15-04-2025
Woolworths customer's checkout dispute reveals little-known Everyday Rewards card rule
An unexpected dispute at a Woolworths checkout has revealed a little-known rule about using Everyday Rewards membership cards – and it's very likely you may have done the wrong thing as well.
Caterina Tan told Yahoo News she was buying some groceries at Perth's Murray Street store and called over a worker for assistance when she was having difficulty scanning her partner's Rewards card. But things then escalated with the supermarket worker allegedly accusing her of identity theft for using her partner's card.
"When I said it was my boyfriend's card she went on a big rant about how I'm not allowed to use his card... She said that I was committing fraud by using another person's card and I'm supposed to use my own Rewards card," Caterina told Yahoo News. "She wanted to report me to the police."
As a tourist visiting her partner in Australia, Caterina was confused by the accusation and admitted she was apologetic, but confirmed her partner had given her permission to use his card.
Rather than his actual card, she was trying to scan a screenshot of the card sent to her phone.
"I was confused and called my boyfriend but he said it's ok," she said, adding that her boyfriend pointed out over the phone he has used other family member's Rewards cards in the past.
After a continued confrontation, the worker eventually helped Caterina apply the Rewards card to her shop and she paid before swiftly leaving the store. The incident happened last June and it's only now Caterina feels comfortable sharing her story, admitting she is "still upset about what happened".
"I felt she was picking on me," she said.
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Woolworths confirmed to Yahoo News that it is not permitted for shoppers to use other people's everyday rewards cards, regardless if the other person is their partner, family or friend.
"Everyday Reward cards should only be scanned by the individual member making the transaction," a Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo News.
The terms and conditions of the membership scheme details that members should only have one card per person, and shoppers can gift their points to other members if desired.
The Rewards scheme is an immense data harvesting operation by the supermarket giant. The program collects huge amounts of customer data to track shopping habits and even personalise sales. The information Woolworths gathers are the checkout is linked to shopper profiles and used to inform other targeting and marketing efforts.
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