SDM Optimum Point Program - Optimizing

[mcminsen]

Just a note that the $200 Amex card does not have the promo points attached. I thought I would minimize the cards I purchased...I did, but no points on the $200 one. On a good note though...I was only charged the $6 fee on it so it seems to be a flat rate on activation.

ooops! Gotta read the fine print! Obviously the bonus points were only on the $50 or the $100 AMEX gift cards. Better luck next time.

[dagney]

I have a plus status and and was wondering too if you have to start all over again as of Jan. 1st. So how long is your plus status in effect for?

[Saving Moola]

and what happens if you lost your shoppers points card? you loose the points too

May be good to have 2 cards on hand with your significant other, parent or sibling. I would record the #s, write & sign your name on the back of the card with a Sharpie. On the front of the card, write picture ID required. Make a photocopy of both sides of the card so that you have it for a reference. Hopefully, this can protect you somehow. I don't know how good SDM is with replacing your card & giving you your pts that you had before you lost it. May be good to have this info readily avail on your cell phone & call the toll free sdm line & see what they have to say. The other thing is to perhaps quickly get home & transfer your existing pts to a second card (hubby???). I've got a lots of pts & will have to start redeeming some again after Boxing Day.

[Saving Moola]

Mcminsen> Another tip is to be point hungry (like you and me).

Post#61> Re: Amex gift cards. Ppl have complained they find it hard to find stores to use it at. I remember the same complaint from my friend - he had the Amex Air Miles card, and couldn't use it in a lot of places (some gas stations & restaurants).

The tips about food staples was bang on. I also buy a lot of toiletries / eau du toilette for family and friends, they pay me back of course. On promo days (20X), it's definitely cheaper than buying at the Bay or some fragrance store (esp. the bonus packs).

Buying gift cards when they have promos is always good. Esso gas cards, Chapters, Montanas ones I frequent anyways.

cdnwaterboy

Don't forget that this can be used @ Costco as well. Perhaps, check @ your favourite shopping mall customer service desk to see if they sell the mall gc & if you can use your Amex card to buy it. It's worth a shot & then you can buy whatever you want in the mall, provided that the businesses accepts the mall gc.

[KK7]

Hey I have read all the good pointers but just wanted to know if anyone has good ideas to get a quick 5,000 points without getting gift cards I need only this to become a plus before the end of the year but don't want to spend alot because I am pretty much done Christmas shopping.

[Poirot]

I have a plus status and and was wondering too if you have to start all over again as of Jan. 1st. So how long is your plus status in effect for?

Since you have plus status now it's good until December 31,2010.

[S J]

great points I am tempted to drop my BMO card and apply for shoppers. I wish they had visa instead of master card .then I would have switched my visa ASAP

[mcminsen]

Hey I have read all the good pointers but just wanted to know if anyone has good ideas to get a quick 5,000 points without getting gift cards I need only this to become a plus before the end of the year but don't want to spend alot because I am pretty much done Christmas shopping.

That's the trick about getting Plus status... you can't do it with bonus points. You have to get REGULAR points for the Plus status and the only way you get those is with a layout of money. To get Plus status before the end of 2009 you can do one of two things, buy $500 of SDM gift cards OR buy $250 of SDM gift cards AND spend them before Dec. 31, '09.

If you don't get Plus status before the end of the year it's not that big of a deal. Just make sure you're racking up those REGULAR points right from the start of the next year. Maybe your strategy now should be to postpone anymore buying of SDM gift cards and merchandise until the new year.

[watergirl73]

I bought the mastercard gift cards before and had so much trouble trying to use them at places and that's why I've stayed away from the AMEX cards although its a great deal.... geesh....

[Cheesecake]

I'm new at this Shoppers stuff so I appreciate so much all the help I get here. Just want to see if my thinking is right on this.

If I go on Saturday and buy a $75 giftcard for Shoppers I'll get the bonus 15,000 points. Now if I go back and use my husbands' optimum card and spend the $75 gift card, I'll get 15,000 points on his card as well?

[Bumper]

This weekend's flyer, posted by mcminsen, has some really good points/savings opportunities. Here’s a few that stood out to me.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/113949-anyone-able-post-sdm-flyer-dec-5-12th-canada/<o:p></o:p>
- 15,000 bonus points when you spend $75. If you keep it to the $75 (most cashiers, at my store anyway, are very helpful with this) it’s 21x points, because you will also get your regular points.
- 3,000 bonus points (additional 10x points) when you spend $30 on these products (high value coupon available on RCSS board for many of the products):
o Oral B power toothbrush or replacement heads (20%off) $4.50 coupon on RCSS board
o Olay Regenerist (20%off) think there are coupons for this
o Duracel chargers (20% off)
o Herbal essence hair colour
o Duracel batteries $4.99 ($0.60 coupon)
o Crest Pro heath toothpaste ($1.50 coupon on RCSS board)
o Oral B cross action tooth brushes ($1.50 coupon on RCSS board)
o Tampax Compaq pearl ($2 coupon on RCSS board)
o Always infinity ($2 coupon on RCSS board)
o Some covergirl makeup (a few coupons around, including some in the coupon database)
o Some more I couldn’t read
- There’s some new shopper’s coupon in the coupon database.
- Lot’s of great deals in the food flyer, posted by couponlady, to help bring the total to $75, especially if you have some coupons:
- http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/114072-shoppers-drug-mart-food-section-flyer-dec-5-18-a-canada/
- Eggs 1.99, butter 2.97, sneider’s bacon 2.99, Yoplait yoptimal ($0.50/$1 coupon), clover leaf smoked mussels/oyster 3 for $4 ($1 WUB2 coupon), ben & Jerry’s 4.99 ($1 coupon), etc.

