Safeway for U

Safeway for U is how Safeway brands for U, the free loyalty program of Albertsons Companies. One set of terms covers Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw's and the group's other grocery chains. The program was called just for U until August 11, 2021, when the current name took over. A shopper can join by typing a phone number into the PIN pad at checkout or by signing up online. Albertsons ran 2,244 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia at February 28, 2026. Its 10-K counted 51.2 million loyalty members, a rise of 12% in fiscal 2025.

Members earn 1 Point for each whole dollar spent on groceries and 2 Points per dollar on eligible gift cards. Pharmacy earns on out-of-pocket costs such as co-pays. Alcohol, tobacco, fuel, lottery tickets and money orders earn nothing, and in some states fluid dairy is excluded too. Orders through Instacart, DoorDash or Uber earn Points once the accounts are linked. Promotions raise the rate for short periods. Participating products paid 4X Points during for U Save Days, from May 27 to June 23, 2026 (May 29 to June 25 at East Coast stores). In January 2026, hundreds of Own Brands items paid 5X.

Points do not last long. Those earned in one month stay usable through the end of the next month and then lapse. Albertsons set that two-month window on April 1, 2024, when it also dropped a separate rewards currency and kept Points alone. Members can spend Points three ways. Grocery rewards cover free items and basket discounts, such as $4 off for 300 Points or $15 off for 1,000. Automatic cash off, an opt-in setting, turns every 100 Points into $1 at the next checkout. Gas rewards take 10 cents off per gallon for each 100 Points. Personal deals and digital coupons sit apart from Points and are clipped in the app before shopping.

A gas reward covers up to 25 gallons in one fill. Stations owned by Albertsons take up to $1.00 off per gallon, which uses 1,000 Points. Partner stations usually stop at 20 cents, and the Jewel-Osco area has no gas rewards at all. On August 26, 2026, Albertsons let members link for U to Chevron Texaco Rewards. Outside California, the two programs together cut up to $1.50 a gallon at Chevron and Texaco pumps. In California the combined limit is 70 cents. The two companies have shared fuel savings for more than 13 years.

The free program also carries fixed perks. New members get $5 off a $25 order within 29 days, and opting into texts brings a 500 Point offer. Each month adds one free item worth up to $10, and a birthday treat of up to $10 arrives in the birth month. The for U Travel site, built with Expedia, opened on September 23, 2025. It pays cash back for Safeway online orders: 5% on hotels, cars, packages and activities and 1% on flights. On November 12, 2025, Albertsons began offering free members a 3-month Uber One trial. The paid layer at the April 2024 relaunch was FreshPass, priced at $99 a year or $12.99 a month. On October 7, 2026, Safeway's paid-plan page offered Safeway forU+ instead, an annual-only plan at $39 a year with a 14-day free trial. It adds unlimited free same-day delivery on orders of $30 or more, a $2 fee for Flash delivery, free Flash pickup and Points that do not expire while the subscription stays active.

The worth of a Point depends on where it ends up. As automatic cash off, 1,000 Points bring $10. In the example basket tier they bring $15. At an Albertsons pump they cut $1.00 from each of up to 25 gallons, or $25 on a 25 gallon fill. The 10-K calls the loyalty contract liability immaterial. A shopper who visits once a quarter watches Points lapse before they add up.