Pick n Pay's new R99 Smart Shopper Pro: what you get and when it pays

Pick n Pay has launched Smart Shopper Pro, a paid tier of its Smart Shopper loyalty programme that costs R99 a month. It gives you unlimited free asap! deliveries on orders over R350, an extra 10% off one in-store shop (up to R200) and bonus points on fresh food and BP fuel (Newsday, MyBroadband).

The R99 price is a launch special. Pick n Pay's marketing material says it will go up to R149 a month, MyBroadband reported. No date for the increase has been given.

What do you get with Smart Shopper Pro?

Sources: Newsday, MyBroadband.

Ten Smart Shopper points are worth 10 cents, so the fuel benefit adds an extra 10c a litre. On a 50 litre fill-up that is R5 more in points (MyBroadband).

The free-to-join Live Well Club, which gives triple points and cash-off vouchers on selected healthier items, stacks with Pro. Where the two overlap you earn six times the normal points, Pick n Pay's Vince Viviers told Newsday.

When does the R99 pay for itself?

Pick n Pay's own example is a household that orders groceries online once a week. Viviers said four deliveries a month would cost R148 in delivery fees, which is more than the R99 subscription before counting the in-store discount or extra points (Newsday). That works out to about R37 a delivery, so three deliveries a month already cost more than R99.

The sums change at R149. Four deliveries at about R37 each come to R148, roughly the same as the full price, so you would need the in-store discount or points to come out ahead. The full 10% discount of R200 only kicks in on a shop of R2,000 or more.

If you rarely order online, the free delivery is worth nothing to you, and the value depends on how much fresh food and BP fuel you buy.

How does it compare with Checkers Xtra Savings Plus?

Checkers has run Xtra Savings Plus since 2023, also at R99 a month. The core benefits are almost identical (Checkers, Shoprite).

Sources: Newsday, MyBroadband, Xtra Savings Plus terms and conditions, Shoprite.

Checkers' terms say its R99 is also a promotional fee and that it can change prices, with notice of a change given within 60 days of it taking effect (Xtra Savings Plus terms). Its benefits run on a 30-day rolling period and unused ones don't carry over.

What should you check before you sign up?

The launch reports don't say when the R149 price starts or how much notice members will get. Read Pick n Pay's Smart Shopper Pro terms for the price change and cancellation rules before you subscribe.