Important announcement about Banana Points [Updated]
By Che –
[UPDATED 16 May 2019: In response to customer feedback, information in this blog post has been updated since it was first published. See this blog post for full details about these changes]
We care a lot about our customers and about creating a positive online shopping experience. We take a lot of pride in our fast delivery speed, our massive product range, and our friendly customer service – these are the things that keep you coming back for more. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for our Banana Points program.
We started Banana Points with the intention of being a means to reward customers for their loyalty. Over the last few years, however, as we focused on other areas of our business, Banana Points have taken a bit of a backseat and become a disappointment for many customers. Our Banana Points offering is no longer consistent with our philosophy of “under promise and over deliver”.
We've put a lot of thought into it and have made the difficult decision to retire the Banana Points program. We understand that this may be disappointing to some customers but we have a plan that will ensure that you will all receive something of real value in exchange for your existing Banana Points balances. The most common suggestion that we've received from customers in relation to Banana Points is “can you let us convert our points into free shipping on our orders?” We've listened to your feedback and we've come up with a solution that will address that.
On 27 May 2019, the Banana Points program will end. You will then have the option to convert your remaining Banana Points balance (excluding Trade Accounts) into a Primate subscription at a date of your choice until 31 December 2019. For the duration of your Primate subscription, you will receive unlimited free delivery within New Zealand, free upgrades for rural, Saturday, and signature-required deliveries, as well as exclusive discounts and early access to big sales. Visit our Primate page to find out more about the benefits of Primate membership.
Banana Points will be converted to Primate subscriptions using the following rates:
- 200,000 Banana Points: 1 year Primate subscription
- 55,000 Banana Points: 3 months Primate subscription
- 700 Banana Points: 1 day Primate subscription
- When you activate your free Primate subscription you will also receive a bonus 7 days on top of your converted Primate duration (updated 16 May 2019)
e.g., if you have 80,000 Banana Points you will receive a Primate subscription for 3 months (55,000 BP), plus an additional 35 days (25,000/700 BP), and a bonus 7 days when you activate your subscription. The remaining 500 BP will be written off.
Login here to check out your current Banana Points balance.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When will the Banana Points program end?
Our Banana Points program will end at 2PM on 27 May 2019.
When will my Primate subscription begin? (updated 16 May
2019)
From May 28th customers who qualify for a Primate subscription (excluding
Trade Accounts) will be given the option to convert their remaining Banana
Points balance into a Primate subscription at a date of their choice until
31 December 2019. You will have until 31 December 2019 to activate your
Primate subscription, all outstanding Banana Points will be written off after
this date. When you activate your free Primate subscription you will also
receive a bonus 7 days on top of your converted Primate duration. This will
ensure that you all have plenty of time to make use of your Primate
subscription.
Can I choose when my Primate subscription begins? (updated 16 May
2019)
Yes. Refer to the question above for more details.
How do I activate my Primate subscription? (updated
28 May 2019)
To activate your Primate subscription simply go to the Banana Points page in your account and then click
on the Activate Primate Now button (see example image to the
right). Your Primate subscription will be active immediately.
Can I have free vouchers or account credit instead? (added 16 May
2019)
We understand that vouchers or account credit would be an attractive offer.
Banana Points were never intended to have a dollar value attached to them and
we'd never be able to offer a meaningful dollar amount in exchange for Banana
Points without putting our business in jeopardy. Unfortunately offering vouchers
or account credit is not an option.
What will replace Banana Points?
We do not have any immediate plans to replace the Banana Points
program.
What if I have less than 700 Banana Points?
Any balances below 700 Banana Points will be written off.
What does this mean for customers who pick up their
orders?
Primate subscriptions give customers access to Primate-exclusive discounts,
as well as early access to big sales. You can also use your Primate subscription
to send gifts to family and friends around New Zealand for birthdays and other
occasions with free shipping.
What do I get if I already have a Primate
subscription?
Your Primate subscription will be extended. The extension period will be
determined using the Banana Points conversion rates above.
Will I get free shipping on unshipped orders placed before my
Primate subscription begins?
The free shipping won't apply to any unshipped orders placed before the
conversion date.
98 comments
You need to log in or create an account before you can post a comment.
I have 33,000 points so would I get about 40 days from the May 27 to get the primate subscription and is that working days or does that include weekends?
Hi Corey, your 33,000 Banana Points will convert to a Primate subscription for 47 days. That number includes weekends.
Awesome
I'm very glad this has been finally addressed - A well written statement, and well thought out replacement program. I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of loyalty program will be put in place in the future. Keep it up Mighty Ape!
