Canada’s grocery programs compared: PC Optimum, Scene+, Moi Rewards

With Metro’s Moi Rewards now officially in Ontario, the country’s three major grocery chains (Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro) have their own loyalty programs in place. This is relevant because each program has its own features, and if you know how to maximize your earn-and-burn options, you can walk away with less money spent on groceries.

While no one expects you to know the ins and outs of every program, if you can maximize the points offered by your local grocery store, you’ll save. By taking the time to see what the grocery loyalty programs in Canada offer, you might learn that switching your loyalty, or even where you shop, can greatly affect your bottom line.

Which stores are in each grocery rewards program?

Before we get into the details of the various grocery rewards in Canada, it’s essential to consider the number of stores that earn you loyalty points and the closest stores to where you live. There’s no point in comparing Scene+ vs PC Optimum if Metro is the closest grocery store to you. These are the stores that fall under each grocery chain and its rewards program:

Let’s say there’s a No Frills and FreshCo at equal distance from where you live. You consider both stores to have similar quality of products, so it makes no difference where you shop. In this case, you may want to pay more attention to the loyalty programs to see what gives you more value. For example, say you also drive and gas up at Esso. Since Esso also allows you to earn and redeem PC Optimum points, sticking with No Frills as your grocery store would let you earn and accumulate more PC Optimum points.

Many people like to maximize loyalty points, but you shouldn’t go out of your way to do it. Convenience is usually the most crucial factor when deciding on your grocery loyalty program.

Loblaws: the PC Optimum program

With an estimated 16 million active members, PC Optimum is one of the most popular loyalty programs in the country. This should be no surprise, as Loblaws not only has the largest network of grocery stores in Canada but also owns Shoppers Drug Mart and is partnered with Esso/Mobil Gas stations. That means members can easily earn points at some of the country's most popular grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations.

Participating grocery stores: Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Fortinos, Independent, Wholesale Club, Valu-Mart, Zehrs and Shoppers Drug Mart.

How to earn points: There is no base earning rate when shopping at Loblaws-owned grocery stores; you only earn points on promotional and personalized offers. The exception is at Shoppers Drug Mart, where you earn 15 PC Optimum points per $1 spent — that’s 1.5% in points.

Promotional offers are found in flyers and stores, change based on your shopping habits, and are also available in the PC Optimum app. Learn more in our guide to the PC Optimum program.

Value of a PC Optimum point: 10,000 points = $10 off. 1 point = $0.001

Credit cards for earning more PC Optimum points

It is possible to earn points on all your purchases, but you need a co-branded PC Financial credit card or PC Money Account. PC Financial has four credit cards that earn you PC Optimum points. All of them offer a base of 1% in rewards points (10 points/dollar).

Three of the PC Mastercards have no fee. Which card you get typically depends on your annual income. The basic PC Mastercard requires a minimum personal income of $15,000, the World is $60,000, while the World Elite is $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.

If you want to earn PC Optimum points on all your purchases, getting a no-fee PC Mastercard is a must. The PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard pays for itself if you spend a lot on groceries and gas or like to use PC Express.

Sobeys: the Scene+ program

Participating grocery stores: Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, participating IGAs, Rachelle Béry, Les Marchés Tradition, and Voilà (online)

How to earn points: There is no base earning rate when shopping at Sobeys-owned grocery stores. You only earn points on promotional and personalized offers. 

Value of a Scene+ point: 1,000 points = $10 off. 1 point = $0.01

Although Scene+ may not have as many grocery store partners, Scene+ points are popular because they’re highly versatile. You can earn points at Sobeys-owned grocery stores, Cineplex, Home Hardware, and select restaurants. You’ll even earn points when shopping online at over 750 stores through Scene+ Rakuten.

On the redemption side, your points can be used to save money on groceries, entertainment, select restaurants, and any travel purchase you charge to your Scene+ credit card. Of all the grocery loyalty programs in Canada, Scene+ is the only one that allows you to use your points at full value on travel purchases.

