The AA Smartfuel and Countdown Onecard loyalty programmes are coming to an end as the supermarket shakes up its rewards scheme.
The change is set to kick in from February 1 next year, with Countdown introducing a new programme called Everyday Rewards.
One expert hopes the incoming scheme — which will include fuel discounts too — could mean shoppers have more savings choices.
"It's going to be interesting to see how that landscape changes," said Loyalty Collective chief executive Craig Grimshaw.
"Do I earn dollars with my groceries, or do I earn dollars with my petrol? And how does it make it easier?
"It's going to be really interesting to see where people go, and what does it open up for the competitors of BP and Woolworths?"
Everyday Rewards will partner with BP to offer fuel discounts.
It comes as loyalty programmes are rising in popularity amid the current high cost of living.
"What we are seeing is more and more people using loyalty programmes for buying bits and pieces," said Consumer NZ's Jessica Walker, adding that it's not necessarily always a good deal.
"They actually distort competition because you are not seeing the true price of a good or service.
"That's something we are really worried about, so what we would love to see is fairer pricing across the board."
The watchdog also urged consumers to read the fine print closely, to see how their personal data will be used.
The change explained
The Onecard and AA Smartfuel programmes will end at 11.59pm on January 31 next year.
Until then, everything will continue to operate as usual.
After the switch, from February 1 next year, all physical Onecards will cease to work at Countdown, the supermarket said.
People are urged to dispose of the cards responsibly.
Any points and vouchers on the card will be automatically migrated to your Everyday Rewards account.
Countdown said the Everyday Rewards website will go live "in the coming weeks". You'll then be able to sign in with either your Onecard or Countdown Online Shopping details, to set yourself up for the new scheme.
If you'd like a new physical card for Everyday Rewards, Countdown said you can order one through the website from October.
For AA Smartfuel, it's a bit different. Its closure comes after 12 years of the scheme.
"Any AA Smartfuel discounts earned in the month of January 2024 will need to be redeemed by 31 January 2024," AA Smartfuel said.
If you have a yellow AA membership card starting with the numbers 3083 26, hold onto it, and you'll receive a new card "in due course".
"I would like to thank all of our cardholders for their loyalty over the last twelve years," AA Smartfuel director Scott Fitchett said.
"Myself and the AA Smartfuel team are immensely proud that our partner village of more than 1200 retailers has helped Kiwis earn over one billion dollars in fuel discounts."
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