Canadian Tire money

Canadian retail loyalty program

Canadian Tire money, officially Canadian Tire 'money' or CTM, is a loyalty program operated by the Canadian retail chain Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). It consists of both paper coupons introduced in 1958 and used in Canadian Tire stores as scrip, and since 2012 in a digital form introduced as Canadian Tire Money Advantage, rebranded in 2018 as Triangle Rewards. Both forms of the loyalty program remain current as of December 2022. Canadian Tire Money has been noted as the most successful loyalty program in Canadian retail history. Paper CTM can be earned and redeemed only at Canadian Tire stores, although some other private businesses may choose to accept it as payment. Paper CTM is earned only when customers pay with cash, debit cards, or Canadian Tire money. No paper CTM is earned on purchases made by credit card.

Canadian Tire Money coupons were introduced in 1958 at CTC's gas bar located at Yonge and Davenport streets in Toronto. They were inspired by Muriel Billes, the wife of Canadian Tire's co founder and first president, Alfred J. Billes, as a response to the promotional giveaways that many gas companies offered at the time. It was only available at Canadian Tire gas bars but was so successful that, in 1961, it was extended to the retail stores as well. Until 1992, there were separate issues of coupons redeemable either at Canadian Tire gas bars, or Canadian Tire retail stores. Canadian Tire money coupons were issued and redeemable only at Canadian Tire stores in Eastern Canada until 1995, when the program was launched to all locations nationwide. Since 1961, the coupons have featured an engraving of "Sandy McTire", who sports a tam o' shanter and a stylized waxed moustache. A fictional character based on no specific individual, he is assumed to represent a thrifty Scotsman, the 1950s everyman of blue collar Canada.

CTM coupons are currently produced in denominations of 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents, as well as one and two dollars. + Canadian Tire Money coupon denominations Denomination First issued Last issued Note 1¢ 1962 1962 2¢ 1962 1962 3¢ 1962 1976 A small quantity was issued in 1991 4¢ 1962 1962 5¢ 1958 currently issued 10¢ 1958 currently issued A commemorative 10 cent note was released by the company between June 30 and July 2, 2017, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in 1867 as part of national festivities. 15¢ 1962 1962 20¢ 1962 1962 25¢ 1958 currently issued 30¢ 1962 1962 35¢ 1962 1962 40¢ 1962 1962 45¢ 1962 1962 50¢ 1958 currently issued 60¢ 1962 1962 $1 1958 currently issued $2 1989 currently issued $100 2022 2022 95 were issued as part of a social media promotion celebrating the 100th anniversary of Canadian Tire.

In late 2004 in Moncton, New Brunswick, several customers at a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ATM were dispensed a total of 11 bills of Canadian Tire money instead of real bills. They were compensated by the bank. Culturally, Canadian Tire money is sometimes referred to by comedians: perhaps as a national version of "Monopoly money", perhaps invoking a pejorative comparison of the value of Canadian dollars against U. S. dollars, or perhaps as a misunderstood exotic element of Canadian society (e. g. Ron James's comedic reference to the person depicted on the bill as "our king"). In the 2009 Trailer Park Boys movie Countdown to Liquor Day, Jim Lahey offers Julian $700 in Canadian Tire money for his trailer. In the mid 1990s, a man in Germany was caught with up to $11 million in counterfeit Canadian Tire money. It was recovered before he left for Canada to redeem it. In 2012, musician Corin Raymond funded his album Paper Nickels partially through a fundraising campaign inviting fans to donate their unused Canadian Tire money.

On December 2, 2009, as part of an advertised deal, Canadian Tire had handed out the first Canadian Tire coin, redeemable with the purchase of at least p=$ of merchandise. Another similar deal followed in 2010 (coinciding with the 2010 Olympic Winter Games), with a three coin winter collection. The coins can be spent in the same manner as conventional CTM.

A digital version of Canadian Tire Money was introduced in 2012 as Canadian Tire Money Advantage, which was earned by presenting a loyalty card. This was expanded in 2014 to holders of the Options credit card issued by Canadian Tire Financial Services (CTFS). In April 2018, Canadian Tire Money Advantage program was replaced with the Triangle Rewards loyalty program for the earning of digital Canadian Tire Money ("eCTM"). The Triangle Rewards program expanded the earning and redemption of eCTM from Canadian Tire stores to the rest of Canadian Tire Corporation's family of stores, including Mark's, Sport Chek, Sports Experts, PartSource, and the Canadian operations of Party City. 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.