Credit cards for earning more Scene+ points

There are six credit cards that earn you Scene+ points, but these three are the most popular:

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has the highest earning rate at grocery stores of any credit card in Canada when making purchases at Sobeys-owned grocery stores, and is overall one of the best credit cards for groceries. 

For a no-fee option, consider the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card.

Metro: the Moi Rewards program

Participating grocery stores: Metro, Food Basics, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première

How to earn points: 1 point per $3 spent at Metro in Ontario. 1 point per $1 spent at Metro, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première in Quebec and New Brunswick

Value of a Moi Rewards point: 500 points = $4, 1 point = $0.008

Metro’s Moi Rewards is the newest player in Ontario, and they’ve decided to take a different route compared to PC Optimum and Scene+. Instead of only earning points on personal and promotional offers, you earn points on every dollar spent. Some people will like this as it doesn’t require them to have a credit card to earn points on all their purchases at participating grocery stores.

It’s worth noting that Moi Rewards aren’t the same across the country. In Quebec and New Brunswick, you earn 1 point per $1 spent at participating stores. However, in Ontario, the earning rate is 1 point per $3 spent. Also, you don’t earn Moi points on base spending at Food Basics. You only get points on promotional items.

Credit cards for earning more Moi points

Metro has one formal co-branded credit card in the moi RBC Visa. Although the card is advertised at earning 2 Moi points per $1 spent at participating Metro, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première Moisson stores, it’s actually broken down into two parts. You earn 1 point per $1 spent when charging the purchases to your card and another 1 point per $1 spent at participating stores in Quebec and New Brunswick. However, since you earn 1 point per $3 spent in Ontario, the earning rate in Ontario is 1.33 points per $1 spent.

Additionally, if you link your Moi Rewards number to an eligible RBC credit card or debit card, you’ll earn 1 extra Moi point for every 2 dollars you spend. That said, there’s a minimum purchase of $60 at Metro and Food Basics and $40 at Jean Coutu.

Which grocery rewards program has the best redemption flexibility?

Grocery loyalty programs are a hit among most Canadian shoppers. After all, what’s better than earning rewards on essential spending and redeeming them for more cash off? That said, to sweeten the deal, each program also has external partners that give you extra ways to redeem your loyalty rewards.

Scene+ offers the most redemption options. Their outside redemption partners include Cineplex, The Rec Room, Home Hardware, Swiss Chalet, Kelseys, East Side Marios, and more. Although there is no formal pharmacy chain where you can redeem your points, some pharmacies are located within their grocery banner stores.

It takes 1,000 points to redeem $10 in groceries, but at participating restaurants, you can redeem 500 points for $5 off. Cineplex allows you to redeem as little as 100 points for $1 off your movie ticket. 

PC Optimum is the most popular grocery loyalty program since it has the most members. At grocery stores, you can redeem 10,000 points for $10 off. The best value for your points is at Shoppers Drug Mart, as the store often holds bonus redemption events where you can get good value. For example, during a recent event, you could redeem 200,000 points for $300 off. Typically, 200,000 points get you $200 off, so you were getting an additional $100 in value.

Using 10,000 points at Esso/Mobil for a free car wash can also be valuable. That’s because a premium car wash could cost you $20, but you’re only paying 10,000 points (worth $10). Note that if you redeem 4,000 points to get 10 cents off per litre up to 40 litres, you need to ensure you’re filling up with at least 40 litres to get the full $4 value for your points.

Moi Rewards’ only partner outside of groceries is Jean Coutu, a pharmacy with stores in Quebec and New Brunswick. The redemption rate is 500 points for $4 off.

The bottom line

There’s no reason to get to know every single grocery loyalty program. Instead, it’s best to get familiar with the one offered by the grocery store where you shop the most. By knowing how you can earn and redeem your points, you can take advantage of any promos when they come up.

Additionally, having a co-branded credit card and frequently looking at your grocery app can also help you earn a lot of points. Some of the most valuable offers tend to be targeted, so you’ll only have access to them if you’re engaged with the program and app.

Also read:

• 16 ways to save money when grocery shopping
• How to Save Money on Food as a College Student