When you shop at any major grocery store, you\u2019ll likely be asked if you\u2019re a loyalty member at checkout. If so, you scan your membership and collect points, which can later be redeemed for free groceries and merchandise. Sounds simple, but like any loyalty program, it\u2019s never that easy.<\/p>\n
With grocery loyalty programs, there are typically three ways to earn points: on every purchase, on the dollar amount you spend with a minimum threshold, or through personalized or weekly offers. That means you could be shopping at the same store for years and not get anything meaningful in return, given how the program awards points.<\/p>\n
To earn more points, many grocery loyalty programs now have co-branded credit cards. These cards can be highly lucrative since you\u2019ll be able to rack up the rewards quicker, but the return you get from those cards may not be better than what you\u2019d get from traditional cards that have high earning rates at grocery stores or offer strong cash back, such as the American Express Cobalt Card, Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard and Wealthsimple credit card.<\/p>\n
Ranking Canada\u2019s best bank loyalty programs \u2013 and No. 1 is in a league of its own<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been covering credit cards and loyalty programs for more than a decade and have followed their evolution from basic rewards into full-fledged loyalty coalitions. To rank the programs, I factored in the value of points, how many banner stores they have, non-grocery-store partners, co-branded credit card offerings and what you can redeem your points for.<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, national grocery chains that have established their loyalty programs through larger coalitions rank higher than stores with only a regional presence. <\/p>\n If two grocery stores are an equal distance from where you live, it might make sense to switch where you shop based on the points you can earn. However, in the end, choosing the store that has the lowest prices will likely save you the most money, regardless of what points you can earn.<\/p>\n Longo\u2019s is a specialty grocery store that\u2019s mostly found in the Greater Toronto Area<\/a>. Its loyalty program, Thank You Rewards, is as basic as it gets. You earn 10 points for every $25<\/a> you spend each week, plus extra points from weekly app offers.<\/p>\n Once you hit 2,000 points, you can redeem them for $10 off groceries. That means you\u2019d need to spend $5,000 at the base rate just to get any savings. Even with bonus offers, the value isn\u2019t great.<\/p>\n Longo\u2019s has member pricing on select items each week, so you should join to ensure you\u2019re getting the lowest advertised prices.<\/p>\n The program falls short because there\u2019s no co\u2011branded credit card to help you earn points faster. <\/p>\n In Ontario, Metro shoppers earn one point for every three dollars<\/a> spent. But in Quebec and New Brunswick, it jumps to one point per dollar. Jean Coutu store purchases also earn you one point per dollar in all three provinces.<\/p>\n No matter where you live, you won\u2019t earn points at Food Basics, Super C or Premi\u00e8re Moisson. However, all stores allow you to earn bonus points through targeted and in\u2011store offers. <\/p>\n For shoppers in Quebec or New Brunswick, Moi Rewards becomes more valuable if you bank with RBC. The Moi RBC Visa earns you one point per dollar spent everywhere, which stacks with the base earn-rate at Metro and Jean Coutu. <\/p>\n That means you\u2019re earning two points per dollar in Quebec and New Brunswick, or 1.33 points per dollar at participating stores in Ontario.<\/p>\n Alternatively, if you link an eligible RBC debit or credit card<\/a>, you\u2019ll earn one extra point for every two dollars<\/a> spent as long as you hit the minimum purchase of $60 at Metro, Food Basics and Super C; $40 at Jean Coutu and Brunet; and $10 at Premi\u00e8re Moisson.<\/p>\n To redeem your points in all three provinces, you need 125 points to get one dollar off<\/a>. <\/p>\n Even though Moi Rewards has a credit card that earns you points on every purchase, the overall value isn\u2019t great. However, if you shop for groceries at Metro or Jean Coutu, you should definitely be collecting points.