an online shopping slot with Tesco.

Tesco - slots released 21 days ahead - New slots released at midnight, although you might want to get in the queue a few minutes before that. Extra slots are being added, so you might not have to. Tesco has apologised after its grocery website was overwhelmed with shoppers trying to book delivery slots for Christmas. Customers complained they had been forced to join an online queue for hours.

To be honest, this isn’t a post that I ever thought I would need to write but a lot has changed over the last month or so.

Now, I’ve been doing my online shopping for the last 13 years or so. Partly because I’m lazy and partly because I find it stops me from being tempted by any offer I see. 3 pence off a packet of biscuits? I’m in.

But, I have really struggled to book online slots over the last couple of weeks. Sainsbury’s and Asda are understandably now giving priority to vulnerable customers, which makes it difficult to find slots there. So, I’ve turned to Tesco.

Now, before you book a delivery, consider carefully if you need Tesco to come to you, or whether you can go into the store to collect. There are plenty of people that still shouldn’t go out to collect their shopping.

Types of slots available at Tesco

Tesco offers Click+Collect or home delivery.

Click+Collect is as it sounds. Make your order online and you collect from in-store. Obviously, not ideal if you’re trying to minimise contact with people as much as possible.

Home delivery comes with 2 options. You can either book a 1-hour slot time, or to save money, a 4-hour slot. Midweek is the cheapest time to book and evenings are the cheapest time of day.

When do Tesco upload new delivery slots?

Tesco delivery slots appear 3 weeks in advance and appear on their site at midnight.

Edited 28th April. Today I have found out that Tesco delivery saver customers are given an extra week’s notice of delivery slots – giving them a total of 4 week’s notice. That makes it far more difficult for their remaining customers to find a slot.

Tesco Delivery saver was a scheme that allowed you to pay a fee upfront for a year’s worth of deliveries. It was suspended last month, but customers still seem to get the above benefit.

How do I get a Tesco delivery slot?

Unfortunately, these slots are issued on a first come, first served basis. That means you have to get there before everyone else.

So, the best thing to do is log in to your account at 23:50. You should be met with a message that you are in a queue and the page will refresh automatically. If you log in before this, you will be met with your usual account screen.

After around 15 to 20 minutes you should be taken to the booking screen, where you can choose your slot.

Then, add an item to your basket and checkout. And whatever you do, make sure you checkout! Otherwise, you will lose your slot. Don’t forget, you can change your shopping basket up until 23:46 the day before your delivery. So you can book a slot without needing to know all the items you need.

What if I can’t wait until midnight?

Then unfortunately, you will have to try your luck during the week. I have heard that slots seem to appear at random. This is probably because people are booking slots ‘just incase’ and then cancelling them. It’s certainly worth checking throughout the day.

And remember

You can’t book more than 1 delivery or Click + Collect slot in 1 week. And that isn’t a calendar week, but 7 days. So, if you’re shopping is due to arrive on Wednesday the 10th, the next day you can book won’t be until the 17th.

There’s no doubt that getting a shopping delivery slot has been harder than usual since the UK went into lockdown eight weeks ago.

In an attempt to take some of the stress away, Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com has compiled a list of top tips.

The list shows how far ahead each supermarket releases its slots and how you might get your hands on one, reports BirminghamLive.

The supermarket with the longest lead time appears to be Tesco with a massive 21 days, which assumes you know what you’ll want to eat three weeks in advance.

Tesco Delivery Slots

Waitrose and Morrisons release their slots just three days ahead.

So you might know what you want to eat but will you then have enough time to get your order in before all of the slots are quickly taken?

Here’s how the supermarket giants are operating according to Moneysavingexpert.

Three days ahead

Waitrose - used to be in partnership with Ocado but not any more.

So it might well be looking to expand times in due course.

For slots, it said it is 'advising customers to check each morning'.

Shoppers surveyed said they had success from 6am to 8am as well as randomly during the day.

Morrisons - shoppers top tip was to try just after midnight

Five days ahead

Co-op - told Martin Lewis that 'slots are launched every day, at around midnight'.

Seven days ahead

Tesco Online Shopping Delivery Slots Free

Iceland - the company said times were specific to stores, so Martin Lewis's 'Forumites' reported different results in tandem.

Sainsbury's - told Martin Lewis that 'when the slots are released will vary - there isn't a specific time and it doesn't depend on the store'.

One follower reported success every Monday.

Ocado - the online supermarket was a former partner with Waitrose but recently jumped into bed with M&S and is due start selling its products, as well as its own, from September.

It said there wasn't a fixed time when they were released, but priority customers were emailed about availability.

Once they've had a chance to book, non-priority customers are notified - via a message on the home page - and are then able to book any remaining slots.

14 days ahead

Asda - revealed that slots update as and when they become available in each area. Popular times to get a slot were typically 10pm or midnight, though some followers said between 2am and 4am.

21 days ahead

Tesco - Martin Lewis was told 'slots tend to be released at midnight for three weeks ahead' but that it's busy adding extra vans to create more slots.

Tesco Online Delivery Slots

Top tips include logging on ten minutes early and then trying to book after midnight.