Best Travel Credit Card Rankings in Canada for 2018
Just how far can your Canadian travel credit card take you? Whether you’re a bargain hunter, snowbirder, frequent flyer or bonus surfer, we’ve predicted what we think will be the best travel credit card deals in Canada to help you soar in 2018.
To help us derive our rankings for the best travel credit card, we first measured the value per point of each rewards program. We checked how many points were required to fly on 15 different flights for each credit card and compared it to the lowest price of each flight, giving us the true cost per point of each rewards program. We did a similar exercise for hotels.
We then evaluated earn rates, credit card bonuses, annual fees, perks, insurance coverage, foreign transaction fees, ease of redemption, and travel opportunities to determine the best travel credit card in Canada for each travel card category.
Summary of Best Travel Credit Cards in Canada in 2018
Best Accelerated Earn Rate Travel Credit Card in Canada
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Travel perks and a generous welcome bonus are nice, but the whole point of having a credit card is to make purchases with it. And as long as you’re spending you might as well be simultaneously earning.
Frequent travellers should seek out the maximum ratio of points to dollars when using their credit cards in order to save as much as possible on future trips. For this purpose, there’s no card in Canada better than the Scotiabank Gold Amex.
Why It’s a Winner: Purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and movie theaters will earn a best-in-class rate of 4 points per $1. The ‘dining’ category also includes drinking establishments and fast food places, but for anything not covered in this broad range, every $1 spent earns 1 reward point.
Scotia allows customers to redeem their points flexibly, by booking the arrangements they prefer and then spending points to pay for them later. Supplementing this ease of use are other lucrative travel perks, including access to over 600 airport lounges around the world, and a thorough array of travel insurance benefits. The spending threshold to earn 15,000 welcome points is also quite low: the average Canadian consumer easily puts $1,000 on their credit cards in 3 months.
Compared to the Amex Cobalt, the Scotia Gold Amex wins out for travellers due to a slightly lower annual fee, more flexible point redemption, and a broader array of spending categories that earn accelerated rewards. The Cobalt card accrues 5 points per $1 in food-related spending categories, but gas purchases are rewarded at a far lower rate: 2 points per $1. The Scotia Gold Amex grants 4 points per $1 on all these categories.
Apply: The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Runner-Up: The American Express Cobalt Credit Card
Best Flexible Travel Credit Card In Canada
The American Express® Gold Rewards Card
A flexible travel credit card allows you to make any travel related purchase on your card, then call or go online to pay for it with your points, allowing you to benefit from the best deals or options you can find. Some even allow you to convert your points into an alternative frequent flyer program.
Why It’s a Winner: The American Express Gold Rewards card is special because of its phenomenal rewards value and its unparalleled flexibility. Earn a welcome bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards points (redeem for $250 against any travel or transfer to Aeroplan 1:1 for 25,000 Aeroplan miles).
Ongoing value is strong. Earn double points on gas, grocery, drugstore & all travel related expenses (air, water, rail and road transport, lodging and tour operator sales). Each Amex point is worth 1 cent. As a result, the base rewards rate is worth 1% and the bonus rewards rate is worth 2%. If you transfer your points to Aeroplan, the base rewards rate is worth 1.28% and 2.56% on bonus categories, which is stellar. The insurance package is phenomenal.
What makes this card the gold standard of flexibility in Canada however, is that you can book any travel related purchase (flight, cruise, train, hotel, or rental car) on the card, and then use your points to pay ANY of the travel expenses that show up on your statement, including taxes & fees. You can ALSO choose to transfer your Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan or British Airways AVIOS points 1:1 with no additional charges – secretly making this the most valuable Aeroplan card on the market. Pair this card with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite® card below and you’ll have 50,000 bonus points to start.
The Amex Gold Rewards card beats RBC’s Visa Infinite Avion card for three reasons. First, it has a higher sign-up bonus. Second, you can earn double points on travel expenses (in addition to gas & groceries). Third, Amex allows you to redeem for any travel expense on your statement at full value, while if you redeem with RBC’s Payback with Points feature, you’ll get closer to half a penny per point.
In the end, Amex gives the cardholder additional flexibility to take advantage of promotions and cost saving opportunities in both the Aeroplan and Avios programs, without sacrificing any value if you decide to redeem for any travel purchase.
Apply: American Express Gold Rewards Credit Card
Best Air Travel Credit Card in Canada
TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite®
The best air travel credit cards offer travellers increased flexibility during booking, a thoughtful variety of insurance protections, and many ways to earn points. One of the market’s best comes courtesy of TD, with its First Class Travel Visa Infinite® card.
Why It’s a Winner: Frequent fliers know that one of the best places to book flights is on Expedia.com—the popular airfare aggregator with a wide range of destinations and airlines. With the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite® card, you’ll be rewarded for booking travel arrangements on Expedia’s handy ExpediaForTD.com site, and earn a truly impressive amount of TD Rewards for doing so—9 per $1 spent. The card earns 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Points are redeemable for travel on the site, but also for merchandise, gift cards, and even as an on-demand statement credit. Significant value is also delivered from TD’s comprehensive range of insurance benefits and other perks. Travellers are covered with medical, trip cancellation and interruption, common carrier accident, delayed and lost baggage, and rental car collision and damage insurance.
They’ll also be able to get at least 10% off when renting cars at Avis or Budget (or 5.00% off while abroad), and an airport lounge VIP Priority Pass, which grants inexpensive access to the world’s best lounges. This lucrative card sits in the mid to upper-tier of travel rewards cards, with a $120 annual fee and $60,000 annual income requirement ($100,000 for a household).
Apply: TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite® Card
BMO® AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*
For frequent fliers, there’s nothing better than a card that gives accelerated air travel rewards. These cards reward members with travel miles, free baggage, VIP lounge access, and more for their purchases. Partnered with the excellent AIR MILES program, one of the best for Canadians who travel often and love flight rewards, the BMO AIR MILES World Elite card is a clear winner in this category. It’s hard to beat the welcome offer of 3,000 bonus miles and a waived $120 fee in the first year, and the card offers a wealth of benefits beyond that.
Why It’s a Winner: We love the BMO World Elite line of cards for their premium rewards and the flexibility they bestow on cardholders. Adding 3,000 AIR MILES on top (1,000 miles after your first purchase, extra 2,000 after spending $3,000) makes the offer even better—it’s the equivalent of two short-haul flights. The miles are deposited in new accounts within 45 days (60 days for the extra 2,000 miles), making them easy to turn around and redeem on upcoming vacations or business trips. Meanwhile, cardholders will earn miles at a convenient rate of 1 per $10 spent. There are no limits on how many can be accrued, or which purchases qualify. Additionally, cardholders receive a 15% discount on all Air Miles flights in North America (no blackout periods).
The card features a comprehensive array of insurance benefits, including protection against trip cancellation, collision and damage to rental cars, out-of-province and country emergency medical assistance and purchase protections as well. While these practical characteristics are a must-have, the card’s “cherry on top” has a more luxurious theme.
Each cardholder will receive two free passes to the VIP airport lounge every year, usable at any of the hundreds of deluxe lounges that span the globe’s most popular terminals. Additionally, those who want lounge access more frequently will appreciate their new priority status, granting them unlimited entry with a small fee.All of this exceptional value is offered for no annual fee in the first year. Though applicants will be required to show a minimum of $80K in annual income, the card’s vast benefits justify its exclusive status.
Apply: BMO® AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Runner Up: The American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card
Best “Book Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” Travel Credit Card In Canada
The BMO® World Elite™Mastercard®
A “Book Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” travel credit card allows you to redeem for any travel related expense on your credit card. You purchase travel on your card from any travel provider (airline, hotel, cruise, resort, theme park, car rental, etc…) then call or go online to redeem your points for the travel purchase.
Why It’s a Winner: The BMO World Elite Mastercard offers cardholders unparalleled scope in how they can take advantage of the rewards they have earned. Additionally, for a limited time, BMO provides new applicants with an annual fee waiver of $150 for their 1st year of cardmembership. These instant savings will help members to reduce their expenses even more in their first year, and make this World Elite card a contender for best travel card in Canada.
For spending at least $3,000 in their first three months, cardholders will earn an introductory bonus of 35,000 rewards points. They can use these points immediately on a range of rewards like hotels, rental cars, flights and other travel expenses. Saving points for the future is also a good idea, as they do not expire and can be spent at members’ leisure via the BMO online travel center. One can find a seat on any airline and to any destination, with no blackout dates or other limitations, and even redeem points for taxes and fees – a unique benefit that many travel cards do not have.
Finally, if one does not have enough points to purchase the reward they want most, they can use whatever they have and simply pay the difference with their World Elite card – with no penalties.
Cardholders earn accelerated rewards at a rate of 3 points per $1 on travel, dining and entertainment purchases. In their everyday life, they’ll also collect 2 points per $1 on all other expenses. Additional benefits, like a priority pass to airport lounges worldwide and four extra guest passes for one’s companions, bring added value to the card. This alone is worth hundreds and allows the cardholder and their friends or family the opportunity to travel in luxury.
They will travel safely as well, given the impressive range of insurance features that come with the BMO World Elite Mastercard. Included are insurance for out-of-province travel medical, trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, flight delay, car rental collision and loss, baggage, purchase security and extended warranties on new items. Overall, even considering that one will continue to pay their annual fee the second year, the benefits brought by the BMO World Elite card are more than worthwhile.
Apply: The BMO® World Elite™Mastercard®
Runner Up: MBNA Rewards World Elite®
Best No Annual Fee/No Foreign Transaction Fee Travel Credit Card in Canada
Home Trust Preferred Card
For avoiding those pesky foreign transaction fees that quietly accumulate in the background while you travel, the Home Trust Preferred credit card is a winner. These fees make any business trip or vacation that much more expensive, by charging a minimum of 2.50% on every purchase made in a foreign currency. Be careful, because this can also apply to online shopping for websites that don’t offer checkout in CAD.
