PC Optimum is a loyalty reward program owned and operated by Loblaws. Members can earn points on purchases at participating retailers, gas stations, and more – and using a PC Financial credit card can boost earnings even further.
This article reviews the finer points of the PC Optimum program, including how to earn and redeem points, what they're worth, how the mobile app works, and much more.
Key Takeaways
- Loblaws owns the PC Optimum program and many grocery stores and pharmacies, including Loblaws, No Frills, and Shoppers Drug Mart.
- You can get up to 0.15 cents from every PC point by redeeming for car washes at Esso.
- Members earn PC Optimum points by shopping at Loblaws stores, opening PC Financial bank accounts, and using PC Financial credit cards.
- The fastest way to earn points is to use a PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard.
- We recommend using a PC Optimum membership and a rewarding grocery credit card to maximize your earnings.
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What is PC Optimum?
PC Optimum is the Loblaws company's store loyalty and credit card rewards program. Members collect points by shopping at partner stores – such as Loblaws, No Frills, and Shoppers Drug Mart – and/or using a PC Financial credit card.
You can start collecting points by clicking "Register" in the top right corner on PCOptimum.ca. Entering your PC Financial credit card details during registration will link your account and make it easier to collect points.
PC Optimum overview
Currency: PC Optimum points
Reward categories: Annual fee discount, cash, car wash, donate points, gas discount
Pros:
- 4,500+ partner grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies
- 5 redemption options
- 3.3-star PC Financial App
- 3 credit cards with accelerated rewards
- Points worth up to 0.15 cents CAD each
- Free membership, no credit card required
- Member-exclusive pricing and promotions
Cons:
- Points worth as little as 0.07 cents CAD each
- No co-branded Visa or American Express credit cards
- Inactive accounts deactivated after 2 years
- Limited earning and redemption options
- No base earning rate at grocery stores without a PC Financial credit card
What are PC Optimum points worth?
Although the PC Optimum program offers 5 redemption options, we wouldn't call it a flexible rewards program. There's really only one valuable use for your points: free car washes at participating Esso or Mobil gas stations for 0.15 cents per point (CPP).
This formula is the best way to determine what your points are worth.
Cost of reward in $CAD / cost of reward in points x 100 = value in cents per point (CPP)
| Reward Type | Redemption Options | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Car wash | * Esso * Mobil | 0.15 CPP * |
| Cash | $10+ off at 20+ participating stores, including: * Loblaws * Maxi * No Frills * Pharmaprix * Provigo * Real Canadian Superstore * Shoppers Drug Mart | 0.1 CPP (up to 0.2 CPP during special events) |
| Statement Credits | * Any PC Financial Mastercard | 0.07 CPP |
| Annual Fee Discounts | * PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard | 0.1 CPP |
| Charitable Donation | * Black Business and Professional Association * President's Choice Children's Charity * Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health | 0.1 CPP |
| Gas Discount | * Esso * Mobil | 0.1 CPP |
* Value depends upon the pricing and availability of car wash packages at your chosen location.
PC Optimum rewards calculator
While many of your PC Optimum redemption options hold the same value, some are worth more than others. To see how much your points are worth, enter the number of points you wish to redeem into our PC Optimum rewards calculator.
It will instantly show the monetary value of each option and recommend the best choice to maximize the program's value.
| Redemption Option | Point Value | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| Car Washes | 0.15 cents | $15 |
| Loblaws stores | 0.1 cents | $10 |
| Fuel at Esso | 0.1 cents | $10 |
| Statement Credits | 0.07 cents | $7 |
How to earn PC Optimum points
First and foremost, PC Optimum is a store loyalty program. You'll earn the bulk of your points by scanning your digital membership card, physical membership card, or PC Financial credit card during checkout at partner stores.
| Participating Stores/Businesses | Eligible Purchases | Base Earn Rate |
|---|---|---|
| * Atlantic Superstore * Dominion * Joe Fresh * Loblaws * Maxi * No Frills * PC Express * Provigo * Real Canadian Superstore * Valu-Mart * Your Independent Grocer * Zehrs * Other Loblaws grocery and clothing stores | In-store and online purchases, except: * Delivery charges * Gift cards, phone cards, and prepaid credit cards * Pharmacy-related charges * Taxes * Tobacco, lottery tickets, and alcohol | Varies |
| Specsavers | * Prescription glasses and lenses * Contact lenses * Sunglasses * Accessories | 10 points per $1 spent |
| Esso and Mobil gas stations | * Gas | 10 points per litre |
| Esso and select Mobil gas stations | * Car washes * Convenience store products | 10 points per $1 spent |
| * Home Health Care * Pharmaprix * Shoppers Drug Mart | In-store and online purchases, except: * Delivery charges * Gift cards, phone cards, and prepaid credit cards * Pharmacy-related charges * Taxes * Tobacco, lottery tickets, and alcohol | 15 points per $1 spent |
PC Optimum also gives you plenty of opportunities to "double-dip" by using 2 or more methods to collect points on the same purchase. You'll maximize your point earnings whenever you visit a partner store and:
- Check promotional offers
- Load personalized offers
- Open a PC Money Account
- Use a PC Financial credit card
We'll go into specifics later – for now, make sure you've got an account and a points card so you can start collecting.