Be nice if you could put some cool Mightyape mechandise (lanyard, mugs, pens etc) instead of the PrimeApe subscription.
So I have around 14000 bp, does that mean I get 20 days of primate?
@Kelsey, correct. You would get 20 days of Primate.
How many days does 7958 points give me?
Disappointed by this change I have to say. While banana points did need a overhaul I feel like this is a real back step...
I don't feel like 7 days of primate subscription is of value when I've been collecting these for so bloody long, not do I have any intention of buying anything in the 7 days after it goes live. I'd rather those 7 days were saved when I was shopping for Christmas. They're essentially a waste.
I'm at 54000, what happens?
i have 1,560,460 banana points.
do i get a car?
What if I never wanted to use Primate and it doesn't benefit me in any way? How is my long term loyalty then rewarded?
It's a good idea but a bit dumb that we can't choose when the subscription starts... essentially forcing people to shop during a specific time frame or miss out.
Cool but stupid... I think a voucher or something would've been best suited. Like $5 per 10,000 points. Probably won't use the free delivery more than once in a month, if at all, so doesn't really benefit me. Been saving and waiting to get something cool and that day never arrived so I guess it's a good idea to get rid of them.
I feel a bit stupid...but how do I find my banana points balance?
Would be nicer if the primate started from next login. My partner already has paid primate so we use her account for free shipping. So me getting them is pointless. Which is a good point do her points get added to the length of her current subscription?
I do not want Primate. I want account credit.
I liked the idea of a rewards system but the annoyance was that the rewards offered were not very good - even if they could have been used towards a voucher or something would have been good or for so many points you get a code for discounts on your next shop
I think what you should have done is kept the banana points and let customers use them to buy games and other products kind of like with the flybuys program.
I would suggest just giving discount vouchers for their next purchase depending on how much points they have, I mean Primate is good and all but its not really fair for everyone.
I'd rather see account credit to be honest, I'm already a primate subscriber
Spent years collecting those, I'd prefer to see it as account credit. :(
hey 50k+ banana points, that's not bad! I'm already a Primeate member, but an extension's just as good. There hasn't been a decent use for bananas for ages, so i don't know why people were complaining. They were hoarding a useless currency hoping it'd eventually be worth something else. Even as someone who's already a Primeate I think this is a great use for them. Free delivery on stuff adds up
What if I had 44,800 banana points would I miss out on the 3 months ?
I only have almost 7000 points. Does this primate start from your choosing or can I start it from my next purchase? Because otherwise it feels like you're taking something that I may not use which then makes it void. You already rip me for rural delivery so it seems disappointing.
over the years i have been able to get some good stuff when you updated the banana points. i already have primate and feel that it should have been used for store credit instead of primate
Pretty disappointed i have to say.
I have been waiting for something worthwhile to be available and I'm unlikely to get anything delivered as your delivery service ( courier post) are useless.
Over 19000 points collected over 10 years. Not spent because there was not much there. Waiting and now this. This is a joke...
Completely useless. Store credit would have been the only viable option.
I think a credit on account would be better, as i collect from Mighty Ape.
Would have preferred Mighty Ape credit but something is better than nothing.
Can we choose when to use the days? Or does it start on the 28th of May?
I'm glad I let my banana points build up; didnt realize i had 210052 though lol
The banana points I feel should of been swapped to a voucher for so many points. It’s stupid being turned into a primate subscription when I already have one.
nah this don't seem right. convert to vouchers instead would be way to go.
Would have worked if there had been better items and more items available to use the banana points on! Just had a look and there are only 3 things to pick from.
I don't understand why you can't just offer in-store credit like most other online retailers over seas? If you'd do that to reward my loyalty, then I'd be more inclined to purchase locally rather than off shore.
I would rather have a points system that works towards store credit. Also very annoying that you don’t get to choose when your subscription starts
how much does13897 points give me?
Very disappointed with this. Been collecting these points for years, thousands spent waiting for something decent to claim them on. Now all of that is being converted into 20 days free delivery thats only worthwhile IF I spend more money in the 20 days after they are converted.
Good move guys.
Agree it'd be more useful as account credit, even as primeape credit that could be stored for a convenient day in the future (might be hard to implement, unique free shipping promo codes? A handful rather than a month's worth, but rounded up so more people get one?). I feel that'd be a more useful and appreciated gesture of goodwill than a rushed period.
Hi I have 52000 approx banana points. Does that mean I only qualify for one day Primate as I haven't reached 55000 points? Thanks Christine
Rest in Peace banana points.
You will be missed.
Would have preferred a voucher or credit. That would be a fairer option for everyone.
