The Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum program allows you to earn points for nearly everything you buy at this popular drugstore chain. Points can later be redeemed for store discounts, free car washes, or discounted fuel.
This article focuses on how you can maximize your earning potential with Shoppers Drug Mart, covering everything from promotional reward opportunities to which credit cards are best to help boost your earnings.
Key Takeaways
- Every $1 you spend at Shoppers Drug Mart earns you 15 PC Optimum points that can be redeemed for store discounts.
- Earn PC points even faster by watching for Shoppers Drug Mart deals and personalized offers like setting up a health profile.
- Use a PC Financial credit card for your Shoppers Drug Mart purchases and earn up to 50 points per $1 spent.
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Shoppers Drug Mart and PC Optimum overview
Canada's largest chain of drugstores, Shoppers Drug Mart, operates locations in all Canadian provinces (in Quebec, they're called Pharmaprix), as well as in the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
Shoppers Drug Mart used to be an independent chain, but was purchased by Loblaws in 2014 and folded into the Loblaws family of companies.
What is PC Optimum?
The Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum program is actually operated by Loblaws. Since Shoppers is now owned by Loblaws, PC Optimum is the rewards program it participates in.
This means you can use the program and earn points when shopping with partners like:
- Maxi
- No Frills
- Pharmaprix
- Provigo
- Real Canadian Superstore
You'll earn PC Optimum points when shopping with partners or using a PC Financial credit card. When you want to redeem them, you can choose between these options:
- A store discount
- A free car wash
- A statement credit toward your PC Mastercard balance
- A fuel discount at Esso or Mobil
- A charitable donation
7 ways to maximize your Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum points
The best ways to earn more Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum points are often overlooked, including shopping during promotional events, using the PC Health feature, and scanning your points card for every purchase.
Watch the Shoppers ads for big promotional events
The Shoppers Drug Mart flyer often features bonus PC Points offers, along with savings on many items.
You don't want to miss the 20x points weekends or events like Spin the Savings Wheel, 2-day flash sales, and surprise points events. These are easy ways to earn accelerated rewards without much effort.
Utilize the PC Health feature
Did you know you have access to personalized care at pharmacies within Shoppers Drug Mart stores? You'll earn 3,000 bonus PC points just for setting up your health profile for the first time.
Once it's set up, you can schedule appointments, manage prescriptions, and more.
Occasionally, Shoppers runs health challenges through the app that give you the opportunity to win bonus points. For instance, complete a 7-day health challenge in the app, and you'll be entered to win 1 million PC Optimum points.
Don't miss the Shoppers Beauty events
Beauty and cosmetics offers are often overlooked, but they provide some of the best opportunities to earn bonus PC points. Aside from the occasional 20x point weekends for things like cosmetics, you'll also find individual beauty and cosmetic collections that give great bonus points.
For instance, look at the Father's Day collection and filter your options to see all the items that earn PC bonuses – like cologne with a 3,700-point bonus offer.
Scan your Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum card with every purchase
Unlike at Loblaws grocery stores, you'll earn Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum points on every purchase – 15 points for every $1 spent, to be exact. It's essentially a 1.5% return on your pre-tax purchases.
There are, however, a few items that you can't earn points from. These include:
- Tobacco, lottery tickets, alcohol
- Deposits
- Gift, prepaid, and wireless cards
- Transit, event, and postal tickets
- Passport photos
- Cash back and delivery charges
- Gifts with purchases
Find offers on the PC Optimum app
Play around in the PC Optimum app to learn about offers that are automatically loaded to your account, and pay attention to personalized earning opportunities. All offers update regularly, so make a point of checking your app at least once a week.
Offers might include a bonus multiplier or a lump sum for buying specific products.
Redeem your points strategically at Shoppers
Shoppers Drug Mart also has special offers for redeeming points. If you wait for a promotion to cash in your points, you could squeeze a lot more value out of each point.
For instance, your points could be worth 50% to 60% more if you cash them in for a promo like $75 off with 50,000 points or $400 off with 250,000 points.
Use a PC Financial Mastercard
Finally, you can use a co-branded PC credit card to earn Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum points on all your purchases. These cards include:
These cards all earn at least 10 points per $1 spent on purchases, but at Shoppers, you'll earn up to 50 points per $1 spent. And almost every card comes with a generous welcome bonus to get you started.
Best credit cards to use for Shoppers Drug Mart and PC Optimum
| Card name | Annual fee | Rewards | Earn rate | Welcome bonus | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC Mastercard | $0 | * 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil stations in Canada * 25 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart * 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases | 1.05% | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | Learn more |
| PC World Mastercard | $0 | * 35 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart * 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil stations in Canada * 20 points per $1 spent at Loblaw banner grocery stores * 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases | 1.05% | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | Learn more |
| PC World Elite Mastercard | $0 | * 45 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart * 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil stations in Canada * 30 points per $1 spent at Loblaw banner grocery stores * 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases | 1.1% | 20,000 bonus points (terms) | Learn more |
| PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard | $120 | * 40 points per $1 spent at PC stores * 10 points per $1 + 30 points per litre at Esso * 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases | 1.15% | None | Learn more |
| American Express Cobalt Card | $191.88 | * 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services * 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | 4.5% | Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms) | Learn more |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | $0 | * Earn 2% cash back on all eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases if you have 1 qualifying service with Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw * Earn 1.5% cash back on eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases * Earn 3% cash back on all eligible purchases made in U.S. dollars | 1.5% | None | Learn more |
1. PC Mastercard
The PC card that's easiest to qualify for is the PC Mastercard, largely because it has no income requirements. The card earns:
- 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil
- 25 points per $1 at Shoppers
- 10 points per $1 spent everywhere else
Yes, this is the most basic PC credit card, with few perks and benefits. But not having to pay an annual fee can easily balance out the lack of perks.