By adding your phone number to your PC Optimum account, you can ask the cashier to look up your account if you forget your card at home.
Check promotional offers
The only way to earn PC points at Loblaws grocery and clothing stores is to carry a PC Financial credit or debit card. However, all PC Optimum members can earn bonus points by taking advantage of promotional sales and events.
You could earn extra points by buying certain products, meeting a spending limit, or shopping during the Shoppers Drug Mart 20x The Points or PC Optimum Moredays events. Check in-store, e-mail, and mobile advertisements and flyers regularly so you don't miss out.
In addition to limited-time promotions, you'll also want to watch for new PC Optimum partners or earning opportunities. If you're signed up for newsletters and communication, you'll be the first to hear about new partnerships, like the Specsavers PC Optimum partnership.
Load personalized offers
Personalized offers are promotions created just for you. You can earn bonus points by buying your favourite products, meeting a spending limit, or purchasing a combination of items by a specific date.
Unlike typical sales and promos, you must load your personalized offers to your PC Optimum account before you can use them. Visit the program's mobile app or website to log in and view these offers, then add them to your account.
Showing your membership card or PC Financial credit or debit card during checkout will apply the offer to your purchases.
Open a PC Money Account
You can get 150,000 points for opening a no-fee PC Money Account, setting up automatic deposits, and making 3 consecutive direct deposits of at least $1,500 – but that's just a limited-time offer and only the beginning.
Use your debit card to shop and earn:
- Up to 25 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart stores
- 10 points per $1 spent at Loblaws clothing and grocery stores
- 5 points per $1 spent everywhere else
Linking your PC Money Account to your PC Optimum account will also allow you to collect points, redeem personalized offers, and take advantage of promotional sales by using your debit card at checkout.
If you're missing points from a transaction, contact the PC Optimum program within 45 days of the transaction by calling 1-866-727-6468. You can also start an inquiry online by clicking on a transaction in your PC Optimum mobile app or web account.
Use a PC Financial credit card
The top advantage of using a PC Financial credit card is the ability to collect points at every Loblaws clothing and grocery store. You'll earn 10 – 60 points per $1 spent at Maxi, No Frills, Zehrs, and more.
All PC Financial credit cardholders also collect:
- Bonus points at Esso, Mobil, and Shoppers Drug Mart
- Bonus points at Mobil stations located next to Loblaws grocery stores
- 10 Bonus points per litre on premium gas at Esso or Mobil
- 10 Points per $1 spent everywhere else
There are 4 PC Financial credit cards available in Canada, 3 of which don't charge annual fees. If you're set on using PC as a bank, we suggest applying for the best credit card your income can support.
| Feature | PC® Mastercard® | PC® World Mastercard® | PC® World Elite Mastercard® | PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | None |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $120 |
| Loblaws and Joe Fresh Rewards | 10 points per $1 | 20 points per $1 | 30 points per $1 | Up to 60 points per $1 |
| Esso and Mobil Rewards | 30 points per litre | 30 points per litre | 30 points per litre | Up to 70 points per litre |
| Shoppers Drug Mart Rewards | 25 points per $1 | 35 points per $1 | 45 points per $1 | 50 points per $1 |
| Income Requirements | * $0 personal
* $0 household | * $50,000 personal * $80,000 household | * $80,000 personal * $150,000 household | * $80,000 personal * $150,000 household |
| Purchase Assurance | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extended Warranty | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Concierge Services | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Insurance Coverage | 2 types | 2 types | 4 types | 4 types |
| Up to 4 free additional cardholders | ✅ |
In addition to earning the most PC points per dollar, the PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard provides exclusive perks such as:
- 20 bonus points per litre at Esso or Mobil (for the rest of the calendar month) whenever you buy 150+ litres in a month
- First-year annual fee rebate
- Complimentary PC Express Pass (valued at $99.99) providing free, unlimited grocery deliveries and pick-ups on orders of $35 or more
As exciting as it sounds, we've compared PC Financial Mastercards to their competition and found them lacking – especially when it comes to rewards. You can get 5% back on groceries from almost every store in Canada (and spend your points with far more flexibility) using the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®.
