Pet food, litter and vet basics aren't cheap, so it makes sense that the biggest names in pet retail — Chewy, Petco and PetSmart — all run rewards programs. The question is which one actually pays you back the most. The answer depends less on the brand and more on how you shop.
PetSmart's Treats Rewards is the only free program of the three, and it has the richest points: every 1,000 points knocks $2 off a purchase, making points worth 0.2 cents each — double the value at Chewy or Petco. Earning starts at 10 points per dollar and climbs to 12 after $500 of annual spend ('Bestie' tier) and 14 after $1,000 ('VIPP'). Points even accrue on services like grooming, boarding, daycare and training. The catch? Points expire 12 months after they're earned, and you'll want to activate bonus offers in your account — things like $5 back on $25 of dog treats — to really get ahead.
Chewy+ takes the subscription route: free for 30 days, then $59 a year. In exchange you earn 5% back on dog and cat food and health or pharmacy items, and 2% on everything else, with free shipping on every order, a 24/7 poison helpline, and an annual virtual vet visit. Rewards expire monthly after a year and there's a $100 annual cap. Do the maths and you need roughly $1,200 of annual spending on eligible categories just to break even — but heavy spenders will hit that cap even faster. It's best suited to cat and dog owners who order regularly; small-pet and reptile parents get little from it.
Petco Perks sits in the middle: free to join, with 30 points per dollar on Petco's own brands (about 3% back) and 10 points elsewhere (1%). Redemption requires a 5,000-point minimum, and points expire after a year. There's also a steep Premier subscription — $24.99 a month or $239.99 a year, priced per pet — that bundles monthly point bonuses, 10% off food, 20% off grooming and litter, and unlimited vet exams at Petco. For a dog eating through a small bag of kibble monthly, the food discount plus bonus points can cover most of the fee.
Whichever store you choose, the real trick is stacking. Pay with a rewards-earning credit card, check Amex Offers or Chase Offers for statement credits, and route the purchase through a cashback portal like Rakuten — which at times has offered 15% back at PetSmart. One writer's $375 kibble-and-bones stock-up earned $28 in PetSmart points, 5,625 Amex points via Rakuten, and 750 Capital One miles on the card itself. Kibble is shelf-stable, so timing a big order to a portal promotion is an easy win.
The short version: all-round shoppers do best with free PetSmart Treats; loyal Chewy customers spending heavily on food and health products get value from Chewy+; and Petco Perks rewards buyers of store-brand goods. Match the program to your spending pattern, stack a card and portal on top, and your pet budget stretches further. — The Points Guy
