Discovery Vitality HealthyFood Benefit: Frequently asked questions

Why has Vitality added Woolworths as a HealthyFood benefit partner? The addition of Woolworths as a HealthyFood benefit partner enables Vitality to extend our reach in promoting and supporting healthy living – making it even easier for Vitality members to make healthier choices. More than 300 000 Vitality members use the HealthyFood benefit at Pick n Pay. They’ve spent just under R2 billion on food listed in the HealthyFood catalogue and received R210 million in cash back. The effect of the HealthyFood benefit on eating patterns has been tremendously positive. Since its launch, Vitality members have increased the proportion of healthy items in their baskets from 17% to 21%. They are also spending substantially more on healthier items like low fat dairy, proteins, unrefined carbohydrates and oils, spreads and nuts rich in unsaturated fat. Vitality members are also spending less on less desirable items, like foods high in sugar, saturated fats and salt which are known to have a negative effect on health.

What do I need to get cash back on HealthyFood at Pick n Pay?

You have to be a Vitality member and activate your HealthyFood benefit on www.discovery.co.za. You can get this cash back by swiping your DiscoveryCard before the cashier rings up your purchases and then again to pay. If you don’t have a DiscoveryCard, you will receive your Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card in the post within three weeks. Sign the back of your Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card before you use it, and swipe it at the Pick n Pay till before the cashier rings up your purchases.

If you lose your Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card you need to pay R35 and order a new Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card online.

What do I need to get cash back on HealthyFood at Woolworths?

You have to be a Vitality member with a Woolworths card. You will use this card to activate your HealthyFood benefit on www.discovery.co.za. To get a Woolworths card, you can apply in store or go to www.woolworths.co.za. This includes the Woolworths WRewards card, MySchool, MyVillage or MyPlanet card. If you have a MySchool card, you must go to www.myschool.co.za and give permission to share your personal details before you can use it to get your HealthyFood cash back.

Once you have activated the HealthyFood benefit your Woolworths card will automatically be linked to the Vitality HealthyFood benefit.Swipe your linked Woolworths card at the till before the cashier rings up your purchases to make sure you get your HealthyFood cash back.

Do all Vitality members qualify for the HealthyFood benefit at Woolworths? Yes. To qualify for HealthyFood cash back at Woolworths, activate the HealthyFood benefit to get up to 10% cash back at both Woolworths and Pick n Pay. After choosing your preferred HealthyFood partner and finding out you and your spouse’s (if applicable) Vitality Age you will qualify for up to 15% cash back. To get up to 25% cash back at either Woolworths or Pick n Pay you and spouse (if applicable) need to do a Vitality Health Check at an accredited pharmacy in the Vitality Wellness Network or at a Wellness Day. The 10% cash back on HealthyFood will still apply at the other partner.

Why do all Vitality members with a DiscoveryCard qualify for up to 25% cash back at both Pick n Pay and Woolworths?

This is a new DiscoveryCard benefit that aims to encourage DiscoveryCard holders to choose healthier foods more often when shopping at both Pick n Pay and Woolworths. DiscoveryCard, holders can get up to 25% cash back at both Pick n Pay and Woolworths, once they activate the Vitality HealthyFood benefit and go for all the necessary health assessments.

Why do Vitality members need to find out their Vitality Age and do a Vitality Health Check to qualify for up to 25% HealthyFood cash back? It is important to find out your key health indicators and risk factors every year. We hope to encourage more Vitality members to find out their health risks by linking the Vitality Age and Vitality Health Check to the HealthyFood benefit.

Why do Vitality members need to choose a preferred HealthyFood partner to get up to 25% HealthyFood cash back? The maximum HealthyFood cash back is up to 25% and Vitality members can choose the HealthyFood partner at which they do the bulk of their shopping to get this maximum cash back. Only DiscoveryCard holders can get up to 25% cash back at both partners, once the necessary healthy assessments have been done.

Which foods are included in the HealthyFood benefit? The HealthyFood benefit helps to reduce high-risk dietary behaviour, including the increased intake of calorie-dense foods, foods high in saturated and trans fat, sugar, salt, refined starch and the low intake of fruit and vegetables. The criteria are aligned with global dietary recommendations. The HealthyFood benefit at Pick n Pay and Woolworths includes the best food choices in the following categories:

Vegetables and fruit

Unrefined carbohydrates

Protein foods

Dairy

Lentils and legumes

Oils, spreads, nuts and seeds

The HealthyFood benefit discourages eating sugar-based and convenience foods, but Pick n Pay and Woolworths sell a lot of these types of foods. Even though Pick n Pay and Woolworths sell convenience foods, they also offer healthy foods in each food category. With the HealthyFood benefit, Vitality’s aim is to reduce the prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases by encouraging lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet that includes more fresh and wholesome foods. We reward our members for making healthier food choices and for eating foods that enhance their health.

