Discovery Miles 101: how Vitality members can earn and spend them in 2020

From January 2020, Vitality members and Discovery Bank clients can earn Discovery Miles – the new rewards currency that will be widely accepted, easy to earn and spend for Vitality members, who have up to now earned Vitality Rewards Points.

Discovery has maximised value for its members with Discovery Miles – the one rewards currency members can earn for getting healthy, driving well and spending responsibly. Members will also earn Discovery Miles when they achieve their personalised health goals – such as health checks and mental wellbeing assessments that are specifically tailored to their unique health profiles.

Vitality CEO Dinesh Govender explains: “Vitality points – the points you need to earn to increase your Vitality status – are not going away. You will still earn Vitality points when you exercise, eat healthily and go for relevant health checks. You will continue to earn them annually towards your Vitality status, and they will continue to reset to zero at the beginning of each year.”

What’s new for 2020?

“Vitality Reward Points, which have previously been exclusively earned by playing the Vitality Active Rewards gameboard, have been enhanced in terms of the rewards currency. Members will now earn Discovery Miles. When you reach your health, drive or money goals on Vitality Active Rewards, your Discovery Miles can be spent on the things you love – like coffees, smoothies, gifts, gadgets, travel rewards and more,” says Govender.

Discovery Miles will give consumers more spending power than ever before because they can accumulate them across the various Discovery products.

“If you are a Discovery Bank client, you can spend them at a larger network of Discovery Miles-accepting partners. Unlike Vitality Reward Points which expire after a few weeks, Discovery Miles are valid for up to five years, so members can spend them at their own convenience,” says Govender.

He adds: “In addition, if you’re a Vitality Health or Discovery Insure client and have a Discovery Bank account, all the Discovery Miles you earn across these products will go into a single account – so you can accumulate them and use them on significant rewards. Discovery Bank clients can also exchange their Discovery Miles and even convert them to cash.”

Five ways to EARN Discovery Miles from mid-January 2020

1.Achieve Vitality Active Rewards goals

Members will earn hundreds of Discovery Miles each week by achieving their weekly exercise goal with Vitality Health, driving safely with Vitality Drive and spending responsibly with Vitality Money. They’ll also earn Discovery Miles when they achieve their personalised health goals, tailored to each member’s unique health profile.

2.Make healthier lifestyle choices

From early 2020, Vitality members with Discovery Bank products will earn up to 75% back in Discovery Miles when buying HealthyFood, instead of cashback. The same will apply to HealthyCare (up to 50% back) and HealthyGear (up to 50% back). The cashbacks for Vitality members who do not have a Discovery Bank product remain unchanged.

3.Use a Discovery Bank credit card

Discovery Bank members can already earn Discovery Miles for qualifying purchases – in store or online – using a Discovery Bank credit card. Members can earn up to 1 Discovery Mile for every R15 spent.

4.Drive better

Discovery Insure clients continue to get up to 50% back on their fuel spend and up to 25% back on Uber rides in 2020. Discovery Bank clients can earn (an additional)up to 20%, which will be paid in Discovery Miles from February 2020.

5.Coming soon… Vitality Active Rewards for Kids and Teens

We’re excited to partner with parents by launching Vitality Active Rewards for Kids and Teens early in 2020.Your children can soon look forward to interacting with various age-appropriate health and fitness activities. They will be able to earn their own Discovery Miles for moving more, understanding their health and eating more healthily.

Govender adds that the rewards gameboard remains in place and each play can still give you an instant reward. “As a bonus, if members achieve all three of their goals – exercise, drive and money – in one week, they’ll get an additional play on the board, which means even more Discovery Miles,” he says.

5 ways to SPEND Discovery Miles in 2020

1.Redeem them at a range of Vitality Active Rewards partners

From meals and entertainment to shopping and spoils, Vitality Active Rewards now has new, exciting partners – like BoxOffice, Exclusive Books, Netflix, Cotton On and Typo – plus many familiar favourites such as Kauai, vida e caffè, Mugg and Bean and Dis-Chem where members can spend their Discovery Miles.

2.Shop online and in-store

Members can use their Discovery Miles to pay for online and in-store purchases at selected partner stores, including Dis-Chem, Clicks, PicknPay, Loot.co.za, Cape Union Mart, One Day Only, Sportsmans Warehouse, Yuppiechef, Zando and a whole lot more.

3.Spend on travel

Discovery Miles can be used to pay for local and international flights and local accommodation through kulula.com.

4.Convert Discovery Miles

Discovery Miles can be converted into Avios to pay for travel with British Airways.

5.Exchange Discovery Miles for cash

Vitality members who are Discovery Bank clients can exchange Discovery Miles for cash.

“Our members expect Vitality enhancements every January and 2020 is no exception. I’m thrilled that the expansion of Discovery Miles into our single rewards currency in the new decade is a major milestone in Discovery’s integrated product offering that positions us to provide even more value to our members,” says Govender.

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