Home Trust offers cardholders complete exemption from foreign transaction fees, plus the ability to earn 1.00% cash back on all their purchases. This means that essentially cardholders will earn money for spending overseas and at home as well. There are no limits on how much cash back can be earned, but Home Trust adds some extra benefits to round out an already beneficial offer. Cardholders will appreciate the inclusion of roadside assistance: you can obtain towing services up to 5 kilometres, gas delivery up to 5 litres, free tire change, battery boost, and locksmith service.
For a $0 annual fee, there are few reasons for frequent travellers and international online shoppers not to add the Home Trust Preferred Visa to their wallet.
Apply: The Home Trust Preferred Card
Best Premium No Foreign Transaction Fee Travel Credit Card Winner
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
Cards that reduce or eliminate foreign transaction fees are beloved by Canadian travellers, but their benefits aside from this feature might be limited. If given the option, plenty of travellers are comfortable paying more for a credit card that negates foreign transaction fees *and* adds extra perks on top. For these Canadians, there are few cards better than Scotiabank’s Passport Visa Infinite.
Why It’s a Winner: When comparing the Passport Visa Infinite to the other two cards that we commonly recommend for reducing foreign transaction fees—the Home Trust Preferred Visa and the Rogers Platinum Mastercard—it’s easy to see why it deserves its own category. It offers a way to completely negate all relevant fees, and yet also earns rewards and other perks that exceed the offerings from the other two cards.
To begin, new cardholders will earn 25,000 Scotia Rewards points for spending just $1,000 during their first 3 months as members. That’s already enough to significantly reduce the cost of your next flight, or outright pay for a pair of Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses or other great merchandise. This provides a nice head start to the 2 points per $1 that cardholders otherwise earn on grocery, dining, and entertainment expenses. Scotia also enables cardholders to obtain 1 point per $1 spent on all their other purchases. The card’s main travel perk is its protection against foreign transaction fees, but for a $139 annual fee it should go much further still—and does.
Another excellent benefit is Priority Pass status that cardholders have at airport lounges around the world, but also the 6 passes given to them each year granting free entry. This is already a significant value (our estimation puts it at about $260 worth), but it’s made even better with the inclusion of travel insurance. The Passport Visa Infinite card is accompanied by travel medical, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, and even coverage for a rental car. Purchase protection and extended warranties represent the cherry on top, further lengthening this card’s lead over its peers. Overall, there are few options that can compete with all the value-added benefits available from the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card.
Apply: Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
Best Foreign Currency Cash Back Credit Cards
Rogers™ Platinum Mastercard®
Most banks charge a foreign transaction fee of 2.5% on top of the near spot market currency conversion rate charged by Visa or Mastercard. A ‘no foreign transaction fee’ card charges no fees above the conversion rate, or provides extra rewards to subsidize the rate, meaning you’re getting pretty close to the spot rate when using the card to make a purchase in a foreign currency!
Why It’s a Winner: While not a travel card per se, the Rogers Platinum Mastercard is one of a select few credit cards in Canada that subsidize foreign transaction fees. It won the category because it offers 3% cash back rewards on ALL foreign purchases, comes with no annual fee, a 1.25% cash back rewards rate on all Canadian spend & you can redeem against your card statement – or another Rogers/FIDO bill. Although Rogers subsidizes foreign transactions a little differently, it remains the best way to make purchases in a foreign currency. Most credit cards offer 2% or less rewards per dollar spent and charge 2.5% in foreign transaction fees, for a net loss of .5%. Others (like the Home Trust Preferred card) offer 1% cashback and no foreign transaction fees, for a net gain of 1%, but limit the number of daily transactions on the card. Rogers offers 3% cashback rewards on foreign purchases, with a 2.5% foreign transaction fee, for a net cashback rewards gain of 0.5% – with no transaction limits. You’re making money on each purchase you make in a foreign currency!
You can redeem your cashback rewards as a statement credit once per year. Alternatively, you can redeem your cash back rewards for Rogers, FIDO, or Chatr services or products.
Rogers offers a $25 welcome bonus in cash back rewards when you make your first purchase within 90 days of receiving your card, and no annual fee. Be warned though that this card does not have a very strong travel insurance package. It’s best to use for purchases abroad or for foreign internet purchases, but not to book your flight, if you want trip cancellation coverage.
The Rogers Platinum Mastercard outshines the Home Trust Preferred Visa card—one of the few other Canadian credit cards to either subsidize or waive foreign trans. fees—because, although it offers ‘only’ 0.5% extra cash back rewards after factoring in the foreign transaction fees (compared to the 1% cash back you get with Home Trust), it earns more cash back on domestic purchases, at 1.25% (versus 1.00% for the Home Trust). Plus it doesn’t limit cardholders to a certain number of transactions per day. The Home Trust card, though an amazing asset for Canadian travellers, has a 10-transaction daily limit.
Apply: Rogers™ Platinum Mastercard®
Rogers World Elite Mastercard
Instead of being exempt from foreign transaction fees altogether, other credit cards entertain a different strategy. The Rogers World Elite Mastercard is one of these, employing a unique model to defray foreign fees of 2.50% or more while accumulating cash back on top. Cardholders will earn an impressive 4.00% cash back on all their purchases made in a foreign currency, meaning that after they incur fees, they’re left with 1.50% cash back. In addition, they can enjoy 1.75% cash back on all other purchases, and 2.00% on Rogers or Fido services.
The card resembles Rogers’ other card in this category—the Platinum Mastercard—but has greater cash back rates and better perks. For these privileges, applicants will need to demonstrate an annual income of $80,000 or $150,000 per year individually or as a household, respectively. There is no annual fee on either card. If one cannot make the annual income requirement, then the Platinum card offers 3.00% cash back on foreign purchases and 1.25% domestically.
Another way that the World Elite Mastercard comes out ahead of the Platinum Mastercard concerns travel benefits. The former card includes purchase protection and extended warranties, emergency travel medical insurance, and coverage for rental car collisions and damage, trip cancellation and trip interruption as well.
Apply: Rogers World Elite Mastercard
Best Hotel Travel Credit Card In Canada
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Hotel travel cards put your points directly into your frequent guest program accounts. Cardholders will discover benefits that both cut your travel costs and add another dimension of luxury and convenience to your hotel experience.
Why It’s a Winner: The SPG card accrues 1 point for each dollar spent anywhere on anything. This provides a solid, constant source of rewards for daily spending activities. On top of this, the card will also earn 2 points for each dollar spent at any of Starwood’s hotels. This double-sided bonus structure results in one of Canada’s highest accrual rates and most luxurious rewards. Cardholders have the right to redeem their points on any room at any Starwood (or Marriott) brand hotel without blackout dates. They can also choose to convert their points for use with the airline rewards programs partnered with Starwood, and even receive a 5,000-point bonus for converting 20,000 or more to Aeroplan miles, for example. This makes the card one of the more flexible options for travelers.
To sweeten the deal, Starwood offers $250 in statement credits to new cardholders who spend just $1,500 in the first three months and $200 on Starwood and Mariott purchases in the first 6 months of card membership. We recommend that cardholders who have a big purchase on the horizon apply for the SPG card and earn enough points to cover their next vacation’s lodging expenses. Other incentives include a free night’s stay in any Starwood hotel for those who spend more than $40,000 on the card annually (even a 5-star hotel) and an upgrade to Gold Status once cardholders hit $30,000 in spending.Feel free to check out our full review for a more in-depth analysis of Amex’s SPG card.
Apply: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Runner Up: Best Western Rewards Mastercard
Best Insurance Travel Credit Card in Canada
RBC Visa Infinite Avion
The Infinite Avion card’s insurance suite includes 15 days of unlimited consecutive emergency medical, $5,000 of trip cancellation, and $25,000 of trip interruption coverage. It also gives cardholders the ability to get $250 back per person for flight delays, $500 per person for lost luggage, and $65,000 worth of coverage for their car rental (48 days maximum). Finally, hotel and motel burglary and travel accidents are also covered up to $2,500 and $500,000, respectively.
That said, the card offers much more than its insurance. Cardholders can earn a 15,000-point welcome bonus, which is immediately enough to pay for a round-trip short haul flight to another province or even the United States. Cardholders will earn 1 RBC Point for each dollar they spend, which helps savings build quickly, in addition to an extra 10,000 points on a $1,000 spend or higher. 25.00% extra RBC Points are earned when spending on travel-related purchases. When redeeming Points, there are no blackout dates or seating restrictions, and cardholders can book through the RBC-branded Orbitz site, which offers a wide selection of flights.
Finally, it’s possible to further boost the rate at which you earn RBC Points by linking your card with Petro Canada’s rewards program. This helps save money at the pump (3 cents per litre) and earns RBC Rewards points by an additional 20%.
Apply for the RBC Visa Infinite Avion here
Best Cashback/Rewards Hybrid Travel Credit Card in Canada:
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Travel rewards credit cards are useful for making one’s next trip cheaper, and typically allow cardholders to redeem their rewards points exclusively on travel expenses, like airfare or hotels. Those who want a travel card with the added option of redeeming for a statement credit (cash back) should consider the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard.
Why It’s a Winner: Rewards points accrue quickly and can be redeemed for cash, travel, and other perks with the Rewards World Elite card. Though the annual income requirement is relatively high at $80,000, the card accrues points at a fast rate on eligible purchases at 2 per $1 spent, and new members will earn 10,000 points for a single initial purchase. Each point is worth about $0.01, so the bonus is the equivalent of $100 in rewards. Aside from cash back and travel, points can also be redeemed for merchandise to charitable donations.
Cardholders that spend $2,000 per month on the card will earn around 48,000 points in their first year. That’s the equivalent of about $480 in either cash back or travel, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. It makes the $89 annual fee negligible, in comparison, particularly when considering the 10,000-point intro bonus.
The MBNA Rewards World Elite card is the Swiss Army knife of credit cards for those prospective cardholders who want to exercise multiple rewards options when redeeming their hard-earned points. When MBNA says ‘travel’, they mean that you can book your own travel arrangements and credit points to your statement later, or through their own travel centre. During the trip, the card covers rental vehicle collisions and other basic events like lost documents and luggage.
Apply: MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Choose a Card Companion for Your Trip
There are many types of travel rewards credit cards available in Canada, because different Canadians like to travel in different ways. There are cards that earn miles quickly, cards that make a trip as luxurious as possible, and cards that offer impressive insurance protection. Finding the right one depends on many considerations, but the most important is how your spending habits align with the card’s rewards plan.
If you’re still undecided, check out our travel rewards calculator, which will help you determine your ideal travel card based on many of the criteria mentioned above. Just enter your estimated monthly expenses and some other basic details to get a look at what you stand to earn.
Learn more on the most popular loyalty programs credit cards by comparing aeroplan vs airmiles vs avion cards.
Article comments
Hi, my current card, RBC’s Signature Visa (I bank with them as well), is expiring shortly and I’m deciding which card to move to. I have 90,000 RBC Reward points accrued, so I’m considering the Avion. However, my income falls under the $60,000 minimum to be eligible for the Infinite Avion; I’d have to get the Platinum. Is there a significant difference in point value between these or is it just service perks?
I’ve read that the Avion’s point values aren’t always great unless you are flying from/to specific destinations through the linked AA or BA programs. I know you can exchange for WestJet (which I fly more often) dollars – is this a good value? Overall, I’m thinking the Scotiabank Gold Amex looks like a great option but I’m wondering if I should still get the Platinum Avion in order to maximize my current RBC Rewards points. Thank you!
Hey Solomon,
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates with your inquiry. We’re big fans of your current card, the RBC Signature Visa, but we understand that you’re looking for an upgrade due to its upcoming expiration. You know, you might be able to call RBC and ask about the card you really want–the Infinite Avion–and get them to give you an upgrade without going through the official application process. For banking agents, they benefit from getting a customer to upgrade, and won’t scrutinize your income too closely once you’ve demonstrated your intentions.
Otherwise, the Platinum Avion card really isn’t that much worse than the Infinite Avion. They have the same annual fee, same introductory bonus points and accrual rate, but the Infinite card has the advantage of emergency medical insurance–that’s it. If this isn’t a big deal-breaker for you, then there’s little advantage to having the Infinite card over the Platinum. You’ll also be able to continue earning RBC Rewards to your account, if you don’t want to spend them all anytime soon. RBC Rewards points expire after three years if they aren’t spent.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex is another excellent card, but only if you’re planning on losing the RBC. It’s a flexible addition to any traveller’s wallet, though if combined with another travel card, it loses some efficiency. If there’s another card paying for things, this leaves less for the Amex, which is already accepted at a more limited selection of merchants. Good luck with your choice!
The GreedyRates Team
Hello, we currently have the BMO Airmiles World Elite card and have had it for the past 10 years or so, but now I’m wondering if we should be considering other options. We used to book flights frequently with our Airmiles, but now we live closest to a major US airport, so we fly from there most often, especially if we’re flying to another US city. This means we can’t use Airmiles to book those flights. Also, I’ve been finding better deals with budget airlines and even great seat sales with Westjet, that it doesn’t make sense to use a ton of Airmiles for those flights when I can pay out of pocket for not much more than the taxes I’m still required to pay when using Airmiles. I’m wondering if a more flexible credit card would be better for us. Maybe something that we can book our own travel and then redeem it afterwards? Or maybe just a cashback card? We also spend a fair amount of money in the US each year, so maybe something with no foreign transaction fees would be the best option for us. What’s your opinion? Thank you!
Hey Amy,
Great of you to come to us with your questions and request for a card recommendation! This is our specialty. If you’re frequently flying through American airports and to US destinations, then an Air Miles card might be fine sometimes, but not all the time. There are more suitable options, and you’ve mentioned most of them already. A travel-focused card with greater flexibility in booking and redemption would be best, and one of our favorites is the Gold Amex Rewards card. With this handy card, you’ll earn points on your everyday purchases, and redeem them flexibly for any travel-related expense on your monthly statement.
For traveling abroad, you’re right that a no foreign transaction fee card might also be useful. It will help save a lot of money during your trips to the US, and fortunately there are a lot of these cards to choose from. We think you’d appreciate the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card, which grants you exemption from these fees entirely, and gives luxurious travel perks like 6 annual passes to airport lounges worldwide, total travel insurance protection, and the ability to earn points on your everyday purchases. You’ll also be used to the annual fee already, as it’s like what you’ve already been paying with the World Elite.
Finally, cash back could come in handy but it might not be your best option. While you’re traveling, the foreign transaction fees negate a lot of the cash back you earn. You could check out cards like the Rogers World Elite Mastercard, however, which offers 4.00% cash back on foreign purchases (to defray the transaction fee) and then 1.75% while you’re back in Canada. We’ve gone ahead and linked all three cards mentioned below, so you can do a little research. Hope that helps!
Gold Amex Rewards card
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
Rogers World Elite
GreedyRates Team
Great article. My husband is 57 and I’m turning 65 this year. We currently have the BMO World Elite Mastercard with me as the principal card holder and my husband as the secondary card holder. My concern is for travel coverage. Would it be better to change our BMO World Elite to have my husband as the principal card holder as he is younger, or do you have another card that you think may be better for travel coverage and perks. We probably spend around $3,000 a month on our card.
Hello Colleen,
Great questions! We’ll be happy to help you sort this situation out. First, you’re right to be concerned about your medical coverage now that you’ve turned 65. The BMO World Elite Mastercard only helps cardholders aged 65 and below to get 21 days of consecutive emergency medical coverage, and per the fine print, the age restriction applies to the primary cardholder, their spouse and dependent traveling children. This means that switching primary cardholder status over to your husband won’t do you any good.
If you like the World Elite card, then you might be better served by keeping it and paying extra for medical coverage. The bank states that, “Persons aged sixty-five [and over] are eligible for the optional BMO World Elite Mastercard 31 Day Medical Protection providing You request this feature be added… and pay the additional applicable premium.”
If you don’t feel like paying extra for travel medical insurance and other protective perks, you could also try some alternate credit cards that extend coverage to those who are older than 65. Here’s a few cards that offer this. The Scotiabank Gold Amex card (also one of our most flexible travel cards) offers 10 consecutive days of coverage for cardholders over 65. Scotia’s Passport Visa Infinite (if you like relaxing in the airport lounge) has the same length of coverage. The National Bank World Elite is another option, which has an impressive 15 days of coverage for cardholders age 65 to 74 as well. Feel free to check out the comparison and article we’ve put together on this subject below. Safe travels!
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/free-travel-insurance-credit-card/
The GreedyRates Team
Hi
Thanks for the great info.
I inquired about the Scotiabank Gold Americana express and spoke to one of their representative. They said 1st year annual fee is not waived.
Do you believe this offer is still valid? or there is an error somewhere.
thanks
Hey Marcus,
Thanks for helping us out! We always appreciate when our readers are vigilant enough to point out flaws or outdated content on our site, which happens occasionally. With card issuers constantly vying for market share, they’re also making ad hoc changes to their promotions and deals to draw in new customers, but we can never be sure why they do what they do. We’ll update the outdated banner that we think you noticed on the side of this article.
GreedyRates
hi – i have no credit will i qualify for this card?
Hi Taras,
Which card are you referring to?
GreedyRates Staff
Lots of great info here. I currently have the RBC Visa Infinite Avion Privilege and MBNA World Elite cards. I’ve loved my Avion card for years and manage a trip (for one) every year off points with it.
Haven’t really given the MBNA Card a true test yet because I’ve been really happy with my Avion points. Do you think I’d be better off using up all my Avion points and starting to collect on the World Elite?
Also thinking of adding an AMEX Cobalt Card to my wallet. I know of all the benefits of the AMEX on its own, but from a strictly points perspective, dollar for dollar how does it hold up against my other two cards?
Really appreciate what you’re doing here! Keep it up!
Hey John, thanks for the great feedback and for your questions as well. We’ll do our best to touch on all the points you’ve asked about. It seems like the Avion card is working its magic for you, so we’re hesitant to encourage you to replace it. The truth is, the Avion card’s reward points are more flexible because you can transfer them to other travel rewards programs, and redeem them on RBC’s Orbitz-powered booking site. The World Elite card requires you to spend your points in their own travel center, which restricts your choices somewhat. In short, if you’re happy with RBC, don’t fix what isn’t broken.
It might be worthwhile to cancel your World Elite and replace it with the Amex Cobalt card if you think it’ll suit your lifestyle better. If you find yourself eating out often and taking lots of taxis, you’ll be able to earn points quickly. However, the best part about the card is its generous introductory bonus, which will likely require you to ignore your other card for a little while. With Amex points, you can redeem them for travel, direct cash back, or merchandise. Dollar for dollar, it probably is just as effective as the Avion card for travel, while adding some extra points for its other perks. However, remember that it’s an Amex, so it’ll be difficult to make it your primary card–it’s better as a complement to your Avion in our opinion. You can learn more about the Amex card by reading our full American Express Cobalt Card review.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello, I’m currently using the TD travel card, and pretty happy with it. However, I only just found that the card offers insurance from reading your article. Could you please explain how the card’s insurance coverage work. Let’s say I booked a flight on Expediafortd, want to cancel it but the flight doesn’t allow cancel, does TD cover the cost of my cancellation? I’m asking this question because I usually buy cancellation insurance on top of paying for the flight just in case.
