Guide to Flybuys rewards program

The Flybuys loyalty program rewards shoppers as they spend at Coles, Kmart, Target and other partnered retailers. You can also earn Flybuys points per $1 spent with a credit card. Your Flybuys points can then be used to get rewards including money off your shop, gift cards and travel. Let's take a look at how it works.

Citi Credit Card Offer

Citi Rewards Card - Points & Gift Card Offer

Earn 90,000 bonus Citi Rewards Points
$100 Coles eGift Card

Offer ends 31 October 2021

Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply

Citi Credit Card Offer

Reward yourself with 90,000 Citi rewards Points (worth $400 in gift cards) and a $100 Coles eGift Card when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days of approval.

• $49 first-year annual fee ($149 p.a. thereafter)
• Purchase interest rate: 21.49% p.a. | Up to 55 days interest-free period
• 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 15 months with no balance transfer fee, reverts to 22.24% p.a.
• Earn 1 point per $1 on eligible domestic and international spend.

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How to join Flybuys

As long as you're over the age of 16, you can join for free online using the following steps:

1. Go to the Flybuys website at www.flybuys.com.au.
2. Click the “Join” button on the top right-hand side of the homepage.
3. Provide your personal details and other general information about yourself. You'll then get an email with a confirmation code.
4. Follow the prompts to confirm your membership and activate your card.

When you join online, you can print a temporary card to use in store until your card arrives in the mail.

How to earn Flybuys points

Whether you're buying groceries, filling up at the petrol station or shopping online, here are some of the ways you can earn points:

Shopping with partnered brands and retailers

You'll earn points as you spend by scanning your loyalty card at the checkout in-store or entering your membership details when you're shopping online. Compare some of the partnered brands and how many points you'll earn per $1 in the table below.

Use a rewards credit card

Coles and Citi have credit cards that let you collect Flybuys points. With a Coles credit card, you'll earn points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases, with the following earn rates.

Coles credit cards also come with your Flybuys membership barcode and details on the back of the card, so you can scan it when you're shopping with Flybuys partners to earn points through your credit card and your Flybuys account. You can also earn Flybuys points with a Coles personal loan.

If you have a Citi Rewards credit card, you can exchange your reward points for Flybuys points. The exchange rates depend on the actual card, so we've broken down how many Flybuys points you'll get below:

Some of these credit cards also come with bonus points offers, which can also help boost your Flybuys points balance.

Flybuys is one of Australia's most popular loyalty schemes, with more than 10 million members. It's free to join and offers the potential to earn free flights with points you earn from shopping, so its popularity is not surprising.

In 2018, Coles (which entirely owns Flybuys) began testing out a new service, Flybuys max. Unlike standard Flybuys, you had to pay an annual subscription.

Flybuys max was only ever run as an experiment, and in late 2020 Coles emailed existing customers to say the scheme was being discontinued. However, it's possible that a similar model will be reintroduced in the future. Here's what we learned about Flybuys max during its life.

What does Flybuys max include?

To join Flybuys max, you had to pay either $10 a month or $99 a year. You could then choose one of two options:

• 5% off all fresh produce purchases at Coles (including meat, fruit and vegetables)
• OR 10 Flybuys points per dollar spent on fresh produce purchases at Coles as well as 10 points per dollar spent on fuel at Coles Express (capped at 250 litres per week)

Members received free home delivery for any online order over $50. (Normally, that cost between $4 and $18 for each order.) Members also scored 10,000 bonus points each year if they made a booking through Flybuys travel. There were also discounts on cinema and theme park tickets.

Everything else bought at Coles continued to earn points at the regular rate (1 Flybuys point per $1 spent).

How can I sign up for Flybuys max?

In mid-2018, Coles began testing Flybuys max with a small group of existing Coles staff. In September 2018, it began emailing selected Flybuys members and offering them a free two-month trial of the scheme.

In early 2020, a Flybuys spokesperson confirmed to Finder that the trial was still active. "The Flybuys max trial is ongoing with a small number of members continuing to actively participate," the spokesperson said. "We are collecting valuable insights on this proposition and are continuously working to find ways to provide further benefits to our members."

