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Grocery flyers in Canada are full of points offers: "Get 5,000 points when you buy 2", "20x the points", "Spend $75, get 15,000 points". They feel like free money. Sometimes they are. Often they just make a normal price look better than it is.
The short answer: convert every points offer into dollars using your program's redemption rate, subtract that from the price, and compare the net price with what the item normally costs on sale. If the net price is not lower than a regular sale price elsewhere, the points are not a deal.
Step 1: Know what a point is worth
Every program has its own redemption rate, and rates can change, so check your program's current terms. As one example, PC Optimum has long redeemed at 10,000 points for $10 in groceries, which makes each point worth 0.1 cent. Other programs, such as Scene+, use different rates, so look up your own.
Once you know the rate, you can convert any offer:
Points × value per point = dollar value.
At 0.1 cent per point:
- 1,000 points = $1
- 5,000 points = $5
- 15,000 points = $15
Step 2: Work out the net price
Take the flyer price and subtract the dollar value of the points.
Example 1: Points on a single item
- Coffee at $15.99, with 3,000 bonus points
- Points value at 0.1 cent: $3.00
- Net price: $12.99
In Ontario flyers from April to September 2026, big tins of Maxwell House coffee were advertised at $15.97 to $15.99 almost everywhere. A net price of $12.99 would beat all of them, as long as you would redeem the points.
Example 2: Buy 2, get points
- Cereal at $4.49 each, buy 2 and get 2,000 points
- Cost: $8.98, minus $2.00 = $6.98, or $3.49 per box
In the same period, name-brand cereal was often $3.33 to $3.50 at several stores without any points. So this offer is only as good as a normal sale, not better.
Example 3: Spend threshold offers
- Spend $75, get 15,000 points ($15)
- If you would spend $75 anyway, it is a 20% rebate.
- If you add $20 of things you did not need to reach $75, the real rebate on what you wanted is much smaller.
Step 3: Compare with the normal price, not the flyer price
This is where most people slip. Points offers are often attached to products at regular or near-regular prices. A product at $5.99 with 1,000 points is a net $4.99. If that product is regularly on sale for $3.99 somewhere else, the "points deal" still costs you $1 more.
Always ask: what is the lowest price I usually see for this item? Then compare the net price to that.
Step 4: Count only points you will use
Points have no value until you redeem them. Watch out for:
- Expiry or inactivity rules. Some programs remove points if your account is inactive for a set time. Check the terms.
- Programs you rarely use. Points in a program you shop at twice a year may never reach a useful balance.
- Program changes. Redemption rates and rules can change. Redeem regularly rather than saving for years.
Step 5: Watch for the "bonus points trap"
Bonus points are designed to change what you buy. Common patterns:
- Buy X, get points on items you would not normally buy
- Points on premium sizes that are worse value per 100 g
- Load-to-card offers that only apply if you activate them in advance
None of these are bad if the net price is good. They are bad if you buy things only for the points.
A simple points checklist
- Convert points to dollars using your program's current rate.
- Subtract the dollar value from the price to get the net price.
- Compare the net price with the item's usual low price.
- Only count points you will actually redeem.
- Do not buy extra items just to hit a threshold.
When points really pay off
Points work best on things you already buy, at stores you already shop, when the item is also on a decent sale. A good sale price plus a points bonus is the best case. A regular price plus points is usually just a regular price.
Let FlyerHawk tell you the real price
The hardest part of judging a points offer is knowing the item's normal low price. FlyerHawk tracks flyer prices across the stores near you and shows you when a price is genuinely low compared with its history, so you can tell if a points offer is a good deal or just good marketing. Try FlyerHawk free for 14 days.
FAQ
How much is a grocery loyalty point worth in Canada?
It depends on the program and can change over time. Check your program's current redemption terms. For example, PC Optimum has long redeemed at 10,000 points for $10.
Are bonus points offers worth it?
Only if the net price (price minus the dollar value of the points) is lower than what you would normally pay on sale, and only if you will redeem the points.
How do I calculate the value of a points offer?
Multiply the number of points by the value per point to get dollars, then subtract it from the price.
Should I spend more to reach a points threshold?
Only if you would buy the extra items anyway. Adding items you do not need reduces the real value of the offer.
