It seems like every store has a loyalty program these days, so it’s a good idea to do your research before signing up for yet another card to carry around. Scene+ and PC Optimum are a few of the largest loyalty rewards programs in Canada, and although you can earn and redeem points for groceries with both, they’re very different.
We’ll walk you through the basics of each program and compare earning opportunities, reward value, and redemption options, so you can decide if either program is worth it.
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Scene+ vs. PC Optimum at a glance
Before we dig into the details, let’s take a broad look at each program.
About Scene+
Scene+ originally started in 2007 as the Scene program, a partnership between Cineplex and Scotiabank. It was exclusively a program for redeeming tickets and concession fare at Cineplex theatres.
Then, in 2021, Scene and Scotia Rewards merged to form the Scene+ program. Suddenly, you could earn and use Scene points for travel, merchandise, and more. The following year, Sobeys joined the program.
Here’s how it works: You can earn (and in many cases, redeem) points for groceries, movies, travel through Expedia, Home Hardware purchases, online shopping, entertainment, restaurants, pharmacies, convenience stores, and gift cards. Then, redeem your points for discounts with select retailers.
About PC Optimum
PC Optimum is a partnership rewards program launched by Loblaws in 2013. Five years later, the program merged with Shoppers Optimum to form PC Optimum. As you might guess, you earn points for shopping at Loblaws, Shoppers, and partnering stores (and by using a PC Financial credit card).
You can use your PC points for discounted gas and free car washes at Esso stations, or get discounts at participating stores.
| Scene+ | PC Optimum | |
|---|---|---|
| What you earn | Scene+ points | PC points |
| Primary ways to earn points | * Sobeys & Safeway * Cineplex * Scene+ Travel * Recipe Unlimited Restaurants * Home Hardware * Credit cards | * Loblaws, Shoppers, No Frills * Esso gas stations * Credit cards |
| Average value of 1 point | 1 cent | 0.1 cent |
| Average Earn Rate | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| Best for | Travel, Groceries, Movie Tickets | Groceries and gas |
| How to redeem points at the grocery store | * 1,000 points for a $10 discount at the register at Sobeys and Safeway | * 10,000 points for a $10 discount at the register at Loblaws |
| What you can redeem points for | * Movie tickets and concessions * Travel * Groceries * Restaurants * Home Hardware * Merchandise * Gift cards * Statement credits | * Discounts at Loblaws * Esso fuel and car washes |
Rewards: PC Optimum
Canada's 2 largest grocery retailers offer similar rewards on grocery purchases. At Loblaws and Sobeys stores, the only way to earn points while shopping is through personalized offers and on sale items.
To see how the savings compare to Scene+, we took a standard grocery list and added up the cost as well as the rewards we earned to find the total return on our spending.
Take a look at our Sobeys/Safeway shopping list:
| Item | Price | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Folgers Coffee | $11 | 150 |
| Persil Laundry Detergent | $19 | 150 |
| Almond Milk | $4.49 | 50 |
| Lysol Wipes | $3.49 | 50 |
| Total | $37.99 | 400 |
We've earned 400 points, which are worth $4.
Our return on these 4 items? Just a pinch over 10%.
Compare that to our Loblaws list:
| Item | Price | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Mushrooms | $3 | 600 |
| Cheese | $10 | 1,200 |
| Pork | $6.20 | 1,200 |
| Crackers | $6 | 1,200 |
| Raspberries | $5 | 1,000 |
| Knorr Sidekicks | $6 | 1,200 |
| Atlantic Butter | $7 | 600 |
| Hot Dogs | $6 | 400 |
| Baking Soda | $1.20 | 200 |
| Total | $50.40 | 7,600 |
We've earned a total of 7,600 points, which is worth $7.60.
Our return across all items is 15.1%.
We have to give the winner's trophy to PC Optimum. At this time, it seems like PC Optimum has a better handle on personalized offers, so we get more value from the program.
Earning opportunities: Scene+
If you have to choose just 1 loyalty program based on where you can earn points, we’d have to recommend Scene+. Whether you’re shopping online, catching a movie, picking up groceries, eating out, or doing a home renovation project, you can earn points each step of the way.
