Say hello to Xtra Savings Plus – a new subscription service from Checkers

Until Amazon finally admits its plans for South African domination, we’re stuck with the local offerings. That’s not so bad, especially after Checkers’ recent launch of Xtra Savings Plus – a subscription-based service that tacks onto the Sixty60 app, not unlike that of Amazon’s own Prime service in the States.

Tom Cruise, is that you?

“In an African retail first, Checkers has launched Xtra Savings Plus, a monthly subscription offering unlimited free Sixty60 grocery deliveries, more personalised offers and an additional in-store discount,” says Checkers in a release.

Essentially, Checkers is looking to save some of its more loyal customers some money, as long as they spend some of theirs, first. For one, Xtra Savings Plus will set you back R100/m, triple the price of a single flat-fee delivery on the Sixty60 platform. Not bad, right? Sure, until you read the fine print.

Like that promise of ‘unlimited free Sixty60 grocery deliveries’ which requires a minimum spend of R350 before it becomes “free”. Or the 10% ‘in-store discount’ that’ll stop any savings once a customer saves more than R200/m.

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“We are obsessed about saving customers money and making the everyday effortless. Our new subscription plan offers the most generous value customers can experience from Checkers, both in-store and on Sixty60,” says Neil Schreuder, Chief of Strategy and Innovation for the Shoprite Group

We’re not saying Xtra Savings Plus isn’t offering some good value here. Heck, that R200/m of in-store savings (minus the R100/m fee) nearly makes the service worth it right there. But it’s worth whipping out a calculator and doing some maths before doing anything rash, like adding another subscription to the always-growing list.

Xtra Savings Plus is available to already-existing Xtra Savings members through the Sixty60 app (Android/iOS). Checkers is offering new customers the chance to test it out for 30 days, with those cancelling before then getting a full refund in the form of Sixty60 wallet credit.