No.1/September 2011

reWArDeD For eVery PHOTO: JONATHAN CRUZ MAIN PHOTO: CREdIT NAME HERE no.1/september 2011 To PAy Be AND LeSS DoLLAr SPeNT DoLLAr bAgging bAd spending spending bAd bAgging 3 TACTiCS SAVVy SAVVy The co-hostsof“Anna andKristina’s Grocery Bag” hAbits FoR good FoR hAbits loyalty points to maximize your cardsmart strategy dipping double sPenDing AN iNdepeNdeNtAN sectioN by to mediAplANet the vANcouver suN sMart sMart share money savingtipsandtricks buys on the web accessing great tips and tricks for click for savings

September 2011 2 · september 2011 AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN

ChaLLenges TiP 1 USe yoUr WE RECOMMENd SMArTPHoNe AND Qr CoDeS Bag bad habits To CoMPAre Anna Wallner and ProDUCTS AND Kristina matisic share their saving tips on PriCeS their hit show ”Anna & Kristina’s Grocery pAGe 4 bag”. “probably our top shopping tip is to learn how to negotiate. this is not something people are initially comfortable with...”

The mobile wallet p. 2 New technology makes cash obsolete with a tap of your smartphone. Click for great deals p. 7 Navigate the web to save big on hidden online savings.

