UPDATE: Kroger Fuel Rewards
UPDATE from LMKIA: We have received word from Kroger that the Kroger gift cards are not included in the program. The original email we had from them about the program only said “Gift Card purchases earn double points” and we made an assumption that included Kroger cards as well. I apologize that I made such a huge error! I should have double checked the information against the Kroger website. I’m sorry!
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We broke the news two weeks ago… Kroger has changed the Fuel Rewards Program!!!
Now, its EVEN BETTER! If you spend $200, you’ll save .20 at the pump. It accumulates to save you more! Spend $300 and you’ll save .30! No more unused or expired rewards–you can now use them all at once to save even more money! And if you have the Kroger Mastercard, you’ll save an extra .05 just like you do now!
This is very good news. I’ve got rewards that go unused every month–no more!
Also remember that Kroger’s have Gift Cards available for a lot of local restaurants and stores that you shop at everyday!!! Stop buy Kroger’s before you head to that restaurant or store and get a gift card and save even more at the pump.
Doing a happy dance here….I love saving money on things I’m already doing!
I’m really confused about this deal at Kroger and also Biggs. I get the way you earn the discounts, but I’m confused about how you use them.
Is the discount only good one time? up to 20 gals? all month?
I want to get the most for my money.
Sharon´s last blog ..COUPON INSERT PREVIEW (10/11/09)
I think they do expire in one month from your purchases. It says it on the bottom of your recipt.
I really don’t like the new Kroger revamp of the fuel reward system. A family with multiple drivers does not get to share in the savings…we have 5 drivers in our family and it’s going to be a race to the pump at the first of the month to see who gets to use the savings…instead of each one of us saving each time we visit the fuel center. I was also going to purchase Kroger gift cards and use them to purchase groceries…then I found this on the Kroger website that squashed that idea. “Do Gift Card purchases count toward Points?
Yes, with the exception of Kroger Gift Cards, Green Dot cards, MoneyPaks, and Western Union prepaid cards. All remaining Gift Card purchases count toward your Points. In fact, for every $50 you purchase in Gift Cards, you’ll receive DOUBLE Points (100 Points). Normal exclusions apply.” I was listening to Q102 this morning when you said that Kroger gift card purchases would get you points toward fuel discounts…but I’m not sure that is true according to the statement above. Then there was another statement on the website that confused me too. “What happens if the current month’s unredeemed Points total is larger than the previous month’s unredeemed Points total? Customers will always receive the highest discount available. For example, if you have 200 unredeemed Points in January, and 300 unredeemed Points in February, the 30¢ per gallon discount will be offered first (the greater of the two). Once you use this discount, the 20¢ per gallon discount will be offered next, as long as it is used before the end of February.” It sounds like this statement is saying you might use current month points and/or previous month’s points. Please help! Too many questions about the new program!
Hmmm, I see that on their website but I know that I was told you could use the Kroger gift cards for points. Let me check with my contact at kroger about that and the other question to find out the correct answers.
GREAT idea about buying the Kroger gift card to buy your groc – didn’t realize THEIR OWN gift card would count!!
Like Amy, also saw an expiration date on my receipt, which surprised me since I keep hearing they don’t expire. On mine, it appears the ones I had earned prior to the change will expire 10/31, but the ones earned in Oct. don’t expire until 11/30, so it appears they are giving an extra month now? Still, for me and all those who were using all their fuel rewards, there is no actual extra savings, but is better if you weren’t using them all. (Ex.my daughter used mine if I had “extra” that month -Sorry my dear daughter, all the gas savings go to me now!) If weren’t using them all, this is GREAT!
It will be easier to keep track of, but on the other hand if you let expire and you had been “saving” them, bigger loss. I do love Kroger, but found the “hype” about this disappointing for me, especially when they DO still expire. My Kroger gas prices are usually one of lowest, so still will use, just hope the confusion about this is cleared up so people don’t “lose” these after keeping.
It “sounds” better, but .10/gal 3 times is the same as .30/gal once!
I’m glad for those who had too many to use, they WILL benefit!
Kathy, as far as I know its always been a 30 day expiration. The points you earned in September were good till the end of October, the ones earned in October good until the end of November, and so on. My receipts have always had a ‘points left to use in X month’ on them. LOL, I haven’t been since the mega sale in July, so I only had 29 points last month!
I didn’t know about the change and I thought I was getting a steal the first time I got $1 off a gallon…thought the pump was messed up!
I guess the new program is good for those who weren’t using all of their points, but I’m actually losing money. My family used our Kroger mastercard everytime we went to the pump to get .15 off instead of .10. So, if we had 300 points to use, we would have gotten a total of .45 cents off (.15 on each of our three trips). Now, the first person to the pump gets .30 off plus an additional .05 for using the Kroger mastercard – a total of only .35 off. Therefore, we lose .10 per gallon of gas. The only way to have the same savings as before is to buy our groceries in $100 increments and go immediately go to the pump. Not practical. I’m sure the change in this program will be better for some and worse for others. There is no way to always make everyone happy.
LMKIA,You’re right,they have always had a 30 day expir – I knew that! Don’t know what I was thinking, or NOT thinking!! SORRY and Thanks!
I think I now know what may be confusing people. The “hype” about the changes says something about no more expired points, which I (and others) took to mean the points would not expire AT ALL, when what was apparently meant was you can now USE them before they expire by taking more than .10 off per gal at once. Language gets us sometimes. Thanks again.
BTW- I appreciate your quick correction about Kroger gift cards and gas rewards. It was an HONEST error in an attempt to help increase savings. Just saw a post on a blog from another area that really made me appreciate your integrity even more! He was suggesting a way to save at their Kroger that was totally dishonest, and even when I made a comment indicating I felt it was outrageous, he defended it with a “they could prevent it if they wanted” attitude. I do try to save, and love suggestions such as on your blog, which are totally LEGITIMATE and not questionable ethics. Thanks again!!
This is pretty cool! I saved 80 cents per gallon and the fuel light was on so I got 21 gallons at 80 cents off!! My daughter has a prepaid cell so we make sure to buy her Virgin Mobile Top UP Cards at Kroger every month since that counts as a gift card purchase!
Q. Will I get my points on Kroger Banner Gift Card?
A. Yes, When it is spent.
Kroger Banner Gift Card Purchases are Excluded from Fuel Reward Points. However, Fuel Reward Points are applied at the time of Redemption. The Person who Redeems the Kroger Banner Gift Card receives The Fuel Reward Points. This eliminates earning points twice on the same purchase.
I’m still confused as to where I redeem the Kroger Fuel rewards? Do some Krogers have gas stations on premise? Where can I use them? And I don’t see anywhere on their website where it tells me!
Steph they’re used at Kroger gas stations, which are typically located outside area Kroger stores. Not all stores have them, but there are several in the region. For example, here in NKY we have one in Hebron, one in Union, one in Latonia, Walton and one in Cold Springs (I think.) And one in Newport.