Why are Coles Flybuys and Gift Card systems so poor?

Flybuys and Coles gift cards are vastly inferior systems to Woolies.

A. Points not credited instantly

Whenever I qualify for a Woolies bonus it is on my account instantly. If I've been one of the spend X per week for 4 weeks and get $10 worth of bonus points, I've often, on the final week, paid for part of my groceries (enough to get me over the bonus threshold). Then paid for the rest of them with the bonus $10.

Coles takes at least 2 business days to add even the same day's points, let alone any bonus points and it often fails completely (they stuffed up the current 2,000 bonus points on Uber and other gift cards).

B. Balances incorrect

The FB points balance on my Coles receipt is never correct. It doesn't even show the amount I've just earned on the current shop. And the total "from last night" never matches my online total in the FlyBuys site or app.

C. Gift Cards #1

When I buy a Coles egift card I have to keep a PDF copy and keep a written update of how much value is left on it. On top of that there are all sorts of restrictions on where and how you can use them. Woolies egift cards can be stored and used in their excellent app which has balances updated in real time. I can use them in store or online at Dan Murphy, BigW, Caltex, BWS etc. The only thing missing is a QR code or similar for the egift to be read directly in their POS devices so I don't have to type it in. Coles checkout machines can actually read the barcode on their physical or egift cards though many of the staff are unaware of this.

D. Gift Cards #2

So far I've been able to use a Woolies egift card to buy other gift cards in store. Coles actively prevents this - you can't even use FB dollars to buy a gift card.

Related Stores

Coles
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Comments

  • -2

    So far I've been able to use a Woolies egift card to buy other gift cards in store. Coles actively prevents this - you can't even use FB dollars to buy a gift card.

    Coles are actually doing the right thing here…

    But to answer your question in general, I assume because they are using old tech/legacy systems…I mean they still call it "flybuys"!

  • Hang on, I purchased a gift card from Coles a few months ago where I got 1000 FF points, and it was credited pretty much a few hours after I purchased it

    • +1

      It runs on a batch and takes at least two days. Dunno what happened in your scenario.

      • Ha! Sounds like you worked as a Loyalty Pacific system operator.

        • I have dome "inside" info! But still no idea why they lag so far behind. Or if they plan to do anything about it.

        • @gadgetguy:
          I wish I could help you, but it's been a long time since I was involved in the system. This was back in the days of mailing welcome pack data to Salmat via magnetic tape reel.

  • Why are they so poor?

    Because they are just about gathering big data on their customers.

    • And ?

  • +9

    It is ridiculous you can buy a Coles E-Gift Card but cant use it online at Coles.

  • WOW points don't always credit instantly. I am currently on a spend $40 for 2 weeks offer where each week receives the points separately. I shopped on Tuesday and only received the base points. The bonus points posted on Wednesday.

  • +1

    The bonus points schemes for my FlyBuys (the shop XX amount every week for 4 weeks) always shows up on my receipt after I have spent the amount needing to spend and it tells me how many more weeks to go before I reach the bonus.

    The points system is about a day or 2 behind, but otherwise its accurate for me.

    In the last 6 months I've racked up around $500 flybuys dollars. I'm a single parent with 2 boys under 10, so I don;t spend that much. I tend to stick to buying things on special (other then the necessities)

    • "The points system is about a day or 2 behind, but otherwise its accurate for me."

      Yeah that's kind of my point - it takes a minimum of 2 days to update and to be accurate. I completed a 4 week Coles cycle on Monday - it confirmed on my receipt but still absolutely no mention on my Flybuys account or app.

      I completed a similar Woolies scheme and it updated my account and total while I was at the self checkout. The extra $10 was immediately available for me to spend - not 2 days of wondering whether it had worked or not.

      Flybuys also failed to activate a 3 x points offer for me for last week but its just too hard trying to deal with their customer service each time, only for them to tell you you it can take "up to 4 weeks" to be credited.

      • I've never had issues with offers I've activated and the points being credited to my account. Usually the bonus points are in my account the next day.

        Also, I'm probably not fussed about points taking a day or two to go into my account cos I'm the type to save up points until I have a few hundred

  • Hi there
    Just wondering if since this discussion started there has been any advance in how Coles E gift cards can be stored and used for ease? I use the Woolworths Money App for my Woolworths e gift cards which is so easy. Has anyone come across something similar to put Coles e gift cards on? Thanks

    • +1

      I now store mine on my phone in Samsung Pay under "Loyalty Cards".

      Its a fairly manual process and I update them (manually) with remaining balance after use. But they scan correctly and I don't have to carry the card around.

      There's no equivalent to the Woolies app AFAIK - Coles are way behind on eGift technology.

      • Thanks. Didn't know that you can store the e gift card under samsung pay.

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