Whilst Discovery Vitality is the most motivating system to stay healthy that I have ever experienced, it is most frustrating that it changes its rewarding of members for staying healthy ever so often. On Saturday 11 January the Discovery Vitality system changes radically again, now awarding Discovery Miles and no longer Vitality points, and demanding more effort for the same rewards.

Until this week Discovery offered its Vitality members a game board play once a week, with a luck-of-the-draw win of one of twenty Vitality points ranging from 25 to 100, the bulk being 25-pointers!

Business Insider reports today that Vitality members will receive Discovery Miles from Saturday 11 January onwards, 100 Vitality points being the equivalent of about 1000 Discovery Miles. The points will still be awarded on the random value one picks on the game board, which does not reward effort at all! 

Good news, according to the article, is that Woolworths is back as a reward partner, it not being clear which value vouchers one stands to gain for how many Discovery Miles. Other new partners are to include Takealot.com, DStv, Netflix, and Cotton On. as well as iStore. The list of reward partners was very poor last year, I spending my reward points on the odd car wash, and mainly on raw nuts at Dischem. 

Current holders of 100 unused Vitality points or more will have these converted into Discovery Miles, 1 Vitality Point being equivalent to 6 Discovery Miles. One now needs to earn 1000 Discovery Miles to spend R100 at a partner outlet, previously costing 100 Vitality points, reflecting how members are short-changed with the new system, gaining only 600 Discovery Miles for the 100 Vitality points, for the same physical health effort! Another change is that the Discovery Miles will be valid for about five years, and will not expire after twelve weeks as was the case with the Vitality points. 

Once I see more detail after Saturday this week and on Wednesday next week when the next Game board play is due, I will update this article. I find it very strange that Discovery does not inform its members about the changes it makes, usually radical and just when one has got on top of its current system, and that one is reliant on media reports to know what Discovery is up to! 

POSTSCRIPT 10 January 2020: I received an email from Discovery this morning, providing the first communication about the transition. From Vitality points to Discovery Miles as of tomorrow: 

‘Hi Chris

We promised you a rewards currency that’s more rewarding and valuable than ever before and soon, you’ll be able to earn instant Discovery Miles on Vitality Active Rewards for getting active, driving well and spending your money responsibly.

Still have Vitality reward points left over? We encourage you to spend them to make way for Discovery Miles. From 11 January, your Vitality reward points will be exchanged at a rate of 1 Vitality reward point = 6 Discovery Miles, and if you have a 100 or more Vitality Reward points you will get an extra play on the gameboard on 15 January. As an added bonus Discovery Miles remain valid for five years.

Your gameboard will show Vitality rewards points until next week Wednesday, 15 January. Any rewards points you earn by playing the gameboard between 11 and 15 January will automatically be converted to Discovery Miles and be added to your Discovery Miles balance. It may take up to two days for your Discovery Miles balance to be updated from reward points earned before 15 January.

How will Discovery Miles work? When you achieve your exercise, drive or money goals, you’ll earn 100 Discovery Miles instantly for each goal you achieve, plus a play on the gameboard to unlock even more Discovery Miles. If you have Vitality Health, Vitality Drive and Vitality Money, you can earn the maximum of 300 Discovery Miles instantly and a bonus play for achieving all three Vitality Active Rewards goals!

What to do with all these Discovery Miles you’re about to earn? With our exciting new Vitality Active Rewards partners like Netflix, BoxOffice, Cotton On, Typo, Exclusive Books, Makro, Sportsmans Warehouse, Woolworths and Pick n Pay – there’s something for everyone.

You can also earn Discovery Miles for achieving your personalised health goals. All Vitality members will have access to the health checks and HealthyFood goals, while members diagnosed with certain chronic conditions will have access to the medicine tracker goal.’

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein