Your money

Updated 16 September 2026

Do concession and seniors cards give you a supermarket discount?

The major supermarkets do not offer a checkout discount for Concession or Seniors cards. Here is where they actually save you money.

No. Coles and Woolworths do not offer a general checkout discount for Pension Concession Card or Health Care Card holders. There is no automatic "concession discount" applied to your bill at the major supermarkets.

But your card does save you money on groceries, just not the way you might expect.

Why the supermarkets don't offer a direct discount

The big chains (Coles and Woolworths) have decided not to run a checkout discount for cardholders. That discount does not exist, and waiting for it to appear at the register will not help your budget.

What you need to know instead is where concession and seniors cards DO deliver real savings, and how to make the most of them.

Where your card actually saves you money

Your card is most valuable outside the supermarket checkout. The savings add up quickly:

• PBS prescriptions: significantly cheaper medicines. This is one of the biggest savings most cardholders miss.
• Utilities and energy: rebates on electricity, gas, and water bills. Money freed up for food is money you can spend on food.
• Council rates and land tax: concessions vary by council and state, but they reduce your fixed costs.
• Public transport: cheaper fares on buses, trains, and trams. Less spent on travel means more for groceries.

Every dollar saved on these essentials stays in your pocket for the supermarket. That is direct grocery money.

What about seniors card discounts at the shops?

If you hold a state or territory Seniors Card (separate from a Health Care Card), you may qualify for discounts through partner retailers. This varies by state and changes regularly as partners are added and removed.

Nothing is automatic. You must ask. Present your card at the retailer and ask, "Do you offer a seniors discount?" If they do, you will be told the rate on the spot.

Seniors Card discounts are NOT usually available on groceries at the major supermarkets, but some other retailers (pharmacies, fuel stations, dining) participate. Check your state's Seniors Card website for the full partner list.

Gift card discounts: a real option in some states

Some state seniors programs offer discounted supermarket gift cards. Availability and rates vary and change over time:

• NSW and Victoria: some seniors programs have offered around 5% off Woolworths WISH gift cards.
• Queensland: the Senior Shopper program has offered discounts on supermarket gift cards, including around 4% off Coles gift cards.
• Other states: check your state or territory seniors program website for current offers.

These discounts change and are not guaranteed every year. Always check your state program's website before planning to use them, and ask staff about the current rate.

How to cut your actual supermarket bill

Since the major supermarkets do not offer a card discount, the way to save is to find the cheapest product price at each store and buy smartly.

Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and Harris Farm Markets all price differently. A tin of tomatoes might be cheaper at Aldi, but the milk is better value at Coles that week. Shopping around between stores is how you build a lower bill, not discounts applied at the register.

Pinch tracks prices for 74,000+ products across all four retailers, updated weekly with up to 52 weeks of history. You can see exactly where each item is cheapest today, and whether the price has dropped since last month.

Start with the lowest shelf price, and any gift card discount stacks on top. That is how you build real savings.