Customers earn one Aeroplan point for every $4 spent at the LCBO. Then, during promotions, there may be bonus points on certain products.

In fact, LCBO customers can take advantage of a special introductory offer until November 28, 2021.

Those who are not already Aeroplan members can join the program and earn 250 bonus points on their first purchase at any LCBO store.

Then, for these new members and also for current members, any purchase of $50 or more gives 2X the base points on their first purchase. This represents 2 Aeroplan Points for every $4.

In addition, Aeroplan Members will be able to redeem points for LCBO gift cards in the eBoutique, starting at a value of $10 per 1,000 Aeroplan points.

For example, if you use your TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card or your American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card directly at LCBO, you will earn 1 Aeroplan point per dollar (i.e., 50 Aeroplan points in the example above). Or a total of 62 Aeroplan points for this purchase.

Or, if you use your American Express Cobalt^® Card directly at the LCBO cashier, you’ll earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar (50 Membership Rewards points in the example above). Or a total of 62 Aeroplan Points for this purchase (as Membership Rewards points are transferable to Aeroplan Points at a 1:1 ratio).

Or you could be more clever and buy LCBO gift cards at grocery stores like Metro, Longo’s or Sobeys or at Circle K, Macs or 7Eleven convenience stores to earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar or 5 Aeroplan points per dollar!

In the example above, if you buy a $50 LCBO Gift Card with your American Express Cobalt^® Card while shopping for groceries, you’ll earn 250 Membership Rewards points or 250 Aeroplan points.

Then simply use your gift card at the LCBO checkout to buy your ice wine (and earn 12 Aeroplan points for your purchase). In total, you earn 262 Aeroplan points ( 5x more than if you used your credit card directly at the LCBO).

The first question that comes to mind when you see this partnership: could the SAQ also become an Aeroplan partner in Quebec?

We would be astonished: the SAQ had developed a solid rewards program with SAQ Inspire. This program allows the provincial Crown corporation to have an excellent knowledge of its customers to offer particularly well-targeted promotions.

In terms of rewards, the LCBO will offer 1 Aeroplan point for every $4 spent. We value an Aeroplan point at 2 cents; that means you’ll earn about 50 cents for a $100 purchase.

In comparison, SAQ Inspire offers 5 points per dollar spent. The SAQ Inspire point has a value of 1 cent: this means you’ll earn 50 cents for a $100 purchase.

So the rewards are equivalent (unless of course, you get more than 2 cents per Aeroplan point)!