Absolute carnage at Asda after £30 offer gives shoppers ‘free money’

| Senior Lifestyle Reporter Published October 27, 2026 3:21pm Updated October 27, 2026 3:36pm An Asda offer went unexpectedly viral (Picture: Shutterstock / Craig Russell) Asda staff claim they have ‘blisters’ on their feet and are ‘exhausted’ after a grocery offer went unexpectedly viral, causing ‘chaos’. On October 22, the retailer launched a deal for new customers, offering £30 off a shop if they spent £60 or more. It was only meant to be used by those placing their first online order, but according to Asda, a ‘significant’ number of people found a way to bypass this rule. Employees have taken to Reddit to confess they weren’t prepared for the absolute ‘carnage’ that ensued as a result. What happened with Asda’s viral £30 offer? Numerous videos have been shared on TikTok over the last few days, explaining how to get ‘half-price grocery shopping’ at Asda. The trick, people claimed, was to create a fake email address and set up a new Asda account. Once you opted in to marketing emails, you’d be sent the £30 off code ‘in minutes’. Thousands were quick to do this, with some making multiple accounts and placing up to 10 orders to the same address. On social media, shoppers have bragged about using the voucher code to get the brand new Call of Duty game for essentially half the price. The game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, was just released and retails for £57.97 at Asda. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. But by adding one cheap item to the order to take it over the £60 mark, shoppers were able to claim the game for just £29.19. Others used the code to purchase new kitchen items such as a garment steamer and sandwich toaster, as well as toys, games, and bedding sets. What have Asda employees said? In a post on the r/Asda forum, one staff member wrote: ‘I have blisters on my feet and it’s only the first day. Management didn’t warn us at all either!!! Could’ve told me before I took on extra shifts. I don’t know how I’m gonna manage. Had to be at least 400 orders today and didn’t manage to complete!!’ A different staff member claimed shoppers who were ‘taking the mick’ of the offer were ‘crippling staff’ while someone else called the situation ‘carnage’. In one store, there had been over 1,000 orders, which an employee branded ‘hell on earth’, admitting they ‘couldn’t keep up’. Many felt the offer was ‘abused’ and ‘misused’ by shoppers who just saw it as ‘free money’ and begged Asda to ‘stop the deal’. How has Asda handled the chaos? Originally, the offer was set to run until December 31, but after cottoning on to the situation, Asda has paused it. A spokesperson for Asda told Metro: ‘We’ve paused our new online customer offer after becoming aware of a significant number of orders that do not qualify. ‘We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while we look into this.’ Those who had received a voucher but haven’t yet placed an order might find the offer has been removed from their account. It’s unclear yet whether the offer will return. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Asda launches new items to rival M&S — including ‘10/10’ custard cream treat Arrow MORE: Wind-up radios sell out as shoppers panic at government’s Be Ready campaign Arrow MORE: Professor Green always has this 75p item in the kitchen — and something for his ‘man parts’ too