The era of Onecard has officially come to an end, with Woolworths - formerly Countdown - shepherding in a new loyalty programme, Everyday Rewards, as of February 1.
The new programme marks the end of Countdown's collaboration with AA Smartfuel, which allowed customers to access exclusive discounts and earn rewards, such as fuel savings, via their Onecard. The partnership has been culled as part of Countdown's ongoing rebrand, with the supermarket taking the name of its parent company, Woolworths.
To incentivise shoppers to adopt the new programme, members who download the Everyday Rewards app and sign up in February will automatically be rewarded with a surprise boost to their accounts without spending a cent, Mark Wolfenden, Woolworths New Zealand's director of digital and loyalty, said on Thursday.
Woolworths isn't the only supermarket to offer a loyalty scheme; both New World and Farro also have rewards programmes, depending on which is your local.
Here's what you need to know about Woolworths' Everyday Rewards and how to make the most of it.
When does Everyday Rewards launch?
Everyday Rewards launches in Aotearoa on Thursday, February 1.
How does Everyday Rewards work and how do I earn points?
The loyalty programme operates via a points system, where every $1 spent at Woolworths earns one Everyday Rewards point.
Members are rewarded with a $15 voucher each time they reach 2000 Everyday Rewards points (in other words, a $15 reward for every $2000 spent). This voucher can be redeemed at Woolworths or bp.
Other partners include ASB Bank and Vineonline, with more partners to be announced over the coming months. These partners will be putting forward offers of their own throughout February.
Here's how you can earn points:
- Every $1 spent at Woolworths, bp shop, Wildbean Café or Vineonline = one point
- Every one litre of fuel at bp = one point
- Every $1 you spend on an ASB Visa Business or ASB Visa Platinum Rewards credit card = one point
- Every $2 you spend on an ASB Visa rewards credit card = one point and 2000 points every six months.
What launch offers are currently available?
To incentivise customers to join Everyday Rewards, those who download the app and sign up in February will automatically be rewarded with 1000 points - the equivalent of $1000 on groceries - without spending a thing.
This means new customers will be halfway towards reaching their $15 reward voucher.
"Instead of spending $1000 on groceries to get the equivalent points, new members this month will be gifted the points straight off the bat to help them get money off their shop faster," Wolfenden explained.
In addition to the 1000 points, members can activate a series of Boost offers in the Everyday Rewards app or online, including double points on all shops from February 1-4, 2024.
There is also a 20 cent per litre discount available at BP (on a fill of up to 50L) with the first scan of an Everyday Rewards card.
Members can earn additional points by linking their Everyday Rewards app to their ASB Visa Rewards credit card, BPme and Vineonline. Linking to the bpME app earns 250 points; linking to a Vineonline accounts earns 250 points; and linking to an ASB True Rewards credit card earns 2500 points.
"We're expecting members to reach their rewards faster than ever this month," Wolfenden added. "If members take advantage of the offers tailored specially for them, they could be earning rewards over twice as fast as our previous programme."
What are the other benefits?
In addition to the points earned for every dollar spent on fuel and in the shop, members can also access a 6 cent per litre discount on fuel at bp.
When they use their Everyday Rewards card, members can access a range of special 'Member Prices' on products at Woolworths, much like the exclusive offers previously available via Onecard.
Also like the previous programme, personalised 'Boost' offers will be sent to their inbox or through the app (for example, purchasing a certain product will earn you a certain number of points) to help members gain points faster.
Do I need a physical card?
No, you don't need a physical Everyday Rewards card, although cards are on offer for those who prefer them.
For those who don't want another card crammed in their wallet, a digital card is available via the app that can be scanned at the checkout - similar to the previous Onecard programme.
Your point balance, specials and Boost offers can all be accessed through the Everyday Rewards app.
What should I do with my old Onecard?
Get rid of it. The best way to dispose of a now-defunct Onecard is at Countdown/Woolworths supermarkets; there are collection boxes at all in-store customer service desks, with the cards to be recycled through TerraCycle.
Once collected, the cards will be sorted, cleaned, and melted into plastic pellets which are then supplied as raw material to new product manufacturers. The recycled raw material can then be remoulded to make new recycled products, such as outdoor furniture and plastic shipping pallets.
What will happen to my unused Onecard rewards?
Previously registered Onecard members will see their existing points and vouchers automatically transferred to their Everyday Rewards accounts from Thursday.
