The PASS App - Australian Venue Co

[onetrack]

While it might appear I'm at risk of commercialisation of the forum with this post, I just wanted to let the other members know, that I've found the above app is quite worthwhile, and actually provides satisfactory rewards for loyalty - unlike the vast amount of other loyalty programmes that give you bugger-all a lot of the time, in relation to the amount of money spent.

 

The Australian Venue Co has around 200 venues across the entirety of Australia (mostly pubs, but also small bars and restaurants) and you get points for money spent in their venues on food and drink.

The points are quite generous, you can easily get $20 or $50 credit after spending a relatively small amount. SWMBO and I like to eat out a bit, we probably eat out 3 or 4 times a week, and our local pubs nearly always offer discounted "seniors meals" or discounted drinks, specials, and other enticements.

 

The beauty of the PASS App is that you still get points rewards even when you buy discounted meals and drinks. As someone who doesn't have a lot of time for apps - finding a lot of them pretty useless and memory-consuming - I find the PASS App is quite user-friendly and simple enough to use.

Once you register your credit card with them, you just tap on "order at the bar" or "order at the table", and you receive an order code number (4 numbers), which you simply show to the venue employee and he/she inputs the number and the transaction is done.

 

We've found that a lot of the loyalty rewards programmes and offers declined massively during COVID, but they have started to return now. We used to use the Entertainment Book for a long time, and got good value out of our $65 payment for the book each year - but when COVID hit, the Entertainment Book system virtually collapsed, and it became difficult to find discounts anywhere.

 

The Entertainment Book gave discounts on a wide range of products and services, but that range has shrunk considerably since COVID hit.

As someone on a relatively fixed and modest income, I'm always looking for discount offers and programmes that offer real value.

I've got a COSTCO membership, and that membership pays off in fuel savings, as I use a bit of fuel, and COSTCO fuel is always 4-5 cents cheaper than anyone else. But a lot of the loyalty programmes on offer today, are fairly dubious value.

 

I won't put up a link to the PASS App, as I'm sure you can all find it yourself, with a bit of Googling. But I hope you find it and utilise it, to save a few bucks on food and drinks - every little bit helps, in todays world.

[old man emu]

Apps of that sort are only useful if you can use them. Not many venues in the sticks where one could use them. But, hey! I chose to live in a "remote" area and I'm just GON-ah have to cop it.

 

The loyalty programs such as Fly Buys and the Woolworths one are pathetic. If you don't use your accumulated Fly Buy points within 12 months, they are lost. Woolworths used to give you one point per dollar spent. Now it's one point for two dollars. Takes a long time to spend $2000 dollars on supermarket items when there's only oneself, and there is the need to closely monitor the price of each item, which means shopping elsewhere. I only use my Woolies one if I go into Dubbo.  I really should get a loyalty card for the local supermarket. The way that supermarket jacks up prices means I could live free throughout January on the points earned the previous year.

 

I have one app that gives me a 4 cent per litre reduction in the price of fuel at United servos, but I think it only works in NSW and you have to have a Seniors Card to apply. There's a couple of United servos in Dubbo, but their best pump price today is $1.71 p/l. That' $1.67 with the discount. This morning I grabbed a few litres of 91 Octane locally for $169.9  and I can get it on the way home from Dubbo for $1.65 any day of the week. I try to use the discount when I go to Sydney. If I go to the United I normally use it's $1.69 less discount today. However the servo next door is often cheaper.

[spacesailor]

Isn't that the same with all those " Loyalty gimmicks " .

Their price is higher so it makes you need a discount  card of some type .

In Sydney we have " price " checking programs that tell us , where the lowest fuel price is. 

We must need to use the closest servo that has the cheapest fuel .

$202.99 high or spend a litre each way, to get $198.99 . Needs at least 110 litres to beat the difference. 

spacesailor

Edited April 1 by spacesailor
Addition

[red750]

Useless to me. Don't drink or eat out.

[old man emu]

I can't figure out how I'm paying roughly $1.70 per litre in the country, but city folks are paying about $2.00. It used to be the other way around and the claim was that it costs money to transport the fuel. Have the oil companies acquired some sort of Star Trekian transporter beam to move fuel from the coast to the inland?

[facthunter]

You should keep this quiet.  nev

[red750]

I don't know what grade you're buying, but I use 91, and I am currently paying 1.63.9/lt before discounts.

[spacesailor]

98 for " Avgas " .

What would you pay at the airfield ! .

I still run the Hummel Bird & sit in the cockpit to " grin from ear to ear " .

I must , in the near future! , Finnish my new ' scimitar prop ' . LoL

spacesailor

 

Edited April 1 by spacesailor
Grammar

[onetrack]

We have Fuelwatch in W.A., it's run by the State Govt and is there to ensure no hourly price changes for fuel. The companies must submit their prices for tomorrow by 2:00PM each day, and the price must then be held for 24hrs from 6:00AM on that following day.

Costco Perth Airport is currently on 156.7c a litre for ULP 91, and 164.7c a litre for "Brand" diesel.

