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There are dozens of gift cards for many merchants, and members of the Facebook group are big fans of them!
Gift cards are important in several situations:
If you prefer the video version, here it is! Otherwise, keep on reading.
We really like this strategy because it allows you to accumulate more points! First, check which category you earn the most points in with your credit card.
For example, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card gives 6 TD Rewards points / $1 for grocery purchases and 2 TD Rewards points / $1 for other purchases. A $100 purchase at Simons will :
After repeatedly applying this clever strategy throughout the year, the amount of points will grow much faster. So travel paid for with points or big cash rebates arrive at full speed!
The points hunter is generally someone who keeps a close eye on his budget and is able to forecast his spending over the coming months, mainly on his credit cards. It’s all part of their strategy.
In this specific case, gift cards are valuable allies for quickly unlocking credit card welcome bonuses.
Here, for example, is a typical budget for one month:
Thus, by planning your expenses for the next 2-3 months – and having the cash flow to “advance funds” via gift cards – it is possible to more easily unlock credit card bonuses.
It can also be handy a few weeks before the deadline to unlock the bonus if you see that the 3 months won’t be enough!
In addition to obtaining welcome bonuses, it is beneficial to get into the habit of using the right credit card in the right place to accumulate more reward points or cash back!
For example, rather than directly using your American Express Cobalt® Card at an SAQ branch (1 point per dollar), you could purchase SAQ gift cards at your Metro / Super C grocery store or your Couche-Tard convenience store (5 points per dollar)!
Thus, your purchase at the SAQ with a gift card would have earned you 5 points per dollar instead of 1!
This applies to a great many merchants: in fact, all those for which you can find a gift card at your grocery store, gas station, convenience store, or pharmacy:
Below you’ll find out which credit card to use where to get more reward points!
American Express cards are increasingly accepted, especially by small businesses.
Some stores continue not to accept them, such as large grocery chains (Maxi, some IGAs, etc.). At this point, something exists: Rakuten.
Rakuten allows you to get cash back for your online purchases. But the site also contains a section dedicated to gift cards (not accessible from the mobile application)!
If you are not a member of Rakuten.ca, sign up via our referral link to get a $5 credit after a $25 purchase!
Many merchants are accessible via gift cards offered on Rakuten.
For example, since Maxi or Provigo do not accept American Express, you could purchase a gift card for these grocery stores on Rakuten.ca. While earning a cash back!
You can then use your American Express card (via PayPal) to purchase a Maxi gift card, for example.
That way, you use your American Express card indirectly at Maxi 😉
There are different categories of merchants in Canada offering gift cards accessible with credit cards:
And for each of these categories, there are different credit cards to earn points! We will give you our best credit card choices for each category.
To purchase gift cards at grocery stores with a credit card, one would turn to one of these 5 credit cards:
The first two American Express card can be used at most Metro, Super C, IGA and Safeway grocery stores.
They will offer 5 points per dollar, which is a return of approximately 5% on all gift card purchases at grocery stores.
You can read our detailed comparison on these two credit cards here.
If you do your grocery shopping elsewhere, it would then be appropriate to turn to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard which will offer you 5 points per dollar at grocery stores for gift card purchases.
Or to the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card or the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite+ Card which will offer you 4% on all gift card purchases at grocery stores.
Finally, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar with the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card. This corresponds to a return of around 3.5% on travel purchases made with your points.
To purchase gift cards at gas stations with a credit card, one would turn to one of these 6 credit cards:
All gas stations accept American Express credit cards. Here, the choice of a card will vary depending on the type of rewards you prefer to have.
If you prefer to earn Marriott Bonvoy points by purchasing your gift cards at gas stations, we recommend using:
If you prefer to earn travel points by purchasing your gift cards at gas stations, we recommend using either:
Finally, if you prefer to earn cash back by purchasing your gift cards at gas stations, we recommend using either:
To purchase gift cards at pharmacies with a credit card, one would turn to one of these 3 credit cards:
Most drugstores accept American Express credit cards.
If you prefer to earn Membership Rewards points by purchasing your gift cards at pharmacies, we recommend using the American Express® Gold Rewards Card: 2 points per dollar spent.
If you prefer to earn cash back by purchasing your gift cards at pharmacies, we recommend using the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card or the Tangerine World Mastercard.
You can choose the “Drugstores” category among the categories offering 2% cash back.
To purchase gift cards at convenience stores such as Couche-Tard, Macs, Circle K, 7-Eleven with a credit card, one would turn to only one credit card:
The American Express Cobalt® Card is recognized as one of the best credit cards in Canada.
By purchasing your gift cards at convenience stores with this credit card, you will earn 5 points per dollar:
It is possible to purchase Walmart gift cards at Couche-Tard convenience stores! A sneaky way to get 5 points per dollar for Walmart with the American Express CobaltMD Card.
Including for medications at Walmart pharmacies!
To purchase gift cards at home improvement centers with a credit card, one would turn to two credit cards:
You can earn cash back by purchasing your gift cards at home improvement centers using the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card or the Tangerine World Mastercard.
You can choose the “Renovations” category among the categories offering 2% cash back.
To purchase gift cards at office supply stores with a credit card, one would turn to two credit cards:
You can earn travel points by purchasing your gift cards at office supply stores using:
You now know which credit card to use in the right place to purchase gift cards. Now, don’t forget your gift cards at home when you go shopping!
Point accumulation depends as much on the program as on the credit card used. To compare cards that maximize accumulation based on your spending (groceries, restaurants, travel), use our credit card comparator. You can also consult our ranking of the best credit cards of the month, updated monthly by the Milesopedia team.
If you travel regularly, the credit card you carry makes a real difference for travel insurance, points earning, airport lounge access and no foreign exchange fees. Use our credit card comparator to filter through 200+ Canadian cards based on your needs, or browse the best credit cards in Canada, ranked monthly by the Milesopedia team. The credit card that amplifies the gift-card stacking strategy: the American Express Cobalt Card, which earns up to 5x on dining and groceries (where most gift cards are bought).
Savings this way:
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