ACA: Have Your Say

Loyalty cards

 20/08/2009 3:38:00 PM, Josephine Asher Prev Next

We love reward cards — at least 82 percent of us, according to new research. The problem is we're being bombarded with them — it's estimated there are now around 200,000 loyalty programs in Australia.

Last week we introduced you to Justin Barrie and Dan Bisa who launched the website www.perkler.com — a site that shows you what card or points you need for the product you're looking for.

Watch the video

What's your favourite loyalty card? Have you had a bad experience? Tell us your thoughts and we will post it online.

Justin and Dan’s site can also tell you where you can shop to benefit from your reward points, a discount or a free offer and which programs you should join based on your interests or where you live.

Well the concept turned out to be just what many of you were waiting for. Last week's show sparked a mammoth following of 300,000 users to the site.

Unfortunately, the website couldn't handle the load so some of you couldn't access Perkler.

"The server couldn't handle it so it went down and unfortunately a lot of people couldn't get onto the site as we hoped," Dan says.

But he insists it now has even more features to help make the most out of your points.

"There are a lot of benefits out there that you're not aware of. There really is no reason to pay full price," Dan says.

Here are the favourite loyalty programs according to www.perkler.com:

Retail

  • 3rd place: Myer One Store Card
    Free to join, easy to use and great member specials.

  • 2nd place: Woolworths Everyday Rewards
    Individually tailored benefits that tie in to Qantas Frequent Flyers and it gets rid of those paper petrol vouchers.

  • Winner: David Jones American Express card
    Fantastic earn rate at DJs and a one off $100 voucher the first time you use the voucher outside the store.

    Airlines and hotels

  • 3rd place: Accor Advantage Plus
    First night free when you join and up to 50% off dining in their participating restaurants.

  • 2nd place: Virgin Velocity
    It's growing all the time has a great range of benefits you can earn points on.

  • Winner: Qantas Frequent Flyer
    Very popular with Perkler.com members and over 1200 products and experiences to pick from.

    Food and drink

  • 3rd place: Krispy Kreme
    Free coffee and donuts the more you buy.

  • 2rd place: ANZ eDine
    $35 dollars to join but gives you discounts at over 2,500 restaurants around Australia.

  • Winner: Flybuys
    The largest program out there, fantastic benefits in the food and wine category.

    What's your favourite loyalty card? Or have you had a bad experience? Tell us your thoughts and we will post it online.

    • User comments
    I thing that the Amcal rewards card is great. I always have a nice amount to spend on something special when I need it.
    I agree that loyalty programs save you money. But you'r clutching 5-10 cards. I get more from using sites like www.GrabADiscount.com.au - an online discount voucher directory.and I print coupons as i need them.
    My favourite is the entertainment book & gold card, I use it all the time and get way more than my monies worth for it! The only other reward program that I find that I get good stuff from is Flybuys which is linked to my credit card, because I pay bills with my cc I rack up enough points to get a free gift from FB every now and then.
    Accor do not deserve to rak as a hotle card. when you try to collect a free room very few are available. When you find one they send you a confriming email telling you you must bring this special number to the hotel to claim your free night. So you do. The they say we do not need that. You were supposed to bring that little plastic card we sold you 11 months ago....silly duffer! So now you have no free night, but just to rub it in, we got your credit card details off you before we denied you the free night, so we are going to charge you! When i showed them the emailed instructions to bring the booking number made no mention of bringing their plastic card........customer responsive gurus that they are....said I must have editied the email! great loylaty program.
    I really love my priceline card, every quarter you get a voucher that you can use for buying more stuff. The prices and range at their store is the best!
    I love my Franklins card, it's a dollar for point scheme, no minimum spend, free to join & every week there's stuff that can give you heaps of bonus points to get you to the minimum amount quicker. Not wierd stuff either that I normally wouldn't buy, buying a box of tissues or toilet paper has got me the same amount of points as spending $50 or $100 would. I make sure I buy stuff on sale too & then I get the extra discount on my groceries with the card when I get to the minimum points required. My groceries cost about $150+ a week, I'd get around $100 a year discount on my groceries on top of the savings on sale stuff. I save them up & use them to buy extra groceries at Christmas, so do the rest of my family.
    I work for woolworths and can honestly say their everday rewards cards is a brilliant way to rip off loyal customers. Just a hint people. You can't argue with something written on paper. If your card doesn't get scanned properly your discount petrol voucher wont go on it and there is nothing I can do about it when you come to buy your petrol. Stick to your paper dockets!!!
    Instead of all the extra effort and cost retailers pour into these scams how about wiping the whole sham and REDUCING the prices so as to make them MORE AFFORDABLE. We may then be able to avail ourselves more often than we cant at the moment. Capitalism has let the thieving genie out of the bottle. Toss ALL the glossy,crooning WASTEFUL advertising rackets from TV,radio and print which we all pay dearly for and reduce the prices so we CAN ACTUALLY PAY for the products and services that we NEED without having to use our thieving interest rate must have credit cards. The first major company that hires a LOCAL CEO on a MODEST salary in line with the bulk of Australians incomes and banishes these crook loyalty scams will have to hire MORE STAFF to handle the rush of shell game shocked customers flooding his enterprise
    I find this Amcal card great--costs nothing--and you get points every time you spend--except on prescriptions--doesn't take long to have an amount to use on your card saves me a heap.
    i really dont like electronic rewards cards - its just a way for companies to get peoples purchasing information and make out as though they are giving consumers something good, when in reality the compaines are cashing in big time AND getting all of your purchasing info + demographics to boot!

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