The truth about supermarket loyalty points in 2026
Supermarket loyalty points are a great incentive for Aussie shoppers, and can be fun to collect.
They may not inspire as much loyalty as the majors would like – with an increasing number of consumers now shopping at both Coles and Woolworths to take advantage of all the specials on offer each week – but they are a great way for Australian consumers to save even further on their weekly shop.
Coles and Woolworths loyalty points can be redeemed for $10 off one transaction for every 2,000 points accumulated, or they can be saved and used further down the track.
Supermarket loyalty points are a great incentive for Aussie shoppers, and can be fun to collect. Coles
But what happens to unused loyalty points? And, do they ever expire? This is a big fear of mine, whenever I save some up, or try to.
Coles and Woolies are both currently pulling out the big guns in an effort to entice customers to focus their shopping at a single retailer, by launching enticing loyalty rewards programs to kick off 2026.
Coles runs Flybuys, a popular loyalty program that allows shoppers to earn points by shopping at Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, and Officeworks.
Coles is currently running their 'Shop, Scan, Win' giveaway, with more than $1.7m prizes up for grabs over the next three weeks. Customers simply need to spend $20 or more in-store or online and scan their Flybuys for a chance to win up to $100 off their shop.
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What happens to unused loyalty points? And, do they ever expire? Getty
Coles and Woolies are both currently pulling out the big guns in an effort to entice customers. Coles
Customers who shop in-store and spend $20 or more in one transaction will be notified instantly at the checkout if they've won, with prizes loaded straight onto their Flybuys account, ready to use immediately or save for a future shop.
To sweeten the deal, customers can boost their chances of winning with bonus entries when they spend $20, scan or enter their Flybuys and also purchase products from over 30 participating brands, including Pine O Cleen, Mortein, Bega, Western Star, Mount Franklin, Bref, Cold Power, Drumstick, Streets, Arnott's and Wonder White.
Customers can earn up to three bonus entries per participating brand, per day, giving them even more chances to win.
Woolworths' loyalty program is called Everyday Rewards, allowing shoppers to earn points while shopping at Woolies, BWS, Big W, Ampol, and EG.
And Woolies is currently running a massive rewards season, launching a series of competitions that offer customers multiple ways to win cash, gift cards, and even one of four new electric vehicles.
The centrepiece of the rewards blitz is the Back to School Jaecoo Giveaway, which will see one Jaecoo J5 EV given away every week for four weeks.
This will run from January 7 until February 10. Shoppers simply need to spend $20 or more on any participating 'Back to School' brand products in a single transaction, scan their Everyday Rewards card at the checkout, to go in the running.
Woolworths' loyalty program is called Everyday Rewards. Woolworths
Coles runs Flybuys, a popular loyalty program that allows shoppers to earn points. Getty
Conditions apply to both Coles and Woolworths' current loyalty points promotions.
The longest most supermarket shoppers usually hold onto their loyalty points is via Coles' 'Collect for Christmas' and Woolies' 'Bank for Christmas' programs which allow customers to save their points until the festive season each year.
Although it can be hard to go past the $10 off offer that appears on checkout screens.
When it comes to the question of whether or not supermarket loyalty points can expire, the answer is yes.
Coles Flybuys expire after 12 months of inactivity. Woolworths Everyday Rewards expire after 18 months of inactivity.
To keep loyalty points valid, members need to make a purchase or redeem points at least once within those specified periods.
When it comes to the question of whether or not supermarket loyalty points can expire, the answer is yes. 9honey/Jo Abi
This is why its a good idea to link family members who live and/or shop together to a single account where possible.
We should mention that urgent SMS messages claiming your Coles or Woolworths points are about to expire are often scams.
Always log into your account via the relevant app to check on the status of your points, and never via a link sent via SMS or email.
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