Last week major food retailer, Pick n Pay, launched a new account, with what it says will be accompanied with great benefits for all qualifying Smart Shoppers and other customers who sign up to be a Smart Shopper.
The store account offers you up to 55 days’ interest free credit if the balance on your account is paid in full each month. Smart Shopper benefits will continue as normal, however store card holders will get added benefits which Pick n Pay say will be unique to them. As part of the launch, the first of these benefits will be a R200 discount off R500 or more spent on their first shop using the store account.
What are the charges of the Pick n Pay store card?
There is no charge for opening the account, and customers face no transaction charges, no admin fees and no joining fees. However, there is a monthly store card fee of R10 for active users. There will be no monthly account fee if the store account has no balance and is not used in that month.
Pick n Pay’s deputy CEO, Richard van Rensburg (pictured), said: “The high cost of credit is a significant reason why customers have less disposable income for their grocery shop. Hidden costs such as initiation fees, administration fees, mandatory insurance fees and penalty fees exacerbate the cost of credit. We have worked with RCS to design a product that has none of these hidden fees and the lowest possible monthly fee.
“Pick n Pay will not earn income from the credit granting process. We have negotiated a great offer from the credit industry for our customers.
“The product has been designed to be the most affordable form of credit - a monthly account where no interest is charged if the balance is paid in full. The store account has flexible interest-bearing budget options and also enables a customer to place individual transactions for high ticket items on budget while still retaining the free interest benefit for the remaining transactions on the account.”
How can I get a Pick n Pay store card?
You can apply online or by calling the store account call centre. Alternatively, leave your details in-store or send an SMS with “PnP” to 30087, requesting to be contacted to complete the application telephonically. If you already have a Smart Shopper card you won’t need to get another one as you can use your existing card to make in-store purchases on credit which will be linked to your store account. Once an application is approved, you will receive SMS instructions on how to activate a PIN on the Smart Shopper card to get the account.
You can choose budget payment options to pay for high ticket items can pay their instalments over 24 or 36 months and interest will be charged. It’s also possible to place high ticket items on budget while still enjoying an up to 55 days interest-free benefit for your normal monthly purchases.
To make sure you keep on top of your account you will get a free, detailed monthly statement. Check your balance on the PnP app, on the website, through the call centre or at the till. You can pay your instalments by debit order or at any Pick n Pay till while shopping.