Alternatives to PC Optimum credit cards
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Boycott of the Loblaws group
For those who don’t want to deal with No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, Provigo, Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Maxi, etc., there are other ways to save money elsewhere.
You may have recently closed your PC Optimum account or cancelled your PC Mastercard credit card. If you’d like to put your efforts into another grocery program, take the time to read about the various possible combinations in this article.
Now, it’s important to choose a credit card that offers a high points or cashback multiplier for grocery purchases, to avoid leaving points on the table.
Mastercard credit cards
Mastercard credit cards – For Costco
Costco warehouses aren’t coded like a grocery store, so you won’t get any extra points.
Only BMO AIR MILES credit cards have a special “warehouse and wholesale club” category for Costco, with twice as many miles.
- BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*: 2 miles for every $25 spent.
- BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard: 2 miles for every $12 spent.
Mastercard credit cards – More points at the grocery store
Walmart Supercentres treat Mastercard credit cards like groceries. So you’ll earn the grocery multiplier based on your credit card.
For example, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on all your purchases (groceries, clothing, furniture, etc.) at Walmart!
| Grocery Store earning | Best for | Eligibility | |
| National Bank World Elite Mastercard | 5 points/$1 purchase | Save on travel expenses | Minimum personal annual income of $80,000 |
Mastercard credit cards – More cash back at the grocery store
There are two Mastercard cards to choose from for cash back at the grocery store.
| Grocery Store earning | Eligibility | |
| BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* | 5% cash back (on first $500 of purchases per month) | Minimum personal annual income of $80,000 |
| Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card | 2% cash back if you choose the Grocery category | Minimum personal annual income of $12,000 |
Visa credit cards
Visa credit cards – More points at the grocery store
A Visa credit card stands out if you shop at Sobeys grocery stores.
With the Scotiabank Visa Infinite* Passport® card, Scene+ points give you $10 off your grocery bill for every 1,000 Scene+ points you earn.
| Grocery Store earning | Eligibility | |
| Scotiabank Visa Infinite* Passport® Card | 3 Scene+ points / $1 at IGA, Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, etc. 2 Scene+ points / $1 in other grocery stores | Minimum annual income of $60,000 |
Visa credit cards – More cash back at the grocery store
Two Visa cards pay you well in cash back at the grocery store. With an income of about $60,000 or more, the Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card gives you 4% back on your first $25,000 in yearly grocery spending. Below that income level, the CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card gives you 3%.
| Grocery Store earning | Eligibility | |
| CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card | 3% cash back | Minimum annual income of $15,000 |
| Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card | 4% cash back (up to $25,000 per year) | Annual income of about $60,000 or more |
American Express credit cards
American Express cards are accepted at IGA, Longo’s, Metro, Farm Boy, FreshCo, Foodland, Safeway, Sobeys, Super C and Adonis, among others.
American Express credit cards – More cash back and points at the grocery store
American Express Cobalt® Card Membership Rewards points are very flexible! They can be redeemed for cash or transferred to other programs such as Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, etc.
| Grocery Store earning | Eligibility | |
| American Express Cobalt® Card | 5 points / $1 purchase | No annual income required |
American Express credit cards – More points at the grocery store
In Canada, there’s no other card that earns so many points at the grocery store!
The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is the best, with 6 Scene+ points per dollar for purchases at Sobeys-owned supermarkets.
| Grocery Store earning | Eligibility | |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card | 6 Scene+ points/$1 purchase at IGA, Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, etc. 5 Scene+ points/ $1 purchase at other grocery stores | Minimum annual income of $12,000 |
Bottom Line
This is the perfect time to find out if another credit card is better than what you had before with your PC Mastercard!
One of the best is the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card if you go to Sobeys Group grocery stores.
Alternatively, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® is an excellent choice, as you can also use it at Costco.
To learn more about how to save at the grocery store, read our articles :
You can close and delete your account using the PC Optimum™ application in 3 ways:
- Contact the chatbot by clicking on the question mark icon in the bottom right-hand corner of their website;
- Call their Customer Service at 1-866-727-6468 ;
- Closing and deleting your account using the PC Optimum mobile application.
Here are the steps to close and delete your account from the PC Optimum™ application:
- Click on Account.
- In the Help & Support section, click on Request to close account.
If you have any points left, you can choose between 2 options:
- Donate remaining Optimum points to the account (if you do not specify a charity, PC Optimum will make the decision on your behalf);
- President’s Choice Children’s Charity
- Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health
- Black Business and Professional Association.
Have extra time to exchange them (You will have 45 days to exchange them in one of our stores. On the 46th day, they will disappear).
Finally, press Send and delete the account.
That’s all ! You will then no longer be able to connect to PC Optimum applications or websites. You will receive a confirmation email within one business day and your account will be deleted.
The Scotiabank American Express Gold is widely considered the strongest PC Optimum alternative for grocery rewards in Canada, earning 6 Scene+ points per dollar at Sobeys-family stores (Sobeys, IGA, FreshCo, Foodland, Safeway) and 5 points everywhere else for groceries and dining. With a $120 annual fee and a welcome bonus of up to 45,000 points (worth $450), the card delivers an effective return of 5 to 6 percent on groceries, which beats the typical 1 percent earn rate of the no-fee PC Financial World Elite Mastercard at non-Loblaw banner stores.
No. PC Optimum points can only be earned automatically through the PC Financial Mastercard family (PC Mastercard, PC World Mastercard, PC World Elite Mastercard) or by scanning your PC Optimum card at participating Loblaw banner stores (Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Provigo, Maxi). Using a non-PC credit card such as the Scotiabank Amex Gold at these stores still allows you to scan the loyalty card for the base PC Optimum offers, but you only earn the credit card’s own rewards on the credit side, not the elevated PC Mastercard multipliers.
Yes, the American Express Cobalt is a popular Loblaw alternative because it earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar at any Canadian grocery store (including Sobeys, Metro, IGA, Save-On-Foods, and even Loblaw banners that accept Amex), valued at roughly 1 to 2 cents per point depending on redemption. Annual fee is $191.88 ($15.99 monthly), and the welcome offer reaches up to 15,000 points over 12 months. Unlike PC Optimum points, Cobalt MR points transfer to Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy, opening up flight redemptions worth far more per point.
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is the closest no-annual-fee replacement for the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard, earning 2 percent cash back on up to 3 chosen categories (groceries, gas, restaurants, recurring bills, etc.) and 0.5 percent on everything else, with no minimum income requirement. The Rogers Red Mastercard is another option, paying 1 to 2 percent unlimited cash back. Neither earns PC Optimum points, but at $0 annual fee with stronger flexibility outside the Loblaw banner network, they often outperform the PC card on diversified grocery spend.
For your next Hilton stay, see the Hilton Honors American Express® Card available in Canada and the terms of its current offer.
