Coles’ Flybuys: double dip with a credit card

Owned and operated by Coles, Flybuys is one of Australia’s biggest and best-known loyalty programs. 

The Flybuys program is free to join and earns points at Coles and Flybuys partner stores. From there, you can convert your points into cashback at the checkout, shop the Flybuys store for gift cards and merchandise, or redeem points for travel through Flybuys travel or by converting to Velocity Points.

How to Apply

To become a member of Flybuys, you must be 16 years or older and have a current Australian residential address. You can register online in a few minutes.

After registering, you’ll receive a Flybuys membership number and a Flybuys card. While you can tap the card to earn and redeem points, it’s recommended you download the app as well so you can activate bonus points offers before you shop. 

Earning Points

To earn points within the Flybuys program, just scan your Flybuys card or enter your Flybuys info when spending at partner retailers and service providers. Each partner has its own earn rate, with bonus offers that pop up from time to time. To stay up-to-date with partner earn rates and offers, keep a close eye on the Flybuys site or your Flybuys app.

Here are the current Flybuys partners, their earn rates and offers.

• Bunnings Warehouse. Collect 1 point per $1 when shopping in-store and online at Bunnings Warehouse.

• Catch. Shopping on Catch.com.au, you can earn 1 point per $2. Flybuys members with an active OnePass subscription can collect 1 standard point per $2 spent plus 1 bonus point per $2 spent. 

• Citi. Collect Flybuys bonus points by applying for a Citi Rewards credit card. You can also transfer your Citi reward Points to your Flybuys account to boost your balance. 

• Coles. When you shop at Coles supermarkets, you can earn 1 point per $1 spent.

• Coles Credit Cards. By applying for a Coles credit card, you can boost your Flybuys earn as you spend day-to-day. More on Coles credit cards later. 

• Coles Insurance. Staying within the Coles family, you can earn points on your premiums with Coles Insurance. 

• G’day Parks. When you stay at over 300 G’day Parks across Australia, you can earn 2 points per $1 on your booking. You can also earn 5 points per $1 spent, every time you book online or via G’day Parks app.

• First Choice Liquor Market. As you stock up on your favourite tipple, you can earn 1 point per $1 at First Choice Liquor Market.

• Flybuys travel. When you buy flights, accommodation, cruises or any other type of travel with Flybuys travel, you can earn 1 point per $1 on your booking.

• HCF: Earn up to 150,000 points (depending on your annual premium) when you join HCF insurance. 

• Kleenheat. By linking your Flybuys membership number to your Kleenheat account, you can earn 1 point per $1 spent on natural gas.

• Kmart. When you shop at Kmart, you can pick up 1 point on each $1 you spend.

• Liquorland. When you shop at Liquorland, you can pick up 1 point on each $1 you spend.

• mycar. For every $1 you spend on car tyres and servicing at mycar, you will earn 1 point. 

• NAB. If you earn NAB Rewards on your NAB credit card, you can transfer your NAB Rewards points to Flybuys points at the following rate.

• Officeworks. Shop in-store and online at Officeworks to collect 1 point per $1 spent on eligible purchases.

• OnePass. OnePass members get 5 points per $1 spent on in-store purchases with participating brands and 2 points for every $2 spent at Catch.

• Optus. When you sign up for certain plans with Optus, you can collect bonus Flybuys points: up to 38,000 points with Optus Home Internet; up to 60,000 points with Optus data plan; up to 75,000 points with Optus mobile. T&Cs apply.

• Quite Like. Add your Flybuys member number during checkout or from your QuiteLike online account to collect 1 point per $1 spent.

• Shell Coles Express. When you swipe your Flybuys card at Shell Coles Express, you can earn 1 point per $2 spent on fuel and shop purchases. Every time you spend $30 in a single transaction and present your Flybuys card at Coles, you can receive a digital fuel offer of 4c off per litre at the pumps and you have the option to switch your preference to collect 8 points per litre instead. T&Cs apply.

• Swaggle. Flybuys members collect 1 point per $1 spent online with Swaggle on one-off orders, and 2 points per $1 spent on Swaggle Auto-Delivery orders.

• Target. When you shop at Target, you can pick up 1 point on each $1 you spend. 

• Velocity Frequent Flyer. With Velocity as a Flybuys partner, you can convert Velocity Points to Flybuys points (conversion ratio 2 Flybuys points: 1 Velocity Point). 

Note: All partners, earn rates and bonuses correct at time of writing.

Flybuys Credit Cards

Right, time to get into those Coles credit cards. Credit cards let you double dip points by paying with your card and tapping your Flybuys. Here’s how they work and what they have to offer.

Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard

With the Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard, you can earn 1 Flybuys point per $2 on all eligible spending, while paying no annual fee.

Having no annual fee is a huge perk because it means your points aren’t devalued by other fees (as long as you pay the card off each month to avoid interest charges. 

As a new cardholder, you can also take advantage of this card’s welcome bonus offer of 0% p.a. interest on purchases for 6 months. This offer expires 30 September 2024.

