Koru (formerly Airpoints): worth $30–50 a year

Q: Is Koru (formerly Airpoints) Worth It?

Without effort: Scan at New World and Mitre 10, $200/month spend → roughly $18/year in Airpoints With the 3 moves: Add the Airpoints Mall, always scan at partners, and pool with household → realistically $30–50/year (more if you fly)

Koru (formerly Airpoints) at a glance:

Cost Free
Earn rate 0.75% at New World, ~0.87% at Mitre 10, varies by partner
Point value 1 Airpoint = NZ$1
Effective cashback 0.75–1% (base) / 1.75–2.2% (with credit card)
Points expire 4 years from earning, no activity reset

Verified: October 2026 — against official programme terms

What Is Koru (formerly Airpoints)?

Koru is Air New Zealand's free loyalty programme (rebranded from Airpoints in April 2026) — scan your card at New World, Mitre 10, Z, and 40+ other partners to earn Airpoints on everyday spending, then use them toward flights, gift cards, or the Airpoints Store. Every Airpoint is worth exactly NZ$1, which makes the maths simple. The base earn from ground partners is modest (0.75% at New World), but the real value comes when you combine partner earning with a credit card and spend toward flights.

Is Koru (formerly Airpoints) Worth It?

Without effort: Scan at New World and Mitre 10, $200/month spend → roughly $18/year in Airpoints
With the 3 moves: Add the Airpoints Mall, always scan at partners, and pool with household → realistically $30–50/year (more if you fly)

Recent changes: The programme rebranded from "Airpoints" to "Koru" on 22 April 2026 — a new entry tier (Koru Bronze) and top tier (Koru Black) were added. The currency dropped "Dollars" and is now just called "Airpoints" (1 Airpoint = NZ$1 — conversion unchanged). Earning and spending mechanics stay the same. Kiwibank Airpoints credit cards were discontinued in October 2025. Fly Buys closed in December 2024 — New World now earns Airpoints directly via its Clubcard.

How Does Koru (formerly Airpoints) Work?

Where it works: New World (groceries), Mitre 10 (hardware), Z and Caltex (fuel), DoorDash, HelloFresh, Liquorland, plus 30+ travel, retail, and service partners across New Zealand. Over 120 online stores via the Airpoints Mall.

What you earn: 0.75% back at New World (0.75 cents per dollar). Other partners vary — Mitre 10 gives 1 Airpoint per $115 (~0.87%), fuel stations give 1 per 100 litres (negligible). On Air NZ flights, earning varies by route and fare class.

How you get it back: 1 Airpoint = NZ$1 toward Air NZ flights, gift cards, or Airpoints Store items. Flexipay lets you combine Airpoints with cash if you don't have enough.

What it costs: Free. Always has been. Koru Club (lounge access) is a separate paid membership and shouldn't be confused with the Koru loyalty programme itself.

How to sign up: Register on the Air New Zealand website in a few minutes. Your digital Koru card works immediately — scan it into SuperCards via screenshot so it's always on hand at the checkout.

Member perks: Higher tiers unlock lounge access, priority boarding, seat upgrades, and extra baggage. The ladder is now Koru Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Black. Koru Gold (900 Status Points) gets full lounge access. Air New Zealand plans a new Koru Lounge and Koru Premier Lounge at Auckland Airport, with construction expected to begin in 2026. The new Koru Black tier (3,200+ Status Points, with 1,920 from qualifying flights) adds Koru Circle, which extends elite perks to nominated family and friends. These all require regular flying — you won't reach them through shopping alone.

Good to know: For the Airpoints Mall (online shopping), you must click through from the Air NZ website before purchasing — the retailer's site alone won't track your Airpoints. Partner Airpoints typically appear within a few days in-store, but online purchases through the Mall take around 37 days.

How to Get the Most From Koru (formerly Airpoints)

1. Always scan — even when it feels pointless

New World's 0.75% and Mitre 10's 0.87% don't sound like much, but they add up over a year of regular groceries and household shopping. The key: link your New World Clubcard to Koru once, then just scan at every shop. Every 5 New World Dollars earned auto-converts to 5 Airpoints. Keep your Koru card in SuperCards so you never forget to scan at other partners either.

2. Use the Airpoints Mall before buying online

Before any online purchase, take 10 seconds to check if the retailer is in the Airpoints Mall (120+ stores, 1–3% earn rate). Click through from the Air NZ website, then shop as normal. This turns online spending you'd do anyway into Airpoints. The earn rate often exceeds what you'd get in-store at a partner.

