5x Amazon Points, Walmart, Netflix, etc.

Are you familiar with the gift card technique? This is a well-known strategy of the Milesopedia community members. It consists of using a credit card offering more points at some stores to buy gift cards for other stores.

For example, buying a Walmart gift card at a grocery store that earns 5x to earn 5 points per dollar (instead of using your credit card directly at Walmart, which would have earned only one point per dollar).

The best credit cards to use in Canada for this purpose, offering 5 points per dollar are :

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to 15,000 points Get 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $7,500 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$120 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 70,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
ExclusiveNational Bank World Elite^® Mastercard^® Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$150 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offer$150 annual fee rebated First Year Annual Fee RebateEnds Nov 4, 2026 $150 annual fee rebated	Apply NowCompare
BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$139 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerGet 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to $480 cash back Get 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare

However, 5 points per dollar do not necessarily have the same value depending on the program!

So, with the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you’ll earn a 5% return by using your points for any purchase on the card (not just travel).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card, you’ll earn 5% back by using your points for any travel purchase charged to the card. In addition, you get 6% for spending at IGA grocery stores, Voilà by IGA, Rachelle Béry, Les Marchés Tradition, Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, etc.

With the National Bank World Elite Mastercard, you’ll get 5% back when you use your points for travel booked through À la carte Travel ($100 off per 10,000 points). The 5-point rate applies to the first $2,500 in gross monthly purchases. After that, groceries and restaurants earn 2 points per dollar. Finally, count 25,000 points for $100, which is a return of 2% for a statement credit for any purchase.

With the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, you get 5% cash back on your grocery purchases. But beware: the rebate rate drops to 1% after $500 in grocery purchases in a month.

And finally, with the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, the value is lower: you’ll get a return equivalent to 3.33% when you use your points for travel-related purchases. As of September 2026, BMO values its points at 150 points per $1 for these redemptions. Other redemption options may offer a different value.

5 points per dollar in many stores

To use the gift card technique you need to:

Have the right credit card offering 5x points
Know which stores offer 5x the points
Buy the gift cards you are interested in at these stores
Use the gift cards for your purchases

The right credit card

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you can earn 5x points for these purchase categories in Canada:

Grocery stores (merchants whose primary business is groceries)
Food and grocery delivery
Restaurants, cafés and bars

5x the points = 5 points per dollar. That’s the equivalent of a 5% return if you use your points for any purchase. You can even transfer your points to airline partners (Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, etc.) or hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, ALL Accor) to get even more value!

Note that the 5x rate applies up to a combined maximum of $2,500 in net purchases per month in these categories. The calculation resets to zero on the 1st of each month, and you earn 1 point per dollar once the cap is reached. That’s still up to 12,500 points per month at the 5x rate, or 150,000 points per year.

Stores offering 5x points in Quebec and across Canada

Here, the category we’re interested in is grocery stores: that’s where you can buy gift cards for many other stores. As of September 2026, American Express does not list convenience stores among the 5x categories of the American Express Cobalt^® Card. Amex also states that each merchant is assigned a category code based on what it sells, and that the rate of 1 point per dollar applies when that code is not in an eligible category. A purchase at Couche-Tard, Circle K or 7-Eleven may therefore earn only 1 point per dollar: check the points you earned on your statement.

Here is a partial list of grocery stores in Canada where you could earn 5x points for gift card purchases:

Metro
Super C
IGA (some grocery stores)
Marché Richelieu
Sobeys
Whole Foods Market
Food Basics
FreshCo
Save-On-Foods

The best credit card for groceries! - cobalt super c

The list of gift cards to buy in store

There are countless gift cards available in these stores! There is something for every taste and need. Here are some examples of gift cards available. For each of these gift cards, you could earn 5x the points by purchasing them in grocery stores (Metro, Super C, IGA, Safeway, etc.):

