How Woolworths Everyday Rewards can improve earning Qantas Points
There's one big problem with "points boosters" right now.
This morning, I got a friendly email from Woolworths asking for my thoughts on how it could improve its Everyday Rewards "points boosters".
Unsurprisingly, I had some thoughts.
A quick refresher: Woolworths regularly offers "points boosters", where you get extra Everyday Rewards points for buying specific items. (Rival Coles does the same with Flybuys.)
You access and activate the offers in the Woolworths app, with new offers appearing each Wednesday.
So you might get an extra 250 points for buying Listerine, for instance.
Used intelligently, these can be one of the easiest ways to boost your Qantas Points total. Converting Everyday Rewards to Qantas Points is, as I'm constantly saying around here, the best way to use them for maximum value.
And by "intelligently", I mean buying things you would need to buy anyway or can sensibly incorporate into your weekly meal plan.
There are 2 problems with the points boosters Everyday Rewards offered, when compared to Coles.
Firstly, the points boosters are stingy. It's very rare to see more than 250 points on offer, and many deals are for just 50 Everyday Rewards points.
Yes, every point helps, and yes, I get that Woolworths isn't here to make my Qantas-Points-earning-life easier.
But Coles regularly offers deals with 500 or even 1,000 Flybuys points, so the totals (for Velocity) mount up a lot faster.
Secondly (and more annoyingly), the booster offers don't change anywhere near as often.
Week after week, Woolworths offers me the same number of points on identical products.
Last year, I had weeks of being offered Ant-Rid. That stuff takes a long time to run out.
And sometimes I get repeat deals on products I've tried once and fully don't intend to try again (guilty as charged, Woolworths' ready-made mashed potato).
Coles does way better here. The offers vary much more, and it's rare to see a repeat deal.
I'd speculate that Coles is actively working with its suppliers to negotiate fresh bonus points deals to drive sales, while Woolworths is just trying to build habit-based purchases.
But the reality for me is simple: I'm shopping more often at Coles because I can get more bonus points there.
So if Woolworths wants to improve its offers, that's an easy place to start.
Meanwhile, I'll keep tailoring my (fully-planned) weekly shop to wherever I can get the most points on that day.
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.
Pictures: Angus Kidman/Woolworths/Coles
