Using online shopping portals is one of the most basic tips to maximize your travel rewards earning outside of welcome bonuses (which are always the priority, obviously). It’s extremely easy to use a portal for all your purchases, and I wanted to share another detailed concrete example with one of my recent purchases.
Especially since there’s an incredible promotion for 20 Aeroplan points per dollar right now (≈ 30% back or ≈ 60% for business class); definitely don’t miss it if you need bedding. So it’s a good time to show you again just how simple it is.
You should read the basics of online shopping portals first. Flytrippers helps you travel for less with its free newsletter specifically about travel rewards, its ranking of the best current offers, its monthly live videos, and its infographic summarizing all the basics.
Here’s how to use the Aeroplan eStore portal (and it’s just as simple with the other portals).
How do you use the Aeroplan eStore portal?
To use the Aeroplan eStore portal, you just need to go to the Aeroplan eStore website to access the website of the brand where you want to make a purchase. And then you buy exactly like you did before.
That’s literally it.
The difference is that you’ll earn bonus points and you’ll stop missing out on free rewards that only take a few clicks to get.
Here are the 4 very simple steps to use the Aeroplan eStore portal:
- Go to the Aeroplan eStore portal website
- Log in to your Aeroplan account
- Click on the website of the brand where you want to buy
- Buy like you normally would
I’ll share the step-by-step process with screenshots below, using my recent purchase of cheap clothing at Old Navy.
(It’s identical for the luxury bedding giving you 20 points per $ right now!)
How do you use the Aeroplan eStore portal properly?
To use the Aeroplan eStore portal properly, you need to know a few important things about portals that I want to remind you of (using my concrete example).
Here are the 4 important reminders:
- Compare the shopping portal rate every time
- Take advantage of shopping portal promotions
- Always prioritize the purchase price
- Pay with the right credit card
I’ll give a brief overview of each one.
1. Compare the shopping portal rate every time
I made my purchase at Old Navy through the Aeroplan eStore portal, but that’s because I first took the time to compare the earn rate across the 3 main portals.
Don’t forget that Aeroplan points are rewards of the more lucrative type, so they can be worth so much more. Getting 1 pt/$ on the Aeroplan eStore portal is therefore so much better than getting 1% cash back on the Rakuten portal.
One of the best ways to travel for less is simply to always compare everything. Compare, compare, and compare again. Really that simple.
Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to maximize the wonderful world of travel rewards (which lets you travel for less) is therefore to always compare everything.
Including portals. That’s always the 1st step before using a portal.
I almost always choose the Aeroplan portal, with a few exceptions:
- When a brand is only on Rakuten
- That happens often
- Rakuten has way more brands
- When there’s a better promotion on Rakuten or Blue Rewards
- It’s often 10% (or even more)
- See tip #2 below
- When it’s a hotel or travel booking
- There’s a great new portal called Rove
- Don’t miss a detailed guide coming soon
Everyone who wants to maximize the value of their free travel should prioritize precious points like Aeroplan.
Our conservative Flytrippers Valuation is ≈ 1.5¢/pt for economy class and ≈ 3¢/pt for business class, but it can be so much more if you use them well.
For example, I just booked another flight in a luxurious lie-flat business class seat at the Aeroplan guaranteed low fixed price, which is 60,000 points per person between Montréal and Europe for my summer trip with my girlfriend.
The cash price was $3,780. Subtracting the $119 in taxes to pay, I saved $3,661 with 60,000 points. That gave me a value of 6.1¢ per Aeroplan point.
At that value, the 20 pts/$ back from the current bedding promotion gives you 122% back!!! Yes, you’re paid to buy bedding. Absolutely wild.
To be perfectly clear: you spend $3,000 on bedding, so you get 60,000 points (ate of 20 pts/$). That’s the guaranteed low fixed price for a luxurious business class flight between Montréal and Europe, which costs $3,780 in cash! Incredible.
Obviously, paying $3,700 for a flight isn’t particularly savvy.
So I’m not saying to go buy $3,000 worth of bedding if you don’t need it. It’s just for those who would have actually paid $3,700 for that transatlantic flight. They’d save hundreds of dollars and get bedding on top of it.
It’s just to show the incredible value when you maximize points by redeeming them well.
The value of ≈ 3¢/pt (so ≈ 60% back with the promo) for business class is much more realistic… and is still extremely interesting!
And that ≈ 60% back rate… is obviously on top of what you earn with your credit card (should be ≈ 10% if you’re a pro; I’ll come back to that in the 4th tip below).
