Tool · Gift card stacking
Gift card promo plus credit card: what you actually pay
Buy a gift card that's on promotion, then pay with the gift card. The savings come from three layers: the gift card promo, the store's loyalty points, and your credit card rewards.
Enter 0 if there is no promo. The most common one is 5,000 PC Optimum points for every $50 of Apple gift cards, which works out to 10%. Loblaws-owned stores and Shoppers run it a few times a year (the latest was at the end of January 2026). These promos are often limited to certain stores or certain members, so check your PC Optimum app before you go.
Effective price
—
Three things to know before you use it
- A credit card's high rate at grocery stores and drugstores doesn't always apply to gift cards. The issuer can exclude gift cards, or take the points back afterward. Try a small purchase first and confirm the points post before you buy a large one.
- Under Apple's current gift card terms (updated August 2024), the balance on any Apple gift card can be used to buy hardware, including the older "App Store & iTunes" cards. If a card says it can only be used for one kind of purchase, go by what the card says. Apple gift cards can only be used at Apple's own stores. Retailers such as Best Buy and Costco don't accept them.
- PC Optimum points are valued at 1,000 points = $1. That is the fixed rate at which they redeem at Loblaws-owned stores, not an assumption.