The pressures put on delivery systems by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 saw changes to those plans. In late 2020, Coles began emailing customers saying Flybuys max was discontinued. So for now, it's just an interesting experiment that might inform future plans for Flybuys.

Was it worth joining Flybuys max?

Whether it was worth paying extra for Flybuys max depended on your own shopping habits. Let's crunch the numbers.

The average household spends $243 a week on food, according to the ABS Household Expenditure Survey. We'll assume that one-third of that ($81) is fresh produce (which is likely to be a low-ball estimate if you buy a lot of meat).

If you choose to earn 10 times the normal number of points, that $81 spend would mean you'd earn 810 Flybuys points each week, for a potential total of 42,120 points per year. Each 2,000 points you earn scores you a $10 off voucher, so that will equate to $210 in discount vouchers. That's more than twice the $99 membership fee, so you'll come out ahead. (And that's without factoring in any extra points you might get for petrol).

If you chose 5% off instead, you'd save $4.05 each week, or $210.60 over the course of a year. Again, that means you'll have more than covered the annual membership fee and saved some real money. In pure money-saving terms and only considering food, the 5% off deal appears to come out just slightly ahead.

Note, though, that dollars-off vouchers are not the most effective way of using Flybuys points. If you convert your points into Virgin Australia Velocity Points, you can get much more value than just $10 for every 2,000 Flybuys points. If you take that approach, the 10 times points offer can easily provide more value than the 5% off.

Bottom line? If you're a regular fresh food shopper, Flybuys max could easily have paid for itself, whether you're a point hunter or a bargain hunter. If your cart is mostly filled with frozen meals, it may not have been worth it.

Compare credit cards that earn Flybuys points

These cards earn Flybuys points directly or points that can be exchanged for Flybuys.

Sort by:

Name	Product	Bonus points	Rewards program	Rewards points per $ spent	Purchase rate	Annual fee
Citi Rewards Card - Points & Gift Card Offer		90,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$49 annual fee for the first year ($149 p.a. thereafter)	Receive 90,000 bonus Citi reward Points (worth $400 in gift cards) and a $100 Coles eGift Card when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Rewards Card - Balance Transfer Offer		N/A	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$49 annual fee for the first year ($149 p.a. thereafter)	Save with a $49 first-year annual fee and 0% on balance transfers for 30 months with no balance transfer fee.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Rewards Card - Velocity Points Offer		150,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$99 annual fee for the first year ($199 p.a. thereafter)	Enjoy up to 150,000 bonus Velocity Points (80,000 when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days and 70k after 12 months).	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Premier Card		130,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$150 annual fee for the first year ($300 p.a. thereafter)	Enjoy 130,000 bonus points (worth $450 in eGift cards) when you spend $4,000 within the first 90 days. Plus, a first-year annual fee discount.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Insurance and utilities

If you want to earn Flybuys points on your insurance, energy or phone or other bills, here are some of your options:

Redeeming Flybuys points

The Flybuys rewards program offers a wide range of ways to use your points, with redemptions starting from 2,000 points. Follow the steps below to redeem your points:

1. Log in to your account at flybuys.com.au using your membership number and 4-digit PIN.
2. Click on “Rewards” and browse the different options.
3. Select the reward that you want and follow the prompts to make your redemption.

Some rewards, such as Flybuys Travel redemptions can be redeemed with Points + Pay.

Shopping

• Money off your shop. You can redeem 2,000 Flybuys points for $10 Flybuys Dollars which you can use to get money off your shop at the following partners:
  • Coles supermarkets
  • Coles Express (including on fuel)
  • Kmart
  • Target
  • Liquorland
  • First Choice Liquor
  • mycar
• Gift cards. Use your points to buy gift cards for brands like Coles, Target, Kmart, Gourmet Traveller Restaurant, Good Food Restaurant and BFC. You can redeem a $50 gift card for 10,000 Flybuys points and a $100 gift card for 20,000 Flybuys points.

