Rewe and Payback will go their separate ways from the end of 2024. The supermarket giant confirmed at the end of January that the contracts between the two companies will expire at the end of 2024. In the last quarter of 2024, millions of points accumulators will have to adapt. From January 1, 2025 at the latest, recovery points will no longer be important in Rewe.
Rewe has been cooperating with the widespread points collection system since 2014 and in 2018 the discount store Penny, which is part of the Rewe Group, joined. Since then, almost four million Payback accounts have been opened with Rewe and Penny. In total there are almost 31 million Payback cards in circulation.
Instead, Rewe is focusing on creating its own customer loyalty program. And apparently it already has a name. According to information from FOCUS online, the new loyalty program will be called “Rewe Bonus”. The first hints of this can also be found in the current Rewe app. In the future, customers will be able to store their “Rewe Bonus” data here. However, the field has not yet been activated. Now the group has also secured the corresponding trademark rights for “Rewe Bonus”. As follows from an extract from the current register of the German Patent and Trademark Office.
Rewe bonus program customers have the option of maintaining a personal credit account where they can accumulate bonus points for their purchases. Both the name and concept of the program are currently under examination at the patent office.
Rewe also launches its own payment system
According to information from FOCUS online, Rewe is also planning its own payment system. Discounter Lidl should be the model. The “Rewe Pay” payment feature was originally supposed to start in the first half of the year. Several experts unanimously confirm this.
Rewe itself is still keeping the information to itself, but is planning a large-scale advertising campaign. With “Rewe Pay”, customers need to save their bank card in the Rewe app and can then pay conveniently using the QR code at the checkout.
What happens to my Payback points at the end of the year?
Point collectors can accumulate and redeem points in Rewe and Penny until the end of the year. The depreciation terminals will initially be dismantled at the end of the year. Afterwards, the points you have accumulated will remain valid, but they can no longer be redeemed at Rewe and Penny. In the fourth quarter of the year, Rewe will increasingly promote its own app, highlights Markus Schubert, freelance trade and marketing expert. And also: “Instead of 'Do you have a Payback card?' Employees could then ask, “Do you have the Rewe app?”
Edeka joins Payback: that changes
Edeka, Germany's largest food retailer, will join the Payback customer loyalty program from March 2025. The retail giant thus fills the gap left by Rewe with the announced exit from the customer loyalty program at the end 2024. According to a source, the first depreciation machines will appear in branches as early as the first quarter of 2025.
Currently, the Edeka group remains a partner of Deutschlandcard. This collaboration will continue until the end of February 2025. Until then, all functions and services of the Deutschlandcard will be fully supported, highlights Netto Maken-Discount on the employee intranet.
The Deutschland Card can be used at Netto Marken-Discount, Edeka and Marktkauf until February 28, 2025. After that, points and offers do not expire and can only be used with the remaining partners, e.g. Esso, Klingel, Lieferando or Otto.