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When it comes to using reward points to save money, it can be very attractive to look towards bigger ticket items like a free flight or spending the night in a luxury hotel.
And while we here at Milesopedia are obviously big fans of travelling for cheap or free (who wouldn’t be, right?), we also think it’s super worthwhile getting to know the programs that can help save you money on your day-to-day expenses.
In this article, we’re going to look at two such programs, PC Optimum and Scotiabank’s Scene+, to see how they compare in terms of earning, redeeming, and benefits.
Scotiabank’s Scene+ and PC Optimum are both easy-to-access rewards programs that can help you save money on day-to-day expenses like groceries, dining, and more.
In our comparison, we’ll look at the following three areas to help determine which program is better and why:
Both the Scene+ and PC Optimum program offer members a few different ways to earn points, so let’s see which one makes it easiest to fill up your account.
One of the great features of both the rewards programs in this comparison is that they are free to join and members can earn points without needing a credit card.
Both Scene+ and PC Optimum let you earn points by scanning your membership card when you make purchases at participating merchants as follows:
Anyone can easily join Scene+ by signing up on the program’s website and adding their membership card to their virtual wallet or requesting a physical card.
Once you’re a member, you can earn Scene+ points when you shop at eligible merchants such as:
Through these options, you will typically earn between 1–5 Scene+ points per $1 spent.
Similarly to Scene+, individuals looking to earn PC Optimum points can get started by simply visiting the program’s website and signing up for a free membership.
They can then scan their membership card and earn points whenever they shop at the following merchants:
Through these avenues, you can earn up to 15 PC Optimum points per $1.
Scotiabank offers the following credit cards that earn Scene+ points on all their purchases:
As you can see, Scotiabank gives you the option of both Visa and American Express cards, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $599, plus the cards offer an impressive range of perks like no FX fees, free airport lounge access, and more.
Depending on which card you choose, you can earn between 1–6 Scene+ points per $1 spent, and this is in addition to the base rates that you already earn at eligible merchants.
PC Financial doesn’t offer quite as many credit cards for PC Optimum earners, but it does offer the following four:
Earning rates for these cards vary from 10 points per $1 spent all the way up to 50 points per $1 spent (including the base number of points you earn as a free member). This gives you a return of between 1-5% on every dollar you spend on these cards.
Additionally, all of these cards, with the exception of the PC Insiders™ World Elite® Mastercard® are available for no annual fee, making it incredibly easy to earn PC Optimum points at an elevated rate.
In addition to the above ways to earn, members of Scene+ and PC Optimum can earn points by watching for personalized offers and discounts in their respective accounts and by shopping during promotional events such as Scene+ Points Days and PC Optimum Moredays.
With Scene+, you can also earn by booking travel through Scene+ Travel, powered by Expedia.
Once you’ve got some points waiting in your account, you’re ready to redeem and save!
With PC Optimum, you can redeem your points for:
When using your points for free groceries, products at Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix, and Joe Fresh, or savings at the gas pump, you’ll get a redemption value of 10,000 PC Optimum points = $10 (or 0.1 cents each).
To maximize the value you get from your PC Optimum points, you can wait to redeem during a special redemption event like Shoppers Bonus Redemption Days, during which you can expect improved redemption rates.
Additionally, you can usually redeem 10,000 points for your choice of eligible car washes. Since these are often worth more than $10, you’ll enjoy a little bit more value for your points.
Finally, if you have a PC Financial credit card, you can redeem your PC Optimum points for a statement credit at a rate of 10,000 points = $7 (or 0.07 cents per point).
Comparatively, with the Scene+ program, you can redeem your points for the following:
With your Scene+, you can redeem 1,000 points for $10 off your eligible grocery, dining, or entertainment purchases at places like Sobeys, IGA, Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, Cineplex, and more.
You can also redeem your Scene+ points for gift cards at around 0.75 cents per point. For example, you could get a $100 Apple gift card for 13,400 points.
Similarly to PC Optimum points, Scene+ points can also be redeemed for statement credits to help you pay down your eligible credit card bill, starting at 3,000 points = $20 (or 0.67 cents per point).
Additionally, and most interestingly for anyone looking to travel the world or spend the night in a hotel, Scene+ points can be redeemed when you book travel through Scene+ by Expedia, or through the Points for Travel feature that lets you pay down eligible travel expenses made on your Scene+ credit card.
Both of the travel options give you a value of 1 cent = 1 Scene+ point, and help you cover costs like flights, hotels, Airbnbs, and more.
Thanks to the co-branded credit cards, both the Scene+ and PC Optimum programs offer members additional benefits beyond the ability to earn and redeem points.
The exact set of perks will depend on the which card you choose, and each co-branded credit card has a different offering based on its annual fee and intended audience. That said, you can expect to find some or all of the following with the Scene+ and PC Optimum credit cards:
With the cards earning Scene+ points, you may enjoy the following perks:
Comparatively, the PC Optimum-earning cards come with some or all of the following benefits:
In our head-to-head comparison of PC Optimum and Scene+, we looked at how each program lets you earn and redeem points and what additional benefits are on offer if you choose to hold one of the co-branded credit cards.
After looking at each of the categories and seeing Scene+ come out on top across the board, we have to say that Scotiabank’s Scene+ offers members more earning potential, more redemption avenues, and more benefits.
However, the great thing about these two programs is that you don’t need a credit card to save money as a member.
Since both Scene+ and PC Optimum are free to join, anyone looking to save on groceries, drug store items, and more can easily join these programs and enjoy their associated perks.
If we haven’t yet convinced you to join both programs, or if you need further help choosing a new rewards credit card, take a look at our other reviews, comparisons, and guides for further guidance:
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