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Shoppers at Woolworths will soon be able to use its rewards scheme to buy airline points but it will require a hefty spend on groceries to get on a flight. 

From December 2, Kiwis will be able to convert their everyday rewards points to Air New Zealand airpoints dollars or Qantas points. 

When members reach 2000 everyday rewards points they can choose to convert these to 15 airpoints dollars or 1500 Qantas points. 

A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed that customers earn one point for every dollar spent meaning shoppers may need to spend up to $2000 to get 2000 everyday rewards points. 

But the spokesperson emphasised it also had promotions for certain products which multiplied points when items were purchased. 

Air New Zealand’s airpoints dollars are equivalent to one airpoint per one New Zealand dollar. 

As of November 2024, one Qantas point is worth between 0.4 cents and 12 cents, depending on how you spend it. 

Mark Burger, director of Everyday Rewards New Zealand. Photo / Supplied 

Everyday Rewards New Zealand director Mark Burger said he was excited to partner with “two world-class brands to help everyday rewards members take to the air”. 

“We only launched back in February, and if there’s one thing we’ve heard from our members since it’s that they want rewards that’ll help them book their next holiday or a trip to see loved ones,” Burger said. 

“We’re pleased to be delivering exactly that with our new partners - we think it’s going to be a game changer for our members.” 

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said the partnership would provide members with more opportunities to earn airpoints dollars. 

“With 4.7 million members already part of the airpoints programme, partnering with everyday rewards means Kiwi customers can get en route to booking their dream getaway even faster,” Foran said. 

“This partnership reflects our commitment to making travel more accessible and rewarding for Kiwi customers.” 

Qantas Loyalty chief executive Andrew Glance echoed the sentiment and said it was a welcome boost for almost one million Kiwis who are Qantas frequent flyers. 

With more than 1.8 million active members of the loyalty scheme in New Zealand, its popularity has rapidly grown. 

According to its annual results, the everyday rewards programme had a scan rate of 60% on transactions in the fourth quarter of last year. 

Rewards uncertain 

Earlier this year, a consumer watchdog warned that deals offered by supermarket loyalty schemes are not as cost-saving as they appear. 

Consumer NZ’s head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen said these schemes did not offer the best deal. 

“What they’re really about is trying to breed loyalty. They’re trying to ensure that you shop at the same place, all the time. That’s really beneficial for the supermarket and it mutes the competition,” she said. 

Rasmussen said it paid to shop around and that keeping competition between supermarkets was a good thing. 

A Consumer NZ analysis of loyalty card specials at New World and Woolworths found that 75% of special loyalty prices could be found cheaper elsewhere. 

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.