New Z Rewards unlocks points, perks and free treats instantly.
If we wanted a genuine Kiwi to tell us how good the new Z Rewards loyalty programme is, we couldn’t have found anyone better than the tradie who gets an energy drink at Z Cromwell every morning.
Manager Becs Eady says customers are loving the new app-based programme, which launched in mid-March and is open to everyone – whether they’ve come from the old card-based programme, upgraded to the app, or signed up fresh.
“They still get a discount at the pump, which they love, but the real bonus is in the change to the points system,” says Eady.
From tradies in Cromwell to commuters in Christchurch and families on the school run in Auckland, the new Z Rewards system is a modern, app-based loyalty programme for all Kiwis. It’s more than a fuel discount programme – it rewards customers with points for almost all their spend at Z, from fuel to food and coffee through to EV charging.
“It’s really charged up our regular customers,” Eady says. “We have a whole bunch of tradies in Cromwell, so every morning we have the tradie rush: lots of pies, coffee and energy drinks. Now when they’re purchasing those, they’re earning points and once they have enough points, they’ll be able to choose a free treat.
Eady says one of her customers gets energy drinks from Z most days and now gets two points for every $1 he spends on those, then he can exchange those points for treats once he reaches 500 points. “People love that it’s not just like those old-school coffee cards or a petrol discount.”
Customers appreciate that it’s an app, she says. “Everything’s on our phones now, so when people come in and pay with their phones, they’ve got the app right there. They don’t have to worry about ‘my wallet’s in the car’ or ‘I’ve lost that card you gave me last week.’
“It’s all in one space and it’s really easy to use. Before you had to go through a couple of screens to get to the barcode, whereas now the barcode is right at the front.
“Our customers will tell you that they like the flexibility. They don’t get rewarded with things they don’t want. They can pick their own rewards – for now it’s the pie, sausage roll, coffees and petrol discounts – and there’s more to come, which will be exciting.”
Andy Baird, Z’s general manager customer, says Z Rewards is a way for the company to thank customers for their loyalty and to give something back beyond just a fuel discount.
“The Z Rewards programme encompasses almost everything that we sell at a retail location, so it’s offering more value to our customers and acknowledging we have a broad customer base. Many of them come to us daily or weekly, and it’s making sure that we’re able to identify those people and reward them as best we can.”
Baird says the first decision was to do away with cards. “Cards are quite expensive and people lose them all the time. Now, when a customer pulls up to the pump or an EV charger, they can pull up their app, they know exactly what deal they’re going to get for the day, they can see how many points they’ve got and how close they are to getting a treat.
“It’s quite intuitive – making sure you’re connected to what’s going on and you know what deals are happening. You don’t have to think about it: you just scan and it’s going to give you the best deal.”After making the experience as simple as possible, Z’s second priority was to be generous. “We had to make sure that we are genuinely giving back and we think customers will see that as they can quickly get their points and get their treats.”
And its third consideration will earn a hearty thank you from anyone who’s opened a bulging inbox. “We are committed to serving you value when you need it, and no more. So we will not be bombarding you with an email every day trying to get you to buy something.”
How it works
- Z Rewards customers get two points for almost every $1 spent on convenience retail purchases (exclusions apply*), pre-order and EV charging. Z Rewards customers get one point for every $1 spent on fuel. Buying five barista made drinks earns 500 bonus points – enough for a treat
- Treats currently include any size barista-made drink (excluding frappes and smoothies), a pie or sausage roll (including gourmet and vegetarian/vegan options) or a 500ml V can of any flavour
- Z Rewards customers will also receive a minimum 6c/litre everyday fuel discount on up to 100 litres of fuel per transaction
- There will soon also be other options for customers to spend their points on
* Customers cannot earn points or use vouchers on the following excluded items:
- Tobacco products & accessories
- All vaping products & accessories
- All gambling related products i.e. Lotto
- Gift cards or vouchers
- All mobile, international dialling and Spark Paysafe prepaid cards
- Trailer Hire deposit (Trailer hire is included).