Are you tired of watching your hard-earned money disappear into the weekly grocery shop with nothing to show for it? You’re not alone. But what if every trip to the supermarket was an opportunity to earn rewards and save money?
According to credit card rewards expert Gareth Boyd from CreditCardCompare.com.au, Australian mums are sitting on a goldmine of potential rewards — they just need to know how to unlock them.
“Many people don’t realise they can get more rewards by stacking in-store rewards with credit card rewards and buying through shopping portals,” Boyd says. “This strategy can potentially triple the benefits from everyday family shopping.”
With Australians holding over 13.5 million credit card accounts and making an average of 23.2 transactions per card each month, according to the RBA, the potential for maximising rewards is huge.
Here’s how he thinks you can make your weekly shop work harder for you.
1. Choose the Right Credit Card
The foundation of reward stacking is selecting a credit card that aligns with your spending habits.
“Look for a card that offers bonus points on grocery purchases,” Boyd advises. “Some cards offer a higher earn rate (the number of points per dollar) when used at supermarkets.”
Use a comparison website to compare the latest credit cards. Don’t just go with what your bank has. Look for cards with strong rewards for grocery spending or a one with a good earn rate and low annual fee. The lower the annual fee, the better since it offsets the potential benefits.
2. Link Your Card to Store Loyalty Programs
Once you have the right card, connect it to loyalty programs like Woolworths’ Everyday Rewards or Coles’ Flybuys.
“Linking your card with the supermarket’s program means you can earn points on both your credit card and the store’s program with every swipe,” Boyd explains.
3. Shop Strategically
Timing your shops to coincide with bonus point offers can significantly boost your rewards.
Keep an eye on your emails and the loyalty program apps for special promotions. For example, Woolworths often offers 10% off a monthly shop, while Coles regularly has bonus point events.
If You’re Not Shopping At a Supermarket…
For non-grocery shopping, there is a way to stack rewards too using shopping portals such as Qantas Shopping or the Velocity eStore.
Stacking points with these stores is simple and it’s the same procedure for both.
- Log in to your chosen shopping portal.
- Find the store you want to buy from.
- Click through to the store.
- Pay using your rewards card.
This means you’ll earn points from the shopping portal, points from your credit card, and potentially additional points or cashback from the retailer’s own loyalty program if they have one.
“It’s an extra step that can significantly boost your rewards,” Boyd explains. “For example, if you’re buying new clothes for the kids, you could earn Qantas points for clicking through their portal, credit card points for the purchase, and maybe even store loyalty points as well.”
Cashback websites such as Cashrewards and Kickback are an alternative to the airlines’ points-based shopping portals.
Whether it’s your weekly grocery shop or buying something for the family, avoid changing your spending habits just to earn more points.
“The key is to use these strategies on purchases you’d make anyway,” says Boyd. “It’s not about spending more, it’s about getting more value from your necessary expenses.”