 

https://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/

[ricardvittt]

On 01/04/2025 at 4:03 AM, onetrack said:

While it might appear I'm at risk of commercialisation of the forum with this post, I just wanted to let the other members know, that I've found the above app is quite worthwhile, and actually provides satisfactory rewards for loyalty - unlike the vast amount of other loyalty programmes that give you bugger-all a lot of the time, in relation to the amount of money spent.

 

The Australian Venue Co has around 200 venues across the entirety of Australia (mostly pubs, but also small bars and restaurants) and you get points for money spent in their venues on food and drink.

The points are quite generous, you can easily get $20 or $50 credit after spending a relatively small amount. SWMBO and I like to eat out a bit, we probably eat out 3 or 4 times a week, and our local pubs nearly always offer discounted "seniors meals" or discounted drinks, specials, and other enticements.

 

The beauty of the PASS App is that you still get points rewards even when you buy discounted meals and drinks. As someone who doesn't have a lot of time for apps - finding a lot of them pretty useless and memory-consuming - I find the PASS App is quite user-friendly and simple enough to use.

Once you register your credit card with them, you just tap on "order at the bar" or "order at the table", and you receive an order code number (4 numbers), which you simply show to the venue employee and he/she inputs the number and the transaction is done.

 

We've found that a lot of the loyalty rewards programmes and offers declined massively during COVID, but they have started to return now. We used to use the Entertainment Book for a long time, and got good value out of our $65 payment for the book each year - but when COVID hit, the Entertainment Book system virtually collapsed, and it became difficult to find discounts anywhere.

 

The Entertainment Book gave discounts on a wide range of products and services, but that range has shrunk considerably since COVID hit.

As someone on a relatively fixed and modest income, I'm always looking for discount offers and programmes that offer real value.

I've got a COSTCO membership, and that membership pays off in fuel savings, as I use a bit of fuel, and COSTCO fuel is always 4-5 cents cheaper than anyone else. But a lot of the loyalty programmes on offer today, are fairly dubious value.

 

I won't put up a link to the PASS App, as I'm sure you can all find it yourself, with a bit of Googling. But I hope you find it and utilise it, to save a few bucks on food and drinks - every little bit helps, in todays world.

That’s a great write-up — sounds like you’ve found a real gem with the PASS App. It’s refreshing to hear about a loyalty program that actually gives decent rewards, especially one that still honors discounts. Have you found any particular venues that give the best bang for your buck, or do most seem pretty consistent?

[red750]

Goimg back to the early posts on April 1, I said I wouldn't have use for it. I haven't had a meal at a restauramt or hotel in at least 5 years, and since my wife passed away, I doubt I will again. I only drink water based drinks, and haven't had a drop of alcohol for over 7 years. I was never a drinker, and have probably had a total of 3 cans of beer in my 80 years. I haven't had a softdrink in 3 or 4 years.

 

I have a Woolies Everyday Rewards Card, which accrues points and get me a 4c per litre deduction on petrol. I get an email each week listing points boosters on items we frequently buy. For example, we can get 180 points by buying a box of 24 party sauage rolls, which we occasionally have for lunch. At 1 point per $2, that one purchase equates to a $90 spend. I currently have $80 of Woolies money, which I can use to pay for my grocery shop. You just have to click the Boost button on the email.

 

In addition to the fuel reductiion with the Woolies card, my RACV road service membership gives me a deduction on petrol at E.G. Service stations. Fill the tank, scan the Woolies and RACV cards when paying, and have the deductions applied. And usually, E.G. servos have some of the lowest prices around.  

 

I also have a Coles Fly Buys card which my wife had, and transferred to me when she died. You can earn Fly Buys points on petrol and other purchases at Shell servos, Bunnings and Office Works as well as Coles supermarkets. My daughter often buys groceries at Coles and uses the Fly Buys money.

 

[onetrack]

1 hour ago, ricardvittt said:

That’s a great write-up — sounds like you’ve found a real gem with the PASS App. It’s refreshing to hear about a loyalty program that actually gives decent rewards, especially one that still honors discounts. Have you found any particular venues that give the best bang for your buck, or do most seem pretty consistent?

Hi Ric, it appears the Australian Venue Co do a pretty good job of making sure their venues keep up an acceptable standard of food and drinks. As with all businesses though, there is a variation between venues, with the venues that have had recent upgrades seeming to provide better service and food and drinks.

However, even these vary, as it all comes back to the staff employed, and the staff turnover is pretty high in many of these places as a lot of workers in the hospitality industry are relatively transient, and often see the job as a "fill-in" to something better.

 

We found that when nearly all the backpackers disappeared during COVID, the service levels for food and drink venues fell right away for around 3 years, and even staffing levels went down, as it was obvious employees became harder to find.

Since the pandemic has been declared over though, it seems things are returning to normal, and the backpackers (who make up a lot of the hospitality staff) are starting to return - resulting in an improvement in service and staff levels.