What Is Living Rewards?
Living Rewards is the free loyalty programme for Unichem and Life Pharmacy — New Zealand's largest pharmacy network with over 300 locations. Scan your card when buying health products, beauty items, or picking up prescriptions, and you'll earn points that convert to $10 store vouchers. The effective return is 6.67%, which is genuinely strong for a no-effort loyalty programme.
When Is Living Rewards Worth It?
Without effort: Spend $150/month at Unichem or Life Pharmacy, scan your card each time → $120/year back in vouchers
With the 3 moves: Time purchases around bonus events and use vouchers online too → realistically $140–180/year
Recent changes: The $5 prescription co-payment returned in July 2024 (after being scrapped for a year). Paid prescriptions earn 1 point each, but only the initial script — repeats don't count. The Unichem and Life Pharmacy app is rolling out to more stores in 2026.
How It Works
Where it works: Any participating Unichem or Life Pharmacy nationwide (340+ stores), plus online at lifepharmacy.co.nz.
What you earn: 1 point per $1 spent on retail items (rounded per item, not per transaction) and 1 point per paid prescription item.
How you get it back: At 150 points, you automatically receive a $10 voucher — redeemable in any store or online. That's 6.67% back.
What it costs: Free. Always has been.
How to sign up: Ask at any Unichem or Life Pharmacy — you'll get a physical card on the spot. Register it online at livingrewards.co.nz to track points and shop online. You can scan your card into SuperCards via screenshot after registration.
Member perks: Members get access to exclusive sales throughout the year (e.g. 15% off beauty and fragrance events) and invitations to VIP promotions.
Good to know: Points are calculated per item using Swedish rounding — a $19.99 item earns 20 points, but $19.49 earns 19. You can't earn points and redeem a voucher in the same transaction. Vouchers expire 3 months after issue, so use them promptly.
The 3 Moves That Actually Matter
1. Consolidate all pharmacy spending here
The 6.67% return only works if you actually hit the 150-point threshold. If you split spending between Chemist Warehouse and Unichem, you might never reach 150 points in a rolling 12-month window. Pick one pharmacy chain and stick with it — health products, beauty, sunscreen, vitamins, prescriptions, gifts. It all counts.
2. Register your card and watch for vouchers
Unregistered cards mean you won't know when vouchers are issued — and they expire 3 months after issue. Register at livingrewards.co.nz to get notifications when vouchers arrive and a 10-day reminder before they expire. You can also redeem vouchers online at lifepharmacy.co.nz, which most members don't realise.
3. Time bigger purchases around bonus point events
Unichem and Life Pharmacy run seasonal double-point and triple-point events several times a year (typically autumn and winter). Double points on a $50+ purchase means your effective return jumps from 6.67% to over 13%. If you need to stock up on vitamins, sunscreen, or skincare, waiting a week or two for the next event can meaningfully boost your return.
Get Your Points Out (Best → Worst)
$10 voucher in-store — Use at any Unichem or Life Pharmacy on anything you'd buy anyway. Straightforward, no hoops.
$10 voucher online — Same value, redeemable at lifepharmacy.co.nz. Handy for home delivery of heavy items.
During member-exclusive sale events, your voucher effectively stretches further — see Pro Tips below.
Letting vouchers expire — The only way to lose value. Vouchers last 3 months. Set a reminder or register your card for notifications.
Watch Out For
- Vouchers expire 3 months after issue. No extensions. If you don't shop frequently, use them online.
- Points expire individually after 12 months. There's no activity-based reset — each point has its own clock. If you earn slowly, early points can expire before you reach 150.
- Prescription points are limited. Only the initial script earns a point — repeats on the same prescription form don't count. And some prescription items are fully subsidised for certain groups, so no point is earned.
- Keep your card handy. Points can't reliably be added retroactively if you forget to scan. Store your card in SuperCards so it's always one tap away.
When to Skip Living Rewards
- You rarely visit pharmacies. At under $50/month in pharmacy spending, you'll earn fewer than 600 points a year — that's only 4 vouchers ($40). Decent, but if you'd rather just buy wherever is cheapest on the day, that's fair.
- You buy almost exclusively at Chemist Warehouse. Their everyday prices are often lower, and with no loyalty programme of their own, the comparison comes down to sticker price vs. 6.67% back. On heavily discounted items, Chemist Warehouse may still win.
- You only fill prescriptions. At 1 point per script item (initial only), you'd need 150 separate prescriptions in a year to earn one $10 voucher from prescriptions alone. That's unrealistic for most people — you need retail spending too.
🔥 Pro Tips — For the Optimisation Nerds
Quick Reference
| Cost | Free |
| Earn rate | 1 point per $1 spent (retail) / 1 point per paid prescription |
| Point value | 150 points = $10 voucher |
| Effective cashback | 6.67% (base) / 13%+ (during double-point events) |
| Points expire | 12 months per point (no activity reset) |
| Best redemption | $10 voucher in-store or online |
| Website | livingrewards.co.nz |
As of May 2026
