AMA (Alberta Motor Association)

What Is AMA?

AMA is Alberta's largest membership organization — a paid annual membership that gets you 24/7 roadside assistance across North America, plus access to AMA Rewards with discounts and reward dollars at over 165,000 partner locations. The core value is peace of mind on the road, but the rewards side can realistically offset a good chunk of your membership fee if you use it. With over a million members in Alberta, it's deeply embedded in daily life here — from registry services to travel booking to fuel savings.

---

When Is AMA Worth It?

Without effort: Just show your card for partner discounts and fuel up at Shell → roughly $120–150/year in savings (fuel, dining, occasional car rental)

With the 3 moves: Buy gift cards through AMA, stack discounts, and use your reward dollars toward renewal → realistically $250–400/year in savings — enough to cover your membership and then some

Recent changes: Rogers partnership launched in October 2025 — up to $300/year off 5G+ mobile plans for members. The CAA Gift Card Store went online, making the 5% reward dollar strategy more convenient. Shell's 3¢/L fuel discount was extended through February 2027.

---

How It Works

Where it works: Shell (233 Alberta locations), Original Joe's, State & Main, Montana's, Enterprise, Hertz, Marriott, Best Western, and 165,000+ partner locations across North America through CAA/AAA.

What you earn: Instant discounts at partners (3¢/L at Shell, 10% at restaurants, up to 25% on car rentals) plus 5% back in reward dollars on all gift card purchases. 1 reward dollar = $1 CAD.

How you get it back: Spend reward dollars on membership renewal, travel bookings, movie tickets, insurance premiums, or more gift cards — dollar for dollar.

What it costs: Community $59/year (no roadside). Basic $105/year. Plus $148/year. Premier $182/year. Plus a one-time $20 registration fee and GST.

How to sign up: Online at the AMA website, by phone, or at any of 17 AMA centres across Alberta. Digital membership available immediately. You can scan your card into SuperCards via screenshot after registration.

Member perks: Plus and Premier members get free passport photos, free EV charging at select centres, and Kids Go Free roadside coverage for children under 16. Premier adds a free windshield chip repair annually, trip interruption coverage up to $2,000, and a 2-day car rental with every tow.

Good to know: Reward dollars never expire as long as your membership is active. If you let your membership lapse, you lose them. Gift card purchases earn 5% automatically — no coupon activation needed. The 5 km towing on Basic is barely enough to get to the nearest shop in most of Alberta — Plus (160 km) is the minimum useful tier for roadside.

---

The 3 Moves That Actually Matter

1. Buy your groceries and dining through AMA gift cards

AMA gives you 5% back in reward dollars on every gift card purchase and reload — Sobeys, Safeway, Uber Eats, restaurants, and 70+ other brands. If your household spends $500/month on groceries and dining, buying those as gift cards first earns you $300/year in reward dollars. That alone covers a Plus membership. Keep your membership card in SuperCards so you always have your member number handy when stopping by an AMA centre.

2. Show your card at every partner — especially restaurants and car rentals

Flash your AMA card at restaurants like Original Joe's, State & Main, and Montana's for 10% off food. At Hertz, it's up to 25% off. At Shell, it's 3¢/L plus 10% off car washes and in-store items. These don't require any signups — just show the card. A family that eats out twice a month and rents a car once a year easily saves $150–200 without thinking about it.

3. Use reward dollars to pay for your membership renewal

Once you've accumulated reward dollars from gift cards and partner purchases, apply them directly to your next membership renewal. This effectively makes the membership self-funding if you're consistent with the gift card strategy. You can also put reward dollars toward insurance premiums (annual payments only), travel bookings, or movie tickets.

---

Getting Your Value Back (Best to Worst)

Membership renewal — dollar for dollar, offsets a cost you'd pay anyway. Best use.

Insurance premiums or travel bookings — same $1 = $1 value on things you need.

Gift cards — earns an additional 5% reward dollars on the purchase, creating a reinvestment loop.

There's a way to triple-layer your savings at Shell and turn a routine fill-up into 5–8% total value — see Pro Tips below.

Letting reward dollars sit unused — they don't expire while you're a member, but they're worth nothing if you cancel without spending them.

---

Watch Out For

• The $20 registration fee isn't prominently shown on pricing pages. It's added at checkout for new members.
• Basic towing is nearly useless — 5 km won't get you far outside Edmonton or Calgary city centres. If you need roadside, get Plus at minimum.
• Auto-renewal catches people off guard. Membership renews automatically every year. Set a calendar reminder if you want to cancel or downgrade.
• Reward dollar redemption has daily limits — $50/day and $200/month per household for online redemptions. Plan larger redemptions through an AMA centre.

---

When to Skip AMA

• You drive a newer car with manufacturer roadside assistance. Most new vehicles include 3–5 years of roadside coverage. Until that expires, a Community membership ($59) or no membership at all might be enough.
• You already have roadside through a credit card. Some premium credit cards include roadside assistance at no extra cost. Check your card benefits before paying for AMA.
• You don't drive and don't shop at AMA partners. The Community membership exists for non-drivers, but at $59/year, the savings from partner discounts alone need to be meaningful to justify it. If you don't fuel up at Shell or eat at partner restaurants, there's not much here for you.

---

---

Quick Reference

As of May 2026