Also, could you recommend a great Mastercard that I could earn point on grocery? Thank you!
Hey Jennifer, thanks for your question. With the insurance package offered by TD, you’ll only be able to benefit from insurance payouts under special circumstances. For example, cancelling your own flight will not entitle you to a payout from trip cancellation insurance. This is only for when the trip is cancelled because of unforseen circumstances like weather or issues with the airline itself. This is how most insurance perks work.
We’ve actually just written a very thorough guide about the various types of travel insurance you can get with a good rewards credit card. It’ll teach you exactly when you’re eligible to use travel emergency medical insurance along with other key tips. Check it out here.
GreedyRates Staff
Great site and lots of good info. I could use your opinion: I am looking for a new travel card. I have the British Airways Visa from RBC but when they changed their reimbursement schedule a few years back it became less appealing, and often I cannot find rewards flights. I travel to the UK a few times a year and other places too. My girlfriend has the TD visa that works through Expedia and she really likes it. Doing some research I found a lot of sites that say the BMO world elite is superior to the TD visa and it sounded like it was similar with buying any flight any time and applying points, just with a dedicated travel centre instead of expedia. So I signed up. But now, doing more digging, it seems their points requirements for reward flights are quite high and when I went to their travel rewards centers to do a sample booking on a flight YYZ to LON it turns out all they had available was Air Transat and the points values seemed really excessive. If this is an “any flight any time” kind of card, why is Air transat all I see (don’t get me wrong I have nothing against Air Transat but I want choice). Did I make a mistake? Should I have gotten the TD Card instead? For more info, my income is enough for a premium card, I’m willing to pay up to $150 per year in fees, and being tall I prefer going premium economy, if i can’t afford business.
Hey Dan! Thanks for showing us some appreciation! If you need a solid card for international travel, we’d be happy to make a couple great suggestions. It sounds like you’re not satisfied with the choice of travel options that the BMO World Elite offers, and so you’d likely enjoy a more flexible card such as the Amex Gold Rewards. Amex has the best rewards cards for those who want to redeem their points on virtually any travel arrangement, because you can simply book from whatever airline or travel aggregator you like. Then, once the expense shows up on your balance, you can pay it off with points. You can learn more about the card by reading our full American Express Gold Rewards card review.
You’ll also likely have more travel alternatives if you pick up another copy of your girlfriend’s card–the TD Visa you mentioned. Expedia has a great variety of flights, and you can even use her card to test for availability before you apply. Otherwise, another suitable card is the RBC Visa Infinite Avion, which allows you to transfer your rewards points to a number of other flight rewards programs.
Finally, we’re not sure why Air Transat is the only operating flight from YYZ to LON. Our advice? It’s hard to find the perfect travel card, but it seems like you’re opposed to your current card. Cancel it and try one of the others listed here (not before doing your own research though). Let us know how it goes and if we can provide further guidance moving forward. Thanks again.
GreedyRates Staff
Great site. I have a cibc aventura credit card and am thinking of switching. I am looking for a card that requires me to use the least amount of points to travel in Canada. I don’t care about hotel points and would not rent a car. What would you recommend. Thank you.
Hey Judy, thanks for leaving your comment with us. If you want a travel card that makes it easy and inexpensive to travel within Canada, we recommend the Scotia Gold Amex, which lets you earn rewards on a wide variety of your expenses and then use the points you earn on whatever travel arrangements you want. Within Canada, abroad, or anywhere at all–simply wait for the expense to hit your statement and then cover it with points. You can learn more about the card by reading our full Scotiabank Gold American Express card review.
Another pertinent recommendation is the RBC WestJet World Elite card. You’ll be able to travel the country on a budget, as you’ll receive a companion voucher entitling you to a $99 flight anywhere within Canada each year. Use it to take a friend or significant other with you inexpensively. Additionally, the primary cardholder’s first checked bag is free, along with up to 8 additional guests on the same reservation. You’ll earn WestJet Dollars at a rate of 2.00% when purchasing travel arrangements through WestJet (a great Canada-based airline), and 1.50% elsewhere. A WestJet dollar is worth one Canadian dollar, and you’ll get 250 of them for free just for signing up.
Best of luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Our big purchases come from pharmacies, spending as much as $27,000.00 per year on medications. We use the credit card for EVERYTHING, groceries and any other bills that we can assign automatically to be charged ona monthly basis. We currently have the BMO World Elite Mastercard (with BMO points as a reward, not AIR MILES) and loved the program until January 1st when they lowered the value of each point by 40% (it used to be that 10,000 BMO points gave $100.00 in purchasing power, but as of January 1st you now need to redeem 14,000 BMO points to have that same $100.00 in purchasing power). We like the Priority Passes for airport lounges, the fact that you can use points to cover taxes and fees, and the fact that Mastercard is accepted everywhere (Amex is not.) Mu credit score is good and income is 6 figures. Any suggestions ~ or is it still worth it to stick with this horrible 40% drop in value associated with BMO points? If it turns out that Cashback or other rewards options would make better financial sense, I’d consider switching to one of those too. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your feedback.
Hi Ian, thanks for the descriptive comment. If your biggest cost is medication, and you’ve successfully applied most of these expenses as automatic debits on your statement, you’ll likely need a card that makes ‘recurring bills’ a cash back eligible category. Note that the recent upgrade (or downgrade, depending on your opinion) to 3 points per $1 on the BMO World Elite card means that you’ll earn around 7.00% more for spending on travel, dining, and entertainment. While they increased the number of points you’ll need to redeem for rewards, you also accrue points on certain things faster. However, by not upgrading the ‘any purchase category’ earn rate as well, you’re basically losing 30.00%. This is where your medication bills would fall, so you should likely switch to a different card. Check out our math in the article below:
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/changes-bmo-world-elite-mastercard-straightforward-spin-free-take/
It seems like you like travel-focused cards, so our first suggestion for a replacement is the TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa. Though it isn’t a Mastercard, you won’t have to decide whether you want to redeem on travel or on cash back, because it can do both. Additionally, there’s a relatively competitive earn rate of 3 points per $1 on all purchases, and then 9 points per $1 when booking travel through Expedia. Finally, you’ll get up to 50,000 points when signing up. You can learn more about the card by reading our full TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card review.
For a Mastercard with these kinds of benefits, check out the straightforward earning power of the BMO Cashback World Elite. You will get a simple 1.50% cash back on every purchase, with no restrictions or limits. In your first 4 months, you’ll get 4.00% cash back. It’s worthwhile to not worry about which purchases earn cash back, and at a competitive rate of 1.50%, the card is well worth its $120 annual fee. You can learn more about the card by reading our full BMO Cashback World Elite Mastercard review.
Let us know if the suggestions we’ve made are solid and if not we’d be happy to tweak them. Thanks!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi GreedyRates! What a great site!! Thank you for all your info. I currently have a basic RBC WestJet MasterCard but am looking to change/upgrade to something that has more options to fly with other airlines, better travel deals/rewards, and basically has more perks and point accumulations. I travel quite often throughout the year around Canada and to the States, and usually overseas at least once or sometimes twice a year. I am single, make a decent living, and do not shop at Costco, but spend a lot of money dining out, at wine shops, clothes shopping, groceries, gas, etc. Which card would you recommend for me to switch to? Are there any others that you don’t talk about above that would be good for me? Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Jill. Thanks for showing us your appreciation! If you want the freedom to travel flexibly on multiple airlines in Canada and the US, you’ll love the American Express Gold Rewards card. With this credit card you’ll earn 2 points per $1 spent on your eligible everyday purchases (gas, groceries and more), and then 1 point per $1 everywhere else. This accelerated rewards structure combines with the impressive introductory bonus, which grants 25,000 points just for spending $1,500 in the first three months. Already, that’s enough for your next round trip flight to most North American destinations.
In terms of the airlines you can choose from, they’re literally all eligible for use with the Amex Gold card. This is how it works: simply book travel arrangements with any airline or hotel, and then once they hit your statement, you can credit your points and offset the total cost. Just remember that it’s a charge card, so you’ll need to make full payments each month. Totally worth it in our opinion, and very relevant to you. You can learn more about the card by reading our full American Express Gold Rewards card review.
Best of luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Hello,
We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young children) and currently use the costco MC as our main credit card and get approx $700 a year cash back. We use this card for all purchases including about $1500/month on food (including costco) and $300/month in gas. We fly once or twice a year as a family and would like a card that gets us the most points per dollar spent for flights primarily. Ability to rent a car on points would be nice but not necessary. I would like to know if it’s worth it to switch cards to start getting airline points or if our currently card provides us with the best bang for our buck. We generally spend about $55,000/year on the credit card.
Thanks
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the great comments and questions. It looks like you’re getting a lot out of the Costco Mastercard currently in your possession, but that you’d like to start earning travel rewards. One of the travel rewards cards that gives you the most bang for your buck is the BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard. With it, you can still shop at Costco and earn on all your other purchases as well, at 1 Air Mile for every $10 spent. Air Miles can be spent on any travel related purchases you like, including airfare and even rental cars, as you mentioned. You’ll get 3,000 miles just by making a single initial purchase (offer expires April 30th, 2018). Additionally, when you rent cars at Alamo or National, you can get up to 25% off. The card also comes with VIP airport lounge access for you and the kids, and a nice suite of travel insurance as well. It really checks all the boxes for you.
