Be sure to download our Shoppers Optimum Guide, packed with more great tips!
Are you a member of the Shoppers Optimum Rewards program and wondering how to earn points faster so you can redeem them for free stuff more often?
There are many tips and tricks for earning Optimum points faster. By following them (or at least some of them), you should have no problem earning points at a more rapid pace than you are now.
Here are a few of those tips:
Only shop on bonus points days.
There is usually a promotion once every month or 2 where you can earn 20x the points on your purchases. There are also special promotions such as “spend $50, get 10,000 points” or “spend $75, get 18,500 points”. These are the best times to shop.
Note: For events where a certain spending amount is required (such as “spend $75, get 18,500 points”), you do NOT have to spend the required amount in cash/credit if you’re using coupons. As long as your total hits the required amount before your coupons, you will get your points (regardless of what the cashier says). This does not include “FREE” or BxGx coupons.
Buy a Shoppers Drug Mart gift card to pay for your purchases.
You do NOT get points for gift cards except for Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards. So, if you plan on spending $50 at the store one day, buy a $50 gift card right when you walk in, do your shopping and then pay for your purchases with the gift card that you just bought.
Doing so will net you 500 points for the gift card purchase and 500 points for the $50 worth of items you just purchased (and paid for with the gift card).
Use the Shoppers Optimum Mastercard.
Instead of earning 10 points for every dollar in purchases, when you use the Shoppers Optimum Mastercard, you earn 25 points per dollar in purchases. That’s more than double the points! There is no annual fee for this card and you will also be awarded 15,000 bonus Shoppers Optimum points after your first purchase.
I truly believe that the Shoppers Optimum program is the best rewards program in Canada. When you know how to “play the game”, it’s easy to accumulate thousands of points for very little money out of pocket.
Wouldn’t you like to earn thousands of points to redeem for free stuff? Follow the tips above and you will be well on your way.
I also encourage you to download our Shoppers Optimum Guide. It’s a FREE eBook with tons of information on the Shoppers Optimum program and dozens of tips for earning points fast.
What’s the best way you earn Optimum points fast?
Ivan: No, that would not work.
hi i was wondering
if i have a shoppers drug mart mastercard plus an optimum card will i get 25 points per dollars spent plus 20x the points on the special event?
so like on days where it is spend min of $75 and get 20x the points,
will it be 75×25 =1875points, 1875×20=37500points?
so i spend $75 and get almost $60 dollar value of points in my optimum card?
is it too good to be true?
Cassie, I read your free shoppers optimum guide and thought purchasing a gift card before you do your shopping was genius! (didn’t know why I didn’t think of it before!). However, I’ve been to a few Shoppers Drug Marts where I tried doing this, and they told me that you do not receive optimum points for gift cards, (and that’s including the Shoppers Drug Mart ones). When I did find a store that actually would give me the points, they told me that it is only the $100 gift cards that get the points. Can you or anyone clear this up? Does this just vary by store? :s
Thanks! <3
Kerry: The policy has not changed. Your total has to be $50 BEFORE coupons, regardless of what the cashier tells you.
Hi Mrs. January,
Do you know whether the Shoppers drug mart policy on Optimum points has been changed?
I made a purchase over $50 before taxes and before using the coupons.
And the Cashier said my balance is under $50 after using the coupons, so can’t get the X20 bonus points. I had to buy an extra item to make up for it.
The best solution for that is to know how much (in dollar value) in coupon value you are handing over. If you have $20 in coupons and your total after coupons comes to $30, you will know that you were at the $50 mark and are okay.
Mrs. J, I’m having problems with the cashiers, they are ringing in my coupon right after the item, so my total never hits the right amount, and when I try to tell them they say it doesn’t matter I wouldn’t get the points since it ends up under $50, they just won’t let me do it the way I want, even just to try it out and they’re consistently rude to me and everything. I just wanna try it and if it doesn;t work on their new computers then FINE! EAven if as she rang in the items she put the coupons in another pile so she knew I had the correct item but it’s as if they don;t trust me enough to be right with my coupons.
Sara: You don’t need to convince them of anything. Just tell them to swipe your card and you will get the points.
Since it doesn’t say that you would get the points BEFORE coupons, how do you convince the cashiers/managers of their own store’s rule?
Emily: You will not find that in the policy, nor will you hear it from a cashier, manager or head office. It seems they are all unaware of their own systems.
you should have a link to where it says in the policy that you can can use coupons and points are given before the discount….I cannot find it anywhere!!
tammy: You get regular points for buying Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards.
hello!…I am very confused on all of this point system at SDM!….the SDM here in Cornwall.ON told me I dont get points for buying a gift card! (someone told me to buy a gift card to use for my purchases and I would make more points that way!)…SDM said we dont!…I dont know what to do!
helen sauter: Once SDM lets me know, I will let you know.
when is the next 20x bonus point day in 2012
If you use the mastercard on 20x the points days, do you get 20x 25 pts per dollar, or just 20x 10 pts per dollar plus 15 pts per dollar?
Also, what is the optimum plus program?