The current economic climate is making consumers question their spending habits. Smart shoppers know that with a little strategy, they can have it all—and be kind to their wallets. Positive change for your purse strings ou’re home from ney you’re already spending, so loyalty A whole new level of the cottage (boo), programs that reward your core purcha- savings opportunities the kids are back at ses really give you the biggest bang for There are also ways to save when 2 smArt speNdiNG school (yay) and your your hard-earned dollars,” says Hlavinka. shopping in the online world. Onli- 1st editioN, september 2011 credit card bill just As shoppers reap the discounts and ne fl ash sales off er discounts of up to 80 Responsible for this issue: arrived (boo). Turns bonuses loyalty programs off er, retailers percent off retail prices on merchandise. Publisher: Candice font out your fun sum- collect information about their spending The catch is these sales, which usually re- [email protected] mertime activities had a hefty price habits. “Stores and brands know more quire you to sign up for a free member- Designer: Penelope Graham Y [email protected] tag. Now that September is here, fa- about their consumers than ever before ship, are over faster than you can say “click Contributors: Alicia Androich, Pauleanna milies across British Columbia are fo- due to the data captured through partici- and save.” For instance, the sales at Cana- Reid, Andrew Seale, Bob Spence, Patrick Sojka cusing on the dreaded “b” word—bud- pation in loyalty programs,” says Hlavin- dian fashion fl ash sale website The Pea- Managing Director: Justin Guttman get—and getting back into money-sa- ka. “This delivers real value for consume- Alicia Androich cock Parade only last two to four days. [email protected] consumer and business writer Business Developer: Josh Nagel ving mode. rs because retailers can then serve them And, as with most fl ash sites, quantities [email protected] MY BEST TIPS One surefi re way to make the most of better through more relevant off ers, pro- are limited, so shoppers need to be quick Photo Credit: All images are from iStock.com your consumer buck is to join some of ducts and services.” with their credit cards—and keyboards. unless otherwise accredited. Pick and choose the loyalty programs retailers and ser- There are also more than merely mo- It’s a small price to pay for, well, paying a Distributed within: vice providers off er. Whether collecting netary advantages to joining loyalty pro- Streamline your loyalty program small price. Vancouver Sun, September 2011 1 This section was created by Mediaplanet points or redeeming them for movie grams. Today, more and more programs cards down to a few favourites, For families wandering the aisles and did not involve The Vancouver Sun or tickets or fl ights abroad, Canadians are give members the option to contribute plus a credit card that earns points of bricks-and-mortar stores, another its Editorial departments. a loyalty-loving nation. In fact, the aver- their points to charitable causes. “Con- towards the same program, to get the shopping advancement has cropped age Canadian actively participates in 8.9 sumers are looking for more meaning- most value from points-earning up over the past few years. Thanks to loyalty programs, according to a recent ful brand experiences and are voting purchases. encrypted wireless communication study by COLLOQUY, a group focused on with their wallets for ethical companies technologies that store credit card in- the loyalty marketing industry. that refl ect their social and environme- Keep tabs formation, shoppers can swipe their ntal values,” says Hlavinka. “Donating Earn rewards faster by collecting mobile phone against a scanner to ma- fOLLOW US ON fACEBOOK ANd reaping the rewards [points] to charitable causes is an ea- 2 points at your favourite retailer, ke payments in some retail outlets. This TWITTER! www.facebook.com/MediaplanetCA There’s a reason these programs are sy way to make a diff erence.” With Bri- paying for everyday purchases with a convenient “e-wallet” system elimina- www.twitter.com/MediaplanetCA 1 so popular. With families looking tish Columbia’s North Shore Credit Uni- co-branded loyalty credit card and ta- tes the need to re-enter the stored data for more value as they spend, programs on, for instance, cardholders in its Choi- king advantage of in-store bonus each time a shopper makes a purchase. mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing that reward your everyday purchases, ce Rewards loyalty program can donate off ers. Also be sure to read the e-mails With all of these ways to spend mo- readers with high-quality editorial content such as gas and groceries, allow dollars to points to the Canadian Cancer Society and mailings from your loyalty pro- ney wisely and get more value from that motivates them to act. stretch further, says Kelly Hlavinka, ma- and the United Way of Canada’s National grams to cash in on your rewards so they your purchases, it looks as if the “b” naging partner at COLLOQUY. “It’s mo- Children’s Initiative. don’t expire. word isn’t so scary after all. QUOTE introducing the mobile wallet As security systems on mobi- the average household belongs to more le sensor dongle designed to interface technology to allow customers to pay for “people continue le devices improve, savvy mar- than 18 loyalty programs. with their existing system. their products using their mobile devices. keting firms are restructuring “Nobody wants to carry 18 cards—it’s To activate loyalty points, customers “It’s positive from a retailer’s perspecti- to rate travel as loyalty programs and ushering a mess,” he says. approach the sensor pad with their ve because we’re providing footfall traﬃ c one of the most in a new era of smart spending Heaney explains the company recent- smartphone. and there’s no POS necessary,” says Pirillo. important features of where your phone is your wallet. ly rolled out a pilot for the program that On the business side of things, Hea- “It also gives them a chance to dip their to- serves small to midsized-businesses in ney says “it gives another platform of es in the NFC waters.” a rewards program. Marketing companies off ering mobile- the Chicago area “with about 20 mer- [marketing] for the smaller merchants He points out that although some busi- it’s something based reward programs, check-ins and chants participating.” who don’t have the drive or the resour- nesses have been sitting on the sidelines targeted advertising are becoming in- “It actually exceeded our expecta- ces to launch a large scale loyalty plan.” waiting to see if the mobile wallet techno- people use to treat creasingly popular. tions,” says Heaney. “We hoped that SparkBase plans to slowly roll out Pay- logy takes off , support is growing —it just themselves.” Take Paycloud for example. This appli- a couple hundred consumers would cloud throughout the U.S. in October. may take a bit for people to get around to —Tracy Hendricks, Vice President, New Bu- cation, a brainchild of Cleveland-head- download it. We had 500.” buying NFC capable mobile phones. siness development, American Express Ca- quartered SparkBase, lets users keep Benefits for both “It’s interesting because everyone says nada track of their rewards, points and free- Using existing technology consumer and retailer NFC is four to fi ve years off ,” says Pirillo. bies, and locate local businesses and the Unlike Near Field Communication tech- Carlo Pirillo, vice president of digital for “The retailers are ready and the (next pie- deals they have on. nology that some marketing gurus have Maritz Canada, a loyalty marketing com- ces) are the phones and mobile devices.” “Paycloud is essentially a mobile wal- dubbed “the future of digital payments”, pany based in Mississauga, says his com- let that eliminates a need for plastic loy- Paycloud functions with existing point- pany has “a pretty intense focus on loyal- alty cards,” says John Heane, brand di- of-sale (POS) systems. ty” in Canada. andrew Seale rector at SparkBase. Heaney says that The merchant only needs a simp- He says Maritz is looking to utilize NFC [email protected] AN independent section by mediaplanet to the vancouver sun September 2011 · 3 news Put your unused points towards making a difference Misunderstanding your loyal- A little goes a long way much as you have received. Corpo- ty reward options can result in Donations are made online and “We believe we can rations have created a lane for point unused tangible benefits. with one click of the mouse, you can make a difference in collectors to benefit enormously participate in corporate philanth- with every purchase. By paying it However, by partnering with a cha- ropy by giving some or all of your communities by fo- forward to other organizations who rity, you can experience a feeling points, which are equivalent to dol- cusing on protecting are in need of supplies and products, that money can’t buy. Point dona- lars, to a registered charity. This in- each dollar adds up and unlocks a ga- tion is a popular alternative pro- itiative has motivated consumers the health and wellbe- teway for change. Consumers play a vided through loyalty reward pro- to band together for a great cause. ing of families...” substantial role in the success of the- grams, such as AIRMILES, to consu- “For example, when the earthqua- se kinds of programs and together mers who’d like to contribute boun- ke hit Haiti, AIRMILES partnered we will make our nation a better pla- tifully to aid organizations like: the with the Red Cross and collectors Debbie Baxter ce one loyalty point at a time. Cheif Sustainability Officer, AIRMILES Red Cross, WWF, Kids Help Phone responded exceedingly well. Three and The Special Olympics. “We belie- hundred and fifty thousand dollars ve we can make a difference in com- were raised strictly through dona- nues. The response to point dona- Matters of the heart munities by focusing on protecting tions,” Baxter explains. “The great tion programs has been well recei- “We really believe that the opportu- the health and well being of families part about this is that point collec- ved and as corporations expand on nities for consumers to have choi- and inspiring youth to realize their tors who choose to donate, will re- their reward options, the consu- ces are important and some are loo- talents,” says Debbie Baxter, chief ceive a tax receipt in the mail from mer market will continue to take king for this type of option, says Pauleanna reid sustainability officer of AIRMILES. their selected charity,” she conti- notice. Baxter.” It is important to give as [email protected]

