Woolworths apologises after 500,000 people mistakenly advised of $15 voucher

Thursday, 3 July 2025

Woolworths mistakenly sent out $15 voucher messages to around 500,000 people.

Woolworths has apologised after an email was mistakenly sent to around 500,000 members of the company’s Everyday Rewards programme, saying they had a $15 voucher to spend.

A spokesperson for Everyday Rewards NZ said the email was supposed to only go to the programme’s newest members who earned their first reward very recently, but human error meant it was sent much more widely.

“We have contacted all of the members we mistakenly emailed to apologise for the confusion. We are investigating how this happened and will undertake a full review.”

In the email to customers, the supermarket said they “made a mistake,” and apologised.

Minister Nicola Willis says $600k fines aren’t enough to stop supermarkets misleading shoppers at the checkout — and she’s looking at tens of millions in penalties to fix it.

“Your points balance and rewards on your account have not changed,” the email said.

The Everyday Rewards loyalty scheme launched in February last year, replacing the OneCard era.

The loyalty programme operates via a points system, where every $1 spent at Woolworths earns one Everyday Rewards point.

Members are rewarded with a $15 voucher each time they reach 2000 Everyday Rewards points.

Clarification: This story has been updated as the $15 reward mentioned in the final paragraph isn’t necessary aligned to spend. There are a number of days to gain Reward Points.