Key Takeaways
- The top benefits of being a PC Insiders member include 10% back in PC Optimum points, free grocery pickup that saves you between $3-$5, 5% back in PC Optimum points when you travel, free shipping, exclusive recipes, and more.
- At $119+taxes annually, PC Insiders is great if you use PC Express weekly, meaning you’ll get your money’s worth in about 40 weeks, considering the $3-5 weekly pickup service costs.
- It’s also worth the cost if you’re a frequent shopper at Shoppers Drug Mart, Joe Fresh, Loblaw grocery stores, or Pharmaprix.
A PC Insiders subscription takes your PC Optimum loyalty experience to another level, even after accounting for the recent updates to the program.
You earn more PC Optimum points on thousands of PC products and get free PC Express grocery pick-ups, free shipping, travel rewards, and other perks.
It’s no secret that PC Optimum is one of Canada’s most popular loyalty programs, and if you are a fan, this PC Insiders review is for you.
PC Insiders Overview
Loblaw manages the PC Insiders subscription service as a part of the PC Optimum loyalty program. It is a paid annual membership in exchange for benefits unavailable to non-subscribers.
For example, with a PC Optimum Insider subscription, you automatically receive 10% back in PC Optimum points when you purchase a PC product.
Retailers where you can find eligible PC-branded products include:
Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Valu-Mart, Extra Foods, Maxi, Provigo, Fortinos, Independent, Zehrs, and Pharmaprix.
Related: Instacart Shoppers Review
PC Insiders Benefits
The main benefits of a PC Insider subscription are:
1. 10% Back in Optimum Points: You earn 10% back in PC Optimum points when you purchase a PC product. This includes over 12,000 products under the President’s Choice, PC Organics, PC Black Label Collection, PC Blue Menu, PC Chef, and PC Nutrition First brands.
If you spend $50 weekly on PC products, you could earn up to $261 worth of PC Optimum points within a year.
2. Free Grocery Pick-up: Instead of paying $3-$5 to pick up your groceries using PC Express, a PC Insiders subscription means you get a free pickup.
Assuming you pick up groceries once a week and save the $3 pick-up fee each time, you are saving $156 per year in fees.
3. Free Shipping: Get free shipping when you shop at joefresh.ca and shoppersdrugmart.ca, with no minimum purchase.
Regular PC Optimum members pay $8 for shipping and only enjoy free shipping if their order is worth at least $50.
4. Earn at PC Travel: When you book flights, car rentals, hotels, or vacation packages on PC Travel, you get 5% back in PC Optimum points.
5. Other Perks: You earn 10% back on all Joe Fresh purchases as a member. They also send you a free Welcome Box with PC products when you sign up.
Your PC Insiders subscription includes exclusive recipes, cooking tips, and more.
To take advantage of these benefits, you need to scan your PC Optimum app or card or sign in with your PC Id when you purchase online at participating stores.
Related: Best Cash Back Apps in Canada.
How Much Does a PC Insiders Subscription Cost?
The PC Optimum Insiders program is a paid annual program costing $119 per year plus taxes.
The referral code to get a $25 discount is no longer available.
Related: Best Apps To Save Money.
How To Save Money With PC Insiders
A PC Insiders subscription may be worth your time if you are a frequent shopper at Loblaw grocery banner stores, Shoppers Drug Mart, or Pharmaprix.
The free grocery pickup service using PC Express alone can mean $156 in savings per year, assuming you pick up groceries once a week ($3 x 52 weeks).
Add in the 10% you get back when you shop in-store and online and free shipping; your membership is easily paid for.
You can earn even more PC Optimum points when you pay for your purchases with a PC Financial Mastercard.
They offer three cards with various earn rates at Loblaw stores (10 – 45 PC Optimum points per dollar) and 10 points per dollar spent everywhere else.
Here are our reviews of the PC Financial Mastercard credit cards:
If you’d rather not use or apply for a credit card, President’s Choice Bank recently introduced its PC Money Account. This no-fee bank account has a prepaid Mastercard that earns PC Optimum points.
Related: Food Delivery Apps and Jobs in Canada
PC Insiders FAQs
A PC insider subscription is a paid annual membership that offers extra PC Optimum points when you purchase PC products at participating Loblaw stores.
It also unlocks free shipping at Joe Fresh and Shoppers Drug Mart, free grocery pick-up through PC Express, and other perks.
PC Express is a grocery pick-up and delivery service offered by Loblaw. You can use the service to simplify grocery shopping at more than 700 stores across Canada, including Real Canadian Superstore, Wholesale Club, No-Frills, Atlantic Superstore, and Zehrs.
PC Express’s pick-up service costs between $3 and $5; however, a PC Insider subscription means you get this service for free.
If you are a frequent shopper at Loblaws and the pick-up service is something you need, the benefits of membership outweigh the costs.
PC Insiders Review
Overall
Summary
A PC Insiders subscription is a gateway to earning more PC Optimum points and perks at Loblaw stores. This PC Insiders review contains a $25 promo code to offset part of your annual fees for year one.
You may have a good program which is why we signed up however your customer service is very poor. My wife has not been able to get her card to work since we signed up. She got two cards to start with and nobody knew why. She tried to activate one card and destroyed the other. The card would not activate. After discussions the problem could not be solved. They sent us a new card. Again online it said the card was activated but when you try and use it it declines saying not activated. More calls, more waiting and no results. Asked for a supervisor and none available. Told a supervisor would call within 48 hours. That did not happen either. No call. Phoned back today and it was like we had never called before. The person went though the same procedures as before and no results. Then put us on hold to get someone and then hung up on us. Nobody called back. No exaggeration. This is just what happened. So frustrating. It was my idea to upgrade to this card. Looking like a made a huge mistake.