Velocity Frequent Flyer

The Flybuys and Velocity partnership allows you to transfer Flybuys points to the Velocity Frequent Flyer program, with 1,000 Flybuys equalling 500 Velocity Points. To transfer Flybuys to Velocity, you need to link your accounts via the Flybuys website. You can then do a one-off transfer for a minimum of 1,000 Flybuys points, or set up Auto Transfer so your points are automatically converted into Velocity Points.

You'll also 1 Velocity Status Credits for every $100 you spend at Coles, First Choice Liquor and Liquorland, which can help you achieve a higher membership level in the frequent flyer program. The number of Status Credits you can earn is capped at 10 per month.

Plus, Velocity regularly has bonus points promotions when cardholders transfer their Flybuys (and other partnered reward points) to their Velocity account. Check out this bonus points guide to see if there are any current promotions running.

Travel

You can use Flybuys points for a variety of travel rewards, including the following:

• Flybuys Travel. Use your points to book flights, hotels and travel packages through Flybuys Travel. Rewards start at 2,000 points.
• Experiences. Book tours, experiences and restaurant reservations with Adrenaline eVouchers and other travel e-vouchers.

Retail items

You can use your Flybuys points to shop and buy products across the following categories:

• Fashion and accessories. This includes bags, wallets, haircare and grooming, sunglasses and eyewear as well as watches and jewellery.
• Home and garden. Use your Flybuys to upgrade your home with appliances, BBQ and gardening tools, bed and bath items, dining and cookware.
• Technology. Tech rewards include phones, computers, tablets, headphones and speakers with brands including Apple, Panasonic and Sony.
• Travel and fun. Options include suitcases, travel bags and packing cubes.
• Lifestyle. Treat yourself to beer, wine or spirits, books and magazines, camping and outdoor accessories and more.

To browse the full catalogue and see how many points you'll need to redeem your preferred rewards, visit the Flybuys website.

Frequently asked questions

• When will I receive my points?

  Your points should appear in your account within one or two days after making an eligible purchase with a partnered retailer. Points transferred from other loyalty program or credit cards may take longer to appear.

• Can I add a cardholder to my account?

  Yes, you can add a cardholder so that your partner and family can pool Flybuys points under one account. Log in using your membership number and password, select 'My Account' from the main menu and then click on the big blue and white cross on the Account Overview page.

• I signed up for Flybuys at Coles and got a temporary card. What do I do now?

  If you've just signed up, you'll need to complete your membership by following these steps:

  1. Go to the Flybuys website and click on "Join Flybuys.
  2. Click on the "Add card" option.
  3. Enter the card's "Member number" (the number that starts with "6008") and "Registration number" (the second number on the card).
  4. Click "Add card" and follow the prompts to complete your membership. Note that you will be required to create a password so that you can log in to your account in the future.

• How do I log in to my Flybuys account?

  Go to the Flybuys website, select "Log In" and enter your card number and password. This allows you to check your point balance, make redemptions, browse special offers and update your details.

• How do I set up my PIN code?

  In order to see your Flybuys Dollars balance, you'll need to set up a four digit PIN. You'll be asked to set up a PIN when you redeem your points for Flybuys Dollars and is required when you use Flybuys dollars as payment in store. To see or change your PIN click 'My Account' from the main menu. Then select 'Account Details' from the submenu, and scroll down to Flybuys Dollars.

• What is the Flybuys phone number?

  Contact the Flybuys customer service team on 13 11 16.

• Do all Flybuys members get the same offers?

  No. Flybuys occasionally trials offers for selected members. You can log in to your Flybuys account to view offers available to you. Alternatively, signing up for emails from Flybuys will allow you to receive offers directly to your inbox.

• Can Flybuys points be transferred?

  No. You cannot transfer, sell or give your points to any other card or person. If you want to share your points, you can request an additional cardholder on your account.

• I've lost my card. How do I order a replacement card?

  Log in to your Flybuys accounts and select 'My Account' from the main menu. Choose the cardholder you require a replacement card for from the list of cardholders linked to the account and request a replacement from the options listed in the top right.

• Can additional cardholders redeem points?

  Yes. If you have an additional cardholder on your account, they can redeem points for rewards. An email notification will be sent to the primary account holder for all redemption activity.

Pictures: Getty and Flybuys