Coles vs Woolworths: Which one offers the most gift card bonus points?
One supermarket is much more generous, an exclusive Finder analysis reveals.
Coles had 50% more gift card bonus points offers than its rival Woolworths during the 2020/2021 financial year.
Analysis of a year's worth of points offers by Finder shows that Coles' Flybuys scheme had bonus points offers for gift cards during 23 weeks. Woolworths Everyday Rewards was comparatively mean, with just 15 bonus point offers during the same time period.
As well as running more offers, Coles featured higher points totals. It ran 10 deals during the year offering 2,000 bonus points, twice as many as Woolworths.
Gift card bonus points offers are one of the best ways to boost your frequent flyer points. Everyday Rewards points can be converted into Qantas Points, while Flybuys can be converted into Velocity Points.
Converting points offers much more value than the standard "$10 off for every 2,000 points" discount that both supermarkets feature. It also ensures that you have earning activity which prevents your points from expiring, a key consideration with so many Australians cutting back on flights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A typical bonus deal offers 1,000 or 2,000 points for a specific gift card. My personal favourite is a Netflix gift card deal. You're probably paying for Netflix – Finder research shows that 69% of Australians have the streaming service. So why not pay for it with a gift card and get those extra points too?
It's a good strategy, but it's much more feasible at Coles. The supermarket ran 4 Netflix promotions during the year, each offering 1,000 points for a $50 card. That means you could pay for 18 months of standard Netflix access using gift cards and earn 4,000 Flybuys points, which convert into 2,000 Velocity Points. Woolworths only had one Netflix offer during the financial year, in August 2020. There were also bonus offers for Kayo (2 at Coles, just 1 at Woolworths) and Binge (2 at each supermarket).
It's not entirely surprising that Coles came out on top. Its partner Virgin Australia had a difficult year, entering administration before being bought out by venture capital firm Bain. And Flybuys has run as an entirely separate business since 2018, making it more agile and hungrier for deals.
Regardless of which supermarket or airline you favour, remember: You shouldn't ever spend money purely to earn points. So if you're buying gift cards, remember to actually give them as gifts or use them yourself.
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: Angus Kidman
