Coles" Flybuys program lures online shopping giants including eBay and Apple Online shopping powerhouse eBay is joining forces with Coles" flybuys program, allowing customers to collect points when they spend online. SUPERMARKET giant Coles is using its loyalty program flybuys to springboard into the global retail market. eBay and Apple are among more than a dozen retailers joining forces with the company's existing loyalty program, allowing consumers to earn more points when shopping online. The move by Coles is a major salvo in the grocery war with Woolworths and bound to boost its membership base beyond its existing 10 million members. Wolworths" Everyday Rewards scheme has eight million members. RELATED: Five best online sites to buy Christmas goodies Friends in high places ... The landmark deal with huge international retailers is expected to grow the number of Flybuys members. The Flybuys eShops will officially launch tomorrow. For every 2000 flybuys points collected, members can opt to receive a $10 Coles shopping voucher. Coles" digital director Roger Sniezek said the expansion is unprecedented in Australia. "It allows customers to earn rewards in more places where they are shopping,"" he said. That allows them to get more points and get discounts when shopping at Coles ... it might also create a preference for some of those sites and drive frequency. New alliances ... Shopping giant Coles goes worldwide with its rewards program Flybuys. Mr Sniezek said the launch of the flybuys eShops was deliberately rolled out to coincide with the final four weeks leading into Christmas - the busiest shopping time of the year. The new gateway allows members to collect one point for every dollar spent at aligned retailers. Shopping brands including Interflora, L'Occitane, Sunglass Hut, Oakley, Hard Yakka and Red Balloon are also joining forces with Flybuys. But Flybuys customers will be subject to terms and conditions, including a cap on major spends. Consumer group Choice's spokesman Tom Godfrey said customers should realise rewards programs can be a "marketing trick" to lure them to spend more. "The most important thing is to not get swept up in the hype of rewards and focus on where the best deal is,"" he said. "Our research has shown that you can spend a great deal of time and money chasing rewards points and in actual fact you would have been better off seeking out the best deal of the day."" The move by Coles is similar to the UK's largest loyalty scheme Nectar, an independent website which allows more than 19 million members to collect points by shopping across various sites. Not just for shopping in stores ... Flybuy points will now be available to customers at a range of big-name retailers online. Financial services firm Canstar's research analyst Adam Beu said reward points scheme could be useful if the customer makes purchases they would have made regardless of whether they could collect points. "The perfect rewards point scenario is when you're rewarded for buying something that you would have purchased anyway, at that price, from that supplier,"" he said. Originally published as Huge new boost for your Flybuys