Airmiles Armchair Chatter

[ilovetotravel1977]

I'll be happy to have one less rewards program I need to worry about!

 

[ottawamom]

Did you get this in an e-mail? I did and it has another offer mentioned as well and the fine print is confusing to me. I'm gonna try to copy it here, but smart phone and exhausted duck....
Yeah that's not working. There's mention of an offer for getting a BMO MasterCard and then earning double the miles thru the Airmiles shop. Do you think using a card I already have will earn me 20x the miles????

My interpretation of the BMO offer. You earn airmiles twice when you use the card.

1. the 1AM for $20 you spend on the card (or 1AM for $10 - World Elite) and
2. the AM's you earn for shopping through the airmiles shop

It's standard BMO fine print wording on all their M/C. Not the most clear but I earn twice every time I use my M/C (say) to pay for a shop at Sobey's where I earn AM on specific products I buy.

From the fine print " Earn twice when you use your BMO AIR MILES Mastercard to make qualifying purchases online through airmilesshops.ca [and enter your AIR MILES Number]. The amount of Miles you get depends on the earn rate offered by the AIR MILES Partner and the earn rate offered on your BMO AIR MILES credit card."

eg. You purchase $40 worth of stuff from Staples. The reward rate at Staples is 1AM for $40

AM 10X offer you will get 1AM x10 = 10AM
Pay using M/C (1AM for $20) = 2AM
Total 12AM

 

[tinkerone]

Jealous of everyone who got that Load & Go offer of spend $50 get 110 AM.
My offer is spend $10 get 20AM

Sometimes I'm jealous of these offers. Mine are always the spend $50 which is not always possible. Spend $10 I can do any day of the week without batting an eye. Yup, would love this offer ever other week.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

Did anyone else get the email about PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum combining starting Feb 1? It's about time they made that official!

I wondered how long it would take them to amalgamate the two. It's about time. I'm not a big shoppers person since the one in my area of town became a medical supply one and their hours changed. But it will be nice to get PC points now when I do have to go to Shoppers for prescription fills and the few things I do pick up there.

 

[mab2012]

Did anyone else get the email about PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum combining starting Feb 1? It's about time they made that official!

Gah. I had finally convinced myself that I wasn't going to bother with the Shoppers Optimum gift card promotion, because I didn't really want to accumulate points that I would have to use at Shoppers. But Loblaws is a different matter. I shop there about as often as I shop at Sobeys. No problem to use up dollars there, and I do have a PC+ Mastercard (not that I use it very often anymore). Now I'm going to be tempted to go join Optimum and buy some Disney gift cards.

Does Shoppers take AMEX?

 

[ottawamom]

Glad to hear they are combining. That isn't my department in our household. DH is the Shoppers/Loblaws/Independent rewards person. I'm strictly airmiles but I could maybe take that one on too if it's one program two stores. Ahh my first world problems.

 

[Aladora]

The one thing with the two programs merging is that Optimum points will not be worth as much as they were before the merge.

Right now, the redemption is 8,000 points for $10 off. After the merge, they will be moving the Optimum points to the same redemption rate as PC points, 10,000 points for $10 off. Now, in order to make that change sting less, Shoppers is giving 50% more points but they have not said (or I have not seen) when that extra boost is ending.

 

[hdrolfe]

I use Shopper's, I used to do it more but switched to Air Miles, however I do still have some optimum points. I do not shop at any other Loblaw's stores so I won't be using those points. I intend to redeem what I have for Christmas gifts and I'll probably never use it again, makes it easier to focus on strictly Rexall/Air Miles. My prescription is at the Shoppers near me but I don't earn anything on those any way so doesn't matter I guess!
I know my parents are sending kiddo cash for his birthday and Christmas, he wants an Xbox so if we do it right between what they are sending him, my points and some out of pocket money from me... he'll be all hooked up. Hopefully a good Boxing day sale or something

 

[AngelDisney]

The one thing with the two programs merging is that Optimum points will not be worth as much as they were before the merge.

Right now, the redemption is 8,000 points for $10 off. After the merge, they will be moving the Optimum points to the same redemption rate as PC points, 10,000 points for $10 off. Now, in order to make that change sting less, Shoppers is giving 50% more points but they have not said (or I have not seen) when that extra boost is ending.

Does it state the conversion rate? Will optimum points have a higher conversion rate? I wonder whether I should redeem my optimum points before the merge.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

The one thing with the two programs merging is that Optimum points will not be worth as much as they were before the merge.

Right now, the redemption is 8,000 points for $10 off. After the merge, they will be moving the Optimum points to the same redemption rate as PC points, 10,000 points for $10 off. Now, in order to make that change sting less, Shoppers is giving 50% more points but they have not said (or I have not seen) when that extra boost is ending.

Where did you find this info?

 

[Aladora]

Where did you find this info?

