PC Optimum credit cards and points

What PC Optimum is

PC Optimum is a free loyalty program run by President’s Choice Services Inc., part of the Loblaw family. Membership costs nothing, and you don’t need to buy anything to open an account. You must be a Canadian resident and at least 14 years old. If you are under the age of majority where you live, you may need a parent or guardian’s consent.

The program works at Loblaw-owned stores. The official terms list examples such as Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix and BeautyBOUTIQUE. Some other partners take part too. The list changes from time to time, so check the PC Optimum FAQ for the current one.

You can only have one open PC Optimum account at a time. To use it, you need a card. That can be a key tag, a plastic card, a mobile card in the PC Optimum app, or a PC Financial payment product.

Where you earn points

There are four main ways to earn, based on the program terms. You can mix them in one trip.

• Personalized offers. You load these in the app or online before you pay. If you forget to load an offer before paying, you don’t get the points for it.
• Promotional offers. These go to all members on certain products or purchase amounts. You just present your card, with no loading needed.
• Shoppers Drug Mart. Eligible items earn 15 points for each full dollar spent. Points are based on the price after discounts and before taxes.
• A PC Financial payment product. These earn points on your card spending, at the rates set out for your card.

You must show your card before you pay. Points are not added later to a purchase that was already completed without a valid card.

Points can only be earned on one card and one account in a single transaction. Still, you can earn in more than one way at once. For example, if you pay with a PC Financial card and have loaded an offer for an item, you get the offer points and the card points.

Earning with a PC Financial card

All points from a PC Financial payment product go to the primary cardholder’s PC Optimum account. The rate depends on your card. Check the paperwork that came with the card, or the legal section on pcfinancial.ca, for exact rates and rounding rules.

Loblaw says PC Mastercards earn at least 10 points per dollar, which is at least 1% back at the standard in-store value. Bonus rates are built on that base and can change or end at any time. Our card pages list the cards that earn PC Optimum and how they compare.

The earning exclusions for the store program may not apply to card points. Your card information has the details.

If you only use a PC Financial card to take part, closing all of your PC Financial accounts is a big deal. If the accounts were in good standing, you have up to 45 days from the date the last one closes to redeem your points or add a new card to an account. After that, you can lose access and the remaining points may be forfeited.

What the points are worth

The standard value is simple. You must redeem at least 10,000 points at a time, and each 10,000 points is worth $10 at participating stores. Some partners are different. Their value is stated in their own redemption offers.

Here is what that means for Shoppers Drug Mart. Fifteen points per dollar at 0.1 cents each is 1.5 cents back per dollar, or 1.5%. A $40 eligible purchase earns 600 points, worth $0.60 later.

Points have no cash value. You can’t swap them for cash, sell them or trade them. Points you sell are void under the terms.

How to redeem

To redeem, you use your points at the till with your card, following the cashier’s or terminal’s instructions. You can also redeem on some online orders, such as grocery delivery, if you tell the store when you place the order and give your card number. You may need to show the card to the driver on delivery.

The terms give an example. On a $37 eligible purchase, you can redeem 30,000 points and pay the other $7. Where the store allows it, you could redeem 40,000 points. Then $37 comes off and the extra $3 of value is lost. You can’t redeem more than the next 10,000 points above the purchase amount, so 50,000 points on a $37 purchase is not allowed.

The most you can redeem in one transaction is $500, or a higher amount if PC Optimum sets one. At some stores you may not be able to use points to pay taxes.

Points you earn on a purchase can’t be used for that same purchase. They are available for the next one. You also don’t earn new points on the part of a bill you pay with points.

Using points on your PC Mastercard bill

In September 2025, Loblaw announced that PC Mastercard holders can apply points to their card balance as a statement credit. It is offered across the PC Mastercard lineup. In store redemption did not change.

The rate is lower than in store. 10,000 points equal a $7 credit, compared with $10 at the till. You can redeem up to 500,000 points at a time, which is a credit of up to $350 per redemption. Credits can take up to 3 business days to post.

These credits reduce your balance, but they are not counted as payments. They don’t count toward your minimum payment.

In a plain comparison, spending points in store gets you about 43% more value than a statement credit ($10 versus $7 for the same 10,000 points). The credit makes sense when you want to turn points into a lower card bill, or have no store spending to use them on.

Expiry and account closure

PC Optimum points do not expire. That is good news if you like to save up for a big shop.

There is one catch. The terms say the program can close your account without notice if you do not earn or redeem points at least once every 2 years, or if you do not have an open PC Financial payment product registered to your account. You can contact PC Optimum to ask for the value of your points to be put into a new account in your name.

The easy fix is to use your card now and then. One small purchase with your card shows activity.

• If you close your own account, you have 45 days to redeem your points. After that, they are forfeited.
• If the program changes in a way you don’t accept, you can close your account and you will have 45 days to redeem.
• If a member dies, the account is closed and the points are forfeited.

Ways to earn more

• Load every offer you will use before you pay. Offers are only valid once unless the offer says otherwise.
• Watch for promotional offers in flyers and in store. These need no loading, only your card.
• Pay with a PC Financial card on top of your offers. You can collect the offer points and the card points on the same purchase.
• Redeem in store when you can. It gives you the best value, at $10 per 10,000 points.
• Pool points in a household if you already belong to one. A household can have up to five members. Note that no new households can be formed or joined, except for cardholders on the same PC Financial product.
• Use your points before closing a card account, so you don’t run into the 45 day limit.

Be careful with stockpiling. The program can limit points on offers to reasonable household quantities. It can take back points earned on goods bought for resale or commercial use.

Returns matter too. If you return an item, the points you earned on it can be taken back. If you paid with a PC Financial card, the deduction uses the card’s current earning rate at the time of the return. That may differ from the rate when you bought. If you return something bought with points, those points are forfeited and you get the value as a gift card.

What you can’t earn or redeem on

The terms list items that don’t earn or redeem points. Common ones include:

• Tobacco, lottery tickets and alcohol
• Bottle and other deposits
• Gift cards, prepaid cards and phone cards
• Transit passes, event tickets and post office transactions
• Passport photos, cash back and delivery charges

Rules for prescriptions and other pharmacy services depend on the province. Ask your pharmacy at a participating store.

The terms say these exclusions may not apply to points earned with a PC Financial card. Check your card information for what counts.

Who PC Optimum suits

PC Optimum fits people who already shop at Loblaw banners or Shoppers Drug Mart. If you do, the program is free, and the offers can add up fast.

It is a weaker fit if you rarely visit those stores. In that case, the points are harder to earn and use. They also have little value outside the program, since you can’t turn them into cash, and a card statement credit pays only $7 per 10,000 points.

If you are comparing cards, look at where your points would come from. A card that earns PC Optimum is worth most when you spend those points in store at the full $10 rate. Our credit card pages show which cards earn PC Optimum.

Rules, offers and rates can change. The program says it may change how points are earned and redeemed. Always check the official terms before you make a big decision.