55+ Senior Discounts in Canada for April 2024

Senior citizens often depend on a limited retirement income even though they deal more with greater medical expenses due to their age.

Fortunately, older adults in Canada can still enjoy some peace of mind, thanks to many retailers, restaurants, travel companies, and other businesses that offer excellent discounts for seniors in Canada.

Still, some senior citizens no longer earn active income or are close to retirement and prefer using any avenue to save every dollar possible.

As a former financial advisor, I know how challenging it can be for many senior citizens in Canada to save money.

I’ve put together this guide to give you details about discounts, age requirements, and other essential information.

The Advantages of Having a CARP Membership

Before I begin listing down the discounts for Canadian seniors that you can use, let’s first go over the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) and why it would be good to become a member.

If you are a Canadian citizen aged 50 or older, you can become a member by paying an annual fee of $19.95.

This membership will allow you to save money with popular businesses throughout the country.

The minimum age requirement depends on the partnering business, but it might be worth spending a little money each year for the membership in exchange for the discounts available. I have listed several seniors discounts below, and many of them are exclusively available to CARP members.

I have divided this list of seniors’ discounts based on different categories to help you find discounts on specific items, businesses, or services that you need.

Senior Discounts on Food and at Restaurants

This section of my guide to discounts for Canadian seniors will cover different restaurants and markets that offer senior citizen discounts on various items.

M&M Food Market: M&M Food Market offers a discount of 10% on all regular-priced items at their store for Canadians aged 60 and above on any day of the week.

The discount was previously available only on Tuesdays, but M&M Food Market has since changed its policy to make its discounts more commonly available to senior citizens.

Amaranth Foods: The Calgary-based health food store offers several discounts to all its customers. It designated Tuesdays as Seniors Day at its stores, and you can get a 10% discount on most items in the store if you are 65 or older.

Bulk Barn: Bulk Barn locations offer daily senior discounts and student discounts every Tuesday. You can get a 10% discount on most items sold at Bulk Barn as a student with a valid student ID and if you are a senior citizen over the age of 65.

IHOP: IHOP, one of the most famous breakfast chains worldwide, offers senior discounts for Canadian seniors through a 55+ menu with reduced prices that you can use at any of its locations in Canada.

KFC: KFC Canada also offers a discounted deal for Canadian citizens over 55 years of age. You can get a free small drink along with a KFC meal as a senior citizen.

Salisbury House: The Winnipeg-based chain offers a discounted menu for Canadian citizens over the age of 55. The Silver Breakfast menu offers several popular items from the restaurant at a discounted price for older adults in Canada.

Subway: Subways offer a 10% discount for senior citizens age 60 and older.

A&W: A&Ws also offer seniors discounts. You can get a 10% discount on all food purchases from A&W, but it is not available at all of its locations. Therefore, you should ask the particular location to check whether they are offering a senior citizen discount.

McDonald’s: McDonald’s offers discounts on coffee for seniors. However, you can only get coffee at discounted prices with your orders in selected locations. You should ask the particular location to check whether they offer any discounts on coffees for older adults.

Humpty’s: Humpty’s is a Canadian restaurant that values its roots as a family restaurant and offers a discount of 10% to Canadians who are 55 or older.

However, you need to get an Emerald 55 Club membership first. Fortunately, the membership is completely free. The discount is available for all menu items except alcohol.

Taco Bell: Taco Bell also offers discounts to senior Canadian citizens older than 60. However, the discounts can vary and are not available at every location. Hence, it is advisable to call and check with your nearest branch to see whether it offers a senior discount.

Senior Discounts at Pharmacies

Healthcare expenses typically tend to increase the older we get.

Fortunately, there are plenty of discounts offered by some pharmacies that can help you save a significant amount of money when you are filling your prescriptions.

Lawton Drugs: Lawtons Drugs started a 55+ Appreciation Day, offering a discount of 20% for most products available at the store. If you are 55 years or older, you can get a senior discount on most Wednesdays.

Shoppers Drug Mart: Shoppers Drug Mart is another pharmacy that offers a senior citizen discount in Canada. Throughout Canada, the largest drugstore chain offers a discount of 20% on specific, regularly priced items every Thursday. However, the offer is available only to PC Optimum members, and you need to be 65 or older to get the discount.

Rexall Pharma Plus: Rexall Pharma Plus is a CARP partner that offers a 20% discount on thousands of in-store items to senior citizens in Canada. You need to become a CARP member and pay a membership fee per year to the organization, but the discount is worth getting the membership.

Senior Discounts At banks And Financial Institutions

Financial institutions also understand the importance of saving every dollar, especially if you are an older adult. As a result, several banks and finance discounts are available to Canadian citizens, including:

ATB Financial: ATB Bank offers the Freedom Account for Canadian adults at least 59 years old. Aside from the $10 discount you get when getting a safety deposit box with the bank, ATB Financial also offers free personalized checks, unlimited transactions, and zero monthly fees.

Bank of Montreal: The Bank of Montreal offers a bank account for Canadians 60 years of age or older. If you can maintain a minimum daily balance in your senior account, you do not have to pay the monthly fees, and you get 12 monthly transactions.

