In the last few months, AIR MILES has made a number of announcements, including new partnerships, new ways to earn AIR MILES, and the promise of more to come.
In May 2024, AIR MILES announced plans for an expanded partnership with Pharmasave, which was to come into place across Canada later this year.
There’s now an official date attached to the announcement, and as of September 10, 2024, AIR MILES will roll out its partnership with Pharmasave across Canada.
AIR MILES Launches Canada-Wide Partnership with Pharmasave
AIR MILES is expanding its partnership with Pharmasave, one of Canada’s leading chains of independently owned and operated community pharmacies.
Starting September 10, 2024, AIR MILES collectors from all over Canada will be able to earn 1 AIR MILE per $10 spent at Pharmasave when using a linked Mastercard.
Elevated offers to drum up excitement about the partnership will be launched closer to the date as well.
Currently, only Pharmasave locations in Atlantic Canada are participating in the AIR MILES program, but with this new development, purchases at the chain’s more than 870 locations across the country will soon be eligible.
Note that to earn AIR MILES on your Pharmasave purchases, you must individually register Mastercard products (including supplementary cards) through the website of AIR MILES Card Link.
This means only purchases made with a linked Mastercard will earn AIR MILES, and portions of a bill paid with other methods, such as direct insurance billing, will not earn any rewards.
You won’t need to show your AIR MILES card either, as your AIR MILES will automatically be earned based on the purchase on your linked Mastercard.
Exclusively available to Canadian-issued Mastercard products, AIR MILES Card Link lets you earn bonus miles on purchases at participating partners, which include VIA Rail, Sephora, Decathlon, and Dollarama. The AIR MILES you’ll receive are on top of what you’ll otherwise earn through the rewards program of your credit card and/or the merchant itself.
Adding Pharmasave under AIR MILES Card Link allows a “loophole” against the prohibition of rewards or incentives on prescriptions in most Canadian provinces and territories.
With AIR MILES Card Link, you’re earning rewards on your credit card spending, rather than on your prescriptions. This is akin to earning PC Optimum points on all Shoppers Drug Mart purchases, including prescriptions, when using a PC Financial World Elite Mastercard.
To maximize your rewards at Pharmasave further, you’ll need to consider the suite of AIR MILES credit cards issued by BMO.
BMO AIR MILES Credit Cards
For instance, the BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®* gives you 1 AIR MILE per $12 spent on all purchases. Therefore, you’ll earn 2.2 AIR MILES per $12 spent on Pharmasave purchases charged to the card.
To recall, AIR MILES can be redeemed at a rate of 95 AIR MILES = $10. Therefore, you’ll earn roughly 2% in value on your Pharmasave purchases this way.
A New Major Partner For AIR MILES
BMO has been steadily rebuilding AIR MILES since its acquisition in Spring 2023, luring collectors back into the program with frequent bonuses and promotions, such as Shop the Block. Moreover, it has added more ways to earn AIR MILES, such as the ability to earn bonus miles by scanning receipts.
But while AIR MILES has been gradually regaining its momentum, it was recently dealt with a major blow with the exit of one of its biggest partners, Metro grocery stores, effective July 21, 2024. As of this date, AIR MILES will be without a brick-and-mortar grocery partner.
AIR MILES has been mitigating the setback by adding Instacart as a partner and increasing the earning on BMO AIR MILES credit cards at warehouse clubs and alcohol retailers.
This expanded partnership with Pharmasave certainly helps as well, keeping AIR MILES competitive with similar rewards programs like Scene+ and PC Optimum.
While there’s still a way to go to regain collectors’ trust, it’s reassuring to see that AIR MILES is headed on a better trajectory than it was prior to BMO’s takeover.
Conclusion
AIR MILES is expanding its partnership with Pharmasave, one of Canada’s leading chains of independently owned and operated community pharmacies.
Under the expanded partnership, AIR MILES collectors from all over Canada will be able to earn 1 AIR MILE for every $10 spent at Pharmasave when using a linked Mastercard. You’ll earn AIR MILES on all Pharmasave charges made to your Mastercard, including prescriptions.
To receive AIR MILES on your Pharmasave purchases, make sure your Canadian-issued Mastercard products (including supplementary cards) are individually registered through the AIR MILES Card Link website.
If you’re interested, be sure to link your cards before September 10, 2024, when the Canada-wide partnership is set to take effect.
