Terms & conditions of membership

The Society means Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited. 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LS, telephone 01245 216900, and its successors and assignees.  The Society web address is www.chelmsfordstar.coop

Membership card (formerly Starcard) means a Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society swipe card issued to a member (the primary cardholder) or secondary cardholder under this agreement – the Chelmsford Star Membership Card.

Member means a shareholder of Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited with a minimum of £1 invested in Society Share Capital.

Primary Cardholder means a person (a member) to whom a Membership card (the Primary Membership card) is issued to be used in respect of their own qualifying purchases.

Secondary Cardholder means a person (not a member) to whom a Secondary Membership card is issued to be used in respect of their own qualifying purchases, to accumulate points on behalf of the Primary Cardholder.

Qualifying Purchase means the acquisition of goods or services from a participating department or concession or other party duly authorised by the Society, when the Membership card is presented at the time of purchase.

Points means units credited to the Membership card when a qualifying purchase is made, to be used by the Primary Cardholder.

Each Membership card issued to a Member can have up to two Secondary Membership cards linked to it, facilitating up to three persons’ accumulating Points for the Primary Cardholder’s account, for the benefit of the Primary Cardholder.

POINTS – The Chelmsford Star Membership Card Scheme involves the collection of Points issued in respect of the cardholder’s own qualifying purchases and qualifying purchases made using the secondary card(s).  Points earned will accumulate on the Membership Cards used when making qualifying purchases.

SHARE OF THE PROFITS – Periodically the Society will declare a Share of the Profits based on the level of the society’s profits. This Share of the Profits may be an Interim Share of the Profits or a Final Share of the Profits.  In each case, it will be expressed as a sterling value for a defined number of Points (the Share of the Profits rate e.g. £10.00 per 2500 Points).  Accumulated Points held on the Primary Cardholder’s Membership Card will be converted to a Share of the Profits in multiples of the declared value and added to the Primary Membership Card as Spending Power.

SPENDING POWER enables the Primary Cardholder to elect to reduce the payment otherwise due for future purchases of goods or services from participating departments of the Society.  The Share of the Profits Balance on the Membership Card will be reduced at each transaction to which it is applied, by the amount utilised in each transaction.

INTERIM SHARE OF THE PROFITS – The society may, at its discretion, declare an Interim Share of the Profits; accumulated Points may remain on the Membership Card until the Final Share of the Profits has been declared.

FINAL SHARE OF THE PROFITS – The Final Share of the Profits will be arrived at by applying the declared Share of the Profits rate to the Primary Membership Card’s accumulated Points. The sterling £ amount thereby calculated may be reduced by the amount of Interim Share of the Profits (if any) already credited to the Membership Card when the Interim Share of the Profits was declared.

POINTS DELETED – After a Final Share of the Profits is declared, accumulated Points equivalent to the Share of the Profits amount credited to the Primary Membership Card will be deleted from the Membership Card’s accumulated Points balance. Residual Points which equate to less than the declared Share of the Profits rate sterling value will be carried forward on the card as a starting points balance for the next period.  Unused Points are not ‘lost’ or forfeit except as provided in item 15 below.

Participation in the Chelmsford Star Membership Card Scheme is open to Primary Cardholders who must be Members of the Society, with a minimum share capital holding of £1.00.

Membership Card Capital must be maintained for a minimum of five years.

Additional payments to upgrade from £1 Membership to 500 Club Membership will automatically commence a new five year period for the whole balance.

See separate 500 club rules page. https://www.chelmsfordstar.coop/membership/500-club/

Rates of Issue of Points and any additional benefits attached to Membership Cards from time to time will be available on request from the society’s registered office and on the website. The society reserves the right to amend Rates of Issue at its sole discretion per item 14 below.

Each Membership Card issued will remain the property of the Society and must be returned to the Society on withdrawal of any capital balance. Should the Cardholder die, then the capital will be returned upon receipt of the Membership Card. The Society may at its discretion waive the 5-year period in respect of £1 Membership Card members.

Any Membership Card lost or stolen should immediately be notified by telephone and in writing to Customer Services at the Society’s address (see 1 above).

The Society will use its best endeavours to prevent the loss of any Cardholder benefit through any cause, but will accept no responsibility for any loss which may occur if the Membership Card is not signed by the Cardholder at the time of issue, or if the Membership Card is loaned to any person.

A Secondary Membership Card may be issued to the Primary Cardholder’s spouse/partner and dependant children under 18 years of age. Secondary Membership Cards will accumulate Points earned from their own transactions, which are transferred to the Primary Membership Card for use. Secondary Membership Cards have limited functionality and do not carry Member Voting Rights.