Continental Currency Exchange: If you plan to travel or need to exchange currency for any other reason, you can get discounted rates every Monday at Continental Currency Exchange if you are 60 or older. As a bonus, you can enjoy zero fees on all cash transactions.

Canadian Western Bank: The Canadian Western Bank offers the Gold Leaf PLUS Account for people 57 and older in Canada.

The program allows you to have an account with the bank without monthly fees, unlimited transactions, and free personal checks, and you get a $15 discount on a safety deposit box rental at the bank, among others.

Royal Bank of Canada: The Royal Bank of Canada offers the Sixty Plus Savings account for Canadian citizens 60 and older. The minimum deposit requirement to open this account is $100.

You get to enjoy plenty of free transactions and zero monthly fees. RBC also offers a 50% discount on the annual fees of a small safety deposit box, along with several other ways to save money.

Servus Credit Union: Servus Credit Union offers a banking plan for Canadian citizens over 60 to enjoy zero fees. You can also get 100 free cheques per year, $10 off on your annual fee for a safety deposit box, and discounted rates.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce: CIBC offers the CIBC Smart for Seniors program for Canadian customers who are 65 and older.

These exclusive benefits include discounted monthly fees for chequing accounts, extra transactions on savings accounts, $5 off on your annual fee for a safety deposit box, and free Interac e-Transfer transactions.

Bank of Nova Scotia: Scotiabank offers several discounts to senior citizens who open an account with the bank for different chequing and savings accounts.

Seniors Discounts at Hotels In Canada

Plenty of global and local hotel chains offer hotel discounts for seniors in Canada through their own discounted rates. Many of them partner with CARP to offer CARP members exclusive discounted deals at their locations.

InterContinental Hotel Group: The InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) offers discounts for Canadian seniors 62 and older whenever they stay at any of IHG’s hotels worldwide.

All IHG hotels offer senior citizen rates, but the specific discounts can vary depending on the percentage discount offered by each location.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Wyndham Hotels offer senior rates to guests who are 60 years or older. Provided that you have proof of your identification when you check into the hotel, you can get their senior citizen discount.

Travelodge Hotels: Travelodge Hotels by Wyndham also offer discounts for Canadian seniors 60 years or older. You can request a senior rate discount when you check into the hotel and prove you’re over 60.

Hampton by Hilton Hotels: Hampton by Hilton also offers a discount of up to 10% to guests who are 65 or older. You should let them know that you would like to get the senior rates when making a booking. Be sure to provide your ID proving that you are older than 65 when you check in.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Best Western Hotels & Resorts is a global hotel chain that offers discounts for Canadian seniors and other hotels and resorts worldwide. You can save up to 15% when you check-in.

Choice Hotels: Choice Hotels offer a discount of up to 10% to all its guests who are 60 or older. If you are a CARP member, you can get up to 20% off on your hotel rent, along with other benefits like complimentary breakfast and access to the hotel’s WiFi.

Travel Discounts for Canadian Seniors

Senior citizens in Canada using various transportation services can also enjoy special prices and a senior discount. Some providers even offer free travel for senior citizens.

This section of the guide includes the best senior citizen discounts that you can use to travel for cheap (or free).

Transit Seniors Discounts

BC Ferries: BC Ferries offers an incredible senior discount – free travel from Mondays to Thursdays for British Columbia residents 65 years old and older on selected routes. The offer is only applicable to passenger fees.

If you are travelling on the ferry route with a vehicle, you will have to pay for the vehicle ferry charges.

Note – the offer does not apply during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

St. John’s Metrobus: St. John’s Metrobus offers monthly passes and 10-ride passes at discounted rates to senior citizens. However, it does not offer discounts for single rides.

Winnipeg Transit: If you are 65 or older, you can get peggo e-passes while using Winnipeg Transit for travelling. You may need to provide ID while boarding to prove that you are older than 65, but you can get discounted rates on single fares and passes through Winnipeg Transit.

OC Transpo: Senior citizens travelling through the O-Train and OC Transpo buses can travel for free on Sundays and Wednesdays. You can also get a senior discount on monthly passes if you have a Presto membership.

GO Transit: Senior citizens 65 and older can enjoy a 50% discount for single rides while travelling on GO Transit. However, you cannot get discounts on a Day Pass with this transportation.

Halifax Transit: You can get discounted rates if you are 65 or older and travelling on Halifax Transit. You can also travel for free on Tuesdays with Halifax Transit between 10 am and 3:30 pm and after 6 pm.

British Columbia Transportation System (BCTS): Senior citizens over the age of 60 who are considered low-income, have a disability, or pass BC Bus Pass’s criteria can travel at a reduced cost.

Seniors Discounts For Airlines

CheapOair: CheapOair Canada offers discounts to senior Canadian citizens on select flight tickets, provided that they can show proof of their age. Its website does not really specify what age they consider for the discount, though.

Seniors discounts For Railways

VIA Rail: Via Rail offers a discount of 10% on regular fare prices for senior citizens travelling with the passenger railway carrier. The discount does not apply to all travelling classes, so you should be careful when booking your ticket.

