Bunnings and Officeworks join Flybuys, but there’s a snag
How will these new ways to boost your Velocity Points work – and will sausage sizzles be included?
The good news? From December, you'll be able to earn Flybuys points on purchases at hardware retail giant Bunnings and office supplies retail giant Officeworks.
The bad news? We don't know what the earn rates will be, or whether you'll be able to pick up bonus points offers.
"We know that a vast majority of Flybuys members already shop at both retailers, which is an incredibly exciting opportunity for our 8 million-plus members to collect more points where they're already shopping," said Flybuys chief executive John Merakovsky.
Bunnings has more than 350 stores Australia-wide, while Officeworks has over 170 branches. Both are owned by Wesfarmers, which spun off Flybuys into a jointly-owned venture with Coles back in 2018.
The typical earn rate for Flybuys at existing major partners Coles, Kmart and Liquorland is 1 Flybuys point for every $1 you spend. However, given that you can spend a lot more at Bunnings, I won't be entirely surprised if the rate is either lower (say 1 point for every $2), or capped in some other way.
The same could apply at Officeworks, where laptops priced over $1,000 would cost the retail chain a lot in points. Officeworks has previously offered the ability to earn Flybuys, but pulled out of the scheme back in July 2009.
We do already know that Bunnings will initially only offer Flybuys for in-store purchases. If you buy online, you won't get the points.
As always, I'd suggest the best way to use Flybuys points once you've earned them is to convert them into Velocity Points and spend them on flights.
One other thing I can safely and sadly predict: There will be no Flybuys points for your sausage sanger. Since the iconic Bunnings sausage sizzle is a community fundraising activity and the cash goes straight to the relevant charity, I can't imagine you'll get points for it. (And my name is an anagram of DINKUM SANGA, so I can be trusted on this.)
Bottom line? If you want points for a sausage, you'll still have to head to Coles. But I'm seriously tempted to hold off on some of my post-pandemic renovation shopping and 2022 home office needs until Flybuys kicks in.
Want to keep your frequent flyer points balance growing? Check out the latest credit card sign-up deals.
Angus Kidman's Findings column looks at new developments and research that help you save money, make wise decisions and enjoy your life more.
Picture: Flickr
