Woolies rejects debit for credit and more credit
Woolworth's head of group financial services, Dhun Karai, said Woolies now had a full suite of cards to cater for customers of all segments and budgets.That full suite of cards does not include a debit card, but does include two credit cards, in-store gift cards, a MasterCard-branded gift card and a reloadable pre-paid MasterCard."We have a full suite of cards now for all customers but we won't stop innovating in cards," said Dhun Karai.Around 250,000 applications have been taken for the Woolworths Everyday Money MasterCard credit card in about two years since the launch of the HSBC-backed product, Karai said.But Karai and other executives would not confirm how many of those applications, mostly taken in malls by casual hawkers on commission, had been translated in actual cardholders.No doubt the Everyday Money credit card and the reloadable pre-paid Mastercard have a lot less cardholders than Woolworths and Commonwealth Bank had with Ezy Banking had in the early 2000's.That project developed traction with more than 400,000 cardholders, many in in the hard to move "under-banked" segment who are interested only in receiving their pay, getting their cash and doing their shopping.Normally rusted on to Commonwealth Bank itself, Woolies grabbed a large chunk of that segment in a few years. Woolworths and CBA then changed strategy and dumped Ezy Banking. The new strategy, in which Woolworths collaborates with HSBC, gives up no floor space, but will now collect premium card interchange fees with a platinum level card that rewards shopping with one Qantas frequent flyer point per one dollar spent, plus free membership of the frequent flyer program.The new Woolworths Qantas Everyday Rewards MasterCard credit card is targeted to customers with an annual income of more than $50,000 said Karai. She said that it is the most generous flights rewards card on the market.Woolworths is currently giving away 16,000 Qantas frequent flyer when the card is first used and double points on Christmas shopping trolleys of more than $230.