You can find everything at Walmart and by purchasing certain products in particular at this big box store, you can save money and earn even more reward points!
Grocery products
Just like any grocery store, when you browse through the weekly flyer at Walmart, the prices of certain food items can be lower than at competitors.
Personally, I live in a neighborhood where several large grocery stores (Maxi, Metro, IGA and Walmart) are within walking distance. So when I go shopping, I plan my list accordingly. This way, I can take advantage of many more discounted food items since the specials differ from one grocery store to another.
Finally, the house brand “Great Value” is worth considering; “Great Value” brand products cost less compared to house brand products from Maxi, Metro, Super C, and IGA grocery stores.
Moreover, it is not officially confirmed, but many of these home-made products are manufactured by big known companies!
For example, “Great Value” Greek yogurt would be made by Danone; a tub of homemade yogurt is about 30-40% cheaper.
If you tend to always buy the same baby and pet items regularly, Walmart has the Easy Reorder program that helps you save.
Set up delivery of your favorite and frequently purchased items, and you’ll receive them at intervals that suit you.
No need to subscribe, delivery is free from the second delivery and you manage your subscription as you want.
Drugs and pharmacy products
Prescription bills can add up quite high depending on your health condition. If you are covered by RAMQ, there may be a certain deductible to pay depending on your income.
If you have private drug insurance, always ask to pay the full bill and make the claim afterwards. Points will be earned free of charge with this avenue as your insurance will reimburse you the amount by check or direct deposit.
Then, to stock your pharmacy or to prepare your travel medicine kit, consider shopping at Walmart. Indeed, the prices are similar (or even lower) to neighborhood pharmacies.
These are expenses that can help us unlock a bonus or reach our point goal. Unlike neighborhood pharmacies, by purchasing your medications at Walmart, you’ll be able to earn 5X the points (with the gift card trick), every time, with the American Express Cobalt® Card!
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
$255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
The American Express Cobalt® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.
American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer
The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.
Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.
You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.
You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:
15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
American Express Cobalt® Card benefits
Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.
5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.
The 5X categories and where they apply
The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers three kinds of merchants:
Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores (Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven): not part of 5X, 1 point per dollar.
The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:
Category
Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)
5
Home food delivery
5
Restaurants and bars
5
Convenience stores
1
Streaming services
3
Service station
2
Transport
2
Travel
1
Other
1
That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.
You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.
American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage
The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.
Travel insurance
Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.
Rental car insurance
Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.
Mobile device insurance
Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.
Purchase protection and extended warranty
Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.
American Express Cobalt® Card fees
Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.
Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.
Legal
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Annual fee
Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0
Annual income required
Individual$0
Household$0
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas
1xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,675
2nd Year Value$799
Transfer partners
AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel
Travel insurance
Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days
Branded toys
For children who love brand name toys, such as Baby Shark or Patrol, parents will be pleased to know that these types of toys are often cheaper at Walmart.
Here’s a comparison of the same items at Walmart and on Amazon:
Similarly, I have purchased several classic board games such as Operation, Power 4, Monopoly, etc. between $10 and $12.
Indeed, these brand-name toys and games are often on sale at Walmart.
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
With the Walmart Rewards World Mastercard, you can earn 3% cash back on all your purchases at Walmart.ca and in Walmart stores. Everywhere else, you get 1% cash back.
Plus, you pay no annual fees. Get up to $25 cash back with this welcome offer.
Annual fee
Primary card$0
Additional card$0
Annual income required
Individual$50,000
Household$80,000
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
1.25xGas
1xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$304
2nd Year Value$249
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Baby products
The products in the “child and baby” section come up quite often in the Walmart flyer. When you need commercial infant formula or diapers, Walmart often has the best prices.
Since the birth of our child, we have often saved money on the purchase of diapers. Indeed, the exchange and refund policies at Walmart are much more flexible than elsewhere at 90 days; I used to buy boxes of diapers when they were on sale and simply went to exchange them if my child had outgrown that size. That wouldn’t have been possible at Maxi where the exchange window is only 14 days.
During the pandemic, we were able to try car seats at Walmart when it wasn’t possible at other retailers. Also, prices in this category are very competitive at Walmart and discounts are very frequent.