It's been all over ever news report. I first heard about it on CBC Radio but here is the text from our local Victoria newspaper about it. I have bolded the relevant section.

Customers at Shoppers Drug Mart or any of Loblaw Companies Ltd.'s grocery stores will soon use a new, unified loyalty program that replaces Optimum and PC Plus points.

Loblaw (TSX:L) will merge the two programs starting Feb. 1, 2018 under the name PC Optimum — a long-anticipated move that comes more than three years after the grocery giant acquired the pharmacy chain and its in-house Shopper Optimum system.

"We're bringing the very best of Shoppers Optimum and PC Plus together," said Uwe Stueckmann, senior vice president of marketing.

PC Optimum is "the future of loyalty programs for Loblaw companies," he said, "harnessing both the power of PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum across the unified network of our stores coast to coast."

For the company, the merger creates a more efficient and unified data collection system to gather insights to better target customers, an increasingly important tool for grocers in a highly competitive market.

Consumers can keep collecting points as usual until Feb. 1 next year when their Optimum and/or Plus points will move to the new program at equal value. If a collector has $100 worth of Optimum points, they will receive $100 worth of PC Optimum points, for example.

In Quebec, where Shoppers Drug Mart operates under the Pharmaprix name, the Pharmaprix Optimum program will end on Jan. 31, 2018 and members will have until May 2 that year to redeem their points or convert them at equal value to the new program.

Collectors will then use a single card or app and continue to earn points on money spent at Shoppers. They'll also be able to earn points through personalized offers and in-store promotions at all stores, and by using the President's Choice Financial MasterCard.


The new program will have an easy to remember redemption system — with 10,000 points valued at $10, 20,000 points at $20 and so on to a maximum single transaction redemption of $500. Shoppers can use their reward money at any of Loblaw's nearly 2,500 stores and the company's websites.


Consumers will earn 50 per cent more points for almost every dollar spent at Shoppers Drug Mart locations to help account for the higher number of points needed for each redemption level. Under the current Optimum program, collectors earn 10 points for every $1 spent, but need 2,000 fewer points to buy $10 worth of goods, for example.

However, BMO analyst Peter Sklar notes that it's difficult to gauge whether the new system will provide extra value for consumers because while the change in the point structure means points are earned faster, they are redeemable for less dollar value.

"As a result, we believe the management of the marketing program to educate consumers on the value of PC Optimum will be crucial for consumer reception," he wrote in a note.

More than 19 million active members make up the base of the two current programs, with at least 50 per cent of members enrolled in both, said Jim Noteboom, senior vice-president of loyalty and consumer insights.

After Loblaw acquired Shoppers in 2014, Noteboom said consumers told the company they wanted one program rather than two separate ones because it would make their lives easier.

"Make it one program, that's easy to understand and easy to earn, with points that are redeemable at all stores," he said collectors told the company while it gathered research on its loyalty cards.

Analyst speculation about a points merger has heightened since August when CIBC (TSX:CM) and Loblaw's PC Financial announced they would end their nearly 20-year relationship.

In its place, CIBC launched Simplii Financial — a no-fee direct banking brand — on Nov. 1. In the breakup, savings, chequing and mortgage accounts went with Simplii, while MasterCard credit cards and the PC Plus points program remained with PC Financial.

The change means PC Financial debit card holders no longer earn PC points when using those cards.

Both spokesmen said that the end of the company's relationship with CIBC was unrelated to the decision to merge both programs, which has been in the works for a few years.

For RBC retail analyst Irene Nattel, the merger answers a long-standing question about how the company would deal with its two loyalty programs in order to maximize reach and impact, she wrote in a note Wednesday.

"In a world with increasing retail fragmentation, PC Optimum has the potential to be a powerful tool to retain and grow share of wallet within the Loblaw ecosystem."

Same info can be found here and here.

 

[osully]

Nice! I rarely go to Loblaws anymore but always pick up milk and misc. stuff at Shoppers so this will be great!

 

[Donald - my hero]

My interpretation of the BMO offer. You earn airmiles twice when you use the card.

1. the 1AM for $20 you spend on the card (or 1AM for $10 - World Elite) and
2. the AM's you earn for shopping through the airmiles shop

It's standard BMO fine print wording on all their M/C. Not the most clear but I earn twice every time I use my M/C (say) to pay for a shop at Sobey's where I earn AM on specific products I buy.