Thanks so much.
I have a question about the SDM Mastercard. I am wondering if I go in to SDM and buy an Esso card with my mastercard, will I still get 15 points per dollar? I know I won’t get anything for scanning my optimum card, but will I get the higher rate for the purchase on my mastercard or just the usual 5 per dollar? Thanks!
Remember to sign the back of your shoppers optimum card. A friend of mine works at shoppers. She said their policy is to cancel and cut up any unsigned cards that are found on the store floor, etc. I questioned why since my name is attached to my card number and my email. She said that’s what they have been told to do…noting that all points are now lost. If the card is signed, you can prove it is yours. Wow
I have a few questions concerning the points system:
1. Lets say I have 170$ in points. Can I use my points to purchase a 170$ value Shoppers gift card?
2. When I decide to redeem my 170$ worth of points during a 20x points event. Will I get the 20x points, even if I use my points after to pay?
3. If I understand correctly, I can collect points when I buy a shoppers gift card. I can also collect points when I use that gift card. But if its a 20x point event, I wont get 20x points when I buy the gift card (only the regular 10 points per 1$), but I will get 20x points if a redeem a gift card during that event?
Genevieve: You do NOT get 20x the points on gift card purchases, but yes, you will get 20x the points if you are using your gift card to pay for your purchase.
Thanks for the post!
I’ve been mulling this over in my head and was wondering, if you buy a Shoppers gift card on the 20x the points days, do you get 20x the points on that too? So if I bought a $50 gift card, I would normally get 500 points, but on 20x the points events, I would get 10,000 points?
To bring it further, if I bought the gift card with my Shoppers Mastercard, would I get 25,000 points? ($50 x 25 points x 20 = 25,000).
I’m wondering because if so, every time you spend $200 purchasing Shoppers gift cards with your Shoppers Mastercard, you would get 100,000 for $200 on bonus redemption day.
Do you also get 20x the points if you use your gift card? For example, if I use that $50 gift card on 20x the points day, I get 10,000 for my purchase?
Thanks in advance for your answer!
Jemma: Only certain promotions are limited to one per card. Unless the ad says otherwise, you can take advantage of those promotions as many times as you’d like.
Im looking at an optimum bonus points coupon and it says “1 coupon per customer per transaction”. I know in some of your shopping deals you used multiples (ex 3 ’3000 bonus wub3 axe), how do you get around that?
lindablair: When it comes to those types of promotions, it varies from store to store and it’s best to call your local SDM to find out their policy.
donna: No, you cannot redeem your points for gift cards.
can you use your sdm optimum points to buy other retailers gift cards? I have 170.00 in points and I am wondering if I can buy itunes or other cards with my points for Christmas..make for you post!
Hello again, I have another question, this week for shoppers drug marts you get $10 gift card when you spend $50 or more…i know it has to be $50 before taxes, but does it have to be $50 before coupons or after coupons?
lindablair: I’m not sure I understand your question. Do you mean if there is a 10x and 15x promotion on one item at the same time? If so, then no, they don’t cancel each other out. You would get 25x points.
If one item is 10x the points and another is 15x the points how does it work out? do they cancel each other out?
example: if an item is 90 points, and i purchased an item that’s 10x the points and another thats 15x, how does it all add up?
In Edmonton we alswo get points for perscriptions
Also, note that although Shoppers does not give points for prescriptions, they do for medical supplies such as glucose monitor testing strips. Buy those on the 20X the points days and of course the pharmacist will write out a hand-written receipt for use with insurance to cover the cost (or almost cover) of the purchase. This alone will rack up more than the 95K points over the purchase of just 6 packages of strips – well worth it even if you pay for them yourself, virtually free to you if you have any kind of drug coverage.
BTW, if you have budget problems re drugs or medical supplies, do inquire about the trillium program if you’re in Ontario. Most Shoppers pharmacists will have an information/ application package available for you to take home, and if not it’s available freely on the internet. This helps people who have high drug costs IN COMPARISON to their income and have no drug coverage, so there are benefit levels for just about everyone in Ontario seeing as how the income cutoff is 100 000 (although you’d have to have some pretty scary drug costs to qualify at that level of income). So, coverage where you can be repaid for your Shoppers points if your medical supplies (not prescriptions) are eligible.
Thank you SOOOOOO much for this post…I understand now! lol
Jennifer – They will ALWAYS lead you to believe that your total has to be that amount AFTER coupons. They’re wrong.
Hi Mrs. January,
I was just reviewing your Shopper’s Optimum advice on how to get the most bang for your buck and also reviewed the Shopper’s Drug Mart Store Coupon policy.
Your advice said “For events where a certain spending amount is required (such as “spend $75, get 18,500 points”), YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND THE REQUIRED AMOUNT IN CASH OR CREDIT. As long as your total hits the required amount BEFORE your coupons, you’re good. Say you have $82 worth of products (well over the $75 requirement) and $45 in coupons. That means, you would only pay $37 in cash or credit – and you would still get the points because you did hit the required amount.. your coupons just paid for some of it, instead of you.”