George is Walmart’s homegrown clothing brand. It offers a quality guarantee for children’s clothing and shoes. In fact, if they wear out before they become too small for your child, Walmart will replace them for free.
Photo prints
For people like me who are still old school and have their photos printed to make albums, the prices at Walmart are very competitive.
Also, frames and photo albums are very affordable and there is something for everyone!
They may have defects, were returned by a customer, or the box was damaged during shipping.
Walmart takes them back, does a rigorous inspection, cleans them and tests them to strict standards. If all goes well, Walmart will put them back on sale at a low price. Most are only available for purchase online (consider paying online with the Walmart World Mastercard Rewards Card to get 3% off).
Check often for cheaper Dyson vacuums, Apple products or game consoles!
Earn points with purchases at Walmart
Points Accelerators at Walmart
Why not simply have grocery prices adjusted at another store, like Maxi, in order to get all our food items in one place? To earn more points at Walmart of course!
American Express and Walmart
Although there are “unbeatable prices” at Maxi and diapers at Costco as well, the latter do not accept American Express as a payment method (unlike Walmart).
For point hoarder, this is an inconvenience since groceries are a large and recurring expense for everyone.
On the pharmacy and drug side, it’s true that pharmacies accept Amex, but the “pharmacy” category usually earns fewer points than the “grocery” category.
Walmart is not coded as “grocery” on the American Express or Visa side (except for Supercentres with Mastercard), but it is possible to purchase Walmart gift cards at Couche-Tard to take advantage of the 5X points accelerator with the American Express Cobalt® Card.
So anything that can be purchased at Walmart will earn you 5X the points!
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
$255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
The American Express Cobalt® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.
American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer
The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.
Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.
You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.
You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:
15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
American Express Cobalt® Card benefits
Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.
5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.
The 5X categories and where they apply
The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers three kinds of merchants:
Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores (Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven): not part of 5X, 1 point per dollar.
The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:
Category
Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)
5
Home food delivery
5
Restaurants and bars
5
Convenience stores
1
Streaming services
3
Service station
2
Transport
2
Travel
1
Other
1
That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.
You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.
American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage
The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.
Travel insurance
Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.
Rental car insurance
Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.
Mobile device insurance
Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.
Purchase protection and extended warranty
Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.
American Express Cobalt® Card fees
Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.
Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.
Legal
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Annual fee
Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0
Annual income required
Individual$0
Household$0
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas
1xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,675
2nd Year Value$799
Transfer partners
AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel
Travel insurance
Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days
Instacart and Walmart
As a last resort, you can also use your American Express card at Walmart through an indirect method: Instacart.
The Instacart site includes the vast majority of grocery chains, including Walmart. It is an intermediary that offers to select the products found at Walmart, pay for them and deliver them. However, many items are 10-15% more expensive and shipping is more expensive than buying directly from Walmart.
But, Instacart accepts American Express cards for these purchases.
Many products are cheaper at Walmart. Others are equivalent elsewhere, but purchasing them at Walmart allows us to use American Express directly or indirectly to earn more points.
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
With the Walmart Rewards World Mastercard, you can earn 3% cash back on all your purchases at Walmart.ca and in Walmart stores. Everywhere else, you get 1% cash back.
Plus, you pay no annual fees. Get up to $25 cash back with this welcome offer.
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa Infinite rewards credit cards in Canada. Its welcome offer lets you earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points, for a total value of up to $1,150*.
It also includes a monthly statement credit for streaming services, an annual $50 lifestyle credit, and no annual fee for the first year (a $120 value)*.
With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you also get:
5x BMO Rewards points for every dollar spent on groceries, meal delivery or takeout, rideshare, public transit, and gas*
1 BMO Rewards point for every dollar spent on all other purchases*
10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account*
Mobile device insurance offering coverage up to $1,000*
The Pay with Points feature, which allows you to redeem your points on recent purchases starting at $1*
Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*
Legal
*Terms and conditions apply
BMO is not responsible for updating the content of this site. For the most up-to-date information, please click on the Online Application link.
Annual fee
Primary card$120
Additional card$50
Annual income required
Individual$60,000
Household$100,000
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
5xTransit
5xGas
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
1xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,128
2nd Year Value$365
Travel insurance
Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days
Our editorial integrity
Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.
