Following Thanh’s advice, I signed up for an Hmart Smart Savings card. Used my Thursday lunch break to walk over to the De Anza location and drop off my application. The Chinese store manager smiled as he gave me the cards, claiming he knew my face well since I shopped there so often with my mom.
The first items I bought were a piece of salmon belly and a 12-pack of Pepsi, giving me 16 reward points. After getting home, I distributed the cards amongst my family members. My dad was skeptical, claiming the benefits were low.
At 1000pt = $10 rewards card and $1 spent = 1pt, it’s basically 1% savings. He’s right that 1% isn’t too much, but it’s better than nothing. For comparison, the 85C Bakery next door gives 1pt per dollar. Using the Almond Half Moon as an example, 40pt = $3.45 so ~8.625%. However, the deals available are limited. The whole dollar rounding also decreases savings (i.e. $2.50 only gives 2pt).
PS: vaguely recall registering for an Hmart card before, but don’t remember when.
