Two loyalty programs dominate Australian supermarket shopping, and for travellers over 50 the choice between them is less a rivalry than a practical pairing. Flybuys sits inside the Coles ecosystem and feeds into Velocity; Everyday Rewards sits inside the Woolworths ecosystem and feeds into Qantas. Understanding the differences — earn rates, redemption options, airline partnerships and the fine print — helps you get genuine value rather than a drawer full of points you never use.
Why This Question Matters More After 50
For many Australian households in their 50s, 60s and 70s, the weekly supermarket shop is one of the most consistent and significant recurring expenses. Groceries, wine, petrol, pharmacy items — it adds up. Over a year, a household spending a typical amount across Coles and Woolworths can accumulate a meaningful number of loyalty points, provided those points are actually redeemed rather than quietly expiring.
The travel angle is real. Both Flybuys and Everyday Rewards allow members to convert points into frequent flyer miles — Flybuys into Velocity, Everyday Rewards into Qantas Points. For a couple planning a long-haul flight to Greece, say, or a domestic run up to Queensland, those conversions can take a genuine bite out of the cost. The question is which program, used how, delivers the better return for the way you actually shop.
This guide doesn't tell you where to spend your money — that's a personal financial decision, and Senior Travel Australia is a travel publisher, not a financial adviser. What it does is lay out the structural differences between the two programs, the travel-relevant perks, and the honest downsides that the programs' own marketing tends to gloss over.
How Do the Two Programs Earn Points?
Both programs follow the same basic model: you earn points on eligible purchases at the program's partner supermarket and a network of affiliated retailers, petrol stations and services. Flybuys is anchored to Coles supermarkets, Coles Express (now BP with Flybuys), Liquorland, First Choice Liquor and a range of other partners. Everyday Rewards is anchored to Woolworths, BWS, Big W and its own network of affiliated brands.
The headline earn rate for both programs is typically expressed as a number of points per dollar spent. At the time of writing, both programs commonly award points in the range of one point per dollar on standard grocery purchases, though this can vary by product, promotion and partner. Neither program publishes a single, static rate that applies universally — the actual value fluctuates with bonus offers. Always check the current earn rate on each program's official website before making decisions based on it.
Where things get interesting is the bonus-point structure. Both programs regularly run 'shop and earn' promotions on specific products — sometimes doubling or tripling the base rate on a given item. For households with flexible brand loyalty, buying into these promotions is where the real accumulation happens. The catch is that it requires attention: you need to activate offers via the app or website before shopping, not after.
What Can You Actually Redeem Points For?
Flybuys points can be redeemed for dollars off your Coles shop (the most common use), gift cards, experiences, or converted into Velocity frequent flyer points. The conversion to Velocity is the travel-relevant pathway — Velocity miles can be used for flights on Virgin Australia and partner airlines, upgrades, and hotel bookings. The conversion rate between Flybuys points and Velocity miles is published on the Flybuys website and has changed over the years, so treat any figure you've seen elsewhere as potentially outdated.
Everyday Rewards points convert to Woolworths dollars (redeemed at the checkout), or to Qantas Points at a rate that Everyday Rewards publishes on its site. Qantas Points are arguably Australia's most versatile frequent flyer currency — redeemable on Qantas and oneworld partner flights, hotels, car hire and more. For travellers already embedded in the Qantas ecosystem, this is a natural fit. For those who prefer Virgin Australia's network or pricing, Velocity via Flybuys may suit better.
Both programs also offer non-travel redemptions: gift cards, charity donations, and in Flybuys' case, direct dollar discounts at the register. For members who don't fly, these options provide a simpler, lower-friction way to extract value. The honest reality is that redemption for flights typically requires patience — accumulating enough points for a meaningful reward takes time, and the per-dollar return on grocery spending is modest. That's not a reason to avoid the programs; it's a reason to treat them as a slow, passive accumulation rather than a quick-win scheme.
The Airline Connection: Velocity or Qantas Points?
This is the fork in the road for travel-focused members. If you're already a Qantas Frequent Flyer member — and many Australians over 50 have been for decades — then Everyday Rewards' Qantas Points conversion is the tidier pipeline. Points land directly in your Qantas account, and you're working within a program you already understand.
If you fly Virgin Australia regularly, or if you've found better award availability or pricing on Velocity redemptions, then Flybuys' Velocity connection is the more useful path. Velocity has historically been regarded by frequent flyer enthusiasts as offering competitive redemption rates on partner airlines, though this is a nuanced area that changes with program updates. The dedicated Australian frequent flyer community at sites like AustralianFrequentFlyer.com.au (not affiliated with Senior Travel Australia) tracks these changes in detail and is worth consulting for current analysis.
One practical note for couples: if two people hold cards in the same household, some programs allow points pooling or family linking. Check the current terms on each program's site — the rules around this have varied. For a couple aiming to accumulate enough points for two seats on a long-haul flight, understanding whether points can be combined is genuinely important planning information.
Senior-Relevant Perks Beyond the Points
Neither Flybuys nor Everyday Rewards markets a dedicated 'senior tier' in the way that some transport concession cards do. What they do offer, relevant to older members, is a range of partner benefits that can add practical value. Both programs have pharmacy and health-related partners — though the specific partners and offers change, so checking the current partner list on each program's site is worthwhile.