But Shopper’s Coupon policy says…
“if the Event says something like “Receive 20x the Points if you spend $75 in store,” then you would need to spend $75 before tax and after the coupons have been deducted in order to qualify.”
Doesn’t that still mean that you have to spend the $50.00?
I’m a bit confused. I plan on taking advantage of the 20x the points event this weekend and want to make sure that if i redeem a bunch of my coupons that I will still get the points.
Thanks a million!
no idea! i know i have redeemed for at least $1500 though. i have no clue what i have spent but it is definetely less than the $1500.. way less!
Thanks for this post
Do you know how much you spent at SDM this past year and how much you redeemed for?
Theresa – yes a FPC is a coupon for a free product.
teachermum – you struggled to spend the $625? hehe it was so easy for me to spend the $1000 that i had, but i was getting lots of gifts too so that helped. but it was very hard to formulate a plan. LOL if you dont need what SDM offers, then PC is definetely the best option for you. they have a great rewards programs. its not that heard to earn points there!
I think I figured out what an FPC is. Free product coupon……am I right?
Great post!
I didn’t think anyone in Ontario got points on prescriptions-haven’t for quite some time.
We also have PC Mastercard and use it for everything, except that I use my Shoppers MC to buy Shoppers gift cards to shop there. Yes, the Shoppers MC has a better percentage return than the PC (1%) but I don’t need any more Shoppers points than what I have! When you don’t buy cosmetics, fragrances, diapers, wipes or much in the way of processed foods, and already have a PS3 and a Wii, and a camera…well, there isn’t THAT much choice!! I struggled to spend my $625 at the mega event (but I managed!)
With my PC I can actually use points for real food at RCSS and No Frills (best prices) or some of the other items RCSS offers like kitchenware, clothing, large electronics department and something I learned not long ago…GIFT CARDS for other stores!
Susan
Okay, loser question…what is an FPC??? Can you tell I am not near your level of expertise?? LOL
Theresa – I have found out that some places do this and some do not. Very strange! On their website is says “including prescriptions”.
Mo – Yes, I collect PC points as well, but only when I shop at PC stores – which isn’t often, really. I think SDM is a much better value for my money so that’s why I go there. PC is great if you shop there, though! I agree that free stuff is awesome, no matter where it comes from.
Stephanie – Thank you! I’ve been meaning to do this post for weeks now! Sorry for the delay, but I hope it’s helpful now.
M – You are very right! I will include that in the post. FPC’s do NOT count towards your total. That’s very important, can’t believe I missed it. Thanks for pointing it out!
Lattelady – No, you most likely will NOT get the giftcard unless you have an awesome cashier. Since the 20x, spend xxx – get xxx points, etc. is done by the register and the “spend xxx, get xx gift card” is done by the CASHIER, you will probably have to spend the full $50 before the cashier will hand over the gift card. Since the other events give you points, that is done by the register itself. The cashier has nothing do to with it. So you WILL get your points. Cashiers will more than likely try to tell you that you have to spend $50 AFTER coupons or you won’t get the points, but you can just tell them “ok I don’t want the points then” and watch their faces when they see that the points DO show up. Haha!
Jezz – That’s awesome!
awesome post !! In Manitoba you get points on perscriptions
have a question
When they have the spend $50 get a $10 gift card
if your total bill was $51.00 and you had $24 in coupons
would you still get the $10 gift card?
Thanks for the lesson, I did not really take advantage of the points I could earn before ,just in the last few weeks I have gone from 8000 to almost 40000 in points, and using my coupons and the sale prices.
Oh, but I was going to ask you — do you get the points on FPC? What about when they’re having a “spend $xx, get 20x the points” — do the items you’ve used FPC’s for get 20x the points? Do they count toward the threshold then?
You should also mention that full-price coupons don’t count toward the required amount that you need to spend to get bonus points.
Great Post Cassie!
I dont know why you didnt do it earlier!
I think for the prescription getting points, its all a matter of which province you live in… I remember getting points for my prescriptions in Quebec, but not in BC (or the other way around…)
I forgot to mention the thing about the prescriptions too; none of the Shoppers around me give points on prescriptions either. It’s always listed right on the flyers too on bonus redemption days and 20x the point days.
Great tips! The Shoppers gift card is a great idea! So sneaky!
Do you collect PC points? (Presidents Choice). We put pretty much every purchase on our PC Mastercard (never carry a balance!), earning 10 points on every dollar, and more when purchases are from a PC store (Superstore, No Frills…) They add up so fast when buying groceries, and gas, and just everyday purchases. We cash in points all the time (20,000 PC points = $20) often buying clothes (Joe Fresh) or movies/video games from Superstore (only the ones on sale!) Or cashing inn and getting free groceries one week. More often than not we buy fun things, and treat it as free money that wasn’t in the budget.
PC points, or Optimum points, free stuff is awesome no matter where it comes from! Thanks for all the great tips!
The Shoppers I go to does not give Optimum points on presriptions. I will have to ask about this. Great post.