When I was married, my husband insisted we have credit cards that gave us airline points.
I wanted one that gave me points for free groceries.
The first thing I did when I got divorced was apply for a PC Financial credit card. Now, every time I check out at the grocery store and head home with “free food,” it tastes extra sweet.
The truth is, I’d do anything for free rewards. I go to Starbucks for the caffeine jolt, yes, but also for the free drinks I can earn. My Scene card has earned me free movies.
I get such a sense of accomplishment from earning free. It’s exciting and satisfying. I can’t be the only one who is thrilled by the prospect of collecting rewards points—there must be a whole wing of psychology dedicated to studying this, which is why loyalty cards are so popular in the first place.
I think the cards with the most immediate rewards are best. I like fast, tangible results. I have a points card at Indigo and I have yet to see those amount to anything. It’s the same at Shopper’s Drug Mart—I’m always “just a few points away” from getting $10 off my purchase. It’s a bummer and I don’t know why I bother collecting these points at all.
I once spend years collecting Air Miles and I ended up being able to “purchase” some pretty cool big-ticket items with those points. Again, it took me years to earn enough points, and now the card has fallen to the wayside. I always forget to use it when I shop online, missing out on collecting Air Miles. It’s just not the most intuitive card in my wallet.
In the meantime, my “free groceries” credit card continues to occupy the most visible slot in my wallet and I’m perfectly happy with that.
Do you have any experiences with points cards, either positive or negative? What free things do you earn? Which loyalty programs do you like best? Please share!
