Updated July 30, 2026 with results from a Tradiespace member poll.
📊 UPDATE: Tradiespace Members Have Voted On The New Bunnings PowerPass Pro Rewards
Since this story was published, we asked our members: “What’s Your Thoughts? The New Bunnings PowerPass: Better or Worse?” Here’s what tradespeople think of the new Bunnings Powerpass Pro Rewards:
A total of 54 tradies responded between July 23 and July 28:
👎 Nope – 39 votes (72%)
🤷 Too early to tell – 8 votes (15%)
👍 Yep – 7 votes (13%)
While the wider discussion across Reddit and Instagram has been divided, the result among participating Tradiespace members was much clearer. Nearly three in four respondents selected “Nope”, while just 13% selected “Yep”. Eleven members also left written comments, with the most common criticism being the loss of an immediate discount in favour of rewards earned later.
💬 “I’m sick of rewards programs. Just give me a discount.”
Another respondent said small businesses need their discounts “on the day”, while another argued that even if the eventual saving was the same, “$100 now is worth more than $100 in 12 months.”
Several members were concerned that sole traders and smaller businesses would struggle to reach the spending thresholds, particularly when their material purchases vary or clients sometimes supply materials themselves.
One respondent wrote:
💬 “Getting something is better than nothing. Small tradies will lose out. Need to spend minimum $40 per week all year to get minimal reward.”
Other comments argued that the new system appeared more valuable to Bunnings or businesses with large and consistent spending than it did to smaller operators. One member called for both programs to remain available forever so tradies could choose the option that best suited their business.
This was a voluntary reader poll and should be viewed as a snapshot of sentiment among the Tradiespace members who chose to respond, rather than a representative survey of every Australian tradie. The question was also broad and did not ask respondents to compare the specific financial outcomes of the two programs.
📋 What’s Changed?
PowerPass Pro replaces the traditional PowerPass discount with a rewards-based system. Instead of receiving discounts on eligible purchases at the checkout, members earn Pro Rewards Dollars once they hit spending milestones, while higher annual spend unlocks tiered perks including fuel discounts, milestone gifts and Qantas Points.
Existing PowerPass members can choose whether to switch, while the Classic program remains available for now.
💬 “Don’t Call It an Upgrade”
The biggest criticism wasn’t actually the rewards themselves. It was the word “upgrade.” Comment after comment questioned Bunnings’ decision to market the new program that way, with several Reddit users arguing that replacing an instant discount with rewards earned later didn’t feel like an improvement for their business.
One commenter described it as “gaslighting by Bunnings”, while another said calling it an upgrade was “disingenuous.” For many tradies in the thread, it wasn’t whether rewards could be valuable – it was the feeling that they were losing something they already had.
💰 It’s Great… If You “Spend Enough”
Supporters of the program generally described themselves as businesses already spending thousands of dollars every month at Bunnings. One user, who said they spend around $2,000 a week, wrote they were “not worried about thresholds” and would “rather earn points than nothing at all.”
Others argued the old PowerPass discount had already become inconsistent across different products, so earning rewards on almost everything actually made more sense for them. Critics saw the exact same feature completely differently. Several argued the spending thresholds simply move the rewards further out of reach for sole traders and smaller businesses.
One comment that kept getting referenced summed up that frustration:
“it will more likely will result in receiving far less, or even NO BENEFITS, given the absurdly high spend thresholds ($2000 p.a. to achieve the first $100 reward and $1000 thereafter for a $50 reward) and short time frames to achieve them, ie. 12 months. Only spent $1999 in 12 months … “Sorry sir, no cigar. Nothing for you. Reset back to $0. Try again next year … but thanks for your loyalty anyway!” … Do I at least get a free snag? Nope. Nada.”
Others questioned whether store credit could ever replace money saved immediately at the register.
🛒 Is This About Loyalty… Or Wallet Share?
One of the most interesting parts of the discussion had little to do with discounts. A number of Reddit users believed the program is designed to encourage tradies to buy more categories from Bunnings not just timber and tools, but BBQs, whitegoods, pet supplies and anything else that counts towards annual spend.
The most upvoted comment in the thread claimed an unverified comment that bunnings staff training included the line: “We have a large share of customers but not a large share of their wallets.”
Other commenters echoed that view, arguing the new rewards model is about encouraging customers to consolidate more of their spending with Bunnings. Others pushed back, saying that’s exactly what loyalty programs are supposed to do.
📱 Pink_Tradie_Ladie Asks “How Does This Actually Help Tradies?”
The discussion isn’t just happening on Reddit. An Instagram video from pink_tradie_ladie has also attracted plenty of attention, with the creator questioning how the new program actually benefits tradies.
In the video, she asks how rewards like Qantas Points and fuel discounts better support tradespeople than receiving lower material costs at the register, arguing that ongoing savings on everyday purchases are more valuable to many businesses than perks earned over time.
Bunnings Trade responded directly in the comments, writing: “There are no immediate changes to our existing PowerPass offer, and customers who want to keep receiving their average 5% discount can continue to do so while the existing offer remains available.”
That response mirrors what several tradespeople have pointed out that existing customers can currently remain on the Classic PowerPass program if they choose. However, many tradies also questioned how long the existing program would remain available, while others said they’d simply wait and see before deciding whether to switch.
🤷 There’s No Clear Consensus
Despite the heated debate, there wasn’t one clear opinion. High-spending tradies largely argued the program could leave them better off, while many smaller operators questioned whether they’d ever see enough value to justify switching. For now, one thing is certain PowerPass Pro has struck a nerve, and tradies aren’t short on opinions about where Bunnings is heading next.
Quotes in this article are taken from a public Reddit and Instagram discussions and reflect the views of individual commenters. These comments do not reflect the views of Tradiespace. Claims about Bunnings staff training are unverified and have not been confirmed by Bunnings.
