EBucks 2025 changes are basically a pyramid scheme

FNB’s recent eBucks changes are honestly infuriating. Yes, it’s their program and they don’t owe customers consultation before making changes, but when you run a loyalty program, loyalty goes both ways. What they’ve done now isn’t about rewarding customers for how they bank; it’s about pushing us to buy more of FNB’s own products whether or not those products make sense for us. That’s not loyalty. It’s strong-arming.

Personally, I’ve been a Level 5 eBucks member for the past two years, consistently earning between R800 and R1 200 a month. I followed every rule to maximise my rewards. With the new structure, I’ll never reach Level 5 again without buying extra FNB products I don’t need, and I’ve already maxed out every other lever available to me.

One of the biggest blows is lounge access. I travel frequently for work. My company books my flights, so I can’t get bonus lounge visits through booking on the app. I’ve re**** on my complimentary lounge access, which came with being Level 5 and the type of account I hold. Now, with these changes, those complimentary visits have been reduced or made harder to use.

Then there’s the home loan situation. When I was buying property, FNB was the first bank I approached. The interest rate they gave me was frankly terrible. I ended up getting a much better deal from a bank I’d never dealt with before. Now they want me to remain “loyal” by buying more from them, when they couldn’t even be competitive when it mattered most.

What’s happening here is clear: they’ve removed the “easy-win” ways of earning points like virtual card usage and app engagement, and replaced them with expensive insurance and product requirements. If you don’t take up those products, your level drops. It feels like a pyramid structure.

Many people think the lower-tier customers won’t leave because it’s too much hassle, but in reality, middle-income, engaged customers like me will move if we feel the program is unfair. Switching banks isn’t difficult anymore, and we notice when our loyalty is being taken for granted.

For years, two things made FNB stand out for me: 1. The eBucks program actually rewarded me in meaningful ways. 2. Banking with them was simple and straightforward.

Now, they’re turning into just another ****my-feeling bank with shrinking benefits, confusing rules, and a blatant push to lock customers in through product bundling. It’s underhanded, it’s disappointing, and it’s a real shame.

It’s great to have agency though, and that I don’t have to ask for their permission to move my business elsewhere.