4 quick budget travel tips
Escapism is in the air! Whether you’re considering a vacation, staycation, mini-break, or road trip, the planning of it all has the potential to consume a lot of your time—and your finances. Travel is meant to be fun, so we’d like to offer to assist. Try these quick budget travel tips to send you on your way—wherever you’re off to—with your mood and budget on point.
1. Grow your travel fund: If you’re not using the Insights feature (opens in a new window) in the PC Financial® app, you’re missing out on a really smart tool. It can give you a clearer picture of your purchasing patterns— helping you track your spending by category with daily, weekly, or monthly views. Use it to notice where you can trim and save, as you plan for your upcoming escapades.
2. Pay for travel essentials like groceries and fuel using your PC® Mastercard® to earn PC Optimum™ points that will help you get to free fast. As a PC® Mastercard® holder, you’ll earn up to 30 PC Optimum™ points¹ for every dollar you spend at participating grocery stores, like No Frills®, Real Canadian Superstore®, Loblaws®, and Maxi®. You can also earn up to 45 points per dollar² you spend at Shoppers Drug Mart® and Pharmaprix®. Filling up at Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada will pump up your points balance as well, earning you at least 3 cents per litre of fuel in PC Optimum™ points³. Paying with your PC® Mastercard® just makes sense when you’re travelling, hitting the road, or planning a cottage stay.
Tip: If you covered the groceries for your crew’s cottage feast or any other group travel expenses, it’s easy to remind them to pay you back by sending a friendly Interac e-Transfer® request from your PC Money™ Account in the PC Financial® app
3. Redeem the points⁴ you’ve earned with your PC® Mastercard® card on essentials like sunscreen and those adorable travel-sized hand lotions at Shoppers Drug Mart®. Your PC Optimum™ points balance is there to help you keep your budget intact, so redeem those points to supplement your spending!
Tip: Check your stash of mini shampoo bottles and refill old vessels with products you already have to save where you can.
4. Earn points on purchases worldwide (wherever Mastercard® is accepted) and avoid disruptions by setting up a travel notice in your PC Financial® app. Your jet-setting ways shouldn’t block you from earning points! Here’s how to (opens in a new window) do it.
Tip: Extend that freewheeling feeling by using the PC Financial® app to help automate your banking. Don’t miss a payment while you’re away by setting up pre-authorized debits on your PC Money™ Account to pay your bills. And consider going cardless—add your PC Financial® card to your mobile wallet (opens in a new window) with the app—it’s easy.
Now you’re all set—don’t forget to budget for a small souvenir so you can remember this successful trip!
1 Earn a minimum of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar on all of your purchases charged to the credit card. Any bonus PC Optimum™ points offers available to all PC Financial® Mastercard® customers are calculated based on the regular earnings rate of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar spent. This offer may be terminated or changed at any time.
2 All PC Optimum™ members earn 15 points per dollar on eligible purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart® and Pharmaprix®. When you use your PC Financial® Mastercard® you will earn additional points per dollar: 10 points per dollar for PC Financial® Mastercard® cardholders; 20 points per dollar for PC Financial® World Mastercard® cardholders; and 30 points per dollar for PC Financial® World Elite Mastercard® cardholders.
3 Points amount shown includes the 10 points per dollar for all purchases with the PC Financial® Mastercard®. In addition, earn at least 10 PC Optimum™ points per purchased litre of gasoline or diesel fuel at Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada when you pay with your PC Financial® Mastercard®. You will also earn at least 10 PC Optimum™ points per litre available to all PC Optimum™ loyalty members at Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada. Earn an additional 10 points per litre of premium gasoline (Octane 89, 91, 93) at Esso™ and select Mobil™ Stations. You could earn even more points at Mobil™ stations located adjacent to a Loblaw banner grocery store. Exact earn rate is available at the station. Should fuel prices fall below $1/L, causing total points per litre awarded to fall below 30 points per litre, points will be topped up to ensure a minimum of 30 points per litre are awarded in all transactions paid with a PC Financial® Mastercard® at Esso™ and Mobil™ locations. For full details including how points are awarded to your PC Optimum™ account and rounding rules, visit pcfinancial.ca/en/legal-stuff/pc-optimum-mastercard/.
4 Minimum redemption is 10,000 PC Optimum™ points (worth $10 in free rewards) and in increments of 10,000 PC Optimum™ points thereafter, at participating stores. Some redemption restrictions apply. Visit pcoptimum.ca for details and full store list.
*General information not about PC Financial® products is provided for your reference and interest only. The above content is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on matters of interest and is not a substitute for and should not be construed as the advice of an experienced professional. PC Financial® does not guarantee the currency, accuracy, applicability or completeness of this content. *
