Esso vs. Shell vs. Petro-Canada: Here's which gas station has the best loyalty program in 2025
If you've ever stood at the pump wondering whether swiping your PC Optimum or Petro-Points card is actually doing anything, we see you.
Between points, perks and partnered programs like Aeroplan and Air Miles — not to mention gas prices that fluctuate daily if not hourly — trying to figure out how to get the best deal on gas can feel like solving a math problem you never asked for.
So we did the math for you.
We compared the four major gas station loyalty programs available nationwide — Petro-Points, Shell Go+, PC Optimum and Journie Rewards — and looked at how much each one could actually save you at the pump.
To keep things consistent, we based our math on a typical driver with a 40-litre tank filling up once a week — about 2,000 litres of regular-grade gasoline over the course of a year. We looked at both what you'd earn with only the free version of each program, and how much more you could get if you linked a specific credit card or another membership like CAA.
From there, we figured out how many cents per litre you'd effectively get back every time you fuelled up, whether as an instant discount or by redeeming points for a future gas purchase. Some programs do give you better value on other rewards — like car washes, convenience store items and even travel — but we stuck to gas savings only for an apples-to-apples comparison.
And while the programs might all seem pretty evenly matched, one actually comes out way ahead if you play your cards right, earning you nearly 10 cents off every single litre you buy. Here's how Canada's biggest gas station loyalty programs stack up.
Petro-Points
Participating brands: Petro-Canada, Canadian Tire Gas+
Number of stations: 1,800+
Earning rate: 1.2 ¢/L for regular Petro-Points and Triangle Rewards members; 4.4 ¢/L with any RBC debit or credit card
Savings on 2,000 L of gas: Up to $88
How it works: Petro-Points lets you earn points on gas, car washes and in-store purchases at Petro-Canada and Canadian Tire Gas+ stations. For every 1,000 points you earn, you can redeem $1 off a future purchase at either gas station brand.
Every litre of fuel you buy earns you 10 points, and if you link your Triangle Rewards account, you'll get 20% more, for a total of 12 points per litre. That's equal to 1.2 cents in rewards per litre for regular members of both free programs.
For Petro-Canada customers, the real boost comes from linking an RBC debit or credit card, which adds another 2 points per litre plus an instant 3 cents off every fill-up, bumping your total savings to 4.4 cents per litre — although this only applies at Petro-Canada stations.
Meanwhile, Triangle Rewards members can earn up to 5 cents per litre in CT Money when they pay with a Triangle credit card at either brand. That's on top of the Petro-Points you're already earning. However, CT Money can't be used for fuel — only for shopping at places like Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Mark's. So while it's technically more value back overall (up to 6.2 ¢/L), it doesn't qualify for inclusion in our gas savings calculation since you can't actually spend it on gas.
Best for: RBC cardholders (especially Avion points collectors) and anyone who shops at Canadian Tire and uses a Triangle credit card.
Journie Rewards
Participating brands: Ultramar, Chevron, Fas Gas Plus, Pioneer
Number of stations: 1,200+
Earning rate: 1.3 to 3.3 ¢/L for regular Journie Rewards members; up to 6.3 ¢/L with any CIBC debit or credit card
Savings on 2,000 L of gas: Up to $126
How it works: Journie Rewards runs on a cycle-based system that resets every time you earn 300 points. You earn one point for every litre of gas you buy, plus bonus points on in-store purchases and EV charging. As you collect points, you unlock rewards at the 75, 150 and 300-point levels, with options like snacks, Aeroplan points and fuel discounts. You don't have to choose between redeeming and saving — you get one reward at each level and still get to keep earning until you hit 300 and the cycle resets.
For each 300-point cycle, you'll have the opportunity to get two fuel discounts — 3 cents per litre at 150 points and 7 cents a litre at 300. But there's a catch: Fuel discounts can only be applied to a single fill-up, with a 100-litre max, so the total value you'll get depends on the size of your tank and whether you time it right to fill up from empty.
For drivers with a 40-litre tank, like in our example scenario, the full cycle adds up to about $4 in fuel savings for every 300 litres you buy, or 1.3 cents per litre. But if your gas tank can take 100 litres or more, those discounts can add up to $10 off for every 300 litres, or 3.3 cents a litre. That's easily the highest base rate of any program on this list.
CIBC cardholders also get an extra 3 cents off every fill-up, pushing the total up to around 4.3 cents per litre for a 40-litre tank, or as much as 6.3 cents if you can max out the discounts. You can also opt to collect Aeroplan points instead, which could be worth even more — but not toward gas, so we didn't include them in our main calculation.
So while it's not the program with the highest overall earning potential, Journie does offer the best base rewards rate for free members — as long as you're redeeming your discounts on fill-ups of more than 36 litres, and especially if your tank can take the full 100.
Best for: Aeroplan collectors, CIBC cardholders and drivers of trucks and other vehicles with large gas tanks.
