Tech & Biz

Ink may be Fading on Canadian Tire Money

by Blue Crush | May 17, 2009 at 05:58 am

328 views | 49 Recommendations | 5 comments

For anyone who was born and raised in Canada, a very important part of our heritage was Canadian Tire money.

To the boys in my family, it was akin to me seeing the Simpsons-Sears Christmas Wishbook arriving in the fall. It meant dreams and hopes for the future, a promise of good things to come.

But, like everything else, this dream fades into today's reality of points, rewards and airmiles. The Canadian Tire money I do have just collects dust on top of the fridge, forgotten, until that particular spot has been next cleaned. Does anyone actually use it anymore?

Although their C.E.O. Stephen Wetmore, is quick to say "Canadian Tire money is an asset whose worth we haven't even begun to realize," us Canadians are wondering if it's becoming a thing of the past.

"We haven't made those decisions," Mike Arnett, president of Canadian Tire Retail, told reporters at a press conference, after Wetmore lobbed the question over to him. "People love the paper money, so I don't see it happening in the near term."
But, in a way, it is already happening. Holders of Canadian Tire's Options MasterCard earn their "money" electronically. The money is added and redeemed on the card. No paper changes hands.

So ... what's your take on it? Do you think it's time has passed? Are those days of comtemplating over your stack of "money" gone - to be replaced with credit cards and online musings?

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Paschen

at 07:06 on May 17th, 2009

I know Churches and Charities do collect Canadian Tire Money and put it to good use.

I hope it does stay!

anarkissed

at 08:09 on May 17th, 2009

I like it for nostalgia but as one of those options master card holders I must say I find the paper money terribly inconvenient. Frankly I'd rather they just roll back prices by that percent in the first place. That stupid money just sits around taking space and I never have it with me when I go to CanTire. when I was a kid, Dad always had more cantire money than cash in his wallet. It amused me, but I'm outgrowing it.

sara star

at 09:31 on May 17th, 2009

I fear this is an end of an era, while the world goes green....

albertacowpoke

at 09:56 on May 17th, 2009

I agree with the comments here. To carry around paper money is a hassle. I live miles from the closest Canadian tire store, so really if I happen to buy something there or fuel up my car, I would much rather see discount in the first place.

Yuliya Talmazan

at 13:37 on May 17th, 2009

Thanks for posting this, Blue Crush. Canadian Tire paper money is such a Canadian thing. But I never got to use it anyway. And with the whole environmentally sustainable business focus currently, I think paper Canadian Tire money will become the thing of the past.