Hey everyone,
July is around the corner and FNB has just dropped the new eBucks rules for 2026/27. There is a lot in there, so here is a plain-language breakdown of what actually matters.
The stuff everyone is talking about
- Virtual Card made simpler — the old split between in-store and online spend is gone. Now it is just one target: 80% of total monthly spend on your Virtual Card.
- Level 5 is easier to reach on paper — Premier drops from 10,000 to 9,500 points, Private Clients from 11,500 to 11,000, and Private Wealth from 13,500 to 13,000. Every level across all tiers dropped by 500 points, not just Level 5.
- Premier and Private Wealth customers now have 2,500 additional levelling points available to help hit those targets.
- New home loan perks — if you have an FNB bond you can now score move-in vouchers, welcome gifts, and milestone rewards at years 3, 6 and 9. There is also up to R30,000 in rewards if you take out a new home loan or switch your existing bond to FNB.
New partners and benefits
- Koodoo — a gaming and tech retailer joining from June 2026. You can earn and spend eBucks on PlayStation consoles, games and accessories, with up to 100% back on selected purchases.
- Golfers Club — earn 30% back in eBucks, and you can pay or part-pay in eBucks.
- Travel expanded — international airline coverage went from 4 to 10 carriers, and you can get up to 80% off domestic and international flights through FNB short-term insurance. The discount now applies to the full fare including surcharges and taxes.
- Aspire upgrades — device and appliance deals now extend to Aspire clients with up to 20% back, plus a 99c loaf of bread each week if you qualify.
- Islamic banking bonus — if you hold an Islamic Premier, Private Clients or Private Wealth account, you can pick up extra levelling points for maintaining balances above R30,000 (+1,000) or R50,000 (+2,000).
The thing nobody is talking about (but should be)
While the press coverage focused on points and levels, the real gut punch is the Smart Spend earn cuts. This is the general spend reward you get for hitting monthly spend targets, completely separate from partner earn.
Here is how the caps have changed at Level 5 with Virtual Card:
| Account | Old max | New max | Spend to hit it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier | R600 | R450 | R30,000 (up from R25,000) |
| Private Clients | R1,500 | R900 | R50,000 (up from R40,000) |
| Private Wealth | R3,000 | R2,000 | R100,000 (up from R75,000) |
So in every single tier you now need to spend more to earn less. For Private Clients that is a 40% cut. On Private Wealth you need to push spend from R75k to R100k just to get two-thirds of what you used to earn.
A few other smaller notes:
- FNB Travel Insurance now only covers medical and related costs, not baggage or missed flights.
- Device and appliance earn is still there but annual caps remain the same.
- Partner earn at Engen, Pick n Pay, Clicks and others is unchanged for now, so that side of the programme still works if you hit your level.
My take: If you are on FNB mainly for the Smart Spend return, the maths just got a lot worse. The partner earn still makes eBucks valuable for groceries and fuel, but the general spend reward is clearly being wound down.
Has anyone run the numbers on their own account? Curious to hear whether this changes your strategy or if you are looking at moving tiers or banks entirely.
Sources: FNB eBucks earn pages (Premier, Private Clients, Private Wealth), plus MyBroadband.