Scene+ earning opportunities:
| Where you earn | What you earn |
|---|---|
| Rakuten online shopping platform | Up to 20% back |
| Partnering grocery stores (Safeway, Sobeys, Foodland, IGA, Thrifty Foods, and more) | Personalized rewards and offers |
| Cineplex movie theatres | 5 points per $1 spent on tickets and concessions 1 point per $1 spent at the Cineplex Store |
| Expedia via Scene+ portal | 3 points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals |
| Home Hardware in-store and online | 50 points for every $50 spent |
| Rec Room and Playdium | 1 point per $1 spent on food, drinks, games, and entertainment |
| Dining (700+ restaurants including Harvey’s, Kelsey's Original Roadhouse, and Montana's BBQ & Bar) | 1 point for every $3 spent |
| Needs Convenience | 1 point per $2 spent |
| Use a Scotiabank debit card | 1 point per $1 spent |
| Use a Scotiabank credit card | 1.5% to 6% back (depending on your card’s terms) |
By comparison, you’re pretty limited with PC Optimum – only earning points on specific deals or offers at Loblaws Banner stores, at Shoppers, or at Esso stations.
| Where you earn | What you earn |
|---|---|
| Loblaws banner stores | Only earn on personalized offers or in-store deals |
| Esso and Mobil gas stations | 10 points per $1 spent or per litre |
| Home Health Care, Pharmaprix, and Shoppers Drug Mart | 15 points per $1 spent |
| PC Financial credit card | * 10 to 40 points per $1 spent at Loblaws * 25 to 50 points per $1 spent at Shoppers * 30 to 50 points per litre at Esso |
| PC Money Account | * 5,000 points for opening the account and setting up automatic transactions * 10 points per $1 spent at Loblaws * 5 points per $1 spent everywhere else |
Redemption options: Scene+
It’s nice to earn tons of points, but you also need to consider what you can do with them and how much they’re worth.
We looked at every redemption option and calculated their values by cents per point (CPP). To do this, we took the cost of the reward and divided it by the cost of the reward in points, then multiplied it by 100 to get the CPP.
Scene+ redemption options:
| Redemption option | Point value |
|---|---|
| $10 off groceries at Safeway, Sobeys, Foodland and more | 1 CPP |
| Cash back at Cineplex, Rec Room, and Playdium | 1 CPP |
| Cash back at Scene+ Travel | 1 CPP |
| Cash back at Home Hardware | 1 CPP |
| Cash back at over 700 restaurants | 1 CPP |
| Gift cards | 0.71 to 1 CPP |
| Points for credit | 0.67 to 0.71 CPP |
As you can see, your PC Optimum points aren’t worth very much (aside from getting car washes at Esso or Mobile).
PC Optimum redemption options:
| Redemption option | Point value |
|---|---|
| Car wash at Esso or Mobile | 0.21 CPP |
| $10 cash back at Loblaws, Shoppers, Real Canadian Superstore, and more | 0.1 CPP |
| Fuel discount at Esso or Mobile | 0.1 CPP |
| Donate points to charity | 0.1 CPP |
What do shoppers say?
It’s fine to take a data-heavy approach when looking at programs, but opinions from actual shoppers is invaluable.
We headed to Reddit to see what users of both programs had to say. Unsurprisingly, people who shop at Loblaws stores say it doesn’t hurt to participate in PC Optimum to earn points, but that Scene+ is a better loyalty program in general.
Overall, the most valuable program for you will be the one you participate in most. So, if you’re a loyal Loblaws customer (or it’s the only game in town), you might reach for the PC Optimum card first.
That said, since it’s free to participate in both programs, you can always join both!
FAQ
What stores can I use my Scene+ card in?
Before you head to a store, shop around with over 750 retailers with Scene+ Rakuten. You can also use your Scene+ card at Home Hardware, Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and more.
Who accepts PC Optimum points?
You’re a bit more limited with using your PC Optimum points; you can only redeem them at Esso gas stations, Loblaws grocery stores, and Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies.
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