You can learn more about the card by reading our full BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard.
GreedyRates Staff
Hey Greedyrates Staff!
What about the Tangerine MC -with a 1.5% foreign fee – in comparison with the Rogers Platinum MC?
Thanks for the feedback. You guys rock!
Hi Danika! Thanks for your kind words. In regards to your inquiry about the Tangerine Mastercard, we’re sorry to say that Tangerine increased the foreign transaction fee they charge from 1.50% to 2.50% last year, putting it parallel with most other Canadian cards. It seems as though many banks are backing down from the foreign transaction fee reduction bonus, as Rogers will also reduce its benefits in May of 2018. However, even with ‘only’ 3.00% cash back for each foreign transaction, the Rogers card still earns you 0.50% cash back after factoring in the foreign transaction fee. Therefore, the Rogers Platinum Mastercard remains the better way to save on purchases made abroad (or online), when compared with both the Tangerine card. The choice is yours, of course. You can learn more about the Rogers card by reading our full Rogers Platinum Mastercard review.
Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there thank you for the info, very usefull. I currently have the RBC VISA Infinite AVION card and I’m looking at changing. I use my card for everyday purchases and I only use my points for flights, usually outside North America. I have a great credit and my income is no issue for the criterias, +100,000. Wondering which card you would suggest for me. I already have a CF One card for free bagages with Air Canada and Westjet. I have a timeshare with Hilton so when I travel my hotels are taken care of also. I dont’ collect airmiles for now. Thank you so much!
Hey Julie, thanks for your questions. With the criteria you’ve given us, we’d be happy to suggest a couple of excellent credit card options. Since you already have great travel perks, and don’t want to collect Air Miles specifically, might we suggest the Scotia Gold American Express card? You’ll collect points quickly and can use them on whatever travel expenses you want: just book travel via any platform you like and then redeem it with your points later. We’re aware that an Amex isn’t ideal for everyone as it isn’t accepted everywhere, so another alternative is the BMO World Elite Mastercard. This one earns 3 points per $1 spent on travel, dining and entertainment, then 2 points per $1 spent everywhere else. You’re also not limited to certain airlines, and there are no blackout dates or seat restrictions. With VIP airport lounge access, it’s both luxurious and flexible.
You can learn more about either card by reading our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review and/or our BMO World Elite Mastercard review.
GreedyRates Staff
Thank-you for organizing a bewildering array of information! We are retired and have low income. We don’t shop at Costco. We’re interested in finding a card that carries insurance coverage for short forays into the States because we’re close to the border. We currently have a no fee BMO CashBack MC and a no fee Fido cash back MC which we use for US$ purchases. I’m embarrassed to say we didn’t do much research before signing up for these cards and I’m now wondering if there’s a better product for our current needs. I realize we may have to pay annual fees for such a card. Thank-you.
Hi Lorrie.
If you travel frequently into the States, then you should probably keep the Fido card if it saves you from foreign transactions fees. Otherwise, the two we’d recommend are the Home Trust Preferred Visa card (0.00% foreign transaction fees) and the Rogers Platinum Mastercard (1.25% cash back in Canada and 3.00% abroad). You can learn more about either card by reading our full Home Trust Visa Preferred card review and our Rogers Platinum Mastercard review.
The BMO Cash Back Mastercard you have could be replaced with a better credit card, or complemented with something that covers you better during your trips. Of the credit cards we’re familiar with that have the best medical coverage for retirement-age people, we’d recommend the Scotiabank Gold American Express. It has 10 consecutive days of travel medical coverage for people age 65 and over, or 25 consecutive days for people under 65. It also comes with great coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions, your rental car, and travel accidents. Its annual fee is relatively low at $99 and during the first year the 15,000-point bonus more than makes up for this fee. You can learn more about the card by reading our complete Scotiabank Gold American Express card review.
We also have this handy chart to compare the best travel insurance benefits (below). Check it out and let us know if you want a more detailed explanation. We’re here and happy to help!
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/free-travel-insurance-credit-card/
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Greedy Rates,
We are a family of 5 (three little ones) and would like to get a VISA that has flexible travel benefits. We would like to have a VISA that we can easily redeem points towards any type of travel, flights, hotels, rental cars. What type of Travel Visa do you recommend? We are looking at the ScotiaGold Passport as well as the TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa.
Hi Nicole! We appreciate that you’ve come to us for card recommendations for you and your family. From what we can tell, you’ve already narrowed it down to two suitable cards, especially the TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa. This card has one of the best earn rates in the market, and allows you to earn even more when booking through Expedia–one of the world’s biggest booking sites. The points are redeemable on a range of travel expenses, as you prefer, like rental cars, hotels, and of course airfare. Plus, you and your family will appreciate the card’s comprehensive travel insurance benefits. You can learn more about that card by reading our complete TD First Class Visa Infinite card review.
The ScotiaGold Passport Visa is pretty similar, with the main difference being that you’ll have to book travel through the Scotia Rewards Travel service. In the end, it’s a subjective decision, but we recommend you make your choice based on the difference in selection between the two booking services, and the introductory bonuses (50,000 TD points vs. 5,000 Scotia points).
To help you out a bit, know that when redeeming for travel, 250 TD points is worth around $1.00 and 1 Scotia point is worth about $0.01 (taken from our Loyalty Program Bible). Accordingly, if you can meet the spending requirements, you’re looking at the equivalent of $200 vs. $50, putting the TD card ahead of Scotiabank’s. Best of luck and safe travels!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Greedy Rates!
I don’t currently have a points card and am really interested in getting one. I’m looking for something that would be flexible to use with any airline. I’m from a smaller city in Ontario and tend to use air Canada, westjet, and porter. I’m currently looking at doing over sea travel as well hopefully once a year. I would love a card I could get points on every day purchases (groceries, gas, etc)- I don’t usully use my visa but would start using it to get points! Any recommendations or help would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks!
Hi Kaitlyn! Thanks for thinking of us. We’re happy to help you find a great Visa card that earns flexible travel points. If you’re spending a lot on gas and groceries, you might appreciate the TD First Class Visa Infinite Privilege card, which gives an impressive 3 TD points per dollar for all purchases. You can redeem your points on all travel-related expenses, but will earn triple for booking on TD’s partnership site with Expedia. If you don’t feel like travelling, you can also redeem the points for cash back against your balance. If you want to learn more in-depth details about the card you can check out our full TD First Class Visa Infinite Privilege card review.
Another credit card option, though it isn’t a Visa, is the Scotia Gold Amex. It’s even more flexible than the TD card, in that you can literally book any travel arrangements, from whatever site or service you wish, and pay for it retroactively with points. However, as it’s an Amex, it likely won’t collect the points as fast. Both cards have reasonable travel insurance benefits, but ultimately, it’s up to you. You can learn more about the Scotia card by reading our full Scotiabank Gold American Express card review.
Best of luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there thank you for the great Info! I have never had a travel rewards credit card and have a few questions. I have a family of 4 (2 small kids) don’t travel much but would like to start. We are planning a Disney trip for next fall and I’d like to accumulate as many points as possible. I spend approx. $1400-1500/ month on groceries and gas and shop at Costco every couple months($200-$300) ….my daughter’s school ($10,000/yr) is now accepting credit card (with a 1% charge) what would be the best card for my family?
Hey Patricia! We appreciate you being so thorough with your requirements–this will help us find the card that’s best for you! First off, if you shop at Costco, we already know that a Mastercard will suit you best. Second, you want a card that earns you travel points on a variety of expenses, including but not limited to gas and groceries but also your daughter’s school tuition. In this case, we have a recommendation: the BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard.
You can use it at Costco, and it doesn’t restrict your rewards-eligible purchases to any single category. After the 3,000-mile welcome bonus, you get 1 Air Mile for every $10.00 you spend anywhere. Also–and this is perfect for your dream Disney vacation–you’ll get 15.00% off Air Miles flights within North America when using the card. You can protect your family with great travel medical insurance, and even get access to VIP airport lounges!
You can learn more about that card by reading our complete BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard review. Check it out and let us know what you think. We can make other suggestions as well. Thanks!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Greedy Rates
I am in Canada and our household make about 120,000. We currently have a MBNA Alaska airlines card and am not finding as flexible as we would like…..ie car rentals, hotels and perks all around. I really like the AMEX that you have listed however not may place accept it due to its fees so not much use having something you cant use or is it?
I would like something that is flexible, gets the most points/rewards and has great perks for our family so we can get the best bang for our buck!
Hey Robyn! Thanks for being a loyal reader! If you don’t like the Alaska Airlines card and have a healthy annual income, you’ll be eligible for the best rewards cards that Canadian banks have to offer. It just depends on whether you want cash back or travel perks, like air miles or free checked bags. With a large family comes large expenses in a variety of categories, and if this applies to you then we highly suggest the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite card. This’ll get you an initial cash back rate of 6.00% on your purchases (up to a limit of $3,500 spent) in the first three months, and then an impressive 3.00% on gas and groceries after, a full annual fee rebate, 1.00% on everything else, and useful travel perks like roadside assistance and medical insurance. It’s a good card to carry alongside a more robust travel card like the Scotia Gold Amex (which you mentioned in your comment).
Scotia’s Amex isn’t usable everywhere, as most Amex cards encounter a bit of trouble in this respect, but what it lacks in fungibility it makes up for in flexibility. You can literally charge any travel expense to the card and pay for it with the points you’ve collected. These two cards are very powerful when combined in the same wallet and used purposefully. This is likely the greatest “bang for your buck”.
You can learn more about these two cards by reading our complete TD Cash Back Visa Infinite card review and our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review.