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CIB_N_11_182G_AVENTURA_B.indd 1 9/8/11 2:22 PM

Date: AUG.31.11 APPROVALS BY DATE Designer/Studio Artist: CS

Studio PRODUCTION NOTES LAYOUT Client: CIBC Art Director: J. FINN Project: AVENTURA SEPT/OCT PRINT Copywriter: J. GARBUTT Type Mgr. • IMAGES ARE LINKED TO ELEMENTS/HI-REZ 0 Docket No.: CIB_11182 Client Serv: D. LINEROS • IMAGES ARE VECTOR BASED Proofreader CIBC No.: 0119G-11M/85692 Print Mgr: B. BANIGAN REVs Color/B&W: 4C NAA Print Mgr. Title: Fonts: Frutiger 1 Pubs: VANCOUVER SUN Art Director MEDIA PLANET AD NUMBER: LASER% Copywriter CIB_N_11_182G_ Creative Dir. AVENTURA_B Live: 9.09" X 12.8125" Acct. Mgmt. Typesetting: Optic Nerve 2 This advertisement prepared by PUBLICIS Client PDF 4 · September 2011 AN independent section by mediaplanet to the vancouver sun inspiration

Pick your prize Both hosts encourage the consumer to be picky about their reward programs. Photo: Worldwide Bag Media Inc.

The co-hosts of “Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag” regularly dole out money-saving tips and tricks to Canadian viewers. However, before they became shopping sages, they admit they had their own weaknesses. Bagging bad spending habits—for good