Coles Rewards Credit Card

The Coles Rewards Mastercard earns up to 3 points per $1 at participating big-name retailers. Plus, you can get 50,000 Flybuys bonus points (worth $250 Flybuys Dollars) if you apply by 05 November 2024​ and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months from approval. Save with its $0 foreign transaction fee feature on purchases when shopping online or overseas.

Coles Low Rate Mastercard

Coles Low Rate Mastercard focuses more on low rates than points, earning 1 point for every $2 spent at Coles Supermarkets. It comes with 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 15 months, a low variable rate of 13.49% p.a. on purchases, plus an annual fee of $58.

While this card could help you save on interest if you occasionally carry a balance, it’s not going to provide a huge boost to your Flybuys earn. 

Extras
Coles Rewards Mastercard holders pay no foreign currency conversion fees on purchases when travelling overseas or shopping online with international retailers.

Platinum cardholders can benefit from complimentary insurances and a concierge service.

Redeeming Points
In terms of points redemptions, Flybuys keeps it pretty simple. You have four options when redeeming your points.

• Flybuys Dollars. Convert your points to Flybuys dollars (2,000 points = $10 Flybuys dollars) and spend them in-store at participating Flybuys partners.

• Book travel. You can redeem points for travel by converting your points to the Velocity program, or by booking flights, hotels, packages, car hire, cruises and more at Flybuys travel.

• Shop the Rewards Store. You can redeem points in the Flybuys Store, with more than 1,000 rewards to choose from, including tech, toys and homewares. Flybuys often offers special deals on certain rewards within its Store, for example, it may offer double value points on boxes of wine or travel essentials.

• Boost your Velocity Balance. Link your Flybuys and Velocity accounts and transfer 1,000 Flybuys points to earn an astounding 500 Velocity Points. You can also opt to turn on Auto Transfer and have your Flybuys points automatically transferred into Velocity Points.

☝ Need to Know Info

Anything else you need to know about Flybuys?

According to the Flybuys terms and conditions, for the most part, Flybuys points don’t expire. This means you can continue to earn points until you have enough to get the reward that suits you.

However, it’s worth pointing out there are two instances where Flybuys points may expire. Points do not expire unless:

• You have not registered with Flybuys, in which case they will automatically expire in three months. This may apply to you if you receive bonus points as part of an offer, but fail to register as a Flybuys member.
• You do not earn or redeem any points on your account for a period of 12 consecutive months. Then your points, and any Flybuys dollars, will automatically expire. Flybuys may also terminate your membership and close your account.

Woolworths’ Everyday Rewards

Going head-to-head with the Flybuys program, Everyday Rewards is offered by Coles’ main competitor, Woolworths. Working in much the same way as Flybuys, Everyday Rewards allows members to earn points on their spending within the Woolworths Group and with certain partners, which they can then redeem at the checkout or convert to Qantas Points.

How to Apply
To become an Everyday Rewards member, you must be 18 or over and have a current Australian residential address. If you are under the age of 18, you will need the consent of your parent or guardian to join.

Joining is free and there are no fees to continue as a member. To join, you can either complete the application process online, download the Everyday Rewards app, call the Everyday Rewards Contact Centre, or consent to become a member as part of an application for a Woolworths branded insurance, telecommunications or financial services product.

Earning Points
Once you’ve joined, you can start earning points. Everyday Rewards offers a standard earn rate of 1 point per $1 spent at Woolworths and all partners within the program. These include:

• Woolworths Supermarkets and Woolworths Metro (including spending at woolworths.com.au and via the Woolworths App) 
• BWS (including spending at bws.com.au and via BWS on tAPP)
• BIG W and bigw.com.au
• Participating Ampol locations (which may be branded Caltex or Ampol as Ampol transitions to its own branding)
• Ampol Woolworths Metro
• Caltex app
• Ampol app
• Participating Caltex Woolworths/EG Australia
• www.superpharmacy.com.au
• www.petculture.com.au
• www.healthylife.com.au

The program also notes that other stores or businesses may offer points earning and bonuses as part of ongoing promotions, which are advertised accordingly.

Like Flybuys, Everyday Rewards allows members to fast-track their points earning with ‘boosters’. These are offered to each member individually via email and the Everyday Rewards app, and may include offers that allow members to earn up to 10 points per $1.

It’s also worth noting that you cannot earn points on certain types of spending, such as gift cards, tobacco and lottery products. For the full list, check the program’s terms.

Aside from earning points at the above partners, you can also collect points with Bupa on eligible health insurance policies, and with Origin Energy on the Origin Everyday Rewards plan.

Everyday Rewards Credit Cards

Note: Woolworths has not been accepting new card applications since COVID-19. While there is no indication regarding when applications will resume, we’ll take this opportunity to have a quick look at the range of cards typically offered as Woolies rewards earners in case applications open up sooner rather than later.

Woolworths Everyday Platinum Credit Card

The Woolworths Everyday Platinum Credit Card has a standard annual fee of $49. It offers the following uncapped earn rate:

• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all purchases of Woolworths brand products.
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on purchases at Woolworths Supermarkets and BIG W.
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere.