GreedyRates Staff
The best way to figure out the best value received for your money spent is by indicating the percentage that would go towards travel…not points! Every card’s points are different values! The TD First Class Travel Visa gains 1.5% in travel cash on every dollar spent And 4.5% on travel purchases. Points mean nothing to me if I don’t know what their value is!
Hi Wanda! Thanks for your comment. You’re correct: the value of many rewards programs’ points differ slightly, meaning that it’s more accurate to compare them according to their real-world value in CAD. If you want an easier way to contrast the most popular loyalty/rewards programs’ points with one another, check out our handy Loyalty Program Bible in the link below:
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/greedyrates-loyalty-program-bible/
GreedyRates STaff
Hi.
between the visa infinite rbc and odisssey desjardin which one offers the best travel insurance ? I do 3 to 4 travels a year. 2 of them with my family.
Is rbc infinite Avion insurance free or do we have to pay extra for it ? Thanks
Hi Mike, thanks for the interesting question. Travel insurance is largely subjective when it comes to which perks are best. For a family like yours, we imagine that no one in your group is over age 65, so the RBC card is likely better. We generally recommend the Desjardins card for its coverage of older travelers, while the RBC card only covers those 65 and older for 3 days, though there is no maximum payout (like with the Desjardins’ $5 million maximum). There are other slight differences, mostly in the insurance payout for individuals or groups that are trying to use their trip cancellation and interruption benefits
You can compare and contrast the two cards (and many other travel cards) via our page about credit cards with travel insurance.
You can also read our complete RBC Visa Infinite Avion card review for further details.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello Greedy Rates, I,m a owner of the soon defunct Marriott Premier rewards card, I also own the TD first class travel Visa infinite, Home Trust preferred Visa . The Marriott was my primary card and now i’m looking at filling this void. Since I collect air miles I’m contemplating the BMO air miles world elite. The Starwood American express preferred guest has a great offer for Marriott users and the American express platinum card is appealing for their unlimited lounge access pass. Which card would you recommend from the above mentioned or another not listed ?
Hi Dan, thanks for the great question! We’re also disappointed about the upcoming cancellation of all Chase Marriott cards, but thankfully you’ve already identified the best replacement for it: the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex. The card, as you mention, delivers excellent value for those who enjoyed the Marriott card, and grants lots of luxury hotel perks. It also allows you to transfer your rewards points to other programs and even airlines. Of the three cards you mention, this is likeliest to fill the void left by Chase Canada. You can read more details via our full Starwood Preferred Guest Card review.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi GreedyRates, I see that there are a lot of AMEX cards on this post. While they may give good rewards, have you considered that many places do not accept AMEX? Canada is a country with a lot of small businesses, and many of those businesses refuse to accept AMEX due to its high merchant fees. There’s no point of holding a card with an amazing reward system when you can’t use it at half of the places you go. I believe that should be a factor you should consider when compiling your list. If AMEX is indeed the best in class, a non-AMEX alternative should always be presented for those who often spend at businesses that do not accept them.
Hi Kooritsuki! Thanks for stopping by with your comment. We totally understand your frustration, and agree that Amex isn’t the most supported method of payment in Canada. However, it has more than enough support to make any of the cards on this list worthwhile. Additionally, there are some great options on the list that aren’t Amex, such as the BMO World Elite Mastercard and the Desjardins Visa Odyssey Gold card.
Keep in mind that while Amex isn’t universally accepted everywhere, most people tend to carry one because of what you mentioned–the amazing rewards and perks. The pros and cons tend to balance themselves out in this regard, however, you should always pick the card that’s best for you. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
which Visa based credit cards don’t charge foreign currency fees?
Hi Ralph, thanks for coming to us with your question. If you’re looking for a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and is also a Visa, there’s only one option in Canada: the Home Trust Preferred Visa. To learn more about the card you can check out our full Home Trust Preferred Visa review.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello,
Can you provide comments between RBC Visa Infinite Avion vs RBC Westjet World Elite MasterCard? We are thinking about replacing our CIBC AeroGold Visa, and would like to move to an RBC card. We have a family of four, if that helps with the consideration.
How do the welcome points/miles/dollars compare, and how do they accumulate? Other considerations are ease of booking, blackouts, availability of flights, etc. For example, do you have to use RBC’s booking service or book directly through Westjet?
Thanks!
Thank you for the great questions Kevin! Both cards are excellent options for your family, but let’s break them down a little further and see how they help you and your family. One nice perk the RBC World Elite MasterCard offers is a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travelling companions, which can give you excellent savings. Both cards offer no blackouts or seat restrictions when booking, even during seasonal peaks. The RBC WestJet World Elite card gives you 1.5% in WestJet dollars for everyday purchases, and 2.0% WestJet dollars when you purchase flights or packages through WestJet. The Infite Avion card gives you 1 RBC Rewards point for every $1 you spend, plus an extra 25.0% on eligible travel-related expenses. One benefit the Infinite Avion Card holds over the WestJet World Elite card is a welcome bonus of 15,000 points, while the latter gives you 250 WestJet dollars as a welcome bonus. You can book travel with both through their portals, which offer a great variety of flights and no restrictions on any travle plans. The WestJet World Elite can be used to book travel through WestJet’s portal, while the Infinite Avion offers its own travel site, powered by Orbitz. At the end of the day, they are both great cards, although the welcome bonuses may better for Infinite. Let us know which card you choose!
GreedyRates Staff
Dear greedy rates team, you are the best!
Just a quick question – you recommend world elite credit cards at a drop of a hat, I wonder how many people have that high income of 80,000$ annually in Canada? I love those cards but will take a long time to make that much money a year.
Hey Kevin! Thanks for your shoutout – we love to help! And good observation, we certainly do recommend the World Elite line of credit cards for the serious traveler. The websites indeed display an annual income requirement of $80,000, which is high for sure, but within the realm of possibility for many Canadians. Please note that many banks use the “minimum” income requirement as more of a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. We’ve seen people turned down for being short of the $80,000, but also those who were accepted despite. It really boils down to the fact that banks look at every applicant on a case-by-case basis. If you’re close and have good credit, you may have a shot.
Just know that banks have these standards for a reason – the cards with high minimum income requirements generally have the best rewards, and will help someone of that income level to save thousands each year. But they also require cardholders to be financially responsible: another reason to raise the bar a bit. Thanks for your great question! Let us know if we can help in another way.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi
Meridian Visa infinite cash back, i believe, covers best is a clone of Scotia momentum visa Infinite and Desjardins Visa Odyssey Gold. One can get excellent insurance coverage plus cash back for Gas , Groceries(4%), Pharmacy & utility bills(2%) and 1% on other categories. Plus as of now, first year annual fee is waived. Not sure whetehr it is offered outside of Ontario. However, Ontario residents can benefit out of it
Hey R, thanks for your comment! We’re glad that you’re doing thorough research on which card is best for your needs, and agree that the Meridian card you’re looking at is a good one. That’s about all we can say at the moment, however. We’re currently in the process of reviewing the card in greater depth, and are in talks with Meridian in order to determine if their products are right for our readers. We should have our conclusions published as soon as we can! Never be afraid to ask about cards that don’t appear on GreedyRates! Thanks again.
GreedyRates Staff
Not sure why the Desjardins Visa Odyssey Gold wins Best Insurance Travel Credit Card In Canada. Have a look at the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard. Not only will you double all of your bonusdollars earnings after 20k in spending (2%), also the insurance coverage seems slightly better than the Visa. Also, Desjardins members get an additional 0.25% in bonusdollars at the end of the year if they kept their account in good standing. Can’t resist 2.25%. I’ve done the math to compare it to other cards and nothing beats this bonus program. Earlier this summer I put over 900$ to a plane ticket.
Also, I can use this card at Costco.
This is my full-time card in Canada.
Next to it, I have the Marriott Chase Visa for all Marriott-related expenses (bouncing between Gold and Platinum Elite) and for any foreign transaction (because low points, but no foreign transaction fees is still a whole lot more gain than a 2.5% transaction fee (which is always more expensive than any points you’re getting).
These two form the dream team in my wallet.
Whoops, I meant 2.4% instead of 2.25% for Desjardins members. (“20% more BONUSDOLLARS on BONUSDOLLARS accumulated annually”)
Hey again Yogi! Thanks for clearing that up!
GreedyRates Staff
Hey Yogi! Thanks for commenting. We love hearing savvy card-user feedback on our website, and think you definitely have the right idea. We can’t argue with you about the benefits of the cards you mentioned, and it’s true: as a pair, there are few stronger than the Desjardins World Elite and the Marriott Rewards cards. Remember to take our “best of” picks with a grain of salt, because the “best” card for any person is a completely subjective matter. For most people, the other Desjardins card is better/more accessible due to its lower requirements on income and credit. We’re really glad to see loyal readers like you participate in the discussion – keep it coming! Thanks again.
GreedyRates Staff
I’m sure that for a good number of Canadians the eligibility requirements for the Desjardins World Elite MasterCard look steep (let’s face it: it’s the income requirements), but if you already have an impeccable credit history with Desjardins, you can simply negociate to get it anyway. I don’t make the income required, but simply convinced the rep to give me the benefit of the doubt based on my long history as a member and client of their institution with multiple credit products.
Hi,
I was wondering, I currently have the RBC Infinite Avion and was looking to change my credit card to a master card provider.
I shop at Costco and would like to take advantage of my purchases there, which master card credit card for travel would you recommend?
I was looking into the BMO World Elite Mastercard and the Capital One Aspire Master Card, which one of the two would you recommend. I spend well over 20k a year on my credit card purchases
Thank you!