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7x Award winner Shop at Specsavers
PC Optimum members have a new way to earn PC Points thanks to a new partnership with Specsavers. Earn 10 PC Optimum points per $1 spent on any of these eligible Specsavers purchases:
- Prescription glasses and lenses
- Contact lenses
- Sunglasses
- Accessories
Here's an additional tip – keep your eyes open for new Specsavers offers in the PC Optimum app. You might snag a deal that nets you bonus points for specific purchases.
How to redeem PC Optimum points
For the most part, you can only redeem PC Optimum points at the same places you earned them – Loblaws grocery stores, Shoppers Drug Mart, Esso, etc.
You can check your points balance using the PC Optimum website or mobile app and redeem most of your points there, too – but we'll cover each option in detail below.
Car wash
Redemption options: Standard to Luxe car wash packages at participating Esso stations
Most valuable option: The highest-priced car wash package available for up to 0.15 CPP
How to redeem:
It's easy to redeem PC Optimum points for a free car wash – just scan your membership card or swipe your PC Financial Mastercard at the station to redeem 10,000 points for a package of your choice.
There are just 2 restrictions:
- You can't redeem points for coin-operated washes.
- You can't redeem more than 1 wash per day.
Your biggest challenge will be finding the local option that offers the greatest bang for your buck. Car wash packages vary in name and price from station to station – the best offer we found was the "Ultimate" package for $20.99 at an Esso station in Toronto.
We suggest calling around and asking local Esso stations for car wash prices. As long as you redeem your PC Optimum points on a package worth $10 or more, you'll have secured the best redemption option available.
Cash
Redemption options: $10+ off at participating grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies
Most valuable option: A $20 discount at Shoppers Drug Mart during a Bonus Redemption Offer event for 0.2 CPP
How to redeem:
The most popular redemption option in the PC Optimum program is $10 off your bill at the checkout of an Esso, Mobil, Shoppers Drug Mart, or Loblaws grocery store. Simply scan your membership card or PC Financial Mastercard at the checkout and choose to redeem 10,000 points (or ask the cashier to do it for you).
But if you want to maximize your points, it's best to wait for a Bonus Redemption Offer or Black Friday Event at your local Shoppers Drug Mart. For a limited time, you can trade 10,000 points for a $20 discount, effectively doubling the value of your points to 0.2 CPP or more!
You can redeem up to 500,000 points for $500 off in one day, but restrictions apply, as with earning. Points can't be redeemed on the these purchases:
- Tobacco
- Lottery tickets
- Alcohol
- Gift cards
- Prepaid credit cards
- Phone cards
- Delivery charges
Statement credits
Redemption options: $7 off your statement
How to redeem:
If you have any PC Mastercard, you can spend 10,000 points for $7 toward your monthly credit card statement.
We generally don't recommend this option, since you can get more value cashing in 10,000 points for $10 on your next grocery trip, and groceries are very likely to be part of your next credit card statement.
Redeeming your PC Optimum points for an annual fee discount does not count toward your minimum monthly payment.
Annual fee discount
Redemption options: $10+ off the annual fee for the PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard
How to redeem:
If you have a PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard, you can redeem 10,000+ PC Optimum points for $10+ off your annual fee through the PC Financial mobile app or website. You'll receive an email confirmation immediately after the transaction and a statement credit within several business days.
With at least 120,000 points in your account, you can cover the entirety of your annual fee in points – just make sure to do it in a single transaction within 45 days of the fee being posted to your credit card balance.
Donate points
Redemption options: Black Business and Professional Association, President's Choice Children's Charity, and Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health
Most valuable option: Any option for 0.1 CPP
How to redeem:
The PC Optimum mobile app and website give members the option to donate their points to charity. You must donate a minimum of 100 points (or 10 cents CAD), which will be redeemed at the usual rate of 1,000 points per $1 CAD.
PC Optimum point donations are not eligible for tax receipts.
Gas discount
Redemption options: 10 cents off per litre at participating Esso and Mobil gas stations
Most valuable option: Any option for 0.1 CPP
How to redeem:
Take 10 cents off each litre (to a maximum of 40 litres) at Esso or Mobil by scanning your membership card or swiping your PC Financial Mastercard at the pump. The maximum discount ($4) will cost you 4,000 PC points, yielding the usual return of 0.1 CPP.
