Plum rewards is a loyalty program offered by Chapters/Indigo that allows members to collect points in-store and enjoy the best prices on books online. The program is free to join, and there are no annual membership fees.
You can join Plum rewards online, or you can become a member in any Chapters/Indigo store by providing your name and a valid e-mail address or mailing address and telephone number.
Your membership is valid at any Indigo, Chapters, Coles, Indigospirit, World’s Biggest Bookstore, SmithBooks and The Book Company locations, and online at chapters.indigo.ca.
Earning Plum Rewards
Earning Plum rewards is simple. Show your rewards card each time you make a purchase in-store. Your points will automatically be awarded to your account.
Earn 10 Plum rewards points for virtually every dollar spent. You can earn rewards on most items, however, there are some exceptions. Plum rewards are not awarded on electronics, Starbucks/Indigo Café Food & Beverages, irewards memberships, eBooks and gift cards.
Plum rewards are not awarded for online purchases, but members can save up to 5% off books at chapters.indigo.ca. Bonus points offers may also be available on items purchased online.
Redeeming Plum Rewards
You can redeem your Plum rewards points towards in-store purchases as soon as you reach the first redemption level (2,500 points for $5). Simply present your Plum rewards card at cash during your purchase and tell the store associate that you want to redeem your Plum rewards points.
- 2,500 points = $5
- 4,500 points = $10
- 8,500 points = $20
- 20,000 points = $50
- 35,000 points = $100
35,000 points is the maximum that members can redeem in a single transaction. The products and services eligible for Plum rewards points redemption are posted at online and are updated on a periodic basis. Currently, purchases made online are not eligible for point redemptions.
Keeping Your Plum Rewards Account Active
Your account will remain active if you have collected at least one Plum rewards point, purchased online using a Plum rewards card or redeemed Plum rewards points within the past 12 months.
The easiest way to keep your membership active is to make at least one qualifying purchase every 12 months. If your Plum rewards account is inactive for 12 months, your account will expire and all accumulated plum rewards points will be forfeited. Aeroplan has a similar expiry policy.
Viewing your points balance is easy – it’s printed on your receipt when you shop in-store with your Plum rewards card. You can also view your balance online when you sign into your account.
Final Thoughts
If you regularly shop at Chapters/Indigo stores, it makes sense to carry the Plum rewards card in your wallet or add it to your mobile app.
As with most loyalty programs like Shoppers Optimum and PC Points, the rewards are fairly limited unless you can find away to boost your earnings with an affiliate credit card, or take advantage of bonus points.
With the regular $1 to 10 point ratio, you will need to spend $850 on books in order to get $20 in value back from the Plum rewards program.
The PC MasterCard was my first rewards credit card. I like this card for two reasons – it has no annual fee, and I can earn PC Optimum Points that can be redeemed for free groceries at Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
I used my PC MasterCard for every purchase (about $2,000 per month at that time) and earned about $20 per month in free groceries. PC Optimum points are automatically updated to your account every few days after making purchases. Once you reach 20,000 PC Optimum Points you can redeem them right at the check-out anywhere PC products are sold.
PC MasterCard Review
The PC MasterCard is one of the most straightforward and easy to use reward credit cards in Canada. This card comes with a host of benefits that are not found in most no fee credit cards:
- Earn 10 PC points for every $1 spent, anywhere you shop
- New cardholders receive a low balance transfer rate of 0.97% for 6 months
- Request up to four free additional cards on your account for family members
- Free Purchase Assurance in case of theft, loss or damage in the first 90 days
- Use your card to get free extended warranty – it doubles the manufacturer’s regular warranty for up to an additional year
Redeeming PC Optimum Points
You can begin redeeming once you have earned 10,000 PC Optimum points. Or, redeem higher amounts in further increments of 10,000 PC Optimum points (which is equivalent to a further $10 in rewards).
Just present your PC MasterCard at the check-out at participating stores where President’s Choice products are sold and tell the cashier that you’re redeeming your PC points.
How Many Points Can You Earn?
In order to maximize your rewards, you should try and pay for every purchase with your credit card. I spend approximately $2,600 per month on my credit card, including $600 on gas and groceries. Let’s take a look at how many points I could earn now from the PC MasterCard in the 1st year:
- Initial start-up offer – 40,000
- Online application bonus – 5,000
- 1% rebate on every purchase – 312,000
Total PC Optimum Points earned in the first year: 357,000 = $357
Final Thoughts on the PCMasterCard
If you bank at PC Financial and shop regularly at Loblaws or Superstore, – and now Shoppers Drug Mart – it makes sense to use the PC MasterCard to earn even more PC Optimum Points.
The PC MasterCard is a great credit card for anyone looking for no annual fee and a straight-forward rewards program. It was my go-to rewards credit card for years and it remains one of the best no-fee cash back credit cards in Canada.