What is the difference between foods included in the HealthyFood benefit at Pick n Pay and the foods at Woowlorths? Is it the same? Will it be the same price? The same selection criteria have been applied to foods included in the HealthyFood benefit from both Woolworths and Pick and Pay. The HealthyFood benefit has no effect on the retail price of foods. Vitality encourages healthier food choices by giving Vitality members up to 25% cash back on foods that meet the HealthyFood criteria.

If a food is not included in the HealthyFood benefit, does it mean it is not healthy? In keeping with global dietary recommendations, the HealthyFood benefit supports the reduced intake of foods that are less desirable and which could have a poor effect on health. These include foods high in sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats and refined carbohydrates. With HealthyFood, we aim to encourage the intake of whole, nutritious foods specifically those linked to improved health, like vegetables and fruit, wholegrain foods, lean proteins and dairy. The HealthyFood benefit includes the best choices in each food category. However, just because a food has not been included in the HealthyFood benefit (applying the exact criteria) it does not mean it cannot form part of a balanced diet.

Will the HealthyFood cash back run concurrently with WRewards? The HealthyFood benefit is separate from all other rewards and programmes that Woolworths offers. Any rewards Vitality members qualify for from Woolworths will not change when they buy foods that are part of the HealthyFood benefit.

Will the HealthyFood benefit apply to foods at Woolworths stores in Engen forecourts? At this stage the HealthyFood benefit does not apply to foods at the Woolworths Engen forecourts.

Can customers activate the HealthyFood benefit in Pick n Pay or Woolworths stores? No. Vitality members can activate the HealthyFood benefit on www.discovery.co.za or by calling 0860 99 88 77. To activate the benefit at Woolworths, you need any Woolworths card.

How will Vitality members get their HealthyFood cash back? When Vitality members activate the benefit at Pick n Pay, they must swipe their DiscoveryCard twice at Pick n Pay – once before the cashier rings up their purchases and again to pay. If they don’t have a DiscoveryCard, a Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card will be posted to them within three weeks. They must then swipe their Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card at any Pick n Pay till before the cashier rings up the purchases to make sure they get their HealthyFood cash back. If a Vitality Pick n Pay HealthyFood card or DiscoveryCard is not produced at the Pick n Pay till before the sale is processed, they will not get the HealthyFood cash back. When Vitality members activate the HealthyFood benefit at Woolworths, they will link it to their existing Woolworths cards. Vitality members will then use their Woolworths cards at the till as they usually would to also get their applicable HealthyFood cash back and Vitality points. Vitality members cannot claim afterwards for purchases. Vitality members will get their cash back every month. We will pay the cash back into their DiscoveryCard, Health Wallet or into a bank account of their choice if they are not DiscoveryCard holders. If the monthly cash back is less than R50, we will keep it until the next month. This amount does not earn interest.

Will the foods included in the HealthyFood benefit be labelled in stores? Vitality members can use the Pick n Pay or Woolworths HealthyFood catalogue on www.discovery.co.za to identify foods that qualify for cash back. These foods will also be indicated with” VIT” or “V” on the partner’s till slips. Also look out for the Vitality HealthyFood stamp on the shelf labels in-store that identify HealthyFood items.

What are the maximum cash back amounts Vitality members can get with the HealthyFood benefit? The maximum amount that qualifies for cash back on a family membership is R4 000 a month. This means the maximum cash back a family can get each month is either 10% or up to 25% of the maximum of R4 000 spent on HealthyFood. This is the total HealthyFood spend on a family membership – if eligible members have activated the benefit at both HealthyFood partners they will get cash back on a combined maximum of R4 000 spent at both partners. The maximum amount that qualifies for cash back on a single membership is R2 000 a month. This means the maximum cash back a single member can get each month is either 10% or up to 25% of the maximum of R2 000 spent on HealthyFood. This is the total HealthyFood spend on a single membership – if eligible members have activated the benefit at both HealthyFood partners they will get cash back on a combined maximum of R2 000 spent at both partners. Your HealthyFood spend that you get cash back on is also limited to the number of Vitality points you have for the year.

What is the maximum number of Vitality points that members can earn with the HealthyFood benefit? For every HealthyFood item a member buys we award 20 Vitality points. We deduct five Vitality points for every less-desirable food item a member buys. Members can never go into a negative overall number

– the lowest overall value will be zero. The monthly maximum of 1 000 Vitality points will apply to HealthyFood purchases at both HealthyFood partners. Vitality members can earn a maximum of 12 000 points a year.