If you shop at the Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, or other Loblaw banner stores, then you may have heard about the PC Optimum Rewards program they offer.
Before I get into the exciting part about how to earn PC Optimum Points quickly, first a quick run down of the program:
About the PC Optimum Rewards Program:
It is free to sign up for a PC Optimum account.
You can earn points at participating Loblaw stores using your PC optimum card or app.
Earn 15 points per $1.00 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Earn 10 points per litre at Esso and Mobil stations across Canada.
Earn points at Superstore, Loblaws, Zehrs, No Frills and other Loblaw grocery stores by collecting points from personal digital offers found in the app and/or in-store offers. (can be found in the flyers.)
Redeem 10,000 points for $10 worth of goods at any Loblaw store.
Redemptions are in increments of 10,000 points i.e. $10, $20, $30, and so on. You can redeem up to a maximum of 500,000 points or $500 in a single transaction.
How to Earn PC Optimum Points Quickly
It’s easy to earn and redeem PC Optimum points. That’s why PC Optimum is one of the most popular loyalty programs in Canada.
But I have several tips for you today that will help you to maximize the amount of points you earn each shopping trip.
1. Take Advantage of Weekly Personalized Offers
When you sign up for PC Optimum, they will send you weekly emails with personalized offers that usually reflect your buying habits. Making them personalized to you.
For example, this week, one of my personalized offers is 200 points for every $1.00 spent on strawberries. Most weeks, I buy strawberries. So I will automatically get the points when I scan my PC Optimum card or app at the checkout. You will also receive points even if you do grocery pick-up with PC Express.
New weekly personalized offers go live every Thursday at 12 am and are valid through Wednesday of the following week.
2. Save your Personalized offers for next week
Since the personalized offers change on a weekly basis, you may find some offers don’t work for you on a particular week. (Because you just bought that item or you are away, for example.) If you know you will need that particular item next week when you shop, it’s possible to save up to 4 offers for the following week.
For example, I have an offer for 600 points for every $3 spent on PC frozen fruit. I don’t need any frozen fruit this week, but since we eat a lot of smoothies, I will save this offer for next week, when we will need more.
It could also be advantageous to save offers so you can wait for a sale. It’s great when you can grab something on sale AND collect points at the same time! I believe you can save the same offer more than once.
3. Choose ‘Don’t Show Again’
Alternatively, sometimes you know an offer just won’t work for you, ever. Instead of saving this offer for another week, you can choose ‘Don’t Show Again’ and this offer will be dismissed.
This is a great way to tailor your personalized offers so that when the offers refresh on Thursday, they will be even more applicable to how you normally grocery shop.
4. Check the Weekly Flyers for in-Store offers
Take a look in your flyers and you are sure to spot some points offers that say something along the lines of ‘Buy 2 (insert participating product), get 1,500 PC Optimum Points’. I recently earned 1,600 points because I bought a rotisserie chicken. (The offer was 1,600 points for every $8 spent on hot or chilled ready-to-go meals.)
You may also see bonus offers like: Get 8,000 Bonus PC Optimum Points when you spend $40 or more on these participating brands. (insert participating brands.) These are excellent. Keep in mind that you can also use coupons (if applicable) so you can get a lot of products and a lot of points with these bonus offers!
5. Check the app for Bonus Points Events
This week, I see in the app that I have a points offer for 20,000 points when I spend $60 or more on almost anything in-store at Shoppers Drug Mart.
So definitely take a look in the app before you go shopping!
6. Join PC Optimum Insiders
Signing up for a PC Optimum account is free. However, they also offer a subscription called PC Optimum Insiders. This does have an annual fee of $119.
I have heard from several people who are PC Insiders that they make back in points what they pay annually quite quickly. The PC Optimum Insiders subscription is really beneficial if you often buy President’s Choice products or use PC Express grocery pick up.
Free PC Express™ grocery pickup with priority time slots. This is a saving of $3 to $5 per pickup.
Free shipping, with no minimum purchase from joefresh.com and shoppersdrugmart.ca
10% back on all JOE FRESH products
5% back in points on PC Travel bookings, including car rentals, hotel bookings, flights and vacation packages
7. Use a PC Financial Mastercard
If you are a credit card user (sometimes they can be beneficial!) and mostly shop at Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, etc., then a PC Financial Mastercard may be a good option for you! There are three different cards available:
PC Financial Mastercard: Earn 25 PC Optimum points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart and 10 points per $1 spent at PC grocery stores. Also earn 10 points on all other purchases. This card has no income requirements.
PC Financial World Mastercard: Earn 35 PC Optimum points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart and 20 points per $1 spent at PC grocery stores. This card has a $60,000 minimum annual personal income requirement.
PC Financial World Elite Mastercard: Earn 45 PC Optimum points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart and 30 points per $1 spent at PC grocery stores. To be eligible, you must meet the $80,000 minimum personal income requirement.