Like Coles credit cards, this Woolies card allows you to double dip on points, so you can pay with your card to earn your card’s standard earn rate, to then pick up 1 point per $1 on all other eligible spending at program partners.

In terms of points redemptions, for every 4,000 points you earn on your card spending, you will receive a $20 Woolworths Shopping Card. This is an automatic redemption, tallied up and sent out every four months. You can use Shopping Cards in Woolworths Supermarkets and BIG W.

Woolworths Qantas Platinum Credit Card

Alongside the Everyday Rewards earning card, Woolworths offers its Woolworths Qantas Platinum Credit Card. This card has a standard annual fee of $169 and provides the following earn rate:

• Earn 1 Qantas Point for every $1 spent at Woolworths and Woolworths Group Stores, in store and online.
• Earn 0.5 Qantas Points for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Earn additional Qantas points on other selected Qantas products and services.

Points on this card are directed automatically to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account, where you can redeem them as normal within the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Extras
With a Woolworths Credit Card in your wallet, you can also take advantage of a range of other benefits and discounts. These include:

• 10% off your grocery shop once a month
• Up to 10% off Woolworths Insurance
• Exclusive benefits in dining and accommodation
• 24/7 Concierge Service 

Redeeming Points
Time to redeem those Everyday Rewards points? You have three options available to you.

• You can opt in to Bank for Christmas. This essentially banks all your points, so that you can’t redeem them until December. At that point, you can redeem them at the checkout, as per the option above.

• You can convert 2,000 Everyday Rewards points to 1,000 Qantas Points.

☝ Need to Know Info

Let’s get into some small print. According to the Everyday Rewards terms and conditions, here’s some of the more important need-to-know info.

• You cannot have more than $4,500 Everyday Rewards dollars in your account.

• Your Everyday Rewards points will expire if you have less than 2,000 points in your account and don’t scan your Everyday Rewards card for 18 months or more.

• If you have at least $10 Everyday Rewards dollars in your account, it will expire after 12 months if you don’t redeem it within that time.

☝ Tradeoffs to Consider

Before you join a loyalty program, whether that’s Flybuys, Everyday Rewards, or any one of the numerous other programs out there, there are certain factors you may want to consider. While it may seem nice to get something back on spending you need to do anyway, there are tradeoffs you are making as a loyal member.

• One of the most important factors to consider is privacy. Every time you swipe your loyalty card, the owner of that loyalty program receives a heap of information about you. From how much you spend to what brands you buy, that data is incredibly valuable, even if you don’t consider it to be.

• Another factor to consider is the cost of your loyalty to one particular brand. If you only shop at one supermarket, you could be losing out on lower prices, special deals and better promotions at other stores, meaning you spend more to get less back in return.
• Lastly, there is value. While joining Flybuys and Everyday Rewards is free, the value you will get on your everyday shop is relatively small. With that being said, there are ways to boost your earn, such as using a co-branded credit card or taking advantage of points boosting promotions.

Kogan

While it may not be a supermarket rewards card, the Kogan Money Black Card could be worth looking into if you spend regularly at Kogan. Let’s take a quick look at what it has to offer.

• You will receive $50 credit after using the card to make an eligible purchase in the first 30 days.
• You will receive $400 credit after spending $3,000 on the card in the first 90 days from approval.
• You will pay no annual fee.
• You will earn 2 rewards points per $1 on eligible purchases at Kogan.com and 1 reward point per $1 on all eligible spending elsewhere, uncapped. 
• You can redeem your points for eligible purchases at Kogan.com using Pay with Points, where 100 points = $1 of credit.
• You will also receive complimentary Kogan Membership (valued at $99 per year), which offers free shipping on thousands of products, express shipping upgrades, and exclusive specials at Kogan.com.

☝ Tips! How to Maximise Supermarket RewardsBack to supermarket rewards. Considering the fact that joining both Flybuys and Everyday Rewards is free, anything you get in return is a bonus – and all you need to do to benefit is swipe your card at the checkout. As long as you’re happy with the data your loyalty program collects in return for this transaction, the main thing you will need to consider is how you can maximise your points earn. Here are some tips to help you boost your points earning to get the most value from your program.

• Download the app. With your loyalty program’s app on your phone, your ‘card’ will always be on hand to scan at the checkout. Your app is also the gateway to all your personalised points boosters. These boosters provide the best way to maximise your points earn, so make good use of them.
• Stay on top of your program. Partners, earn rates and offers will change over time, so stay on top of those changes to make the most of your spending. Sign up for email alerts or a newsletter subscription to stay up-to-date on the latest program updates.
• Apply for a co-branded credit card. While Woolies cards are off the table for now, you could boost your Flybuys points earn as a Coles shopper with the right Coles credit card. Keep an eye out for intro offers, as they provide even more value.
• Add a family member. You may be able to add a family member to your loyalty program and/or co-branded credit card. Their additional spend should boost your points earn overall.
• Play the system. Consider joining Flybuys and Everyday Rewards. Then, if you switch supermarkets frequently, you may find you get better points boosters to entice you back to each store. By doing this, you can also be sure to get the best deals wherever they’re on offer instore, saving you money in the long run. 

Photo source: Getty Images