Everyday Rewards has at various times offered members discounts or cashback on health insurance through Medibank (Woolworths' former parent company had ties to Medibank; the current relationship should be confirmed on the Everyday Rewards site). Flybuys has partnered with a range of financial and insurance products. These are worth scanning, particularly for members managing health insurance costs in retirement — a significant household expense for many over-50s.
Both programs have apps that are reasonably straightforward to use, though the experience of activating weekly specials and personalised offers does require a degree of digital comfort. For members who prefer not to use a smartphone, in-store card scanning still works for basic point earning at the register. Activating bonus offers without the app is harder, and you may miss some of the best accumulation opportunities — worth knowing before you dismiss the digital tools entirely.
The Honest Downside
Here it is, plainly: the return on everyday grocery spending, converted to frequent flyer points, is low. Without running precise figures — which would require stating exact earn and conversion rates that change regularly — the broad truth is that accumulating enough points for a long-haul reward flight from grocery shopping alone takes years for most households. The programs are best understood as a passive bonus on spending you'd make anyway, not as a travel savings strategy in their own right.
Points also have an expiry risk. Both programs have policies around point expiry if accounts are inactive — the specific rules are on each program's site and have changed before. Members who go through periods of not shopping at the relevant chain (say, during extended travel, or a health episode that changes routines) should check whether their points are at risk. Setting a calendar reminder to make a small qualifying purchase every few months is an unglamorous but practical safeguard.
Finally, the temptation to shop at a particular store primarily to earn points — rather than because the price is right — is a trap worth naming. Both programs run genuine specials, but both also have products at full price that are cheaper elsewhere. Shop the specials first, earn the points as a byproduct. That order of priority matters.
The Practical Verdict: Should You Hold Both?
For most Australian households over 50, the answer is yes — hold both cards. There's no fee for either, the incremental effort of carrying two cards (or two apps) is minimal, and most households shop at both Coles and Woolworths at least occasionally. Holding both means you're earning on every shop rather than leaving points on the table at the 'wrong' supermarket.
The more considered question is where you direct your primary spend and which airline ecosystem you want to feed. If your travel plans involve Qantas or oneworld partners — and for a traveller planning routes back to Greece or Europe, Qantas and its oneworld partners are a natural fit — then prioritising Everyday Rewards accumulation and Qantas Points conversion makes structural sense. If you're a domestic traveller who prefers Virgin Australia, or if you find Velocity award availability better for your routes, tilt toward Flybuys as your primary program.
This is general information to help frame your thinking, not financial advice. The specific earn rates, conversion ratios and partner offers that apply when you read this may differ from anything cited elsewhere. Before making any decision about how to use these programs — particularly around large point conversions or paid program tiers — check the current terms on each program's official website. Senior Travel Australia receives no commissions or referral fees from Flybuys, Everyday Rewards, Velocity, Qantas Frequent Flyer or any affiliated program.
Key takeaways
- Holding both Flybuys and Everyday Rewards costs nothing and captures points at whichever supermarket you shop at on any given week.
- Flybuys converts to Velocity frequent flyer miles; Everyday Rewards converts to Qantas Points — your existing airline loyalty should guide which you prioritise.
- The return on grocery spending converted to flight points is modest; treat it as a passive bonus, not a primary travel savings strategy.
- Bonus-point promotions on specific products are where the real accumulation happens — activate them via the app before you shop, not after.
- Points expiry policies exist on both programs; an inactive account can lose its balance, so check the current rules and keep accounts ticking over.
- Shop specials first and earn points as a byproduct — never let point-earning drive you toward a more expensive purchase.
Recommended partners and links
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Frequently asked questions
Can you hold both Flybuys and Everyday Rewards at the same time?
Yes. Both programs are free to join and there's no rule preventing membership in both simultaneously. Most Australian households shop at Coles and Woolworths at different times, so holding both cards means earning points at every shop rather than missing out at one chain.
Do Flybuys points expire?
Flybuys does have a points expiry policy for inactive accounts. The specific terms — including what counts as qualifying activity and how long the inactivity window is — are published on the Flybuys website and have changed over time. Check the current policy at flybuys.com.au before assuming your balance is safe.
Which program is better for converting points to flights?
It depends on which airline you use. Flybuys converts to Velocity frequent flyer miles, useful for Virgin Australia and partner flights. Everyday Rewards converts to Qantas Points, useful for Qantas and oneworld partner flights. If you already have an established frequent flyer account with one airline, the matching program is the more efficient choice.
Is there a senior discount or special tier in either program?
Neither Flybuys nor Everyday Rewards currently offers a dedicated senior membership tier in the way that transport concession cards do. Both programs have partner offers that may be relevant to older members — including health and pharmacy partners — but these change regularly. Check the current partner list on each program's official website.
Does Senior Travel Australia recommend one program over the other?
Senior Travel Australia doesn't make specific financial recommendations, and receives no commissions from either program. The general guidance is that most households benefit from holding both, with the primary airline loyalty preference — Qantas or Velocity — being the main factor in deciding which program to prioritise for point conversions.