PC Optimum
Participating brands: Esso, Mobil (including those that are co-branded with Circle K, Mac's, 7-Eleven, Husky and other brands)
Number of stations: 2,400+
Earning rate: 1 ¢/L for regular PC Optimum members; up to 7.2 ¢/L with the PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard
Savings on 2,000 L of gas: Up to $144
How it works: The Loblaw-owned PC Optimum program lets you collect points at Esso and Mobil stations. These stations are the most widely available across the country, making this one of the easiest programs to use no matter where you are in Canada. Regular members earn 10 points per litre of fuel, which works out to a base rate of 1 cent back per litre.
It gets a whole lot better with a PC Mastercard, though. The top-tier PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard can earn you an extra 30 points per litre and 10 points per dollar (which we're calculating as at least 12 points per litre, assuming a fuel price of 120 c/L or higher). Plus, every time you hit 150 litres of fuel in a month, you get 20 more points per litre for the entire month — bringing the total potential earnings up to 7.2 cents per litre with this credit card.
Points can be redeemed for gas discounts at the same exchange rate as grocery rewards (1,000 points = $1). However, one of the best-value rewards you can get through this program is car washes, where 10,000 points could be worth $20 or more. Our gas savings estimate sticks to direct fuel redemptions to keep things even across programs, but it's clear the program has serious earning potential — especially if you're fuelling up regularly and using the right card.
Best for: PC Mastercard holders (especially the PC Insiders World Elite), car wash fans, and long-distance drivers or anyone looking for a program with tons of location options from coast to coast.
Shell Go+
Participating brands: Shell
Number of stations: 1,400+
Earning rate: 1.2 ¢/L for regular Shell Go+ members; 9.7 ¢/L with a CAA membership and the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard
Savings on 2,000 L of gas: Up to $194
How it works: Shell Go+ is a rewards program that builds on the existing Air Miles system — it doesn't use its own points but instead helps you earn extra Air Miles on fuel, in-store purchases and car washes at Shell stations. Regular Air Miles collectors earn 1 Mile for every 20 litres of fuel (or 10 litres for V-Power), and Shell Go+ members get double that.
CAA members also get an instant 3 cents off per litre and 10% off most car washes and convenience purchases. While this is a paid program, with memberships starting at just $30, this would pay for itself as long as you buy at least 1,000 litres of gas per year.
BMO debit and credit cardholders get an additional 2 cents per litre off at the pump (or 7 cents for V-Power), and if you pay with a BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard, you'll earn an extra 3 Miles for every $12 on top of that (which we're calculating as at least 0.3 Miles per litre, assuming a fuel price of 120 c/L or higher).
Redeeming Cash Miles at Shell is also a better deal than at most other retailers — Shell Go+ members can redeem 95 Miles to get $10 off gas, but they earn 10 Miles back after redeeming, making it effectively cost just 85 Miles. That gives each Mile a value of around 11.8 cents when used towards gas purchases (although your Miles may go even further if you collect them as Dream Miles to spend on things like travel instead).
Altogether, this combo of bonus Miles and stacked discounts can add up to nearly 10 cents off per litre — the highest total savings of any loyalty program in our comparison. Shell Go+ also stands out for having by far the highest earn rate on car washes and convenience store purchases, making it a no-brainer if you regularly buy more than just fuel.
Best for: Air Miles collectors (especially if you're already collecting Dream Miles), CAA members, frequent car wash or convenience shoppers, and BMO cardholders — especially those with the BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard.
BONUS: Costco
Participating brands: Costco Gasoline
Number of stations: 79
Savings rate: Typically between 5 and 15 ¢/L
Savings on 2,000 L of gas: Up to $372
How it works: This is a bit of a cheat, since Costco doesn't actually offer a rewards program, but its gas prices alone often beat the best loyalty program savings — which is why we had to give it an honourable mention.
Only Costco members can fill up at Costco stations, and memberships start at $65 per year, but if you can fill up here regularly, that membership easily pays for itself.
We tracked gas prices at every Costco in Canada for a month and compared them to the average price in the same city, and on average, we found savings ranged from 5 to 15 cents per litre, depending on the region. Alberta, B.C. and Quebec saw the biggest discounts, while Ontario's were a bit more modest. Some standout stations consistently offered even deeper savings — like SW Calgary, where gas was almost always 14 to 15 cents cheaper than the city average, and had days when that difference spiked to a whopping 24 cents.
If you also pay with the CIBC Costco Mastercard, you'll get 3% cash back on gas, which adds another layer of savings — potentially worth over $70 a year in our example.
That said, the major trade-off is convenience. There are only 79 Costco gas stations in Canada spread across 57 cities and towns — a much smaller footprint than the 1,200+ stations in the other major programs. And because the prices are so good, there's often a lineup at the pumps, especially during peak hours. So while the deal is pretty much unbeatable, if you're not already driving by one, Costco might not be all that convenient for you.
Best for: Costco members who live, work or commute near a Costco gas station — especially those with a CIBC Costco Mastercard.
Prices, points and rewards details were confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