Pros:
- Good starter credit card
- Helps build your credit score
- No cost to add a supplemental card
Cons:
- Only 1% back in points for Loblaws grocery stores
- Very basic insurance
2. PC World Mastercard
The mid-tier PC World Mastercard has modest requirements of $50,000 personal or $80,000 household income, but there's no annual fee. Plus, the reward rates are slightly better than the more basic PC Mastercard.
You'll enjoy:
- 35 points per $1 spent at Shoppers
- 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil
- 20 points per $1 spent at Loblaws stores
- 10 points per $1 spent everywhere else
Pros:
- Nice welcome bonus
- No cost to add a supplemental card
- Easy upgrade to the next tier card (when you qualify)
Cons:
- Higher income requirements
- Very basic insurance
3. PC World Elite Mastercard
The premium PC World Elite Mastercard is a rare top-tier World Elite card that doesn't charge an annual fee. Users earn excellent rewards:
- 45 points per $1 spent at Shoppers
- 30 points per $1 spent at Esso and Mobil
- 30 points per $1 spent at Loblaws stores
- 10 points per $1 spent everywhere else
The card also gives 10 days of emergency medical travel insurance, up to $1 million of emergency medical coverage, and rental car insurance.
Pros:
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
- Some travel insurance
- No cost to add a supplemental card
Cons:
- Very small welcome bonus
- Very basic insurance
4. PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard
PC Financial recently introduced the premium PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard to outclass the PC World Elite Mastercard. Like the other World Elite card, you'll get some travel insurance, but this card charges an annual fee (waived for the first year) and provides a free PC Express pass subscription.
You'll earn impressive PC Optimum points too:
- 50 points per $1 spent at Shoppers
- 40 points per $1 spent at PC grocery stores
- 10 points per $1 plus 30 points per litre at Esso and Mobil
- 10 points per $1 spent everywhere else
Pros:
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
- Some travel insurance
- Free PC Express pass subscription
Cons:
- High income requirements
- High annual fee
5. American Express Cobalt Card
×9 Award winner 
It's probably not surprising to see that the best credit card in Canada, the American Express Cobalt Card, made our list. You'll get the chance to earn a generous welcome bonus along with accelerated earn rates for popular spending categories.
What makes this card really shine, though, is the travel insurance coverage and Amex perks – think Amex Offers, the Amex Hotel Collection and Front Of The Line access.
Pros:
- Very high earn rates
- Solid insurance coverage
- Exclusive Amex benefits
Cons:
- Lower acceptance as an American Express
- Relatively high annual fee
6. Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard
If you prefer a cash back credit card, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is a top choice. You'll earn a steady 1.5% back on all purchases, but if you have a qualifying service with Rogers, Fido, Shaw, or Comwave, that bumps up to 2% cash back. And you'll earn even more for purchases in USD.
Users enjoy the usual World Elite card perks, including access to airport lounges through Mastercard Travel Pass. All of this is especially impressive for a card with no annual fee.
Pros:
- No annual fee
- Solid insurance package
- Bonus earn rates for Rogers customers
Cons:
- High income requirements
- Highest earn rate is for USD purchases
FAQ
Can I use my PC Optimum points at Shoppers Drug Mart?
Yes, as soon as you earn at least 10,000 PC Optimum points, you can redeem them at Shoppers Drug Mart for a $10 discount. If you wait until a Spend Your Points event, you can get even more value from your points.
Can you tell me how to link PC Optimum to Shoppers?
Since the 2 programs are already integrated, there's really nothing special you have to do to start earning PC points at Shoppers. Just remember to provide your PC Optimum number when you check out so you earn points on your purchase.
How much is 20,000 points worth at Shoppers?
If you use our PC Optimum points calculator, you'll see that 20,000 PC points is worth $30 when redeemed for car washes or $20 when redeemed as fuel discounts or store discounts. If you put them toward PC Financial statement credits, they're only worth $14.
How do I check my Shoppers Optimum balance?
There are a few ways to find your PC Optimum points balance. Either open the PC Optimum app or log in to your PC Optimum account online, and your dashboard should show the total points you've accumulated. You can also scan your card at a Shoppers checkout to see how many points you have.
What's the best credit card to use at Shoppers Drug Mart?
If you're primarily looking for the card with the highest PC Optimum reward rate for Shoppers Drug Mart, look no further than the new PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard. You'll earn 50 points per $1 spent at Shoppers, while earning accelerated rates at Esso, Mobil, and Loblaws grocery stores.
What's the best PC Optimum credit card?
Although your Shoppers earn rate isn't as high as other cards, the best PC Optimum credit card is the PC World Elite Mastercard. With no annual fee, the rewards you earn are simply money in your pocket. You'll also enjoy some nice travel insurance coverage.
Does Shoppers do cash back?
Yes, Shoppers Drug Mart offers cash back through PC Optimum, a cash-back rewards program. For every 10,000 PC Optimum points you earn, you'll receive $10 off your purchase. You can also put the points toward free car washes or fuel discounts at Esso and Mobil.
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