Leader to leader most important advice they can pass on to Profile points; others return a percentage of your and Wallner. You can negotiate for free de- shoppers. Here are their core points: spending back to you. livery as part of the purchase, or an added For their viewers across Canada and Many people with a credit card that has a item. “If you are buying a bike,” adds Wall- the U.S., Anna Wallner and Kristina Break the impulse buying habit Anna Wallner good rewards program use that card to co- ner, “ask for a free basket.” Matisic offer product testing and If you are a habitual impulse buyer and it is & Kristina ver as many of their purchases as possible practical, hands-on advice on smart causing havoc with your budget, switch to Matisic each month. You can use that monthly sta- Loyalty cuts both ways shopping. only using cash for impulse purchases rather tement to see what you spent each month It is also an advantage for smart shop- than simply pulling out your creditcard, says ■■Awards:- on eating out, purchases, etc., said Wallner. pers to be loyal to specific stores and The co-hosts of Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Wallner. Both (Kristina “The credit card statement can help you to befriend sales staff, said Matisic. Bag and Anna & Kristina’s Beauty Call on W Matisic agrees. Another tip she offers is to in 1997; Anna in with your budgeting.” For example, sales staff who know Network and other channels (including The “give yourself time to think about the purcha- 1999) were voted you frequent their store often and un- Oprah Winfrey Network, which airs the Gro- se.” She doesn’t buy on impulse any more. “If I Broadcaster of Learn how to negotiate derstand your needs and interests are cery Bag), gained some of this insight on the am still thinking about it a week later, then I Tomorrow by the “Probably our top shopping tip is to learn more apt to go out of their way to tell front lines over the years—as shoppers. The will go back and look at it again.” BC Broadcasters how to negotiate,” said Matisic. “This is not- you about an upcoming sale on so- award-winning journalists both worked on Association, while something that most people are initially mething you collect or have been the news side at Global TV in Pick the right reward program working for comfortable with, but… it really helps make considering. “And such stores are more Vancouver before launching their first advi- “Once you get your spending under control” Global TV, you a smart shopper.” likely to negotiate with you when you ce program, The Shopping Bags, which aired and are using a credit card that you are pay- Vancouver; “In the current climate,” said Wallner, are a regular customer,”says Wallner. for seven years on W Network. ing off each month, says Wallner, make sure ■■ Both have al- stores “are more willing than ever to negoti- Matisic admits she is a reformed impulse your reward points really are a reward. “Look so won numerous ate. There are so many choices and so much buyer and Wallner confirms that she expe- at your lifestyle. If you are not a frequent flyer, awards for their competition today, it really is possible to get rienced her share of purchase woes before she make sure the rewards program offers what two current TV a better deal through bargaining.” And it became a wiser consumer. you want.” Some cards, for example, offer a wi- programs. doesn’t just have to be a price reduction you Bob Spence Both were asked in a joint interview for the de selection of products you can obtain with are bargaining for, point out both Matisic [email protected]

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Find the perfect loyalty program Canadians love their loyalty programs and retailers know this. That is why it seems like every retailer in Canada has a reward program. By using the following criteria, you can de- cide whether you should use a program or not:

Variety is best Find a program that makes it easy to earn point/miles and 1 off ers a variety of rewards. Coalition programs with many part- ners are the easiest to earn with and typically have many reward options. The two biggest coalition programs in Canada are AIRMILES and Aeroplan. Are you actually loyal? Do you use a merchant enough that you will actually 2 be rewarded? If not, then it may not be worthwhile to join the program unless they partner with a program you do use frequently. Pick your prize Does the program actually offer rewards that you would 3 make use of? There is big difference between that free fl ight from SHoPPiNG SAVVy an airline program and the free sub Both Wallner and Matisic overcame their own spending from the sandwich shop down the challenges while honing their street. shopping know-how. Photo: Jonathan crUZ

left to right, top to bottom: cabana cushions - various sizes starting at $14.98 bishop stools 2 & 3 $149.40 reg $249.00 monterey 2 seater - pebble $699.30 reg $999.00 allende large white pendant $159.60 reg $228.00 glass canisters w/ measuring cup lids starting at $11.96 bird’s eye view clocks $10.47 reg $14.95 each DHS bono mug w/o handle - 4 pc $59.20 reg $74.00 greenwich dining collection starting at $4.17 mayne tote $39.98 reg $79.95 tidal vases starting at $24.47 small side table $54.50 reg $109.00 carmel armchair - leather $629.30 reg $899.00 pg dot cushion $24.47 reg $34.95 penticton weekend bag $97.97 reg $139.95 lil’ monkey (teak) $34.97 reg $49.95 bed tray $33.57 reg $55.95 DHS block lamp $108.00 reg $135.00 6 · September 2011 AN independent section by mediaplanet to the vancouver sun insight

It’s a perfect pair—teaming your loyalty card with a points-generating credit card doubles your rewards. And your bank approves.