A account credit would make more sense to those that are already primates. Hope you come up with a new rewards program soon
A few days free shipping.. I'm a student I can't just buy stuff willy nilly, bit of a miss to be honest. And it's not getting replaced with anything? So there is no loyalty system now. NZGameShop still do it better
Oh well guess my points will just disappear then....we enjoy picking our items up lol
I'm more interested in store credit as I dont always shop here.
I've had several conversations with the MA team over the years about their plans to make the Banana points system bigger and better and more useful. This definitely feels like a huge let down.
It seems that on average points were given out at 5 per $1 spent. 200,000 points would then represent about $40k spend. So as a reward for $40k spend, you get a year of primate worth $48. That's a 0.0012 return. Don't get me wrong, I love this site, but that is a shockingly bad loyalty scheme.
It could have been so much more... :(
I feel like it would be good of mightyape to chuck a bunch of stuff up to be purchased with banana points, before they automatically get converted to primate... There have only been the same 3 items for months. We could at least end on a high?
I agree with "Sam, 12 May 10:01pm"
Being someone that can only afford things on the odd occasion, a 27 day window seems like a massive disappointment. This also seems almost predatory, being a forced limited time will ensure a wave of people wanting to buy within the timeframe that they have (even if they didn't originally plan to). This could lead to people regretting decisions.
Please change this to account credit or free delivery coupons eg: 1 free delivery per 5000 BP. This will let people make smarter decisions by not being rushed. I love Mighty Ape and do sincerely hope you come to a conclusion that more people can support.
Very disapointing. I have several facebook messenger conversations and emails with mightyape going back several years asking about updating banana points and have allways got the same reply " we are working on it", I guess that was bulls**t. Banana points influenced my decision to purchase a gaming PC from them and allot of hardware for work. Im quite angry as the drop of banana points was not communicated, my wife noticed it as she was checking the daily deals. I will no longer buy from Mighty Ape as they have let down allot of customers doing this and by not communicating it very well.
too lazy to come up with a proper loyalty program so you just wipe it? dumb. MA prices are higher but we pay them because a) fast shipping and b) we were told eventually banana points would have a use. pretty sad! oh well.
I totally agree with Mike "10 May 3.09pm" . I would prefer to see it my Banana Points converted to a account credit. I am already a Primate. I have purchased from Banana Points in the past but only if the item interested me. I have contacted Mighty Ape in the past asking if they were going to offer more things in the Banana Points or do something but they have just said "We are working on it".
I hope all of this negative feedback is being read.
I will be frank and call it like I see it. This is a rort.
Personally I think it would be better to do account credit or a voucher as I'm probably not the only one who would rather not be rushed into purchases to make use of the free primate period, especially personally as it would only be for two days, and for people who need to save bit before getting a purchase they want. Personally I would prefer a voucher or account credit over the free primate period.
Not a bad idea thanks I think I,m due for a new sub soon so this will give me a bit more time, not sure how many points I have atm.I guess you will let me know
I think that converting 1,500 banana points to $1 account credit would be a great alternative and equates to not much at all. E.g. threshold benefits Mighty Ape more so than customers but is a good compromise to those that don't benefit from the forced free delivery option for a highly restrictive period of time.
I don't mind that it converts to free shipping, but the fact that we can't choose when it starts doesn't seem fair to those without Primate.
I'm a bit disapointed, I emailed a few weeks ago to ask about the banana points and got an email back saying that an exciting new development was going to be announced, although im happy they will be converted into extra free shipping days, its not exactly exciting to know its being scrapped after that.
Will there be other stuff to use the banana points on before the 27th?
I definitely agree the banana points program had to go,it is pretty lame and one of the reasons why I never bothered writing reviews for products that I have brought in the past and currently buy.I have 7702 so not sure what that qualifies for but hopefully something.
Nice that this has been addressed. For ages, some of us have suggested that perhaps BPs over a certain amount can pay for a basic courier label. If that had been done, BPs could stay, it wouldn't be too different a result to this, and it would have been an ongoing reward for loyalty. Still - this is better than BPs being in the Twilight Zone.
So disappointed....been collecting these for years and there was never anything worth claiming for unless you had a phone that was 5 years old and needed a new screen protector!!! Would much prefer to exchange for a voucher or something a bit more useful. Have over 70,000 points
Can you have the subscription started earlier?
I also emailed about updating banana points it was the generic email response with we are making banana points bigger and better! What a load of crap! Should of offered something better than primate!! Credit would be better!
Just checked - my first BPs were on 04-10-2006 ... a wave of nostalgia just swept over me, ha!
