Grocery: Comparing rewards programs for a cheaper shopping cart

There are several supermarket brands, with differing loyalty programs. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the food giants. Here’s a summary:

With no more grocery store partners to collect miles, AIR MILES gives you the chance to earn miles at the supermarket in a different way.

Collectors take a photo of their grocery receipt with the targeted products in the AIR MILES mobile application. By scanning their grocery receipt with the eligible product, Collectors will earn bonus miles.

This only works from the AIR MILES mobile application and AIR MILES Receipts offers vary weekly.

If AIR MILES Receipts offers 5 miles on couscous this week, purchase couscous at an eligible grocery chain and scan your receipt. The application will then give you 5 miles. It’s easy!

The Metro&moi program became MOI on May 25, 2023. Since then, points have been accumulated and redeemed at the following stores:

• Metro
• Jean Coutu
• Super C and Food Basics
• Brunet
• and Première Moisson

Accumulation and exchange are similar at Metro, Première Moisson, Jean Coutu and Brunet.

As for Super C, there is no earning based on spending, so the only way to earn points is through personalized offers from mobile applications.

In Ontario, it’s different. Read our article on the Moi program in Ontario.

With the MOI program, points can be redeemed at any time, as long as you have at least 500 points in the bank, at all MOI stores.

Coupons with bonus points are also available on the Metro app and website.

To coincide with the launch of the new MOI program, an RBC and MOI co-branded card was introduced: the RBC Visa Credit Card. This gives you a double shot of MOI points!

Another option is to link your RBC debit or credit card to earn MOI points. To earn these additional Moi points, you must make a minimum purchase at Moi program stores, swipe your Moi card at checkout and pay with your linked RBC card.

PC Optimum loyalty card points can be earned at the following grocery stores:

• Maxi
• Provigo
• Loblaws
• No Frills
• Real Canadian Superstore
• Cliquez & Ramassez / Click & Go

1,000 PC Optimum points earn $10 off at checkout. It’s simply a 1% return ($10 divided by 1,000).

There is no basic grocery accumulation at Maxi, but there is at Shoppers Drug Mart at the rate of 15 points per dollar spent.

So, points are accumulated at Maxi through:

• Customized offers
• Special offers and an in-store prize event
• Product Promotions

They change weekly and can be found on the PC Optimum application and in the member profile on the PC Optimum website.

Special offers may be based on the amount spent at Maxi.

Or you’ll get an instant rebate when you swipe your PC Optimum loyalty card at checkout.

PC points can also be earned through the purchase of specific products. Please read our full review of the PC Optimum program here.

The PC Financial World Elite Mastercard earns 30 PC Optimum points for every dollar spent at Maxi. With this PC Optimum credit card, even if there were no bonus points at Maxi, a $100 grocery purchase would earn 3,000 PC Optimum points ($3 value). The return is, therefore, 3%.

For your information, I’ve gone through an example of point accumulation in an article on the best combinations of rewards programs and credit cards. The promotions and bonus points for a grocery store at Maxi had brought me 26% in return !

If I had used the President’s Choice World Elite Mastercard Financial Services, it wouldn’t really have given me a better discount on my purchase (only 3% more).

It was the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® and the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* that gave me the most, with an additional 5%.

Check out the best credit cards for grocery shopping.

The Scene+ program‘s loyalty card isn’t just for movies and popcorn! It’s also featured at the Sobeys Group supermarkets across Canada, including the following grocery stores:

• IGA and IGA Extra
• Voilà by IGA / by Sobeys / by Safeway
• Rachelle-Bery
• Les Marchés Tradition
• Sobeys and Safeway
• Foodland, FreshCo and Chalo! Freshco
• Co-op
• and Thrifty Foods

1,000 Scene+ points deduct $10 from total bill at checkout ( 1% return).

There is no basic accumulation. It is therefore difficult to assess the exact value of this program.

Scene+ points will be earned thanks to :

• Personalized offers on the IGA application
• Special offers or events in store
• Product Promotions
• Purchases made on the Scene+ credit card

Offers change weekly and are available on the member’s profile on the IGA app. This is the same way Maxi and PC Optimum points work.

At IGA, there are all types of promotions, like this special coupon below.

$ 100 in purchases earns 1,000 bonus points ($10 value or a 10% return). Then, 400 Scene+ points are given away with a minimum purchase of $50 ($4 value or 8%).

Then there are offers to purchase specific products.

Here, 100 Scene+ points ($1 value) with the purchase of 2 boxes of candy bars costing a total of $5.98. It’s as if the 2 boxes cost $4.98 .

Holding the Scene+ loyalty card at IGA also entitles you to discounts on products.

The best Scene+ credit card for the Scene+ loyalty card is the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card. It earns 6 points for every dollar charged! It’s the best grocery accumulation in Canada.

So, if you spend just $167 (1,000 points divided by 6 points) on this credit card, you will have earned a $10 discount at checkout.

Take this week’s Scene+ promotion at IGA, where a $100 grocery expense earns 1,000 points.

The Scotiabank American Express^® Card Gold would give an additional 600 Scene+ points (6 points X $100).
The grand total would be 1,600 points accumulated, for a value of $16 or a 16% discount!

What’s more, every week, Scene+ offers targeted deals that allow you to earn even more Scene+ points points when you purchase specific products at IGA grocery stores. Check and activate these extra points offers in the IGA mobile application.

It’s easier to predict the point accumulation of the Moi program, with its fixed base accumulation. But it is one of the least profitable for its customers.

PC Optimum and Scene+ programs are variable. They have the opportunity to give many more points. This will depend on the weekly promotions and the type of products purchased by the member.

But depending on the weekly offers, the member could earn an extremely advantageous return during a given week but have none the following week.

Even so, depending on your region, your habits and your nearest favourite grocery store, there are ways to get the most out of each reward program.