Flybuys Australia has assured customers it will not close after its New Zealand counterparts announced the end of its rewards programme.
The Kiwi version of Flybuys revealed on Wednesday that customers had until October 31 to earn points and December 31 to spend them.
Aussie Flybuys posted a photo of Daily Mail Australia’s report on the issue on Instagram on Wednesday with the message: ‘PSA: Flybuys Australia will not be closing.’
The news came as a relief to Australian customers.
“Phew! We’re safe here in Australia… Flybuys is here to stay,” one person said happily.
Another fan of the rewards program said: “Thank goodness! I’m less than 50,000 points away from finally hitting one million! I have to have my proud moment for all these years of saving them.”
“Thank God I can finally sleep peacefully now,” said one, perhaps ironically.
Flybuys New Zealand members can earn points by shopping at partner organisations such as LiquorLand, Petcober, BNZ and more.
Flybuys Australia has assured customers it will not close after its New Zealand counterparts announced the end of its rewards programme.
Points can then be redeemed to spend on rewards and special offers including discounts on gasoline at gas stations and savings at grocery stores.
The closure of the loyalty program means shoppers will have to turn to other options if they want to access exclusive discounts.
New World’s Clubcard and Countdown’s Onecard are the most popular loyalty programmes in New Zealand as of 2024.
Lizzy Ryley, CEO of Loyalty NZ, said: ‘The loyalty programme landscape has changed and continues to change rapidly, with businesses now having greater access to the technology and capabilities that allow them to create their own highly tailored loyalty programmes.
‘We wanted to give our members as much notice as possible so they had plenty of time to redeem their points, even during the busy Christmas period.
Flybuys New Zealand has announced a surprise closure of the popular rewards programme after almost 30 years
Shoppers have expressed their dismay online.
“I was so close to my new vacuum cleaner,” one lamented.
“I have used this program many times. It has allowed me to “shop” for family gifts, many kitchen appliances, and has helped me gift my friends something they wanted but would hate to spend money on,” said another.