From the fine print " Earn twice when you use your BMO AIR MILES Mastercard to make qualifying purchases online through airmilesshops.ca [and enter your AIR MILES Number]. The amount of Miles you get depends on the earn rate offered by the AIR MILES Partner and the earn rate offered on your BMO AIR MILES credit card."

eg. You purchase $40 worth of stuff from Staples. The reward rate at Staples is 1AM for $40

AM 10X offer you will get 1AM x10 = 10AM
Pay using M/C (1AM for $20) = 2AM
Total 12AM

OK thanks for clearing this up for me! My brain is fuzzier than usual right now because for the next month my alarm goes off at 4:45 and I'm out the door by 5 to walk an hour so i can catch the Greyhound into TO for a 15 minute treatment. If i'm lucky I can catch a bus home at 10:30 -- if not i have to wait till 2:30 (or 3 depending on the day of the week )

Is it sad that I turn on my data so i can check my email to see if there are any email offers and to pop in here to see what's up??!!??

 

[bababear_50]

I am not sure about the BMO offer --sorry I rushed out the door to work early --well late actually but the time change is messing up my brain function,,,anyhow this is what the terms and conditions say.
https://www.bmo.com/main/personal/c...tyone/?ecid=da-us11138CC4-EYBMO16&Airmiles.ca
Hugs Mel

P.S.
Jacqueline
I am so sorry you have such a crazy travel just for a 15 minute treatment,,HUGS to you!

• 
  Limited time: Get 500 AIR MILES Bonus Miles1! That is $50 in Cash redemption value2.
  
  
• Plus: Get 3x Miles for every $20 you spend over the first 6 months3!
  
  
• Earn 1 AIR MILES reward mile for every $20 you spend on your credit card4.
  
  
• No annual fee5.
  
  
• Double dip at AIR MILES sponsored locations6.

 

[bababear_50]

I really need a non perishable food Sobeys/Foodland offer--other wise I am going to go broke with all the classroom food challenges I recently made.
Pickle offer would be great,,,,,,
Hugs Mel

 

[star72232]

Does it state the conversion rate? Will optimum points have a higher conversion rate? I wonder whether I should redeem my optimum points before the merge.

The conversion in Feb will be equivalent to what they are currently worth. So, if you have 8000 Optimum points, you'll end up with $10 worth of PC Optimum points (10000pts). 95000 Optimum points will get you $170 (170000pts).

Going forward, it will be interesting to see how many of the bonus offer events that Shopper's currently offers will happen. I got a spend $50, get 12000pts on Monday of this week. At the base level, that's worth $15, so 30%, which is amazing (especially since I only buy sales items/items that are good value). At higher levels it's actually worth even more, because it can bump you up from one level to another. For instance, right now I only need 3000pts to get from $145 to $170. With the new system, I'll still need to get 25000pts to get there, so you lose the benefit of holding onto points for bigger payoffs. I somehow guess the new system won't be quite as beneficial, but the ability to use them at any Loblaw's store will hopefully negate any decreased benefits.

 

[mab2012]

Lots of information on the PC Optimum program here: https://www.pcoptimum.ca/help-and-support/faq

And a point conversion calculator here: https://www.pcoptimum.ca/#calculator

Regarding point collection at Shoppers, they say this:

"You will continue to earn points on almost all your purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores – but you will be earning 15 points per dollar on eligible products with PC Optimum, currently it is 10 points per dollar on eligible purchases. That’s 50% more points than what you are earning now."

and

"You will continue to earn points with exclusive points events, like the Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix “20x the points” events."

There's no indication that either of those are temporary promotions. Earn rate at Loblaws continues to be 10 pts/dollar.

It does look like those who liked to save up Optimum points and redeem for large purchases will see a reduced value in the new program, but smaller, more frequent redemptions will actually count for more. Under the old Optimum program, $80 earned 8,000 points, worth $10. Under the new program, $80 will earn 12,000, worth $12. So a win for some, not so much for others, depending on how you like to collect and redeem.

 

[ottawamom]

OK thanks for clearing this up for me! My brain is fuzzier than usual right now because for the next month my alarm goes off at 4:45 and I'm out the door by 5 to walk an hour so i can catch the Greyhound into TO for a 15 minute treatment. If i'm lucky I can catch a bus home at 10:30 -- if not i have to wait till 2:30 (or 3 depending on the day of the week )

Is it sad that I turn on my data so i can check my email to see if there are any email offers and to pop in here to see what's up??!!??

Sorry to hear you have to endure such an ordeal each day. Sending some pixie dust your way. Here's hoping the end of November comes fast.

 

[Disney Addicted]

My daughter would love a black widow, hulk and rocket. My son would love groot.

We have 2 iron man's assistant? The guy with the black suit with a red dot in the middle of his chest. Also a starlord. I can mail them to anyone who wants them.

How many of these things are there in a set anyways? My kids have 11 each.

 

[Silvermist999]

I just got an email from Air Miles Rewards Program inviting me to do a survey to get air miles. I clicked on the link and it takes me to another site that asks for my name, address, collector number and my birth date.

Is this legit? Anyone have experience with "Research Now"? They are asking for a bit too much personal info, which I don't like to disclose. But yet I'd LOVE more AM!!