For all the details, be sure to talk with an advisor at a PC Financial institution.
8. Buy Gas at Mobil and Esso
Earn even more points by fueling up at Esso and Mobil gas stations! You will earn 10 PC Optimum points per litre as a PC Optimum member and at least 30 points per litre when you pay using a PC Financial Mastercard.
Take Note:
Points cannot be earned or redeemed on gift cards according to their terms & conditions, section 7.
As you can see, the PC Optimum program is great. Especially if you do the majority of your shopping at Loblaw banner stores and Shoppers Drug Mart. It’s fun to accumulate points and then redeem them to pay for an entire shopping trip! Sometimes I like to redeem some when I’m purchasing a new sweater or kitchen appliance, for example. It’s like getting those ‘wants’ for free!
You may also love my How to Coupon in Canada Series:
I USED to absolutely love their points program. I am very well versed (fluent? lol) in couponing, saving money and maximizing points programs. When the PC points program first started it was hands down the best program out there. Easy to collect, the points were meaningful and offers were relevant. Even with the “don’t show me this again” option, I still get at least 2 useless offers. I find that once they tied it in with their financial products, it was pared back to obscurity UNLESS you used their financial products. I long for the “old days” lol…the only store that makes it worth it is SDM, but they don’t price match and their prices are at least 15% higher on almost all items (food AND sundries) that it’s not worth shopping there to collect 150pts here and there. BTW – I love your site and subscribe to your email newsletters. Great job!
i have been going to Fortinos for years presenting my P C Optimum card and do not receive any points. I was told at the customer counter I had to down load an app. It was my understanding that Fortinos offers points on groceries purchased. I do not download any apps. If I am not getting any points then what is the use of me presenting my PC Optimum card? At Shopers and Esso I receive points everytime.
At Shoppers you earn points for EVERY dollar spent. They have great 2 sale prices on weekends. On dairy, TP, laundry soap, vitamins etc.
I wait until they have “20X the points” and then I stock up and earn a ton of points.
Also in Alberta RCSS Liquor Store has weekly offers to earn points and you can redeem point there as well. 😎
You can earn points for bringing your own bags at Valu-mart, YIG and No-Frills that I know of but Shoppers does not for sure. Sorry, I don’t know how many points you get. However, we always have to ask for them – most cashiers are unfamiliar with this and have to be given an extra nudge (ie ask another cashier who knows). The cashier needs to swipe a white “dummy” like credit card two times which then shows on your receipt as 49-Other ~ PC GRN PC POINTS .02 and PC POINTS -.02 I can send you a picture of it on my receipt but don’t see where to do it.
I USED to absolutely love their points program. I am very well versed (fluent? lol) in couponing, saving money and maximizing points programs. When the PC points program first started it was hands down the best program out there. Easy to collect, the points were meaningful and offers were relevant. Even with the “don’t show me this again” option, I still get at least 2 useless offers. I find that once they tied it in with their financial products, it was pared back to obscurity UNLESS you used their financial products. I long for the “old days” lol…the only store that makes it worth it is SDM, but they don’t price match and their prices are at least 15% higher on almost all items (food AND sundries) that it’s not worth shopping there to collect 150pts here and there. BTW – I love your site and subscribe to your email newsletters. Great job!
PC Travel is no more as of July/23.
Can I earn points if I use my PC MasterCard to buy gift cards for retail stores or a VISA or MasterCard gift card to give away as a gifts?
Just so the above poster knows you get 10 points per your own bag up to 20 points. So it’s only 1 or 2 cents. So, if you miss out, its no big deal.
i have been going to Fortinos for years presenting my P C Optimum card and do not receive any points. I was told at the customer counter I had to down load an app. It was my understanding that Fortinos offers points on groceries purchased. I do not download any apps. If I am not getting any points then what is the use of me presenting my PC Optimum card? At Shopers and Esso I receive points everytime.
You get points on the PC health app. I use it every day for walking programs
At Shoppers you earn points for EVERY dollar spent. They have great 2 sale prices on weekends. On dairy, TP, laundry soap, vitamins etc.
I wait until they have “20X the points” and then I stock up and earn a ton of points.
Also in Alberta RCSS Liquor Store has weekly offers to earn points and you can redeem point there as well. 😎
Sorry, that should say “great 2 day sales on the weekend”
You can earn points for bringing your own bags at Valu-mart, YIG and No-Frills that I know of but Shoppers does not for sure. Sorry, I don’t know how many points you get. However, we always have to ask for them – most cashiers are unfamiliar with this and have to be given an extra nudge (ie ask another cashier who knows). The cashier needs to swipe a white “dummy” like credit card two times which then shows on your receipt as 49-Other ~ PC GRN PC POINTS .02 and PC POINTS -.02 I can send you a picture of it on my receipt but don’t see where to do it.