When shopping for car insurance in Canada, you might be surprised to see how many familiar names, like President’s Choice, are also key players in insurance. Given that hundreds of thousands of Canadians interact with the brand for groceries, banking, or its well-known loyalty program, it’s no wonder many consider them when looking for car insurance.

But does that make PC car insurance the right choice for you, your needs, and your budget? That’s a decision only you can make.

In this article, you’ll learn more about PC car insurance, the potential pros and cons to consider, and how it’s different from an insurance broker like YouSet. That way, you can make the most informed decision and choose a provider that matches your needs and expectations.

How is YouSet different from PC Insurance?

YouSet combines the convenience of an online platform with the advantages of a licensed insurance broker, while PC Insurance is an insurance agent that sells car, home, tenant, and condo insurance policies underwritten by Aviva. 

As such, there are key differences between YouSet and PC Insurance to consider, which you can see outlined clearly in the table below.

	YouSet	PC Insurance
Type of provider	Digital insurance broker	Insurance agency
Products	Home, tenant, condo, and car	Home, tenant, condo, and car
Number of insurers	18 insurers (Full list of YouSet insurers)	1 insurer (Aviva)
Price comparison	Side-by-side comparison, shows multiple quotes	Side-by-side quotes from one insurer (Aviva)
Underwriting	Does not underwrite policies	Underwritten by Aviva
Checkout	Online checkout or by phone	Online checkout or by phone
Claims	Claims handled by the insurer, additional support from YouSet, as needed	Claims started by PC Insurance, handled by Aviva

PC car insurance pros and cons

As with any insurance provider, it’s important to understand what PC Insurance offers and what it doesn’t. This is key to helping you determine if it aligns with what you’re looking for in a car insurance provider.

Part of Loblaw Companies Limited

PC Insurance is part of the broader PC financial services ecosystem, which in turn is part of Loblaw Companies Limited. That said, EQB Inc., a Canadian financial services company, is in the process of acquiring PC Financial’s banking and insurance arms. 

Not available in all provinces

As of March 2026, PC car insurance is not available in Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or British Columbia, the four Canadian provinces with public car insurance systems. It is, however, available in Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. 

Discount for PC Optimum Members

As part of the President’s Choice brand, PC Insurance provides discounts and perks for PC Optimum members. For example, members who live in certain provinces may be eligible for a discount on car insurance, potentially giving them lower premiums than non-members.

Restricted to Aviva products and pricing

As of January 2025, all PC car insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva General Insurance Company. This means you are limited to the products, pricing, and discounts offered by this single insurer. Unlike brokers such as YouSet, which compare multiple insurers to help you find the best price, PC Insurance offers only Aviva’s products and discounts.

PC Optimum Members may be exempt from some fees 

On PC Insurance’s website, it is noted that there are “1.3% installment fees on your total premium if you pay monthly and you are not a PC Optimum member.” The implication here is that members may not be charged this fee, though that is not explicitly confirmed.

Select offering of personal insurance products

PC Insurance offers a select range of products, including car, home, motorcycle, and recreational vehicle insurance. While these cover the basic needs of most Canadians, availability can vary by province, and not all products may be offered everywhere.

Earn points on annual payments 

On its website, PC Insurance advertises that you can earn 2× the regular PC Optimum points for every dollar spent when paying your premium annually with an eligible card. Bear in mind, this only applies if you pay the premium for the entire year up-front, rather than monthly. 

Bundling savings may be limited

Bundling home and car insurance with PC Insurance can save you money, as advertised. However, bundling with a single carrier doesn’t always offer the most savings possible. Rather, a mix-and-match approach to bundling, where products and pricing from multiple carriers are considered and combined, can help you maximize your savings and find the most cost-effective solution.

Get the best price on insurance year-after-year

Get a quote

PC vs. YouSet car insurance

After getting a quote from PC Insurance and doing your own research, it’s always wise to compare the quoted price to a policy from an alternative provider, such as YouSet, to see if that’s truly the best price you can get or if there’s a better deal available.

Since 2017, YouSet has been making it easier for Canadians to buy home and car insurance online. Why spend hours manually comparing quotes when our proprietary technology can do it all for you in less than 4 minutes? Not only that, but we’ll also have Canada’s top insurance providers competing for your business, ensuring you get the best price year after year. With over 300,000 users and an average online review rating of 4.9 stars, YouSet is a broker well worth considering. 

Best price year-after-year

YouSet’s algorithms are designed to do one thing – find you the best price. Not just the first time you buy, either. If your price increases at renewal, we’ll alert you and even help you re-shop with another carrier.

Transparent renewals

Anytime a YouSet insurance policy comes up for renewal, our team will make sure you’re paying the best price possible for your policy. If that’s no longer working, we’ll help you re-shop another carrier for a better deal.

Mix-and-match approach to bundling

YouSet is the only digital broker in Canada that automatically compares the cost of bundling home and car insurance from a single carrier against the cost of mix-and-matching home and car carriers. Whichever option offers the maximum savings is the one we present to you.

Buy, manage, and renew your policy online

How much easier would it be if you could purchase a policy, personalize it to fit your needs, make modifications to it, and renew it, all without having to make any phone calls or wait on hold? With YouSet, you can do all that and more with our self-serve features.

Highly reviewed by Canadians

With an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google, the general consensus among YouSet users is that YouSet is making it easier to find affordable insurance and buy it online at the best price year after year.