As much as I try to cover a wide array of Canadian loyalty programs there just does not seem to be enough time in the day to discuss them all. One program that I frequently use myself that I haven’t covered at all but really should be reporting on more is PetSmart Treats.
Personally, I love PetSmart treats! As a household with two large felines ruling the roost, we purchase our fair share of cat food, treats, toys, litter etc. And we buy most of that at PetSmart. Why? They have a good selection for cats, including some of the natural food we feed them and they have some of the best pricing out of most retailers (not just pet stores). For example, a Mega Pack of Temptations Treats (please, don’t judge…) is $3.49 at PetSmart but more often than not they are offered at 3 for $9. The majority of other retailers are a touch higher at $3.69 to $3.99 except for Petland who somehow get away with charging $5.98!
Not only do they have great pricing, they have their reward program, PetSmart Treats. It is a simple yet rewarding program that makes the purchases even cheaper. Just this past week they offered 10x points for online purchases (including in-store pick up) which was equal to a 20% return! I made a $206 pre-tax purchase on the final day of the 10x points offer and my PetSmart Treats balance shot up over 17,000 points ($44+ in value). The value of my points now sits at $65 which can be easily redeemed at the till (or online checkout) towards any purchase.
Earning and Redeeming with PetSmart Treats
The standard points earn rate with PetSmart Treats is 8 points per $1 spent (before taxes/fees) and the redemption rate is 1,000 points for $2.50 off your purchase. That works out to 0.25 cents per point value or a 2% return per dollar spent.
The program frequently has bonus points offers and/or discount promotions that I always keep an eye out for and I try to time my purchases when these bonuses are in place – just as I did this past week with the 10x points. Most of the bonus points offers require activation so be sure to always check your account prior to shopping (in-store or online) and activate the offers beforehand.
RBC Offers 10% statement credit at PetSmart
On top of all this, my WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard currently has an RBC offer for PetSmart that offers a 10% statement credit up to a maximum $15 credit per purchase so not only did I receive $44 in points with my latest purchase but I should receive $15 back on the WestJet card. That’s nearly a $60 return in total on a $206 purchase not including the base 1.5% earning from the card! Not bad… not bad at all.
Click here to check out all the RBC Offers available right now
Marriott Bonvoy Amex for all other purchases at PetSmart
When the RBC offer is not in place I always make sure to pay for my PetSmart purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card as it earns 2 points per dollar. If you don’t have the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, any other 2% or 2 points per dollar cards such as the Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card, SimplyCash Preferred from American Express or the Rogers Mastercard (as long as you are a Rogers customer) are good bets for earning higher returns on your PetSmart purchases.
Wrapping it up
PetSmart Treats may not be a credit card reward program or a travel reward program that always seem to garner all the attention but I must say it is probably one of the best shopping loyalty programs in Canada. With a standard 2% return on all purchases the program offers double if not more what other shopping programs do – but of course that only matters if you have pets. And a lot of Canadians do have pets, whether it be dogs, cats, birds, fish, you name it, so you should definitely check it out as it is a great program that offers a ton of extra value on top of having great prices.
Click here to learn more about PetSmart Treats
How about you? Do you shop at PetSmart and use their Treats program? Tell us in the comments below what you like (or dislike) about the program and the retailer!