Wow no brainer, mighty ape, to spend banana points, u need good items, so customers will use the points. But u offered shit stuff. That is y I have thousands of points. Cheers anyway
Honestly, a lot of people are upset about something that didn't matter to them. if banana points didn't exist, you would still be buying stuff here. They've had no use for years, and nobody has really cared. Store credit is a stupid idea, financially, because that means giving essentially free money to every single person with banana points, while they already have big sales on things. For those with prime already, it extends your subscription, for those without, it gives you free shipping on anything that is ordered during your free prime shipping time. Stop complaining about wanting even more, and be happy with what you get. You're not owed anything, so stop being so greedy, and appreciate what you're given. So many of you are acting childish and selfish, it's embarrassing.
In response to customer feedback, we have made some changes to our plan. See this blog post for details about the changes: https://www.mightyape.co.nz/…ints-changes
46,000 banana points = 64 days Prime Ape subscription?
I pick up because its only 5mins down the road. All my family are nearby so never ship anything. Can I transfer my BP balance to someone else who'll actually use it ?
Have been waiting for an overhaul to actually use them on something useful or at least fun, what a waste of time they turned out to be. Thanks for wanting to offer something though.
Bit disappointed pre- ordered stuff doesn't count... I have 2 things pre-ordered for future dates which would be great to have posted out.
Two and a half years free Primate ?
Stingy much, how is giving us free shipping on items we have to spend more money on a reward for loyalty? For the past 5 years all that has been offered is a Belkin ipad protector anyway - 20,000 points for a $24 protector that has a low rating in your store?! So thousands of dollars in return for something 99% of people wont use? Come on guys, so selfish.
So if I have 9000 points would the Prime Ape subscription be about 12 days?
This is such a cool idea.. I've been accumulating banana points for years now and there's never been anything I could use them for. I'm stoked I can finally put them to use with some free shipping! Thanks guys for keeping us informed - I love Mighty Ape <3
Nice to see the pointlessness of Banana Points finally being acknowledged, and to see Mighty Ape adapting in response to feedback. Although I'm already a Primate, there's no question that a 15 day (+7=22?) extension from my expiry date next March is WAY more useful than an iPhone cover. Bravo!
While it’s good that we won’t lose points for nothing it is a bit sad that they are being retired. It seems like something that made mighty ape unique and could have been used to enhance the brand. Oh well ..
54,663 points, whoo nearly 80days on top of my subscription. Good use of the points - never felt there was much point to them.
6426 = 7 x 1 day primate or are you just going to force 1 day and "write off" the rest?
@T – You'll get 9 days of Primate (6426/700), plus a bonus 7 days. The remaining 126 Banana Points will be written off because it is less than 700.
Man what a rip off to your loyal customers, total cop out Mighty Ape.
Disappointed to say the least.
How can we use these to pay for same day delivery rather than just extend the membership length? Offering them to upgrade to same day delivery is of much greater value to me, how about anyone else?
Hi there
Can you please clarify from my account, when will my primates subscription expire and will my banana points kick in. Also how long will my banana points extend my primate subscription.
Thanks
Hi there
Can you please clarify from my account, when will my primates subscription expire and will my banana points kick in. Also how long will my banana points extend my primate subscription.
Thanks
It is very disappointing that this is the only offer being made for the points. I have been collecting them for years and only have enough for 26 days ... that is not long and feels like a waste of my time! I certainly have no intention of buying anything else at this stage.
You used to offer cool things in exchange for these points, now I see you have a screen protector for an ipad mini and thats it, what a joke.
Not sure if anyone else found this confusing but; can we chose when this starts from? I.e does it give us an option to chose what date it is effective from? And I’ve got a laybuy, will the conversion be able to be use on that when it is paid off? Thanks
Awww man, I was looking forward to another sweet mightyape lanyard. Oh well, I can respect this decision. Still a great store to order from!
Awww man, I was looking forward to another sweet mightyape lanyard. Oh well, I can respect this decision. Still a great store to order from!
I liked earning banana points though
What if I never wanted to use Primate and it doesn't benefit me in any way? How is my long term loyalty then rewarded? really disapointed was main reason i kept using this site.
Why not have monthly items with a cap of banana points that you can bid on or enter a pot for a chance at winning something worth while like mightyape vouchers or other cool stuff? Your banana points give you a percentage depending on how much you put in the pot
Banana points do have a monetary value as they are allocated based on amounts purchased via some formula. It would be great to exchange banana points for something such as a discount on the item or delivery, a gift voucher or buying items. doesnt feel good just to lose them.