Why double dipping is the next big thing A growing number of financial wards program, is a growing trend. may not be new, a growing number day spending rewards. institutions are pushing their She says that smart consumers of financial institutions including Programs that offer points that loyalty programs towards open- will pay with their co-branded credit AMEX use a system allowing the re- can be converted towards mortga- ended rewards that allow custo- cards attached to a reward program ward points to be used on travel with ge payments, groceries, fuel and mers to choose where to spend to earn points on all their spending whomever the customer chooses. medicine. their reward dollars. while at the same time using their “We really try to make our pro- “We’ve seen a lot of broad appeal loyalty card to accumulate point grams as flexible as possible,” says for that,” says Henry. “Cash is king.” According to a report issued by towards the same program. Hendricks. “For us that means not And when all else fails, put your COLLOQUY an organization that col- Even with an open-ended rewards dictating or determining where points on a gift card adds Hendricks.

lects data about the loyalty marke- program in place, Hendricks says the Tracy Hendricks the customer decides to use their “In the last year or so, we’ve seen ting industry, Canadians hold a total biggest market is still travel – one of Vice President, New Business Development, points.” an increase in (that),” says Hen- of 120.7 million memberships to the the key markets for double dippers. American Express Canada dricks. various loyalty programs. “People continue to rate travel as The world’s your oyster She says she lacks the figures to That means about nine in 10 Cana- one of the most important features “People continue to Mike Henry, Scotiabank’s senior vice show whether people are using the dians carrying 9 different member- of a rewards program,” says Hen- rate travel as one of president and head of Canadian retail gift cards for themselves or as gifts ship cards. dricks. “It’s something people use to payments, deposits and lending, says but it seems to be a popular choice Like our neighbours to the south, the treat themselves.” the most important the basic DNA of a rewards program is to help customers spend the money Canadian loyalty market is driven by In Canada, both Air Miles and Ae- features of a rooted in finding ways to compliment where they want to. the financial services category, with roplan, two travel-related reward customers spending habits. But with an endless array of loyal- active memberships up almost 20 programs often linked with finan- rewards program.” “The spirit is ‘do what you already ty programs tied to financial institu- percent, from 25.9 million in 2008 to cial institutions, grew their active do and be rewarded for that’,” says tions fluttering around, does it bene- 31 million in 2010. memberships with the former ri- Henry. fit the banks? sing 5.3 percent from 9.5 million to at deal of planning and budgeting He points out that although pro- “If a customer likes your product Double dipping 10 million and the latter reporting prior to the trip. gram such as Scotiabank’s Scene then it means they’ll spend mo- Tracy Hendricks, vice president of a stable active membership of four Often, travel rewards members card – which offers moviegoers dis- re money on your card,” says Hen- new business development, rewards million. will account for the amount of counts and perks – are still popu- dricks. “It’s a win-win situation.” and strategy at American Express Hendricks muses that the average points they can use as part of their lar (Scene has over 3 million mem- Canada, says “double-dipping” ,the consumer’s favouritism towards tra- ticket in their initial budgeting. bers with 1 million being Scotiabank use of a loyalty car in conjunction vel rewards is likely, in part, because Although the concept of attach- customers) the real growth in popu- Andrew Seale with a credit card attached to a re- travel is something that takes a gre- ing travel rewards to a credit card larity has been the common every- [email protected] AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN september 2011 · 7

news TiP 3

WHeN BUyiNG oNLiNe, reAD dON’T MISS! THe FiNe PriNT AND BeWAre oF eXPiry DATeS

Derek Szeto Founder General manager, redFlagdeals.com Click to cash in on online savings innovative online services such as group buying or “flash sales” are becoming increa- singly popular as many Ca- nadians prefer using the Web to find bargains and beat the crowds.

“The Web is much more interconnec- ted today than a decade or so ago,” says Derek Szeto, who founded Clear Sky Media, the parent company of RedF- lagDeals.com, in 2000. With Facebook, Twitter and other online networking sites, individuals can quickly tell their friends about bargains they fi nd online, generating more interest in such deals, Szeto points out.

