Canadian Tire Money | Hacker News Reader

Canadian Tire Money

en.wikipedia.org

Even though I'm from the US I lived and worked in Canada for about five years in the late 90s/early 2000s. It was interesting how common Canadian Tire money was (which was still physical bills then). Everybody had it because Canadian Tire (which is really more of Walmart-style store rather than just a tire store) was a popular place to shop, but it was accepted in many other places like farmer's markets and independent restaurants.

> but it was accepted in many other places like farmer's markets and independent restaurants

Where were you in Canada? I definitely didn’t have the same experience (in the GTA). Lots of Canadian Tire money circulation and regular trips there in my house, but it was not a thing beyond Canadian Tire.

Waterloo for most of it (where I was a postdoc at the University of Waterloo, then I was at a company in Quebec but that's a world into itself where even Canadian Tire itself was uncommon compared to Ontario). I remember Canadian Tire money being practically a default second currency at the St Jacob's market near Waterloo.

Strange, I was not far from there. I can imagine it being accepted at St. Jacob’s, but I suspect that it was a rather special case. I certainly can’t recall any restaurants in Waterloo taking Canadian Tire money. Then again, I never asked. Thanks for humoring me!

I grew up in York Region and while I wouldn't say it was common I did see places that accepted Canadian Tire Money often. Also local one person shops, or at the markets though. Never saw it at a restaurant that I can remember.

In 90’s New Brunswick it was practically legal tender. Accepted at basically every mom and pop store, and even many chains. Not so much since the turn of the century.

It's a shame they had to roll what was once a cool promotional program to encourage you to shop at CT into something that pushes credit cards and debt.

I still have some bills from the late 90's early 2000's when I was in Canada travelling and needed to pick up some cheap camping gear. I thought it was cool that they came in such low denominations (5c, 10c, 25c, probably more).

How does this push credit cards? In the article it says you don’t even get CTM if you pay by credit card, so wouldn’t it push you to not use credit cards?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Tire_money#Electronic...

You don't get _paper_ CTM if you pay by credit card. That's in the old days. Now that it's all just "points" on a computer, instead:

> Unlike with paper Canadian Tire money, eCTM can be earned on purchases paid for with a credit card. Extra eCTMs is earned when paying with a Triangle credit card issued by CTFS.

Do you get more eCTM than normal CTM if you pay with credit card? So it pushes you to specifically get a Triangle credit card? Otherwise I still don’t see the push if you get CTM with both methods.

Yes, you get extra eCTM rewards in all CT-owned brand stores and gas stations.

Card also has the weird quirk of allowing and rewarding bill payments (telecom, power, property tax)

There isn't a fridge top in Canada without some of that stuff just laying there.

Butter cookie tins. Some have sewing supplies. Some are stuffed to the brim with Canadian Tire money. Some may have cookies.

A lot of them with loose change and a random collections of odds bits, buttons, nails, stamps, etc.

The initial rate earned was 5% of the eligible purchase price, but it was lowered to 3%, then to 1.4% and now is 0.4%.

It is now a consumer tracking program and shouldn’t even be associated with the old paper based program

See: https://www.cbc.ca/strombo/news/toronto-musician-launching-a...

For people who understand French, here's a (very very vulgar) song about Canadian Tire money : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcSZCoqEp6A

There’s a burger chain called The Works that accepts (or at least used to) Canadian Tire money for one of their burgers. The burger is called the Crappy Tire, which is a nickname for Canadian Tire.

I worked at a coffee shop that accepted Canadian Tire Money for payment because we'd turn around and use it at the local Canadian Tire.

Local bar did the same

I always loved the they had a Scottish person on Canadian Tire money. I don't know if you'd still get away with equating "Scottish" and "Cheap" these days.

In Europe the Scots have a reputation for being frugal, not cheap. Related but different. Maybe that's ok in 21st century?

Is Canadian Tire now basically just a private equity firm? Owning all sorts of brands, like Helly Hansen etc?

Yes. A decade ago they boasted in earning reports that more than 60% of product sold was their own branded product, all sourced from China.

Junk junk junk.

I grew up loving the place. I never shop there now.

They even orchestrated a joint buy out of Panerno, a 60+ year old quality cookware manufacturer in Canada, which used Canadian steel for all its stainless. Canadian Tire kept the name, and now peddkes crappy poor quality cookware under the name.

Their co-purchaser, a Chinese firm, wanted a way to inject low quality Chinese steel into the North American market as "Made in Not-China".

Lie about brand history to make a quick buck, that's modern Canadian Tire.

If you track sea containers (ok you probably don’t) a ton of them coming into Canada are Canadian tire

I doubt there is anything in a Canadian tire that’s made in Canada anymore with the exception of toilet paper and motor oils that wouldn’t make sense to ship

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