2. Take advantage of shopping portal promotions
I made my purchase at Old Navy on the Aeroplan eStore portal because the portal had a promotion with a boosted earn rate (these are so frequent).
As mentioned in our guide on how to earn rewards, for the 3 earning methods, promotions are the key. It goes so much faster.
Today, the earn rate is just 1 point per $ at Old Navy (≈ 1.5% back or ≈ 2% for business class).
When I bought last week, the promotion’s boosted earn rate was 4 points per $ (≈ 6% back or ≈ 12% for business class).
So always coordinate your purchases with these promotions if you want to maximize. So simple!
One of the best ways to travel for less is to plan well. Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to maximize travel rewards (which lets you travel for less) is therefore to plan well.
In my case, I also have Aeroplan elite status, so I always earn 2 extra points per $ on the Aeroplan eStore.
My Old Navy purchase therefore gave me 6 points per $ (≈ 9% back or ≈ 18% for business class).
That’s on top of the rewards I earned with my credit card (≈ 10%) and with my Old Navy rewards program account (1%).
THAT is how you earn; getting ≈ 29% back. It’s so sad that so many people have a terrible cash back credit card that gives them 2% and think that’s what earning rewards looks like when you can get 15 times more!
3. Always prioritize the purchase price
I made my purchase at Old Navy at that time because their own promotion gave 50% off everything (they do that very often; I hope nobody buys there at full price 😅)!
Yes, my ≈ 18% back thanks to the portal is excellent, but we can agree that getting 50% off is way better. This time it was perfect; I got both!
But you should always prioritize discounts to get the best price, because it’s (almost) always more important than the portal’s earn rate.
What I mean is, it wouldn’t be very savvy to buy at full price at Old Navy just because there’s a ≈ 18% back promotion on the portal. It’s better to buy when it’s 50% off, even if the portal only offers the base earn rate.
One of the best ways to travel for less is to do the math carefully. Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to maximize travel rewards (which lets you travel for less) is therefore to do the math carefully.
It’s even more important to do the math carefully when it comes to travel rewards than for “regular” travel.
4. Pay with the right credit card
I made my purchase at Old Navy with a credit card on which I was unlocking a huge welcome bonus, obviously. That’s what you should always do. So simple.
If you want to maximize, that’s how it’s done. That’s THE most important thing to understand.
It gives you ≈ 10% on all your purchases for the year, to use a simple round number. It can be much more too.
One of the best ways to travel for less is to know the pro tips. Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to maximize travel rewards (which lets you travel for less) is therefore to know the pro tips.
This one is the most important.
And if you absolutely insist on earning more slowly by missing out on welcome bonuses, at a minimum, you should always earn 5 Amex points per dollar (≈ 7.5% back or ≈ 15% for business class).
You just have to use your Amex Cobalt Card (the best overall Canadian card) and buy an Old Navy gift card at the grocery store to then use when buying on the Old Navy website.
What is the step-by-step process for using the Aeroplan eStore portal?
Here are the 4 steps with screenshots.
1. Go to the Aeroplan eStore portal website
You can save the direct link to the Aeroplan eStore portal.
If you prefer to access it manually each time, you’ll find the link in the main menu on the left on the Air Canada website.
2. Log in to your Aeroplan account
Click on “Sign in” in the top right corner.
Flytrippers highly recommends the 1Password tool for security and simplicity. It protects your information and identity, and you won’t ever have to remember a password or account number. We use it ourselves, and it has changed our lives.
You should obviously already have an Aeroplan account if you’re at all serious about travel rewards (it’s the best program). If not, go to the Air Canada website to create one; it’s urgent.
3. Click on the website of the brand where you want to buy
In the search field in the center, type the brand name.
Like “Old Navy” in my case.
Be careful never to pay any attention to anything on the Aeroplan eStore that doesn’t have the green label, and that shows “PRODUCTS” (the options below).
That’s for redeeming points instead of earning them.
And as a reminder, that’s more specifically for redeeming points in an absolutely terrible way.
Never do that. Airline points are for flights; not merchandise, not vacation packages, not government taxes on flights… just flights.
Anyway, by clicking on the brand name, it takes you to the brand’s page which confirms the current earn rate.
All you have to do is click on one of the 2 blue “Shop and earn” buttons.
The Aeroplan eStore portal then takes you to the brand’s website, and it’s as simple as that.
4. Buy like you normally would
You’re now on the brand’s website so all you have to do is buy normally.
You obviously must not close the tab before completing your purchase, because the tracking link will disappear.