Savings sent directly There is a plethora of deal-of-the-day services now, from Groupon (www. groupon.com) to Vancouver-based So- cial Shopper (www.socialshopper. com) to WagJag (www.wagjag.com) to Red Flag’s deal of the day. In case you’re not yet familiar with this concept, group buying websites off er a heavily discounted service or product in your city for a limited time only. Be smart with Once you sign up, emails arrive in your inbox every day about bargain deals for everything ranging from hor- seback riding lessons to laser hair remo- val and deep acupressure massage, to golf lessons and restaurant deals, with your loyalty points discounts up to 80 percent. some people prefer to use their points ■■Question: how can you get “Almost everyone to treat themselves and get show tick- Discounts at your fingertips more bang for your buck? ets or fl ights. Everyone uses their loyal- Earlier this year, Red Flag Deals star- ■■Answer: by joining a loyalty with a credit card can ty points diff erently depending on their ted off ering online links to not only its program and getting rewarded for accumulate points lifestyle.” own deals, but those off ered by some of every dollar you spend. towards loyalty its competitors, says Szeto. Red Flag, he Take advantage of said, is designed to become “the go-to Although the economy remains reward programs.” what you deserve destination for Canadian deals.” It is of- unstable, Canadian consumers If you understand the benefi ts to partici- fering information to online shoppers have stayed loyal to their favou- pating in loyalty programs, your rewards as a deal aggregator, says Szeto, allowing Nathalie Genest rite brands because of the allu- desjardins Financial are endless. For instance, IPSOS, an inter- browsers to take advantage of more of ring incentives provided by their national market research company, re- the unique deals available on the Web. loyalty programs. ses such as grocery, pharmacy and res- points,” says Genest, who accumulates cently surveyed 1,312 Canadian frequent taurants charged to your credit card go- all her points for an entire year before business travellers who take advanta- instant affordability According to the 2011 COLLOQUY Loy- es towards your reward program. “The redeeming them so that she has more ge of their reward miles. The two key re- “Flash sales” have also become popu- alty Census, loyalty memberships cur- problem is, not everyone knows how compensation options available to her. asons why frequent fl yers prefer Air Ca- lar—especially amongst fashionistas rently exceed just over 120 million na- to use it in the best way, but there are “When I do redeem my points, I purcha- nada over all other Canadian airlines are looking to buy designer-label fashions tionwide—a jump of 3.9 percent since many things that you can do with your se fi nancial services like RRSP, however the frequent fl yer status and frequent z at discounted rates of up to 70 percent 2009. To meet the needs of consumers, fl yer points. off . You sign up for free to become a retailers have enhanced their programs fACTS Aeroplan is the most sought after fre- member and receive email alerts tip- to maintain consumer relationships quent fl yer program in North America and ping you to a limited-time “fl ash sale.” and set themselves apart from their ■■According to new research loyalty programs to ensure they are allows travellers to earn points and rede- Prominent designers with excess pro- competitors. This proposition has inspi- released eBay Canada, 86 percent of getting value out of every purchase. em them for free fl ight tickets and other duct (sometimes including the pre- red Canadians to become smarter about the population say that they deserve ■■Sixy four percent of Canadian exclusive advantages such as: faster and vious year’s) sell these through a fl ash the way they use these programs. Na- to be rewarded for loyalty. consumers prefer to shop with retail- smoother transfers, awards and travel up- sale website rather than through dis- thalie Genest, a spokesperson from Des- ■■eighty six percent of Canadians ers who offer rewards programs. grades. These opportunities have com- count outlets that they do not want jardins Financial in Montreal says, “Al- participate in at least one loyalty mitted approximately ten million Canadi- their designer products in. most everyone with a credit card can ac- program, while the average Canadian ans to this market with an increase of 5.3 B.C.-based Anna Wallner, co-host of cumulate points towards loyalty reward household is active in more than nine read more percent since 2008. This statistic illustra- two Anna & Kristina TV programs pro- programs. It is a great way to save mo- programs, according to Cincinnati- ! on the web: tes that as long as consumers are valued, viding advice to shoppers (see separate ney also.” based loyalty-marketing research www.points.com long-term growth is attainable. story in this special section), said fl ash fi rm COLLOQUY. www.colloquy.com sales can provide real bargains. “Websi- Cost effective methods ■■Two in five (40 percent) men and www.loyalty.com Pauleanna reid tes like www.hautelook.com are a great A percentage of your everyday purcha- women say they frequently join www.thepointsguy.com [email protected] source for fl ash sales.” Sandra Kahale, a Toronto-based com- munications professional, also likes the special off ers. “Once I discovered fl ash sales websites, I signed up at three of them and have had a lot of fun pick- stay secure while shopping online ing up designer fashions at a fraction of what I would have paid at an upper- With transactions topping $15B ■■Connect securely: Before you be- ■■Check the UrL: Always type a personal information? This should be scale store. I owe the friend who told me a year in Canada, online shop- gin your online shopping, make sure merchant’s website URL directly into addressed clearly on the website. about them a really, really good night ping continues to be a popular you have a secure, password-encrypted your browser instead of clicking on a out!” way to beat crowds and find connection and the latest security soft- third party link (such as a link embed- ■■Save a record of the purchase: The newest Canadian fl ash sales site, great bargains. ware installed on your computer. Avoid ded in an email advertisement), which Print and fi le a copy of your receipt, as www.thepeacockparade.com, was just making online purchases through an may be a phishing attempt directing well as the merchant’s terms and con- launched in July. Among the many oth- “The last thing consumers want to wor- unsecured or borrowed Internet con- you to a fraudulent website. Reputable ditions, should you need to er fl ash sales sites are www.prive.com ry about when they’re shopping on the nection. merchants off er secure browsing, indi- return the product or consult the and www.beyondtherack.com. If you Internet is the threat of fraudsters,” says cated by a “https” link or SSL certifi cate. warranty. end up liking an American fl ash sales Caroline Hubberstey, director of public ■■ Follow your instincts: While site, make sure it delivers to Canada— and government aff airs at Interac Asso- there are many legitimate online mer- ■■ read the privacy policy: Once and at a cost that will not eat up all of ciation and Acxsys Corporation. chants, trust your instincts and avoid you’ve selected goods or services to buy your savings. making a purchase over the Internet if online, always check the small print. courtesy of interac Association Here are a few easy steps to help you you have concerns about a specifi c What is the merchant’s privacy policy? and Acxsys corporation BoB SPence shop smart and stay safe: website. Will the merchant withhold any of your [email protected] [email protected] points than ever