3. Pool Airpoints with your household via Shairpoints

Shairpoints lets up to 10 NZ-based Koru members combine their Airpoints into one account for free. If your household of four each earns a modest amount, pooling gets you to a flight reward significantly faster. Set it up once on the Air NZ website.

How to Redeem Koru (formerly Airpoints) Points

Air NZ flights — 1 Airpoint = $1 off any fare. Clean, simple, and the intended use. Flexipay lets you top up with cash if you're short.

Gift cards — 120+ brands at face value ($1 = $1). Good if you don't have a trip planned. Check the Airpoints Store gift card range before choosing merchandise.

There's a way to stretch your Airpoints further on flights — see Pro Tips below.

Airpoints Store merchandise — Some items are marked up 5–10% above retail prices, and returns get store credit instead of Airpoints back. Always price-check before redeeming.

Koru (formerly Airpoints) — What to Watch Out For

Airpoints expire after 4 years from the date earned, reviewed on your membership anniversary. No activity reset — it's a hard deadline. Only Koru Gold/Platinum status or a Platinum-level credit card protects against expiry.
The most common mistake: forgetting to scan. Most partners can't credit Airpoints retroactively. Keep your digital card handy so it's always one tap away.
Fuel earning is almost worthless — 1 Airpoint per 100 litres is roughly 30 cents on a $75 fill. Don't choose a petrol station based on Airpoints alone.
New World excludes gift cards, tobacco, and lottery from Clubcard earning. Check the exclusion list if something seems off.

When to Skip Koru (formerly Airpoints)

If you shop at Woolworths (formerly Countdown), not New World: Airpoints has no direct Woolworths earning, only a conversion from Everyday Rewards (2,000 points → 15 Airpoints). If that's your main supermarket, the direct earn opportunities shrink considerably.
If you never fly Air NZ: Without flights, ground earning alone produces $15–30/year. A straight cashback card might return more without the 4-year expiry pressure.
Under $100/month at partners: Your annual return would be under $10 in Airpoints. Not worth tracking.

Koru (formerly Airpoints) Pro Tips

The free Amex Airpoints card — earn everywhere: The American Express Airpoints Card costs $0/year and earns 1 Airpoint per $100 spent at any retailer — not just Koru partners. At Koru partners, you earn the partner rate on top of the credit card rate. For higher spend, the Amex Airpoints Platinum ($195/year) earns 1 per $70 — the best rate in NZ — plus 400 bonus Airpoints on sign-up and non-expiry protection. If you tend to lose track of credit card spending, skip the card entirely.
Double-dip at every partner: Scan your Koru card at the partner AND pay with an Airpoints-earning credit card. At New World, this means Clubcard scan (0.75% Airpoints) plus Amex payment (1–1.43% Airpoints) on the same transaction. That's 1.75–2.18% combined — a meaningful return on groceries.
Time flights around Double Days: Air NZ runs periodic Double Days promotions where bookings earn double Status Points. The December 2025 window covered travel through November 2026. Watch the Air NZ website for announcements — these are the best time to book if you're chasing tier status.
OneUp upgrade bids — play the odds: Use Airpoints to bid on cabin upgrades via OneUp. Success rates are best on mid-week trans-Tasman flights outside school holidays. Koru Gold/Platinum members get a 30–50% bid upweighting, so without status, stick to off-peak routes and keep bids modest.
Redeem for partner airline flights: Star Alliance partner flights (Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways) can offer outsized value — a Business Class seat via the partner reward chart can be worth far more per Airpoint than a domestic Air NZ fare. Check the Airline Partner Reward Chart on the Air NZ website.
AIA Vitality for non-spending earning: If you already have AIA insurance, the Vitality programme can earn up to 560 Airpoints per year through wellness activities. That's significant — but only if you're already a member.

Worth the effort if you spend $500+/month across Koru partners and fly domestically a few times a year. Overkill if you just want to scan at New World — the 3 moves above are all you need.

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Koru (formerly Airpoints) Quick Reference


Cost	Free
Earn rate	0.75% at New World, ~0.87% at Mitre 10, varies by partner
Point value	1 Airpoint = NZ$1
Effective cashback	0.75–1% (base) / 1.75–2.2% (with credit card)
Points expire	4 years from earning, no activity reset
Best redemption	Air NZ flights or gift cards (1:1 value)
Website	airnewzealand.co.nz

As of October 2026

Koru (formerly Airpoints)