AA members who enjoyed years of Smartfuel savings with their Countdown Onecard may be disappointed it's coming to an end, but Woolworths has wasted no time in bringing a new partner on-board for its refreshed rewards programme.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Woolworths revealed that bp is the foundation partner for its new Everyday Rewards programme, which is slated to launch on February 1 next year.
It comes amid a $400 million overhaul that has seen Countdown rebranded as Woolworths, its parent company, with a focus on renewing and upgrading the store network over the next three years and investing over $45 million in added security measures and upskilling staff.
The new loyalty programme is set to deliver a "multi-million-dollar increase in rewards", a Woolworths spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The programme will adopt the existing one-for-one points system from its Onecard predecessor, where every $1 spent at the supermarket earns one reward point. Onecard's existing Club Price discounts will evolve into sharper Member Price deals, the spokesperson added.
At bp, members will earn one reward point for every litre of fuel and $1 spent at the shop, Wild Bean Cafe or bp car washes. Members will also be able to unlock a further 'always-on' cents-off-per-litre discount alongside other benefits each time they swipe their Everyday Rewards card at bp.
Everyday Rewards will also come with an enhanced 'Boost' scheme, which currently operates as part of the Onecard loyalty programme. Boosts are special offers that fast-track your chosen Onecard rewards: for example, if you earn AA Smartfuel rewards, you'll get extra discounts to help you save more at the pump. The offers are individually curated, with personalised promotions based on the products you typically buy.
Additionally, there will be more opportunities to earn across its partner network, meaning members can reach the 2000 points threshold faster - and get a $15 voucher to use at their choice of Woolworths or bp, explained Mark Burger, Woolworths general manager loyalty.
"We've prioritised simplicity with the programme. Its appeal is that customers just shop as normal from Woolworths and other retail partners, and the rewards take care of themselves," he said.
"At the checkout, we want to give our members the ability to double the value they receive today. What this means is that Kiwis who have (on average) previously got a couple of vouchers per year, can now get a voucher every month by taking advantage of their personalised Boost offers. They're special offers designed to get customers to their $15 rewards faster."
Additional partners of the programme will continue to be added in the coming months, which Burger said will help members "earn and use their points in even more places."
Existing Onecard members can continue to earn and redeem AA Smartfuel discounts until 11:59pm, January 31.
"Onecard is still around until January 31 and customers can continue to earn points until that time. Any points you haven't spent will automatically convert over to Everyday Rewards in February," he added.
Further details about Everyday Rewards will be shared with customers in the next few weeks.