Amtrak: Amtrak may be an American passenger railway carrier, but it partners with VIA Rail on several routes to and from Canada. Senior citizens who are 65 years old and above can get a 10% discount, provided that you can show proof of your age.

Seniors Discounts on Car Rentals

Avis: Senior citizens who are CARP members can get a 25% discount with AVIS, along with other discounts, while renting one of its cars.

Thrifty: You can save 5% off if you are over 50 years old and rent a car through Thrifty.

Hertz: Hertz offers up to 20% discount to senior citizens who are 50 or older when they rent their car through the company.

Budget: Budget also offers an exclusive discount for AARP members. You can get a discount of up to 30% if you are older than 65 and renting a car through Budget.

55+ Discounts in Retail Stores

Canadiana Flowers: Canadiana Flowers also offers a 15% discount on all flowers and basket arrangements for CARP members.

Hudson Bay: Hudson Bay offers a special Timeless Style Tuesday discount on the first Tuesday of each month for senior citizens. This 55+ senior discount in Canada lets you get special discounts in-store and online, provided that you have an account with the retailer’s rewards program.

Discounts at Museums and Entertainment Venues

Canadian Museum of Nature: The Canadian Museum of Nature offers discounted tickets priced at $14 if you are 65 or older.

Royal Ontario Museum: You can get up to 20% discount on the entrance fee while visiting the Royal Ontario Museum if you are older than 65.

Vancouver Art Gallery: If you are an art enthusiast, you can enjoy the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Senior Mondays on the first Monday every month. You can enter the gallery with a donation between 5 pm and 8 pm. You can also get special discounted rates during regular hours and access special guided tours.

Canada’s Wonderland: Canada’s Wonderland offers discounted rates for daily tickets and season passes if you are at least 60.

What Is The Retirement Age In Canada?

Many don’t consider themselves “seniors” until they’re officially retired. However, this isn’t always accurate. The retirement age in Canada is not firmly set and can vary depending on the individual’s choice and their financial situation.

The average retirement age in Canada is 64.6, according to a 2022 survey by Statistics Canada.

Many businesses begin offering senior discounts at age 55, while other offer discounts to anybody age 60 and older.

This means that you could qualify for discounts years before you’re ready to retire, which could help you save money and invest in your retirement fund.

Help For Low-Income Seniors

From retail store discounts to admission fee discounts, restaurant discounts, and more, the savings options I’ve mentioned in this article are useful for all seniors.

However, I particularly encourage low-income seniors to take advantage of them.

As inflation continues to rise and the cost of living increases, it’s more important than ever to save where you can.

Low-income seniors often live on a fixed income and face higher healthcare expenses than other demographics. Despite numerous benefits programs, many are underutilized due to a lack of awareness or complex application processes.

Senior discounts offer a significant, practical opportunity for seniors to lower their cost of living.

Additionally, organizations like CARP provide resources and advocacy to support low-income seniors, including access to further discounts and services.

Utilizing Your Seniors’ Discount

Now that you’re aware of all of the discounts available to Canadian seniors, it’s time to get out in the world and start taking advantage of them!

The only drawback is that your seniors’ discount may not always be applied. In some cases, you’ll have to ask the merchant or store to apply it. This is often the case for transportation discounts, as railways, airports, and bus lines can be very crowded and busy.

That being said, there is no shame in asking for your seniors’ discount. Remember – you deserve it.

I’ve often found that many store clerks, waiters, and other service providers are wary of assuming their customer’s age, as it can come off as disrespectful.

Instead, they may try to be polite and wait for their customer (you) to mention that you’re a senior.

Additionally, not all participating locations offer senior discounts, which means that some employees may not be aware that other branches may offer a seniors discount.

Tips To Find More Discounts

To wrap up, here are a few take-home tips to help you find even more discounts and start saving more money:

• Get a CARP Membership: CARP costs just $19.95 per year and is available to all seniors over 50. Members gain access to a plethora of exclusive discounts at hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.
• Ask For Discounts: Always ask if a senior discount is available, as the age that qualifies as ‘senior’ varies among different companies.
• Research: I try to update this list of senior discounts as often as possible. Many popular retailers and services frequently add or update their senior discount policies as well.
• Utilize Public Transportation: As you saw above, many of Canada’s public transportation systems offer free or heavily-reduced pricing to provide seniors with greater mobility.

Conclusion – Canadian Seniors Have Lots Of Discounts

Being a senior may not always be easy. But one thing that you can count on is savings since many retailers and services offer senior discounts.

After all, you’ve earned it. So don’t be afraid to flaunt your age and put some extra money back in your pocket.

I hope this article helped you find attractive discounts to reduce costs from your daily expenses.

Given the many benefits offered to CARP members, I highly recommend purchasing a CARP membership. I have no affiliation with the organization and receive no benefits, but it seems to be a great deal to consider.

If you need help with retirement, you should read my guide to retirement planning in Canada and learn more about retirement income sources in Canada that you can consider.