Flybuys has announced it's closing down after nearly three decades.
Loyalty New Zealand launched the longstanding loyalty programme in 1996.
Fast-forward to 2022, Flybuys had 2.9 million members across 80 percent of New Zealand households.
Loyalty NZ, the company that administers Flybuys, said the scheme rapidly took off in the 1990s.
"Back when Flybuys was born, coalition loyalty schemes were brand new, and flying anywhere for free was pretty much unheard of. The four founding partners of parent organisation Loyalty NZ – Z (then Shell), BNZ, State and Foodstuffs - started out with an attractive travel/rewards offering, launching Flybuys when they could ensure that the average family could earn enough points in a year for return flights from Auckland to Wellington," its website says.
"Flybuys proved to be an immediate hit with Kiwis. So much so that just two weeks after launch, 250,000 households had applied to sign up. In fact, the initial target to sign up 300,000 members in the first year was smashed in the first 89 days, and within five months one in three NZ households had signed up."
In a statement on Thursday, Lizzy Ryley, CEO of Loyalty NZ, said it has been "a privilege to be part of so many New Zealanders' lives".
"We're incredibly proud of what Flybuys has achieved over the past 28 years. It's been a privilege to help them save money and enjoy rewards from their favourite brands.
"The landscape for loyalty programmes has changed, and continues to change rapidly, with businesses now having greater access to technology and capabilities that enable them to create their own highly tailored proprietary loyalty programmes. The Flybuys model of a services and retailer alliance has run its course, so will close at the end of this year."
Members collect Flybuys when they shop with partner organisations, and can redeem points to spend on rewards - including savings on things like groceries at New World or fuel discounts from Z and Caltex.
Some current partners include BNZ, Noel Leeming, helloworld Travel, State, Petcover, and LiquorLand.
What it means for members
Flybuys members can continue to earn Flybuys until 11:59pm on October 31 and will have until 11:59pm on December 31, 2024 - when the programme officially closes - to redeem their points.
"We wanted to give our members as much notice as possible, so they have plenty of time to redeem their points, including over the busy Christmas period," Ryley added.
"Flybuys would like to thank the millions of New Zealanders who have embraced the programme. We are hugely grateful for the support we have received from Kiwis over the past 28 years."
Loyalty NZ will also transition to closure.
IAG New Zealand announced on Thursday it has agreed to acquire some of Loyalty NZ's assets and will be making offers of employment to approximately one-third of its staff.
For more information about the closure of Flybuys and how to redeem points, members can visit flybuys.co.nz or contact 0800 FLYBUYS (0800 359 2897).