Hey Yimin, thanks for your question. If you shop at Costco, there are a couple great travel rewards cards that we can suggest. The first is the BMO World Elite Mastercard, which offers a great rate of rewards accrual on this type of spending. You’ll get 2 BMO rewards points for every dollar spent at Costco, plus 4 free passes to airport lounges around the world and a slew of other useful travel features like medical insurance.
Another recommendation is the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, which has a long list of benefits to match its long name. Another World Elite card, this one brings great value to your travels with a unique perk that gives free Boingo Wi-Fi in locations all around the world. More relevant to your needs, however, is the cash back. Shoppers like you will receive a generous 1.75% cash back for the first 6 months, 1.50% after that, and then 1.00% once you’ve spent more than $25,000. This resets annually, allowing fast accrual of cash each year. Thanks for leaving your comment and good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
I was wondering, I currently have the RBC Infinite Avion and was looking to change my credit card to a master card provider.
I shop at Costco and would like to take advantage of my purchases there, which master card credit card for travel would you recommend?
I was looking into the BMO World Elite Mastercard and the Capital One Aspire Master Card, which one of the two would you recommend. I spend well over 20k a year on my credit card purchases
Thank you!
Hey Yimin, thanks for your great inquiry.
If you want a Mastercard and shop often at Costco, you had the right idea with the BMO World Elite card. Primarily, the card earns a whopping 2% points for all Costco purchases – which is double the rate of Costco’s own rewards card. Its signup bonus is also 20,000 points, a generous amount that should contribute much to your next vacation or business trip. At the rate you spend, you’re looking at hundreds of dollars in savings over the year. There are some auxiliary perks as well, such as exemption from the first year’s annual fee, 4 free VIP airport lounge vouchers and thorough travel insurance benefits. Try it out and let us know what you think!
The Capital One card might be good, but we’ve never done a thorough review. Until that day arrives, we can only recommend the former card. If you determine during the course of your own research that it is more suitable, please let us know. Ultimately, we want cardholders to go with what’s best for their unique situation.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
Great Site!
I currently have a cibc gold card which is no longer offered. It has a $99 yearly fee. I’m thinking of getting a amex gold rewards instead. How does the 2 cards compare? do you think the Amex is the better way to go? any benefit of keeping the Gold visa card?
Thanks.
Hey Mike!
Thanks for showing your appreciation for GreedyRates! We’re happy to serve. Regarding your question about these two cards, here are some details – and you can come to your own conclusion.
First, the highlights of the CIBC Gold card that you have are: the ability to earn points on everyday purchases, purchase protection, travel insurance, and access to a catalogue where you can redeem your rewards.
On the other hand, the Amex Gold Rewards card also allows users to earn on their daily expenses, enjoy travel insurance, and protect their purchases. The differences are subtle but important: while you would otherwise redeem your points in a catalogue, Amex allows you to incur any travel-related expense and then use your points to pay for it proactively. This lessens any restrictions that the catalogue might have when it comes to airlines, destinations, hotels, etc. Additionally, for those with Aeroplan or other flight rewards programs, it’s important to note that points can be transferred to these plans at a 1:1 ratio.
In our humble opinion, the Amex (and its impressive introductory bonus) makes a strong case for getting rid of the old CIBC card.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
The Rogers Platinum mastercard now has an annual fee of 29$ with first year waived.
love this website.
what would be the best card for someone who does not have a car and car insurance but likes to rent cars and want to avoid getting the car rental insurance?
Hi Atiff!
Thanks for your appreciation, we’re always glad when good feedback comes our way from loyal readers like yourself.
In regards to your question about a card suitable for someone without a car, but who wants rental car insurance – we have a great solution. While many cards these days provide protection for one’s rental car, especially those that primarily grant travel rewards, the Scotiabank GM VISA Infinite has the same perk but will also allow you to save up for a car of your own.
It quickly accrues GM Earnings at a rate of 5% up to $10,000 annually, and 2% after, and these points each represent $1 off the sticker price or down payment on a new GM car, such as a Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet or Buick. The points can be saved for years and will never expire, so you can eventually accrue enough for a significant discount when the time comes that you need transportation. If this is something you’re absolutely not interested in, check out the Scotiabank Gold American Express card – which has a plethora of great travel rewards, plus the rental protection you seek.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hey Mich
Just to update you and anyone who’s click on your site and considers the facts and evaluation you present as “gospel”
As far as travel rewards cards the information is misleading and misinformed. You have rated BMO Elite as the top “Book Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” Travel Credit Card Winner. At the very least this is ill informed, and worst
misrepresenting this product.
If you are a bargain traveller like many, who see a great air fare and want to book it before it vanishes then BMO Elite is an impediment. Or you might see that an airline is offering a deal online, that is only available “online” not to travel agents, which is ostensibly what BMO rewards is trying to be. In these situations a true “book anything, anywhere” card allows you to purchase the ticket directly and apply your points, without going to a third party.
I have been a BMO Elite card holder for at least five years and my recent experience with them was hardly book anything, anywhere!
For consumers evaluating this product you should be “buyer beware” that you must book your travel through BMO Rewards Online. What that means is that if you are surfing the net and find that great deal to Paris, let’s say… you then have to log on the BMO rewards and hope their search engine has the same offer. If it doesn’t then you have to talk to one of their agents, who may or may not be able to match it. If they are able to match it they will then charge you a approx $29 booking fee more per ticket? This is hardly “book anything, anywhere!”
I recently found a business fare from YVR to Mumbai that was at least $500 lower than what BMO Rewards could offer. I had to complain to customer service (which is at arm’s length from BMO Rewards.) They allowed me to book the fare with the online supplier with the understanding that this was a “one time” courtesy, and I could never do this again. Thank you very much BMO Rewards. They still charged me the $29 booking fee BTW.
I have also just recently been made aware that BMO, in addition to charging the $150 annual card fee has now slipped in $50 fee for a secondary card holder. Just the kind of thing you expect a greedy bank to do. With no justification or apology, I might add.
So what are the best travel cards? The MBNA card is a good choice, but they only have consumer protection, and nothing for trip cancellation and medical. The only insurance coverage they provide is for rental cars. Also you may find their credit limit impractically low $9000 (unless you prepared to pay down your balance, in advance of charging that big home reno or vacation)
In my opinion, if you look beyond the somewhat uninspiring sign up bonuses, Capital One actually delivers on the “book anytime, anywhere” concept. My wife signed up for this card at the same time I signed up for BMO World Elite. You can guess which card we will be cancelling before the annual fee date.
Hi Murray,
Thanks for your thorough feedback. We truly appreciate that you took the time to inform other readers of your perspective, and highly value those who challenge our credit card ratings. We never see our advice or recommendations as gospel – which is why the comments section exists.
We’ve rated the BMO World Elite card as one of the best travel credit cards because of its impressive array of travel insurance, above all other considerations, as this is usually what potential cardholders desire most. It also has a strong rewards system and other benefits as well, like the annual fee waiver they introduced last week.
To us, the phrase “book anytime, anywhere” simply means that no matter the cardholder’s location or when they book travel, they get access to a wide array of options that will fit whatever plans they have in mind. It does not mean that one can use their rewards points on any travel agency site or booking tool. Unfortunately, it’s just not feasible to be able to spend BMO rewards points across the entire internet’s array of travel booking websites, but be assured that the BMO travel center is quite robust in its selection. The advantage of paying for a trip with points usually means people are more flexible in their travel plans.
We appreciate your recommendation of the Capital One line of cards, and we are looking forward to being able to review these cards but cannot do so just yet. Check back with us soon however, and please feel free to leave more feedback at Greedyrates. We love it!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi guys – love the site!
Two questions about the BMO World Elite Mastercard. I previously had this card and had to make travel purchases through their online travel site, but I see you’ve classified it as “book anytime, anywhere”. Can you now purchase directly from travel providers and apply points to these purchases?
Secondly, you have mentioned it as providing 4 companion lounge passes – reading on their site, the card provides you with a membership and 4 visits. I think its important to note that the cardholder has to use these coupons – visits are not free with this membership level in Priority Pass.
(Your 2nd paragraph also starts talking about the MBNA card – not sure if that’s supposed to read “BMO” instead??)
Anyways sorry if I’m being a nag, just looking for some clarification. Love your site and keep up the good work!
Hey Sean, thanks for being a loyal reader!
We always appreciate when we hear praise for GreedyRates, and will try to answer your questions as best we can. First off, to address the language “anytime, anywhere” – this just means that no matter when the cardholder books their travel or where they are, it is always easy to make the exact reservations they desire. This does not mean that travel can be booked from any website or agency, but instead refers to the cardholder’s location. This is because the useful BMO online travel center is effortlessly accessible on mobile devices and PCs, so those with urgent needs can set concrete plans without restrictions. It’s similar to booking through Expedia or Travelocity.
Also, about the specific rules regarding cardholders’ Priority Pass to the airport lounge – you are correct. The Priority Pass itself simply grants membership into the program, which in turn grants access to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world. Without this priority status, many airport lounges would otherwise turn you away or require you to pay above normal price for entry. This is why the Priority Pass has a value of around $100, and the four free VIP passes just sweeten the deal. They provide free access and VIP status at any of the same lounges, and considering that four are provided each year, only the most frequent travelers will end up paying for lounge entry.
Thanks for your feedback – we always love when readers come back and discuss their favourite cards with us!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there,
I do alot of international travel, including to the US. I currently have a BMO World Elite mastercard, and there are some nice perks with the card. I was looking at the Rogers Mastercard for making purchases while I travel, instead of using the BMO (with the 2.5% fee) or withdrawing cash from a local atm. Would you recommend this? Would I see a larger benefit in making foreign purchases with this card? Can I apply my cashback rewards to the balance on the bill?
I was also looking at getting an AMEX card for the travel perks like lounge access and priority boarding/screening. Any recommendations or other cards that outperfom AMEX?
