Countdown announces end to AA Smartfuel rewards

Shoppers at Countdown will no longer be able to earn reward points to get fuel discounts through the AA from early next year.

The supermarket chain has announced the end of its partnership with AA Smartfuel from 11.59pm on 31 January 2024 after partnering with the Australian-owned supermarket chain since 2016.

This means that the final date to earn and redeem AA Smartfuel discounts is 31 January 2024, and any AA Smartfuel discounts earned in the month of January 2024 will need to be redeemed by 31 January 2024.

Until then, AA Smartfuel continues as usual and you can keep using the AA Smartfuel programme as you do today at all participating retailers including BP, GAS and Countdown.

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Currently, Countdown’s Onecard members are offered a 3 cents per litre discount for every $100 spent in one week or 6 cents per litre for $200 spent which are redeemable at BP and Gas outlets.

Consumer NZ’s Jessica Walker said the group were not huge fans of loyalty schemes promising cheaper fuel.

“We think many of these schemes collect more data about the customer than the customer probably realises,” she said.

“It’s our opinion that this discounting distorts competition, and it can be hard to tell who genuinely has the cheapest fuel. The discounted price isn’t always the cheapest price available.”

Countdown director of loyalty Mark Wolfenden said, “Countdown’s partnership agreement with AA Smartfuel expires in early 2024 and we have advised them that we won’t be renewing the agreement.”

“Members will also be able to redeem every reward they have earned when the current programme ends,” Wolfenden said.

Countdown will be teaming up with BP directly to provide a new rewards programme, which will replace the OneCard scheme. 

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with edits and permission.