This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Head-to-Head Store Loyalty Card Comparisons

Buying groceries is a necessity but where you buy them is a choice. Let's look at two store loyalty cards!

I am all about educating the consumer, and breaking information into smaller pieces often helps make a big task—smaller. I've taken a good look at both Shop 'n Save and Giant Eagle Store loyalty cards and I want to give you a good comparison!

SHOP 'n SAVE  VS.   GIANT EAGLE

eCoupons must be clipped from either Shop 'n Save site or from approved third party site, like a Red Plum, Smart Source, etc.

eOffers for Giant Eagle must be clipped from Giant Eagle site or from an approved third party site.

Find out what's happening in Upper St. Clairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

eCoupons can not be doubled for Shop n' Save and e-Offers for Giant Eagle can not be doubled—face value is the coupon's value!

Giant Eagle participates in SAVINGSTAR, a service that links eCoupons to your store loyalty card, but there is no redemption value, however ... the money you would have had taken off the receipt is actually credited to your account (PayPal, etc.) and you get to cash out after $5 is accrued due to things you purchased and selected of the eCoupons. Yet another way to earn back for spending for shopping at Giant Eagle (want more details, see my blog).

Find out what's happening in Upper St. Clairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Shop 'n Save is not affiliated with the program SavingStar.

Shop 'n Save offers 10 cents off each gallon of gas for every $50 you purchase in their grocery store. Therefore $100 = 20 centsoff. This is known as PUMP PERKS.

Shop 'n Save offers redemption for PUMP PERKS at participating SUNOCO's, Shop 'n Save Express, Shop n' Save & BP.

Giant Eagle offers 10 cents off each gallon of gas for every $50 spent in their floral, pharmacy, photo lab, dry cleaners, grocery store, prepared foods and health and beauty deparment (some exclusions apply). ONE stop shopping that PAYS you back for many of your everyday needs and purchases. I'm seeing savings around EVERY corner of the store! This is known as FUEL PERKS.

Giant Eagle offers FUEL  PERKS redemption at one of their 60+ locations, where you can also find SURCHARGE FREE ATMs and use your FUEL PERKS towards FOOD PERKS that equal 1 percent for every 10 gallons purchased!

Did I mention that with the ADVANTAGE CARD at Giant Eagle and all GETGOs, Market Districts and Giant Eagle Express—use your Advantage Card, purchase five beverages (any beverage that fits in a cup counts) and receive the sixth one free! ~ Yes, it is all tracked on your ADVANTAGE CARD.

Giant Eagle and Shop 'n Save each offer you the opportunity to earn more money off per gallon—20 cents off—specifically during certain promotions of purchasing retail gift cards (follow stated rules for this weekly via each store's site).

Shop 'n Save is providing an additional promotion: purchase of multiple goods by the same manufacturer which will lead to money off automatically at the end of your bills (i.e. Buy four General Mill Snak Mixes (and spend at least $20) then receive $5 off current total). There are a few others like this as well, see site for details.

GIANT EAGLE OFFERS:

BONUS PERKS - Often you are provided with the opportunity to earn more than 10 cents off each gallon, these are known as Bonus Fuel Perks. Sometimes the offer is for purchasing Giant Eagle products and then receive additional cents off per gallon and other times it is for brand name product quantity purchases (see site for details).

Giant Eagle has gas pumping paying you back as well, making a difference in your FOOD receipt!

THE GAS PUMP DIFFERENCE ~ AND IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Giant Eagle offers you Food PERKS if you purchase gas, and Fuel Perks if you purchase grocery, so it is ALWAYS reciprocal earning. Here is how it looks, 10 Gallons = 1 percent 20 Gallons = percent 50 Gallons = 5 percent

With the Giant Eagle Advantage Card, you even earn Food PERKS when you pump gas at GETGO even if you are redeeming  FUEL PERKS (RECIPROCAL)

Shop 'n Save does not pay you back for purchases at the pump. Shop 'n Save's rewards stop after you purchase their gas, you do not receive ADDITIONAL credits for using your Shop 'n Save Card at the pumps, you simply get a gas discount, nothing reciprocal.

Shop 'n Save does not have an in-store dry cleaner, and not all Shop n' Saves have pharmacies, therefore you can not save in every department at every Shop n' Save and you are not earning Pump Perks.

Shop 'n Save does not have a program  that provides you the opportunity to earn 1 percent towards your grocery purchases after purchasing 10 gallons of fuel. Giant Eagle does it is called FOOD PERKS! Though both stores offer 10 cents off every $50 purchased, Giant Eagle offers many other ways to earn additional cents off through additional BONUS PERKS as well as fuel purchases.

Imagine the possibilities of reciprocal spending. Completely Pittsburgh Frugal.

The Shop n' Save rewards does not have the ADVANTAGES (no pun intended) of the Giant Eagle Advantage Card. The cards do not compare! The Advantage Card will give you the ADVANTAGE, from E-offers, SavingStar earnings, Bonus Perks, Monthly Bonus Perks, Fuel Perks and Food Perks which makes up a large monetary difference when trying to put some BUDGE in your budget! In addition, being Pittsburgh Frugal also includes budgeting in your time as TIME IS MONEY, so being able to accomplish a lot in one place is priceless and it pays you back.

Get Pittsburgh Frugal and try on an Advantage Card!

*eCoupons, - coupons that are clipped virtually and stored on your store loyalty card - see individual sites for availability and what terms and conditions apply to eCoupon Polices in stores

**Advantage Card = Giant Eagle Store Loyalty Card

***Shop 'n Save Rewards Card = Shop n' Save Store Loyalty Card

This article is written by Dana Vee-Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. The article is not endorsed, affiliated, nor supported by either Shop 'n Save or Giant Eagle, Getgo, etc. This article is founded on information collected by PFM, personal experience, personal savings. This article is written as a form of opinion in order to provide you a general overview of how to SAVE more of your money and how to make sure your investments are earning back for you! This article does not take into consideration coupon savings, coupon application, etc. This article is based on what you get back for using your store loyalty cards. Make sure to check each site for specifications and qualifications of each card.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?