Canadian Senior Discounts Guide (2026) – Save Money Across Canada

[Updated: November 1, 2026]

Canadian seniors can save real money on groceries, prescriptions, travel, banking and entertainment, but most discounts are never advertised at the till. This guide lists the senior discounts available across Canada, the age you need to be, and the day they apply, so you can plan your shopping week around them.

Bill’s golden rule: always ask. Policies vary by location, and many stores that offer a discount never post it. Carry photo ID with your date of birth, and ask at the checkout, when booking, or before you order.

Quick list: the most popular senior days

• Shoppers Drug Mart: 20% off regular-priced items every Thursday (65+, PC Optimum card)
• Rexall: 20% off regular-priced items every Tuesday (55+, Be Well card)
• Bulk Barn: 15% off every Wednesday (65+)
• Michaels: 10% off every day (55+)
• VIA Rail: 10% off most fares (60+)

Contents

• Senior discount days by day of the week
• Grocery and food
• Pharmacies
• Restaurants
• Retail, home, pets and thrift
• Travel and transportation
• Hotels
• Entertainment and attractions
• Banking
• Discounts by province
• Savings beyond the store: bills and benefits
• Who qualifies as a senior in Canada?
• Frequently asked questions

Senior Discount Days by Day of the Week

Plan your errands around these national and regional senior days.

Grocery and Food

• Bulk Barn: 15% off every Wednesday for seniors 65 and over. Bring ID.
• M&M Food Market: 10% off every Tuesday for seniors 60 and over, in store and online (use code SENIORSDAY online). Taxes and gift cards are excluded.
• Giant Tiger: 10% off selected products on the first Monday of each month for seniors 60 and over, at participating stores.
• Sobeys, IGA, Foodland and local grocers: many stores are independently owned and set their own senior days. Ask at customer service.

Pharmacies

• Shoppers Drug Mart: 20% off regular-priced items every Thursday for PC Optimum members 65 and over.
• Rexall: 20% off every Tuesday for seniors 55 and over with a Be Well card.
• Lawtons Drugs (Atlantic Canada): 20% off eligible items for customers 55 and over on 55+ Appreciation Day, held on most Wednesdays. Swipe your Scene+ card.
• Quebec pharmacies: Brunet, Proxim and Uniprix offer 60+ privilege cards worth 10% off eligible regular-priced items. At Jean Coutu, it depends on the branch.
• Independent pharmacies, IDA and Guardian: policies are set store by store, so ask.

Restaurants

• Denny’s: 15% off for guests 55 and over on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., dine-in only. A few locations do not participate. Denny’s also has a 55+ menu.
• Humpty’s (Western Canada): ask for the free Emerald Diner Club card for 10% off regular menu items.
• Mandarin (Ontario): 20% off the buffet for seniors 65 and over with photo ID.
• McDonald’s, A&W, Subway and Tim Hortons: there is no national policy, but many franchise owners offer a senior discount or cheaper coffee. It never hurts to ask.

Retail, Home, Pets and Thrift

• Michaels: 10% off every day for customers 55 and over, on regular-priced and sale purchases.
• RONA and RONA+: 10% off regular-priced items on the first Tuesday of each month for customers 55 and over.
• Home Hardware: many stores hold their own seniors’ day. Ask your local store.
• Pet Valu: 10% off regular-priced items on the last Thursday of each month for Your Rewards members 60 and over. You must show ID to be registered as a senior at least a day before.
• Global Pet Foods: 15% off in store on the last Tuesday of each month for seniors 60 and over, at participating stores.
• Value Village: 30% off every Tuesday for seniors 60 and over.
• Salvation Army Thrift Stores: 10% off every day for seniors 60 and over, at participating stores.
• Hospital auxiliary and church thrift shops: many hold half-price days. Watch local notice boards.

Travel and Transportation

• VIA Rail: travellers 60 and over get 10% off Economy Plus fares and regular Sleeper, Sleeper Plus and Touring fares. Compare with VIA’s sale fares, which are sometimes cheaper for everyone.
• Parks Canada: the Senior Discovery Pass (65+) is $71.50 for 2026 and covers a full year of admission to national parks and national historic sites.
• Marine Atlantic (Nova Scotia to Newfoundland): passengers 65 and over get reduced passenger fares and food and beverage discounts year-round.
• BC Ferries: B.C. seniors 65 and over travel free as passengers Monday to Thursday on major and inter-island routes, excluding holidays. Vehicle fares still apply. Northern routes offer a partial discount instead.
• Local transit: almost every Canadian transit system has reduced senior fares, usually from age 65. See Discounts by province for free-ride days.

Hotels

Senior rates usually have to be requested when booking and may not beat the best sale rate, so compare before you choose.

• Best Western: senior rates for guests 55 and over at participating hotels.
• Sandman Hotels: a seniors rate for guests 55 and over at participating hotels.
• Choice Hotels: up to 10% off for guests 60 and over, with larger discounts for CARP members.
• Wyndham brands (Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson): discounts for guests 60 and over at participating hotels.
• Fairmont: a preferential rate for guests 55 and over, depending on availability.
• Marriott and IHG (Holiday Inn and others): senior rates from age 62, depending on the hotel.