[mcminsen]

This weekend's flyer, posted by mcminsen, has some really good points/savings opportunities. Here’s a few that stood out to me.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/113949-anyone-able-post-sdm-flyer-dec-5-12th-canada/<o:p></o:p>
- 15,000 bonus points when you spend $75. If you keep it to the $75 (most cashiers, at my store anyway, are very helpful with this) it’s 21x points, because you will also get your regular points.
- 3,000 bonus points (additional 10x points) when you spend $30 on these products (high value coupon available on RCSS board for many of the products):
o Oral B power toothbrush or replacement heads (20%off) $4.50 coupon on RCSS board
o Olay Regenerist (20%off) think there are coupons for this
o Duracel chargers (20% off)
o Herbal essence hair colour
o Duracel batteries $4.99 ($0.60 coupon)
o Crest Pro heath toothpaste ($1.50 coupon on RCSS board)
o Oral B cross action tooth brushes ($1.50 coupon on RCSS board)
o Tampax Compaq pearl ($2 coupon on RCSS board)
o Always infinity ($2 coupon on RCSS board)
o Some covergirl makeup (a few coupons around, including some in the coupon database)
o Some more I couldn’t read
- There’s some new shopper’s coupon in the coupon database.
- Lot’s of great deals in the food flyer, posted by couponlady, to help bring the total to $75, especially if you have some coupons:
- http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/114072-shoppers-drug-mart-food-section-flyer-dec-5-18-a-canada/
- Eggs 1.99, butter 2.97, sneider’s bacon 2.99, Yoplait yoptimal ($0.50/$1 coupon), clover leaf smoked mussels/oyster 3 for $4 ($1 WUB2 coupon), ben & Jerry’s 4.99 ($1 coupon), etc.

Getting more bonus points within the 15,000 bonus points deal? Did this work for you before? I don't have any direct experience with this kind of thing and I can't recall what some other posters have said they got when they tried the same thing. The fine print says:

-----------------
"Maximum 15,000 points per offer regardless of total dollar value of transaction. Excludes prescription purchases, Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points, Shoppers Optimum Mastercard Points, products that contain codeine..." etc etc.

"Not to be used in conjunction with any other points promotions or offers."
------------------

There may be some kinds of purchases that would be better NOT in the $75/15,000 points transaction, if possible. If you're going to be doing a lot more than $75 of shopping, consider separating them into two transactions. One with the minimum total of $75 and the rest (that might be eligible for some other bonus points) in the other transaction.

If you do the deal this weekend and try to get additional bonus points within the 15,000 bonus points deal, let us know how you did. Then we might know a little better how to interpret the fine print.

[mcminsen]

I'm new at this Shoppers stuff so I appreciate so much all the help I get here. Just want to see if my thinking is right on this.

If I go on Saturday and buy a $75 giftcard for Shoppers I'll get the bonus 15,000 points. Now if I go back and use my husbands' optimum card and spend the $75 gift card, I'll get 15,000 points on his card as well?

Nope, sorry. I think we all might have thought that at the beginning but, alas, that would be too good. We would bankrupt SDM if we could do that!

One part of the fine print that I do know how to interpret is when it says:

"Excludes... electronic gift cards... "

Definitely go and buy a SDM gift card before hand and get regular points for that. And then use the SDM gift card to pay for your purchases to then get regular points again and the bonus points.

[Bumper]

Just got back from shoppers. Purchased 2 pack of the oral B refills (23.99 each, less $9 in coupons) and some other stuff totaling $75.22.
I earn 15,000 store bonus points, 3,000 product bonus point, and 900 regular points = 18,900 points.

Didn't try this, because i really don't need any quo stuff, but you could also purchase $75 quo products (15x bonus points) and get 15,000 store bonus points + 11,250 product bonus points + 750 regular points = 27,000 points. Since the implements and brushes are 40% off, this could be a really good stocking stuffer opportunity!

Getting more bonus points within the 15,000 bonus points deal? Did this work for you before? I don't have any direct experience with this kind of thing and I can't recall what some other posters have said they got when they tried the same thing. The fine print says:

-----------------
"Maximum 15,000 points per offer regardless of total dollar value of transaction. Excludes prescription purchases, Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points, Shoppers Optimum Mastercard Points, products that contain codeine..." etc etc.

"Not to be used in conjunction with any other points promotions or offers."
------------------

There may be some kinds of purchases that would be better NOT in the $75/15,000 points transaction, if possible. If you're going to be doing a lot more than $75 of shopping, consider separating them into two transactions. One with the minimum total of $75 and the rest (that might be eligible for some other bonus points) in the other transaction.

If you do the deal this weekend and try to get additional bonus points within the 15,000 bonus points deal, let us know how you did. Then we might know a little better how to interpret the fine print.

[Cheesecake]

Good deals! Where did you get the Oral B refill coupons?