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PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club Review

Get a bonus of up to 6.50% on money contributed to the club, and year-round access to the balance if you need it
Savvy customers can get $17 free in one day by contributing $500 to their club account

Updated 23 January 2024

PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club Summary

How it works: PAK'nSAVE customers join the club for free and make contributions; for every $5 contributed you earns a Christmas 'bonus' which can range from 17 to 32 cents, depending on when in the year you deposit the money. Those cents may not sound like much, but they quickly add up.
Bonus value as a percentage of money contributed: From 3.50% to 6.50%; the earlier you contribute, the higher the bonus
Payout limit: None (each card can store a maximum of $2,000; customers with balances above this will be issued an additional card)
Cut-off date for contributions: 30 November; bonuses appear on 1 December for money paid in until 30 November

Our View:

PAK'nSAVE offers some of New Zealand's cheapest grocery prices and loyal customers will appreciate bonuses of up to 6.50% on contributed balances. Add in the freedom to spend the money on whatever they want, the club rewards those who make regular savings.
Earning up to 6.50% on money deposited with the club beats any bank or term deposit - the best way to maximise bonuses is to deposit money in November and use it December. A $500 contribution would turn into a $517 balance.
The card is not tied to one store - you can use the balance at any PAK'nSAVE anywhere in New Zealand.
We like the freedom of being able to use the money at any time of the year, with no restriction on what items you can buy.
But we don't like the 24 month no-use expiry date of money contributed and have raised this with the retailer.

Table - Total Balances Available at Christmas based on $5 Contributions

Period of deposit	Christmas Balance Total for every $5 deposited	% Bonus
1st December to 29th February	$5.33	6.50%
1st March to 31st May	$5.28	5.50%
1st June to 31st August	$5.23	4.50%
1st September to 30th November	$5.18	3.50%

How to participate in the PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club?

Sign up at a PAK'nSAVE store and get your card
Register the card online
Deposit money into the club at the till when shopping or online with internet banking

What to watch out for:

You can only use it at PAK'nSAVE stores, but there is no restriction on what you can purchase in store.
If your card is lost or stolen, unless your card is registered, you'll lose your balance, so registration is 100% recommended.
Use the card at least once every 24 months otherwise the card will be deactivated and the balance will become the property of PAK'nSAVE.
If items you want to buy are cheaper at another supermarket, you won't be able to use club balance and will either have to pay cash at the other supermarket or accept you will pay more at PAK'nSAVE and use your club balance.

7 Need to Knows About the PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club

Register your card to protect what you save and make your account management easier

If you lose your card or it gets stolen, PAK'nSAVE won't give you back your money. Registering takes all of two minutes and gives you full access to the balances and lets you top up your account with direct debit or automatic payment.

Your funds are safe even if PAK'nSAVE goes bankrupt

Usually, when a retailer goes bankrupt, people with gift cards or vouchers find themselves. However, PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club Funds are held in a secure account by Foodstuffs Christmas Club Limited. This means that your money is held on trust and everyone who contributed has a right to their money should the retailer fail.

You won't see the bonuses until the end of the "Christmas Club year"

The PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club Year runs from "1 December of the first year to 30 November of the following year". This means that any money added to your Christmas Club Card during this period is eligible for bonuses, but you won't see it until the end of the Christmas Club Year - i.e. from 1 December.

You CAN use your Christmas Club money BEFORE and AFTER Christmas

Your funds are not locked up until Christmas - you can use them for goods at PAK'nSAVE any time of the year. The only drawback is you won't receive the Christmas bonus on the amount(s) used.

If you don't spend all of your Christmas Club money, any leftover funds and bonus added to your card can be used to purchase goods at any time in the following year. You won't receive any further bonuses on that money, and you need to use the card at least once every two years to avoid it be deactivated. See Tip 7 below.

Example:
If you put in $500 in March, the total balance on the Christmas Club card will be $527 but you won't be see the $27 bonus on the balance before the 1st of December. If you spend $100 of the $500 balance before December the 1st, you will only receive the bonus on the remaining $400 (which calculates to be just over $22).

Once you've deposited money into the PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club, you can't withdraw it as cash

Christmas Club Cards are not a credit or charge card and cannot be exchanged for cash. So, once you've decided to join the club, all money must be redeemed at PAK'nSAVE. There is no exception to this rule.

You can use an alternative payment method to part-pay if you don't have a sufficient Christmas Club balance

If you have insufficient funds on your card to complete a purchase, a docket showing your current balance will print out at the checkout. You can then use those remaining funds and make up the difference with another payment type to pay for your purchases.

Your card stays the same year after year, but you need to keep it active

Your Christmas Club card stays the same year on year, but you need to use it at least once every 24 months. Otherwise, your card will be deactivated and all money not used becomes the property of Foodstuffs Christmas Club Ltd, the company that runs the PAK'nSAVE Christmas Club.