Entertainment and Attractions

• Landmark Cinemas: every Monday is Seniors’ Day for moviegoers 65 and over, with 20% off the senior admission price and 20% off concessions on new releases.
• Cineplex: reduced senior admission for moviegoers 65 and over at participating theatres.
• National museums in Ottawa-Gatineau (Canadian Museum of History, Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Nature): reduced admission for visitors 65 and over.
• Royal Ontario Museum and Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto): senior admission prices for visitors 65 and over.
• Local museums, theatres and golf courses: senior rates are common but rarely advertised. Ask.

Banking

Banks rarely move you to a senior plan automatically. If you are 60 or older, call your bank and ask.

• TD: monthly fee discounts on several chequing accounts from age 60.
• Scotiabank: fee discounts on chequing packages from age 60, and no monthly fee on a basic account.
• BMO: $4 off monthly plans from age 60, which makes the Practical plan free.
• National Bank: $5 off certain chequing accounts from age 60.
• CIBC: the Smart for Seniors program starts at 65, with no monthly fee on some accounts.
• RBC: monthly fee discounts on several banking packages from age 65.
• Credit unions: many offer free chequing for members 55 or 60 and over, often with better terms than the big banks.

Thinking about earning a little extra in retirement? Discounts help stretch a fixed income. If you would also like to add to it, The Encore Income Blueprint is a practical guide to earning income after 55, written for Canadians.

Discounts by Province

Atlantic Canada

• Halifax Transit: seniors 65 and over ride buses and ferries free every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and after 6 p.m. Carry photo ID.
• Lawtons Drugs: 20% off eligible items on 55+ Appreciation Day, most Wednesdays.
• Marine Atlantic: reduced passenger fares for travellers 65 and over, year-round.
• The Rooms (St. John’s, NL): discounted admission for visitors 60 and over.

Quebec

• FADOQ: Quebec’s network for people 50 and over offers more than 1,000 discounts for a membership of $30 a year.
• Pharmacy privilege cards: Brunet, Proxim and Uniprix give 10% off eligible items from age 60.

Ontario

• GO Transit: seniors 65 and over save 55% on train and bus fares with a PRESTO card set to the senior fare type.
• OC Transpo (Ottawa): seniors 65 and over ride free all day on Wednesdays and Sundays with a PRESTO card set to the senior discount. Para Transpo is excluded.
• TTC (Toronto): discounted fares for riders 65 and over.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan

• Winnipeg Transit: reduced fares for riders 65 and over. Show photo ID to the operator.
• Steinbach Credit Union (Manitoba): free Golden Chequing accounts for members 60 and over.

Alberta

• Calgary Transit: seniors 65 and over can buy a Senior Yearly Pass, with a lower-cost version for low-income seniors.
• Goodwill Alberta: 15% off regular-priced items every Wednesday for shoppers 60 and over.

British Columbia

• BC Ferries: free passenger travel Monday to Thursday for B.C. seniors 65 and over on major and inter-island routes, excluding holidays.
• BC Bus Pass Program: a yearly transit pass for eligible low-income seniors.

Savings Beyond the Store: Bills and Benefits

Some of the biggest savings for seniors come from programs, not price tags.

• Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): if your income is low, check that you are receiving it. Many eligible seniors never apply, and GIS can also qualify you for other discounts.
• Property tax deferrals and rebates: most provinces and many municipalities offer property tax relief for seniors based on age and income. Contact your municipality.
• Connecting Families: this federal initiative offers low-cost home internet to eligible low-income seniors.
• Bank fees: switching to a senior banking plan can save $50 to $100 a year. See Banking above.
• CARP membership: unlocks extra discounts on hotels, car rentals and insurance across Canada.

Protect Your Savings from Scams

Scammers target seniors with fake bank calls, false CRA “account suspended” texts and the grandparent scam. Three rules cover most of them: never move money because someone on the phone tells you to, never use a link in a text or email to log in to your bank or the CRA, and hang up and call back on a number you already know. For the full picture, read The Canadian Senior’s Master Guide to Scam Prevention.

Get New and Changed Discounts by Email

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Who Qualifies as a Senior in Canada?

There is no single age. It depends on who is offering the discount:

• Age 55: many retailers and restaurants start here, including Rexall, Michaels, RONA and Denny’s.
• Age 60: common for banks, VIA Rail, pet stores, thrift stores and some hotels.
• Age 65: the age for Old Age Security, most transit discounts, Parks Canada senior passes, and the deepest store discounts at Shoppers Drug Mart and Bulk Barn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age do senior discounts start in Canada?

Some start at 50 or 55, especially through memberships such as CARP and FADOQ, but most store discounts begin at 60 or 65. Check the age listed for each business above.

Does the senior discount apply to sale items?

Usually not. Most senior discounts apply to regular prices only, so an item already on sale may cost less without the senior discount. Michaels is one of the exceptions.

What day is seniors’ day at Shoppers Drug Mart?

Every Thursday. Seniors 65 and over with a PC Optimum card get 20% off regular-priced items.

What day is seniors’ day at Rexall?

Every Tuesday. Customers 55 and over get 20% off with a Be Well card.

How do I get the senior discount at Bulk Barn?

Shop on a Wednesday, be 65 or older, and be ready to show photo ID at the checkout for 15% off.

Does Sobeys have a seniors’ day?

There is no single national policy, because many Sobeys, IGA and Foodland stores set their own. Ask at your local store’s customer service desk.

Can I combine a senior discount with loyalty points?

Often, yes. At Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and Lawtons, the loyalty card is required for the discount, so you earn points at the same time.

Know a discount we missed, or found one that has changed? Send us a message and we will check it and add it to the next update. Discounts change often, so always confirm with the business before you shop.

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