Discovery Vitality Money Lifts Will Storage Rate by 37%

In Short

Discovery says its Vitality Money rewards programme is linked to a 37% higher Will completion and secure storage rate. The insurer also says checks on returned Wills found signing errors in 18% of cases.

What Happened

Discovery Limited said clients using Vitality Money complete and return their Wills for secure storage at a higher rate than clients who are not on the programme. The company’s data shows a 37% uplift in Will completion and storage.

The incentive is simple. Clients earn 10,000 Vitality Money points when they draft a Will through Discovery Wills and Trust Services and return a correctly signed document for secure storage. “Secure storage” here means the original Will is kept in a controlled facility so it can be found when needed, instead of being lost, damaged, or misplaced.

Discovery says the gap is still large for people without the rewards programme. It reported that 6 in 10 of those clients do not return the signed Will for storage. Discovery also said 95% of clients who do complete the process choose to store their Will with the company.

There is also a quality angle. Discovery said its checks found signing errors in 18% of Wills returned for storage. That matters because a Will that is not signed correctly can be treated as invalid under South Africa’s Wills Act.

Discovery also shared demographic data that suggests estate planning is not limited to older or high net worth customers. It said 1 in 3 Vitality Money clients who completed the Will process are 35 or younger, and around half of clients have estate values below R2.5 million.

The company said that after introducing behavioural incentives and adding more acquisition channels, it saw 360% year-on-year growth in clients completing and storing Wills.

Why It Matters

South African banks and insurers keep trying to bundle more financial tasks into one customer journey. Discovery’s update shows how rewards can push customers to finish paperwork they already started.

For startups in digital legal services and document management, the numbers are a reminder that completion rates are often the biggest bottleneck. Better onboarding, clear signing guidance, and secure storage options can be as important as drafting tools.

For consumers, the key takeaway is practical. Drafting a Will is not the same as having a valid, findable Will. The last steps, correct signing and safe storage, are where many people still drop off.