How to use the PC Optimum mobile app
Besides offering a useful way to check your points balance, the PC Optimum app is a crucial part of maximizing grocery savings. You can download it from the App Store or Google Play.
Once you're signed in and you've linked your PC Optimum membership (and/or PC Financial credit card), try our top 5 tips for earning points and saving money.
1. Check promotional sales and events
From Moredays at Loblaws to 20x The Points at Shoppers Drug Marts, PC Optimum provides plenty of opportunities to earn bonus points. You can opt to receive news by email or open the app to check out local flyer deals, promotional events, and specials week after week.
2. Fuel and shop at the same time
In case you missed it, PC Financial credit cardholders get bonus points at Mobil stations located near Loblaws grocery stores. The number of points you'll earn depends on the day's prices, rewarding you for doing all your errands at once.
3. Load personalized offers
Check the PC Optimum app at least once per week to find new Personalized Offers under "Your Offers" and tap to load them to your account. The app will let you save up to 4 "Shop Anywhere" offers for the following week if you're too busy to visit the store.
4. Look for members-only pricing
Grocery, clothing, and drugstores within the PC Optimum family occasionally offer members-only pricing on certain products. Swipe your membership card, app, or PC Financial credit card at the checkout to get the lower price added to your bill.
5. Share accounts
Although PC Optimum members can't pool points, it's quite easy to share a single account with multiple people. Friends and family can funnel their points into a single account by downloading the PC Optimum app and logging in or taking a snapshot of the membership barcode and saving it to their digital wallets.
Is the PC Optimum program worth it?
The PC Optimum program offers a compelling portfolio of partner stores and exclusive offers, but it's held back by its limited point values and redemption options. If you're already a regular customer, there's no reason not to get a free account and a free car wash once in a while, but there are better grocery credit cards you can use to double-dip.
Scene+ is the PC Optimum program's closest equivalent – but "vanquisher" is a more accurate term. Scene+ membership is free, Scene+ credit cards offer better earning rates, and Scene+ points provide a reliable 1 CPP. Plus, you can spend them on cash, gift cards, movie theatres, restaurants, and travel, not just groceries.
We took to Reddit to see what shoppers think:
Our team's PC Optimum experience
Team Genius member Micah Peterson uses his PC World Elite Mastercard to shop for his family:
But you don't need a PC Financial credit card to benefit from this program. Another Team Genius member has a free PC Optimum account that she finds worthwhile. She shops at Real Canadian Superstore for most of her groceries, getting bulk items at Costco and meat from the local butcher.
I love that my personalized offers are for the things I buy most often, including fresh fruits and veggies. The member pricing saves me a bit of money here and there, but the bonus offers are where I rack up thousands of points on things I'm already planning to buy. The most worthwhile shops are the ones where I can stack points. For example, I recently earned 27,300 points from a $150 grocery shop, which is about a 17% return on my spending. It broke down to 600 points from personalized offers, 10,500 points from in-store offers, and an extra 15,000 points from a bonus digital offer. Over the last couple of years, I've redeemed $370 in points for free groceries. I use them in $20 increments here and there since they retain the same value no matter how many you redeem at once.
FAQ
What is the PC Optimum program?
The PC Optimum program is a free loyalty rewards program operated by Loblaws, which operates dozens of grocery stores across Canada. Chances are, there's a Loblaws-owned store near you. You can also earn program points by shopping at Esso, Mobil, and Shoppers.
What are my PC Optimum points worth?
The value of your PC Optimum points depends on how and when you choose to redeem them. Your most valuable redemption option (0.15 CPP) is usually the most expensive car wash package at participating Esso and Mobil stations, but redeeming points for 2x reward days also boosts your points' value.
Where can I find my personal offers in the PC Optimum app?
To find these offers, open the app and log in. Then, head to the "Your Offers" tab. You'll see new, personalized offers drop every Thursday, so it pays to check the app frequently. If you tap on a specific offer, you can see the spending requirements or limitations.
Do Optimum points expire?
Although PC Optimum says your points never expire, Loblaws reserves the right to close your account after 24 months of inactivity. To keep your account active and hang onto your points, earn or redeem points at least once every 24 months.
How do I contact PC Optimum customer service?
Like most customer service departments, PC Optimum provides a few different methods for contacting customer service. You can email them or use a contact form, or access their virtual assistant through online chat 24/7. Unfortunately, there isn't an option for calling them on the phone anymore.
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