Retailer Pick n Pay has expanded its partnership with FNB’s eBucks rewards programme as it battles for market share with rival Checkers and its market-leading Sixty60 on-demand shopping service.

The announcement follows a decision by Discovery, in August 2024, to change retail partners from Pick n Pay to rival Checkers, which is owned by Shoprite Holdings.

Pick n Pay has now got one back on Checkers by swiping First National Bank’s rewards customers from its competitor. However, Checkers has already moved to plug the gap and on Thursday announced it has signed a partnership agreement with FNB rival Standard Bank.

“FNB and Pick n Pay are proud to announce the expansion of their partnership to add more value for all FNB and RMB Private Bank customers,” FNB said in a statement.

“The full retail partnership with Pick n Pay with added reward benefits means that from 1 April, customers will no longer earn eBucks on their spend at Checkers stores, which was an earn rate of up to 15%.

“Instead, all customers will automatically earn rewards on their Pick n Pay spend, which comes at an increased earn rate and also includes their online spend as well as clothing [purchases].”

According to the statement, FNB’s retail and commercial customers will earn up to 30% of their spend back in eBucks when using Pick n Pay’s asap! on-demand delivery service, and up to 20% back on all items when shopping at Pick n Pay stores. This depends on the eBucks rewards level achieved by the customer.

Sixty60 vs asap!

FNB’s partnership with Pick n Pay kicked off in November 2024, but eBucks rewards were limited to FNB’s private bank clients. FNB customers using the Easy debit card could, however, buy up to four loaves of bread for less than R1 each month from Pick n Pay stores.

Also included in the pilot were Pick n Pay Clothing stores, where FNB Aspire clients could earn up to R150 back in eBucks while Premier, Private Clients, and Private Wealth members earned up to 20% back on purchases.

Despite online sales through asap! growing by 60% in six months to November 2024, Checkers Sixty60 remains the market leader in the grocery delivery business, but the partnership with FNB is set to bolster asap!’s value proposition.

“Beyond the generous eBucks rewards on offer, FNB and Pick n Pay are planning additional promotions designed to enhance savings opportunities even further,” said the statement. The companies did not elaborate.

In response to the FNB and Pick n Pay move, Shoprite has signed a new partnership deal with Standard Bank’s UCount Rewards programme, offering members up to 30% back in points in-store across Checkers and Shoprite stores and up to 40% back on Checkers Sixty60.

Read: Discovery Vitality ditches Pick n Pay for Checkers

In a statement on Thursday, Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht said the retailer does “not believe in reducing value to customers in these tough times”, adding that Standard Bank is offering “additional, clear value to [its] customers”. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media

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