Type	Example of gift cards
Gas	Esso, Mobil, Petro-Canada, Shell, Irving, etc.
Grocery	Metro, Super C, IGA, Walmart, etc.
Alcohol	SAQ, LCBO, etc.
Various subscriptions	Netflix, Spotify, App Store / iTunes, Google Store, SiriusXM, Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido, Koodo, Virgin Mobile, Chatr Mobile, Freedom Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Public Mobile etc.
Online shopping	Amazon Prime
Shopping	American Eagle Outfitters, Gap / Old Navy / Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, Best Buy, H&M, La Vie en Rose, RW&CO, Sail, Sephora, Simons, ToysRus, Winners, etc.
Sports	Atmosphere, Decathlon, Golf Town, Lululemon, Sports Experts, etc.
Home Furnishings and Renovations	IKEA, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, HomeSense, Wayfair, etc.
Everyday life	Uber, Uber Eats, Starbuck’s, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, St Hubert, Subway, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Première Moisson, Keg, DavidsTea, etc.
Culture and Entertainment	Archambault, Renaud-Bray, Cineplex, Guzzo, Apple Store, EB Games, Steam, Xbox, Playstation Store, etc.
Travel	Air Canada, Disney, WestJet, Coffrets Prestige, etc.

The best credit card for groceries! - Super C gift cards

Use a gift card for purchases at retailers

Finally, all you have to do is use your gift card at the checkout.

Like at the SAQ, for example: what could be better than getting 5x points for your next bottle of wine (rather than 1x points by paying directly with your credit card at the SAQ)?

Earn 5x Points at Hundreds of Merchants: Gift Cards for Amazon, Walmart, Netflix, etc. - SAQ Gift Card Cobalt

Video

Bottom Line

Don’t make the mistake of using the “wrong” credit card at your next checkout. Consider buying gift cards at stores offering 5x points!

You will be able to get:

5x the points on your Amazon.ca purchases
5x the points on your furniture at Ikea
5x the points on your shopping at Walmart
5x the points on your Netflix subscription
5x the points on your alcohol at the SAQ or LCBO
5x the points on your movie ticket
etc.

And if you don’t have the American Express Cobalt^® Card yet, note that as of September 2026, its welcome offer lets you earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year: 1,250 points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to the card.

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-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: Up to 15,000 points

Apply Now

on American Express's website

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 the best credit card from American Express, 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 we value 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

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

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, home food delivery and convenience stores. 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.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four 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.

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	5
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

5xConvenience
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas & EV
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828

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

Where can I buy gift cards?

You can buy gift cards from a variety of retailers, including grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores, gas stations and online.

How do I buy gift cards online?

All you have to do is visit an online sales platform offering a variety of gift cards, or the website of the brand you’re interested in.

How can I get free gift cards?

To get free gift cards, keep an eye out for retailer sweepstakes or hotel promotions.

Where can I find cash back on gift cards?

The Rakuten site offers cash rebates with different percentages on gift cards from several brands.

Can I earn 5x points at IKEA?

As a rule, not directly in store. As of September 2026, American Express states that each merchant is assigned a category code based on what it sells, and that the base rate of 1 point per dollar applies when that code is not in an eligible category. What counts is the merchant’s code, not the product you buy. The safest route is the technique described above: buy an IKEA gift card at a grocery store that earns 5x, then use it at checkout. Then check the points you earned on your statement.

The best credit cards to use in Canada for this purpose, offering 5 points per dollar are :

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to 15,000 points Get 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $7,500 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$120 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 70,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
ExclusiveNational Bank World Elite^® Mastercard^® Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$150 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offer$150 annual fee rebated First Year Annual Fee RebateEnds Nov 4, 2026 $150 annual fee rebated	Apply NowCompare
BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$139 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerGet 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to $480 cash back Get 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare

However, 5 points per dollar do not necessarily have the same value depending on the program!

So, with the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you’ll earn a 5% return by using your points for any purchase on the card (not just travel).

With the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, you get 5% cash back on your grocery purchases. But beware: the rebate rate drops to 1% after $500 in grocery purchases in a month.