Massey University's marketing professor, Malcolm Wright, says for some people, these immediate discounts are better value than earning the occasional coffee-maker or DVD player through Fly Buys.
"New Zealanders are extremely motivated by petrol discounts. You get many people switching if there's a free glass or discount," he says.
But Wright said Smartfuel would be more desirable if it signed up a supermarket. Currently, those who shop at New World or have a BNZ home loan can earn a lot of Fly Buys points with minimal effort. Furthermore, most Smartfuel partners require a $50 or $100 spend before any points are earned.
AA spokesman Simon Lambourne says the Smartfuel team is working to sign up more businesses, especially major retailers.
Bottomline:
Smartfuel is great for people who want instant savings on petrol and are prepared to use businesses affiliated with the scheme. AA members get slightly better deals, too. Fly Buys suits those who shop at New World, have a BNZ bank loan or spend a lot of money on petrol and are happy to stick to Shell and Z stations.
DISCOUNTS NOW, PLEASE
Cecelia Tuuhetoka, 32, thinks rewards programmes can be more trouble than they are worth.
She says Fly Buys has never appealed and she doesn't keep coffee cards. She hadn't heard of the new AA Smartfuel scheme either and says it would take some compelling discounts for her to sign up.
The only loyalty scheme Tuuhetoka uses is Countdown's Onecard. She says that appeals because the focus is on instant discounts rather than collecting points.
Convenience influences her loyalty. She says she used to do her grocery and petrol shopping at Pak'n Save, but the hassle outweighed the price difference. "Onecard has some good discounts, but I go to Countdown because of the location. It's the closest."
