1. Signing up for a PC Optimum account
Before getting a PC Mastercard, I had signed up for a PC Optimum account first.
You can sign up for a PC Optimum account online, or in-person at participating stores. (I happened to sign up for mine at a local Superstore.)
There are 20+ brands with over 4,500 stores across Canada participating in the PC Optimum program. Example brands include Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, and Your Independent Grocer (I'm listing these because these are PC Optimum stores I frequent the most).
- For a list of 20+ store brands participating in the PC Optimum program, go here.
- To find a store near you, go here.
You do not need a PC Mastercard to open a PC Optimum account and vice versa, as you can open either in any order. Without a PC Mastercard, you can still earn PC Optimum points by simply scanning / linking your membership when you check out in-person / online at these participating stores.
2. Earning 100,000 PC Optimum points from a PC Mastercard signup promo
When I signed up for a PC Mastercard around 4 years ago, there was a promotion where I could earn 100,000 PC Optimum points if the card is approved.
1,000 PC Optimum points equals $1, so 100,000 PC Optimum points equals $100.
But keep in mind this was quite some time ago, so this promotion might no longer exist. You can check out the official PC Mastercard webpage to see if there are any current sign-up promotions you can take advantage of.
With this promotion, getting 100,000 PC Optimum points with a credit card signup while not having to pay any annual fees was pretty much a no-brainer.
This alone made it worth it to sign up for the card.
There are 3 tiers of credit cards offered by PC Financial, and all of them have no annual fees.
- PC Mastercard (this was the one I got)
- PC World Mastercard
- PC World Elite Mastercard
| PC Credit Cards | Minimum Income |
|---|---|
| PC Mastercard | None specified |
| PC World Mastercard | $60k personal or $100k household |
| PC World Elite Mastercard | $80k personal or $150k household |
Table updated as of September 2023.
The key difference between the 3 tiers of cards is that the higher-tier ones earn you more points in PC Optimum merchant transactions.
For example, for PC Grocery Store transactions, the PC Mastercard earns you 10 points per dollar, while the PC World Mastercard earns you 20 and the PC World Elite Mastercard earns you 30. The four PC Grocery Stores are No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, and Wholesale Club.
Here's a table that shows the amount of points (pts) you would get for transactions in PC Optimum merchants.
| PC Credit Cards | PC Grocery Stores | Shoppers Drug Mart | Esso Mobil | Other Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC Mastercard | 10 pts/$1 | 25 pts/$1 | 30 pts/1L | 10 pts/$1 |
| PC World Mastercard | 20 pts/$1 | 35 pts/$1 | 30 pts/1L | 10 pts/$1 |
| PC World Elite Mastercard | 30 pts/$1 | 45 pts/$1 | 30 pts/1L | 10 pts/$1 |
Table updated as of September 2023.
- In general, all cards will earn you 10 points for transactions that are not affiliated with the PC Optimum program.
- PC Travel was part of the PC Optimum program, but it has now been decommissioned since July 15th, 2023.
3. Participating in PC Optimum promotions
I have the PC Optimum mobile app, where I can check for offers involving PC Optimum points from time to time. New promotions are usually released every other day.
For example, in the screenshot above, you can see that if you were to spend $75 or more in a Shoppers, you could get 5X the points when paying with a PC Financial card. (Sometimes, paying with a PC Financial card isn't even a requirement.)
I used to live near a Shoppers Drug Mart, so naturally I frequented it a lot and took advantage of the promotions.
But be careful here. I would not suggest spending more than you have to simply to earn the points, especially if prices for particular items are more expensive in the store you visit compared to if you were to get them elsewhere. Weigh it out, and see if it makes sense to participate in the promotions.
4. Signing up for PC Mobile
PC Mobile uses the same network as Bell. I recall paying between $28–40+ per month for a few GBs of data and unlimited texting and calling, which is relatively affordable when compared to other bigger service providers in Canada.
I'm no longer a customer of a PC Mobile, but I only switched away because I found a better deal elsewhere. I have no complaints about their network and customer service.
I earned quite a bit of PC Optimum points through my PC Mobile account, and also by paying the bill with my PC Mastercard.
5. Opening a PC Money account
If PC Mastercard is a credit card, then PC Money is a no-fee online bank that you can use for debit transactions. You could set up payroll deposits, pay bills, and make e-Transfer payments with the account.
There was a sign-up promotion that I took advantage of, and it was worth around 65,000 or 75,000 PC Optimum points. To earn the points, there were conditions to deposit a sum of money into the account and to pay bills with the account. Nothing too complicated to set up.
However, again, this may not be the same promotion you would get today. To check out the latest welcome offer from PC Money, go here.
Q & A (3)
1. Does the PC Financial Mastercard come with travel insurance?
Only the PC World Elite Mastercard (the highest-tier card from PC Financial) comes with a Travel Emergency Medical Insurance, which covers the first 10 consecutive days of a trip. For more info on this insurance, visit this webpage.
2. What is the difference between a PC Mastercard and a PC Money account?
A PC Mastercard is a credit card, whereas a PC Money is an online bank account. None of them have monthly fees, and you can sign up for one without having to sign up for the other.
3. How do I contact PC Financial Mastercard, PC Money, and PC Optimum?
Visit this page for ways to contact PC Financial for both PC Mastercard and PC Money, as well as for the PC Optimum program.
Live chat options, email, account messages, and phone calls are available.
Got Other Questions?
Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.