Circle K Launches Road to Rewards

Circle K and Couche-Tard have launched Road to Rewards, a new visit-based promotion running September 15 to November 9, 2026.

Instead of earning traditional points like most of Canada's loyalty programs, customers collect qualifying visits. Hit certain milestones, and you can choose a reward from available food, drinks, Circle K products, and other regional offers. Every qualifying visit also gives you an entry to win one of 10 grand prizes of $10,000!

How Circle K Road to Rewards works

Rewards are earned based on qualifying visits, which translates to any visit where you make a $5 in-store purchase and enter your phone number at checkout.

Fuel purchases don't count, including in-store fuel pre-pay transactions.

You'll begin to earn rewards after your 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, and 15th visits. The rewards get bigger as you reach higher milestones, although the exact options can change based on availability. Once you hit a milestone, you have 5 days to choose and redeem your reward before it expires.

There's also a limit of 3 qualifying visits per day, and visits must be at least 3 hours apart.

So no, you can't just rack up visits by making a bunch of piles on the counter and asking the cashier to ring each through separately. You'll need to genuinely visit Circle K or Couche-Tard on separate occasions.

Download the Circle K app to track progress

You don't technically need the Circle K or Couche-Tard app to start collecting visits. Just entering your registered phone number at checkout is enough to get started.

But you'll need the app to track your progress, select your rewards, and see your grand prize entries. Downloading the app and joining Road to Rewards also gives you a free first visit and 1 free grand prize entry, making that the easiest milestone progress you'll get. If you forget to enter your phone number at checkout, you can contact the Customer Care team to help – just make sure you have your receipt handy as proof of your visit.

Circle K grand prize offerings

There are 10 grand prizes of $10,000 up for grabs, split between 2 draws.

On October 15, five winners will be selected from entries collected during the first part of the campaign, followed by another five drawn on November 10th. The campaign ends at midnight on November 9th, 2026.

American Circle K Inner Circle rewards program

While Road to Rewards is a temporary promotion, not a permanent loyalty program, Circle K does have a permanent visits-based rewards program in the U.S.

The Inner Circle rewards program lets members earn fuel discounts and in-store rewards.

Unfortunately, this program is not available in Canada, nor is it available for Couche-Tard locations.

Similar to Road to Rewards, Inner Circle tracks a visit as an in-store purchase of $3 USD or more, before tax, which is slightly less than Road to Rewards' $5 CAD requirement. Unlike Road to Rewards, Inner Circle lets you earn visits by purchasing fuel – gassing up your car with at least 5 gallons (about 19 litres) counts as a visit.

Is Road to Rewards a pilot project to see if Inner Circle can be successful in Canada? We'll wait and see.

Best credit cards for Circle K

As point maximizers will know, the type of rewards you earn on a credit card purchase depends on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) assigned to your purchase.

Merchants, like Circle K and Couche-Tard, qualify for categories based on their primary source of income. Depending on whether there's an attached fuel station, most Circle K purchases will likely come through as grocery or gas.

For example, some Circle K visitors report seeing their transactions come through as MCC 5499, which is for Miscellaneous Food Stores – Convenience Stores and Specialty Markets. Popular credit cards like the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard count this toward grocery spend. So with this card, you'd earn 5% back per dollar on each of your Road to Rewards purchases.

Canada's best credit card, the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns 8.75% on grocery and 2% on gas, making it an especially attractive card for your next convenience store run.

Remember: Your rewards category is based on the merchant's primary source of income, not your precise purchase.

Read more:

• Canada's best grocery store credit cards
• Canada's best gas credit cards

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FAQ

What is Circle K Road to Rewards?

Road to Rewards is a limited-time Circle K and Couche-Tard promotion running from September 15 to November 9, 2026. Customers collect qualifying visits, unlock rewards at set milestones, and receive entries for a chance to win one of ten $10,000 prizes.

How do I earn a visit with Road to Rewards?

Spend at least $5 after tax on an eligible in-store purchase and enter your registered phone number at checkout. Fuel transactions do not qualify. Each eligible transaction counts as one visit, with a maximum of three visits per day.

What rewards can I get from Road to Rewards?

Rewards become available after your 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, and 15th qualifying visit. Choices can include food, drinks, Circle K private-label products, and regional offers, with higher milestones generally unlocking better rewards.

Do I need the Circle K app to participate?

You don't need the app to collect visits. You can enter your phone number at checkout without the app. However, you will need the Circle K Canada or Couche-Tard app to track your progress, choose rewards, and view your grand prize entries.

How long do Road to Rewards prizes last?

Once you reach a visit milestone, you have five days to select and redeem your reward. The campaign ends November 9, but rewards earned on the final day remain available for redemption until November 14.