POINTS will be added to Membership Cards by participating departments of the Society on production of the Membership Card at the time of purchase. Participating Departments include:

• ‘the co-operative’ food stores operated by Chelmsford Star Co operative Society Limited;
• ‘quadrant’ department stores;
• Travel Centres operated by Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited and
• Chelmsford Star Co-operative Funeral Services funeral homes.

At Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited the sale of Lottery tickets, Paypoint, currency, fuel, gift vouchers, postage stamps and cigarettes and tobacco products are excluded from the definition of ‘Qualifying Purchases’. Certain in-store concessions are also excluded – ask in-store for details.

In the event that a Membership Card is not presented at the time of a Qualifying Purchase, Points can be added to Membership Cards retrospectively up to 14 days after purchase, normally at the store of purchase, but exceptionally by Customer Services at ‘quadrant’ Chelmsford.

SHARE OF THE PROFITS credited as Spending Power on the Primary Membership Card:

• may be redeemed by the Primary Cardholder presenting the Primary Membership Card
• can not be paid in Cash;
• can only be utilised for the purchase of goods or services from the Society;
  may be utilised in any of the Participating Departments referred to above, and
• when spent, will NOT earn further Points.

It is important that changes of name or address of primary cardholders are notified immediately to Customer Services at the Society address at 1 above.

Members may ascertain the balance on their Share Capital account or accumulated Share of the Profits value by contacting Customer Services – see 1 above.

£1 membership and 500 Club accounts will be maintained on Membership Cards.

Primary Membership Cards may be used to identify members, who may thereby participate from time to time in the conduct of the affairs of the Society.

In accordance with Society rules, Members need to have held membership of the Society for six calendar months before voting rights are given.

Secondary Membership Cards confer no voting rights on the holder, (the Primary Membership Card holder being the member).

The Society removed the need for a PIN to access accumulated Share of the Profits in November 2013.

The Society may at its discretion at any time:-

• Vary any of these Terms and Conditions
• Cancel any Membership Card or Secondary Membership Card
• Terminate the Chelmsford Star 500 Club scheme upon giving notice in writing to the Cardholder and/or Secondary Cardholder,
  or by notices displayed at the Society’s Registered Office and all other participating places of business or by advertisement in
  one or more newspapers circulating in the trading area of the Society.

Share of the Profits may be utilised to subscribe Share Capital (Provisional Members) and for the payment (or part payment) of goods purchased from the Society at any time within two years of the last Qualifying Purchase, but any Share of the Profits not redeemed will then be cancelled and forfeited to the Society without notice.

Members may belong to more than one co-operative society. As a result of this members may have more than one Membership Card, a different card relating to each different society membership.

Cards issued by Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited identify the society under the member’s name on the face of the card. Members must always use their Chelmsford Star Membership Card in Chelmsford Star Society stores to qualify for a Share of the Profits of Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society.

Other Co-operative societies have their own schemes to share profits with their own members.  Several societies have collaborated to allow cards to be used in certain stores operated by other co‑operative societies. The Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Membership Card can be used in participating stores identified by the Membership device clearly displayed at the store entrance. Your card will be swiped and your transactions accumulated. Other societies have different points issue rates and operate their own product exclusions policies.  When Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society declares its Share of the Profits after its AGM in April or May, members’ cards will also be credited with their share of profits from trade with other societies (but not The Co-operative Bank or The Co-operative Insurance). Shares of Profit (generated from use of the Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Membership Card) will be shown separately on till receipts when the card is used.

The Co-operative Group Membership and the schemes of other participating societies, distribute Share of the Profits by vouchers redeemable in-store.  Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Limited members who receive vouchers through trading activity with other participating societies (because they are Co-operative Bank or Co-operative Insurance customers for instance) are able to redeem vouchers in Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society stores PROVIDED THAT the voucher is accompanied by the issuing society’s membership card.

Without the correct membership card, other society vouchers cannot be redeemed. Vouchers can only be redeemed for the acquisition of Goods and Services as described in 10 above, not for Cash.

Vouchers issued by other societies may be redeemed in Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Stores for Goods and Services as described in 10 above, but not for Cash.

Use of the Membership Card (or Secondary Membership Card) by the Cardholder (or Secondary Cardholder) will be taken to indicate acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Any abuse of these Terms and Conditions may result in cancellation of the Membership Card facilities and the loss of any benefits accumulated thereon. The Society reserves the right to seek compensation from any Cardholder for losses incurred resulting from acts (deliberate or otherwise) of the Cardholder.