Shortly after, you’ll receive the points in your Aeroplan account automatically. I made a $149.50 purchase at a rate of 6 points per $, which gives 897 points (in addition to ≈ $15 on my credit card and $1.50 in Old Navy points).
That’s obviously nothing compared to the 110,000 points with the welcome bonus of the Amex Aeroplan Reserve Card or the 52,500 points with the welcome bonus of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card… but it’s on top of that!
It makes no sense not to take it.
By the way, don’t worry about my record-low balance of 27 points in the screenshot, which is my lowest level since I started in the world of travel rewards.
I just emptied my stash by booking the pair of business class tickets to Europe as mentioned, but I have hundreds of thousands of Amex points ready to be transferred to Aeroplan as soon as I need them (it’s instantaneous if you’ve linked your accounts in advance)!
Because it’s so easy to get loooooooads of Aeroplan points!
| Best credit cards for Aeroplan points |
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 Valuation (BONUS)(≈ 5.3% back on $12k)
Rewards: ≈ $641
Annual fee: $0 $139
Spend required:$12k in 12 mos. (or $3k)
Best for: 57,000 pts (45k pts with bonus + 12k by unlocking it) & free checked bags
 LUCRATIVE
60k/100k
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Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 7.8% back on $12k)
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250
Spend required:$12k in 12 mos.
Best for: 72,000 pts + 8 lounges and $100 travel credit
 LUCRATIVE
No min. inc.
|
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Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 7.9% back on $9k)
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $191.88 ($15.99/mo.)
Spend required:$9k in 12 mos.
Best for: 60,000 pts + 5X the points best card in Canada
LUCRATIVE
No min. inc.
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. |
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Best credit cards for Aeroplan points |
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LUCRATIVE60k/100k
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $641
Annual fee: $0 $139 (≈ 5.3% back on $12k)
Spend required:
$12k in 12 mos. (or $3k)
Best for: 57,000 pts (45k pts with bonus + 12k by unlocking it) & free checked bags
|
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LUCRATIVENo min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250 (≈ 7.8% back on $12k)
Spend required:
$12k in 12 mos.
Best for: 72,000 pts + 8 lounges and $100 travel credit
|
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LUCRATIVENo min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $191.88 ($15.99/mo.) (≈ 7.9% back on $9k)
Spend required:
$9k in 12 mos.
Best for: 60,000 pts + 5X the points best card in Canada
|
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LUCRATIVE No min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $1966
Card fee: $799 (≈ 11.7% back on $10k)
Spend required:
$10k in 3 mos. spend $10k in 3 mos. &
make 1 purchase in months 15-17 Best for: 140,000 pts + unlimited PP lounges and $200 travel credit
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LUCRATIVE No min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $1192
Card fee: $599 (≈ 7.9% back on $7.5k)
Spend required:
$7.5k in 3 mos. spend $7.5k in 3 mos. &
make 1 purchase in months 15-17 Best for: 69,375 pts + unlimited AC lounges & other AC benefits
|
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LUCRATIVE No min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $683
Card fee: $120 (≈ 7.5% back on $7.5k)
Spend required:
$7.5k in 6 mos. + $1k
Best for: 53,500 pts + a free bag on Air Canada
|
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LUCRATIVE150k/200k
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $1126
Annual fee: $599 (≈ 2.2% back on $24k)
Spend required:
$24k in 12 mos.
Best for: 85k pts with bonus (115,000 pts total) 85k + 30k on min. spend
|
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LUCRATIVE No min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $323
Annual fee: $0 $89 (≈ 21.5% back on $1.5k)
Spend required:
$1.5k in 3 mos.
Best for: 21,500 pts (20k pts with bonus + 1.5k by unlocking it) low min. spend and lower fee
|
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LUCRATIVE No min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $1500
Card fee: $199 (≈ 4.3% back on $30k)
Spend required:
$30k in 12 mos. (or $7.5k)
Best for: 100,000 pts + simpler min. spend structure
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LUCRATIVENo min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)
Rewards: ≈ $165
Card fee: $0 (≈ 16.5% back on $1k)
Spend required:
$1k in 3 mos.
Best for: 11,000 pts + no fees but way less value
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. |
Learning how to travel for less
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Summary
Using online shopping portals like the Aeroplan eStore is a very simple way to earn bonus points on all your purchases. It only takes a few extra clicks to get where you want to buy, but don’t forget the few important tips too.
What would you like to know about my shopping portal usage example? Tell us in the comments below.
See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights
Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards
Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration
Learn pro tricks: Travel tips
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