<\/p>\n More Rewards is popular in Alberta and British Columbia since you can earn points<\/a> on groceries, pharmacy, vehicles, travel, pizza and more. It ranks a bit higher than Moi simply because it has so many partners where you can earn and redeem your points.<\/p>\n The base earn rate is one More Rewards point per dollar<\/a> spent, with weekly and personalized offers that can boost your total. <\/p>\n To boost your earning rate, you can get the More Rewards RBC Visa Infinite card<\/a>, which gives you eight points per dollar at More Rewards partner locations, gas stations and restaurants. All other purchases earn four points per dollar.<\/p>\n However, the card requires a personal income of $60,000. If you don\u2019t meet that requirement, the regular More Rewards RBC Visa is available, but its earn rates are lower.<\/p>\n When it\u2019s time to redeem, 10,000 points get you $15 off your grocery bill<\/a>, which sounds great, but the earning rate is still weak even with a co-branded credit card. Interestingly enough, if you redeem your points through More Rewards Travel, your points can be worth about three times more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Costco doesn\u2019t have a traditional loyalty program, but the Executive Membership is worth mentioning. It costs $130 per year<\/a> and gives you 2-per-cent cash back<\/a> on Costco purchases.<\/p>\n Since a regular membership costs $65 a year, the break-even point for upgrading is $3,250 per year. However, if your yearly cash back doesn\u2019t exceed the $65 difference, Costco will refund the shortfall<\/a>, so there\u2019s no real risk. <\/p>\n Pairing it with the CIBC Costco Mastercard<\/a> gives you an even higher return. You earn an additional 1-per-cent cash back at Costco warehouses and 2 per cent at Costco.ca, bringing your total to 3 per cent in\u2011store and 4 per cent online.<\/p>\n We\u2019re down to the top two, and it\u2019s no surprise that the national grocery loyalty programs take the lead. At this stage, it\u2019s less about which one you choose and more about understanding how each program works so you can maximize your rewards.<\/p>\n PC Optimum is hugely popular because you can earn points<\/a> at Loblaws\u2011owned grocery stores, Shoppers Drug Mart and Esso gas stations. Normally, you earn points through in\u2011store and personalized offers, but adding a PC Financial credit card boosts your earning rate significantly, and there are multiple cards to choose from.<\/p>\n The PC Financial World Elite Mastercard<\/a> has no annual fee and gives you 3 per cent back in points when shopping at Loblaws-owned grocery stores, 4.5 per cent at Shoppers Drug Mart\/Pharmaprix, 3 cents in points per litre at Esso\/Mobil gas stations and 1 per cent on all other purchases. <\/p>\n You can also upgrade to the PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard<\/a> for $120 a year. It boosts your points earning rate to 4 per cent at Loblaws-owned grocery stores, 5 per cent at Shoppers, up to 7 cents per litre in points at Esso\/Mobil and 1 per cent everywhere else.<\/p>\n On top of that, you get an extra 2 per cent back and free PC Express delivery and pickup on $30-plus orders.<\/p>\n Both cards require you to have a $80,000 personal income or $150,000 household income to qualify. Lower\u2011tier cards are available with easier approval, but the earn rates are lower too.<\/p>\n Redemptions are where PC Optimum really shines. At Loblaws grocery stores, 10,000 points get you $10 off<\/a>, which is solid, but partner redemptions can deliver even more.<\/p>\n For instance, an Esso car wash \u2013 worth up to $22 \u2013 costs 10,000 points<\/a>, effectively doubling the value of your points. If you wait for a Shoppers Drug Mart bonus redemption event<\/a>, the return gets even sweeter. A recent promo let members redeem 200,000 points for $300, giving you an extra $100 in value, which is a 50-per-cent boost.<\/p>\n From a pure value standpoint, PC Optimum ranks first. But it\u2019s still not my personal top pick for grocery loyalty programs.<\/p>\n Scene+ ranks number one for me in the grocery loyalty space because of its diverse network of partners<\/a>, strong credit card lineup and flexible points. <\/p>\n