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†† This is a one-time offer for new More Rewards credit card cardholders, or existing cardholders who qualify for an additional account. To qualify for this offer, an online or telephone application must be received no later than October 8, 2011 and mail applications must be received by no later than October 24, 2011 and cardholders must be approved and use the account for at least one qualifying purchase or cash transaction. 25,000 bonus points will be earned after the first qualifying transaction. To earn an additional 10,000 bonus points, cardholders must complete their first qualifying transaction by February 28, 2012. Please allow 8–10 weeks from the first transaction date for the bonus points to be posted to the account. Limit one-time 35,000 bonus point offer (no cash value) per new account. This promotion is offered by MBNA Canada Bank and may be cancelled at any time without further notice. A Cardholders will earn 3 More Rewards Points for each qualifying $1 in net purchase transactions charged to their More Rewards credit card account pursuant to the terms and conditions of the More Rewards credit card program (the “Program”). Please refer to the terms and conditions of the Program for conditions, limitations and restrictions. Cardholders will be eligible to earn 1 additional More Rewards Point for each qualifying $1 in net purchase transactions by presenting their More Rewards loyalty card when making their purchase with their More Rewards credit card account. Please visit www.morerewards.ca for the More Rewards Rewards Program terms and conditions including expiration of points and items that are excluded from earning points. MBNA Canada Bank is not responsible or liable for any aspect of the More Rewards Rewards Program or the use of the More Rewards loyalty card. MBNA Canada Bank is the exclusive issuer and administrator of the credit card program described in this advertisement. MBNA, MBNA Canada, MBNA Canada Bank, Platinum Plus, CreditWise and the MBNA logo are all registered trademarks of FIA Card Services, National Association, used by MBNA Canada Bank pursuant to licence. MasterCard and PayPass are registered trademarks of MasterCard International, Incorporated, used pursuant to licence. © 2011 MBNA Canada Bank PRGM-06-11-0191.K

PRGM-06-11-0191-K_Vancouver Sun Ad.indd 1 9/8/11 11:55 AM