Save at the grocery store: the best combinations of rewards programs and credit cards | Milesopedia
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Save at the grocery store: the best combinations of rewards programs and credit cards

To the point Start double dipping by redeeming points from top grocery and credit card rewards programs to pay your bill.

Mixing the use of grocery rewards programs WITH credit card rewards is a great way to save money.

Use Reward Points to pay for groceries

The trick is to use a grocery store’s rewards program and pair it with your payment method to double dip!

At Maxi

  Earning rate Redeem
PC Optimum Depending on the weekly personalized offers, the offers from the flyer and the selected products

1,000 points = $1 off your bill at checkout

Exchangeable at any time

Offers may include a discount to the member or giving extra points for a certain minimum spend.

PC Optimum offres

By properly organizing your purchases at Maxi with their flyer specials and weekly app offers, you can earn rewards faster.

Here, I got 42,800 points (or $42.80) on a bill of $159.18, including taxes. The next time I go to the checkout counter at Maxi, I will be able to get $42 off from my grocery bill.

But the best trick is to wait for theBonus Redemption Eventdays at Shoppers Drug Mart, where the exchange value is increased.

PC Optimum transaction

Then the trick is to pay with a credit card that has a high multiplier for grocery purchases.

Maxi only accepts Visa and Mastercard cards. So, the best credit cards to use at Maxi are :

  Grocery Store earning Best for Eligibility Requirements
National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard® 5 points/$1 purchase Save on travel expenses Minimum $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income
BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5 % Cash Back Cash back $$ Minimum $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back Cash back $$ Minimum of $15,000 in annual income

The World Elite Mastercard PC card gives you 30 points for every dollar you spend at Maxi. I would have earned 4,775 points, a value of $4.77.

However, much more can be achieved by using :

Card Points and value
National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard® 796 NBC Rewards points (value of approximately $7)
BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* $ 7.96 cash back

At IGA

Currently, the loyalty program linked to IGA is AIR MILES. However, in Quebec, it will change at the beginning of 2023, to Scene+ .

  Earning rate Redeem
AIR MILES (until early 2023) 1 mile/$20 purchase

95 miles = $10 off the bill

Redeemable at any time at the cashier

Scene+ (from early 2023) Depending on the weekly personalized offers, the offers from the flyer and the selected products

1,000 points = $10 off your bill

Redeemable at any time at the cashier (when the Scene+ program is in effect)

Right now, a credit card linked to the AIR MILES program allows for a double shot of miles. The best are the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®* and the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*.

IGA partenaire

However, much more can be achieved by using :

  Grocery Store earning Best for
National Bank World Elite Mastercard: 5 points/$1 purchase Save on travel expenses
BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5 % Cash Back Cash back $$

It should be noted that IGA stores are increasingly accepting American Express cards through the upcoming Scene program. Then there is the Voilà online grocery store by IGA that accepts American Express cards.

Grocery Store earning Best for Eligibility requirement
American Express Cobalt® Card 5 points/$1 purchase

Credit to account $$

1,000 points = $10

and/or

Transfer to air and hotel programs for travel

No minimum income required to obtain the card
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card 6 points/$1 purchase at IGA, Voilà, Rachelle-Béry, Les Marchés Tradition, etc.

Credit to account $

1,000 points = $10

or

In-store redemption 1,000 points = $10 off the bill (Early 2023)

No minimum income required to obtain the card

The latter is particularly attractive because the redemption rate is 1,000 points for $10 off the bill. It’s exactly the same as the Cobalt, but the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card earns 1 extra point for every dollar spent.

At Metro

Metro’s metro&me program earns 1 point per dollar spent. Each week, we have to download our personalized offers on the mobile application.

  Earning rate Redeem
metro&me 1 point/$1 purchase

Every three months

Receipt of a reward check (minimum of 500 points)

125 points = $1 off at checkout

Starting in the spring of 2023, the metro&me program will change to the MOI program. We don’t know yet the earning value, nor the modalities of the cash back. This article will be updated when we know.

metro et moi points

Metro supermarkets accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

So you have a choice:

  Grocery Store earning Best for Eligibility requirement
National Bank World Elite Mastercard 5 points/$1 purchase Save on travel expenses Minimum $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income
American Express Cobalt® Card 5 points/$1 purchase

Credit to account $$

1,000 points = $10

and/or

Transfer to air and hotel programs for travel

No minimum income required to obtain the card
BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5 % Cash Back Cash back $$ Minimum $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back Cash back $$ Minimum of $15,000 in annual income

Here is an example of how to earn points for the American Express Cobalt® Card. You’ll notice that the points are multiplied by 5, for the purchases at Metro (and other supermarkets).

mia bda

At Costco

Costco has an annual cash back program, through the Executive membership card only.

  Earning rate Redeem
Executive Membership Card 2% on every purchase made during the year in the warehouse, on Costco.ca, Costco Travel, etc.

Once a year ($1,000 maximum)

Cash back cheque to be redeemed in the warehouse only

Costco remise exécutif

Costco is in a completely different category. It is classified as a “Warehouse” and not a “Grocery Store”. Then it has no additional multiplier and will be considered as an expense in the Other category.

Costco warehouses only accept Mastercard. Their CIBC Costco Mastercard offers 1% cash back on in-store purchases and 2% cash back on costco.ca purchases.

In addition, an Executive Membership Card with a 2% cash back allows you to get a little more with the following credit cards:

  Grocery Store earning Best for Eligibility and welcome offer
HSBC World Elite® Mastercard® 1% (2 points/$1 purchase) Travel Expenses Minimum $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income
BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 1% cash back Cash back $$

Minimum of $80,000 in annual personal income or $150,000 in family income

Up to 10% in the first three months with the welcome offer

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card 0.5% cash back Cash back $$

Minimum of $12,000 in annual income

Receive an additional 15% discount with their welcome offer

When you are comfortable with this technique, take it to the next level by using the trick ofusing a Visa credit card at Costco, indirectly.

Bottom Line

Rising grocery store prices can hurt the budget, but there are ways to lessen that impact.

Above all, it is very important to pay your credit card balances in full every month! Otherwise, all your savings will be eaten up by interest charges.

Once you’ve used this double dip trick, take it to the next level with the trick of buying grocery store gift cards for your other expenses.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!

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