In the mid-2000s, Air Miles devalued its points, making it harder for patrons to succeed in their rewards goals. Then, in 2016, the corporate announced it could add an expiration date to miles. Although the choice was overturned after an outcry, the move damaged customer relationships. Next, the corporate divided airline miles into money miles (for in-store redemption and e-vouchers) and dream miles (for merchandise, travel, events, and attractions), further confusing collectors.
By 2022, a few of Air Miles’ largest sweepstakes had left this system, including Staples, Rexall, LCBO, Lowe’s and others. Metro stores are the newest mega partners to chop ties with Air Miles.
Earn food rewards
All of this will be bad news for Air Miles, but consumers can still find ways to earn rewards for his or her grocery shopping bills.
One option is to affix your grocery chain’s loyalty programs. Like Metro with its recent Moi Rewards program, Loblaws stores use PC Optimum points, Save-on-Foods and others use More Rewards, and Thrifty Foods uses Scene+ points.
Unfortunately, with Moi Rewards alone you will not get the worth you are used to from airline miles. If 500 Moi Rewards points are required to redeem for $4, the worth per point is $0.008. How does this compare to airline miles? While Value of an airline mile varies depending on what you redeem it for. The average value is $0.121. Luckily, you should use one other technique to make your grocery shopping repay.
The best grocery bank cards in Canada
You can earn rewards in your groceries by purchasing them with a rewards bank card. For example, you would use a PC Mastercard to pay for food at Metro and still earn PC Optimum points – not as many as you’d get from shopping at Loblaw banner stores, but you’d still get the bottom rate. Many other rewards cards are also suitable for grocery shopping. Which one is best for you will depend on where you shop and what your shopping habits are.
Here’s a fast have a look at a few of our top picks.
What replaces airline miles at Metro?
So Air Miles is out and Moi Rewards is in. While it’s true that the advertised Moi Rewards earning rate is disappointing, the main points of this system remain to be seen. In the meantime, Metro shoppers can claim their rewards by utilizing a solid rewards bank card at checkout.
