Membership
Share in our success
The Co-operative Phone & Broadband, The Co-operative Mobile and The Co-operative Business Telecoms are all provided by The Phone Co-op, an independent consumer co-operative based in Chipping Norton and Manchester.
As a customer of The Co-operative Phone and Broadband, you have the opportunity to influence the way we're run and take a share of our annual profits. How? By becoming a member.
Becoming a member of a co-operative means becoming part of a group of people who collectively own the organisation and decide how it should be run. Members of The Phone Co-op are entitled to vote at our Annual General Meeting, stand for the board of directors and get a share of our profits in the form of a dividend.
Joining The Phone Co-op couldn't be simpler: just fill in the form, send us your first investment of £1 (or more, if you like!) and become part of our exciting success story.
Membership FAQs
Do I have to become a member in order to use your services?
It's an option, but not compulsory. About half our customers have chosen to become members.
I am a member of The Co-operative Group and my membership number begins 633174. Does that mean that I am already a member of The Phone Co-op?
No. The Phone Co-op is an independent consumer co-operative, and one of thousands of co-ops throughout the UK. The Co-operative Group is the largest consumer co-op in the world, with millions of members who have joined through their local stores. We're a little bit smaller than The Co-op Group, but no less dedicated to creating value for our customers by involving them in our activities. If you are a member of The Co-operative Group, we would love you to join us as well.
Does membership involve a lot of scary responsibilities?
No. There's no obligation to get involved in the running of the Phone Co-op at all. Many of our members appreciate the opportunity to influence how we do things and where we invest our profits, but you're not even obliged to attend our AGMs if you don't want to.
There's no financial obligation either. Your financial liability doesn't extend beyond your own investment. So if you've only paid £1 to join, that £1 is all you will lose if things go wrong for us.
Invest more for a great return
Members can also choose to invest larger sums with us. By doing so, you'll be helping the UK's only telecoms co-operative to grow, and you'll get interest on your share capital that compares well with bank interest rates. You can invest any amount with us up to £20,000.
The share interest you get is in addition to your member dividend.
To invest, you first need to become a member. Once you are a member you can invest more at any time by sending a cheque to us with your share book and a completed investment form.
Investment FAQs
Where can I find more info on The Phone Co-op's performance?
Our Annual Reports for the last several years are all available to download and inspect, right here.
What rate will I get on my investment?
At the moment (since 14/05/2009) the interest rate is 2.25% per annum.
Can I invest in The Phone Co-op without becoming a customer?
Ultimately, we want all of our members to be users of our service as it's a fundamental aspect of being part of a consumer co-operative. If you share our co-operative principles but are stuck in a contract with another provider you can register your interest in our services, and become a member. We will get in touch about becoming a customer later, when your contract is about to expire.
How safe is my investment?
Please read this important information about your investment.
As an investor, do I lose out if things go wrong?
We're working hard to create a successful and secure business. However, members should be aware that share capital in a co-operative is risk capital. Ultimately, if things were ever to go wrong for The Phone Co-op, your share capital would be at risk, although you are not liable for any sum beyond what you have invested.
What if I change my mind about investing?
You can withdraw your money with no penalty.
More information about investing in The Phone Co-op can be found on our Investing in Us page.