Thanks
Hi Anthony!
Thanks for asking us about the Rogers Mastercard. It seems like you’ve done your research, and we agree with the conclusion you’ve drawn. The Rogers card is ideal for saving money on foreign transaction fees, most of which are charges of 2.5% or more from the issuer. We can wholeheartedly recommend this card for that purpose, as well as for the other benefits it imparts like the extra 1.5% cash back you will earn on these purchases.
You should know that it does not cancel the extra fees, it just rewards 4% for each of them (designed to offset the 2.5% and add extra on top). It also offers a reasonable 1.75% cash back on all purchases and a generous welcome bonus.
To address whether or not you can use the cash back to pay a statement, we assure you that you can absolutely redeem it against your bill. We see that you’re also considering an Amex for its premium travel perks. Concerning this, we say that the Amex is suitable, but the best rewards (like lounge access) come with the Platinum versions of the card.
For travel, there are few cards that outperform Amex, but one you might want to look into is the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa. This one is similar to the Rogers card in that it erases the impact of foreign transaction fees, but instead of offering cash back bonuses, it gives hotel-related rewards and free nights at Marriott.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello
Love your website!
With the Air Canada dropping aeroplan in 2020, where does that put the Aeroplan-based credit cards? Would it be worth getting one still, or one closely associated with aeroplan?
Thanks!
Hey Lindsey, what an educated inquiry. You clearly have done your research, and are asking the pertinent questions that any concerned cardholder needs to know – so we thank you.
Indeed, Aeroplan and Air Canada are parting ways, and in anticipation of this the promotions provided by these cards (such as the TD Aeroplan and American Express Aeroplan series) are becoming less and less valuable. You can read a more detailed article on this unfortunate breakup here for alternatives
It may still be worth getting one, but if it’s a card that you plan on keeping past 2020, it is worthwhile to explore other options. We recommend the BMO World Elite card for an immediate signup bonus of 20,000 travel points and an annual fee waiver for your 1st year with them (that’s $350 in travel reward!), if you’d prefer using Canadian airlines.
Thanks again for reading!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there,
EXCELLENT information. Thank you. Wondering what would be the best card for me. I would like to travel either USA, Canada or Europe (that’s in a few years to Europe). I currently have a CIBC visa select. 19.9% interest and about $40 annual fee with no perks at all.
I’m single so my monthly expenses aren’t a lot compared to a family of say 4 so which card would earn me travel points quicker than someone who purchases a lot?? Annual fees? Best coverage on luggage, delayed flights seeing as I would be traveling alone??
Thank you
Hey Val!
Thanks for these great questions, and for your appreciation of GreedyRates 🙂 It’s always good to get feedback on our services.
Please excuse our delayed reply, as we were doing a lot of research in the past few weeks for new summer offers, and looking for the best deals to try out and write about (with a long Canada Day weekend to top).
To address your need for a great travel companion card, we will first recommend (given your circumstances) that you check out the American Express Gold Rewards card. This one is full of bonuses and works very well abroad, in that travel-related purchases can be paid with Rewards points and also accrue them at an advanced rate. It also awards an enormous bonus of 25,000 points for spending $1,500 in the first three months, which represents a significant reduction of the cost of your next flight.
Speaking of flights, all rewards earned with the AmEx gold (2 points per $1 on everyday expenses) can be transferred to Aeroplan Points 1:1 and used to fly anywhere.
Another suggestion that we have for you is the Scotiabank Amex gold card. This one fulfills the travel protection requirements you have, including travel medical, flight delay and baggage insurance (among others), plus it offers a 30,000-point initial bonus. It’s also unique in that one can purchase travel-related expenses and then pay for them with the very same points accrued.
Lastly, check out the Rogers Mastercard, which offers a plethora of bonuses and the crucial ability to save money on foreign transaction fees. These fees will add up while you make purchases during your travels, and it’s so useful to avoid them. Overall, the choice is up to you, but these three offer you the best benefits.
We hope you have a pleasant journey!
GreedyRates Staff
Do you have any information on the new More Rewards visa card offered at Petro Canada?
Hey Mich,
Thanks for coming to us with your inquiries about this card. We have not done enough research on the card to recommend it with confidence, but from first glance it looks alright.
Just from what we know about it via the MoreRewards.ca website, the card earns Petro Points (which can be spent on gas) at convenience stores, and More Rewards points when filling up your tank (which are used in the store).
It seems like a unique combination for those who like to shop and fill up at the pump when they go to their favourite gas station. Other than that, only you can decide if the card is right for you.
Remember to keep in mind that GreedyRates has many comparable cards that you can check out which we already thoroughly researched. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
I currently have a Rogers MasterCard that I don’t pay the annual fee for because I pay my Rogers bill with it. I use this card when I am making online purchases in USD and when I travel. I was thinking of applying for an additional card for when I am traveling. Points cards that I currently have (not connected to a credit card) are Marriott Rewards (and I think SPG too), Aeroplan, and Air Miles. I only fly and/or rent a car once or twice a year. I make an annual trip to Toronto with my family and we always stay at the Marriott at the Rogers Centre. I have emergency travel insurance coverage through work benefits, but no trip interruption coverage.
I am planning a trip to Costa Rica and was wondering what you recommend for an additional card. I am trying to get as much “bang for my buck” as I am on a tight budget.
Thanks!
Hey Linda, thanks for your great questions.
We understand that you want another card to use abroad, and that you currently have the Rogers MasterCard as well as membership to a few great rewards programs. We’d like to recommend you a card that fits in well with these programs, specifically, Aeroplan or Air Miles. There are some cards out there with big introductory bonuses, and these may be able to save you some of the cost of your trip.
You also mentioned that you have no trip interruption insurance, so the first card we recommend checking out is the TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa, which grants up to 30,000 Aeroplan miles to new members. You can also pay a small fee for the privilege of trip interription coverage with this card. However, there are few benefits for using it abroad, as all purchases will still incur a foreign transaction fee. You already have the Rogers Mastercard, so for expenses in Costa Rica, use this one instead.
Our other suggestion is the Chase Marriott Rewards Visa, since you already have a Marriott Rewards account, and most likely some points as well. You can earn more points with this card, and it also rewards a free one-night stay each year (even to five star hotels). You can use it alongside the Rogers Mastercard while in Costa Rica and enjoy freedom from foreign transaction fees as well.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
First off, thanks for all the info on your site. Secondly, I currently have a CIBC Aventura World Mastercard (which is not offered anymore) and I have a Marriott Rewards Visa for the no conversion fee when I travel. My question is, should I keep my CIBC MC or would it be better to switch to the Amex rewards card. I want the option to use my points for business class seats/upgrades and not just free economy flights. I like that the CIBC MC has all of these insurances where other cards don’t : trip interruption and cancellation, flight delay, baggage insurance, car rental and medical. Which card would you suggest?
Hey M, thanks for the comments and your inquiry.
You had the right idea when you chose those two cards! Together, they are a powerful pair for any traveler, however, your notion that the Amex rewards card may be better was correct. While you earn 1.5 Aventura points per dollar spent with your current card, there are a more limited number of things you can do with these points. The American Express Gold Rewards card offers an immediate bonus of 25,000 points, which are transferable 1:1 with Aeroplan miles. The difference is that these points accrue and are redeemable on all travel expenses (including the business class seats you said you’d like).
You also have emergency travel medical insurance, trip interruption insurance, car rental and damage insurance, and lost or stolen baggage insurance with the Amex. While the card is definitely more flexible and useful for your purposes than the CIBC card, note that cancelling and applying for a new card has a chance to affect your credit score slightly. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
I currently have an SPG Amex. Thinking of getting a second card to keep work and personal expenses separate (my company doesn’t have a corp card). Surprised to see Marriott beat out Starwood. Why is that?
Also, would I be able to receive new card bonuses if i’m already an existing cutomer (i.e. is it one and done?)? Am i better off getting the Marriott card. I am a platinum starwood member.
Hi Dee!
We ranked the Marriott Rewards Premier Card so highly for a few reasons.
First, your 30,000 initial points can be activated with any purchase, even one for a few dollars, and requires no minimum spend to activate.
Additionally, your Marriott Rewards card gives you a free night at a category 1-5 hotel once a year for the anniversary of your sign up, and does not charge any foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of Canada. We also liked the variety of hotels Marriott works with.
The best part is that if you already have a Starwood Preferred Guest account, you can now transfer points between that and a Marriott account by linking your memberships.
If you already have a Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card, complementing that with a Marriott Rewards Credit Card can give you an EXTRA 30,000 points, which is the equivalent of 5 free nights at a category 1-5 hotel. For now, you do not have to worry about receiving bonuses, as Marriott has announced they plan to keep their rewards and the Starwood Preferred Guest rewards separate for a few more years.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
Thank you for your in depth research on this topic. I have a Amex Gold and TD Aeroplan Visa. I am coming up to a one year on both of them. I also have a MBNA Cash Back Card that I have not used since acquiring the Travel cards.
I was thinking of ditching either the AMEX or Visa. I would hate to annual fees on both. Most of my spending is gas, groceries and entertainment. Which card(s) do you recommend cancelling? Perhaps adding the Amex Scotia Gold?
Any help is appreciated
Hi Jack,
In your case, since the majority of your spend is in gas, groceries and entertainment, we’d recommend the following:
1. Cancel the Amex Gold and TD Aeroplan cards to avoid the annual fees
2. Get the Scotia Gold Amex card, because it currently has a great welcome bonus ($250 welcome bonus and no fee first year – free money) and it gives you a 4% earn rate on gas, groceries and entertainment (your sweetspot) – the highest in Canada in those categories.
3. You can also consider getting another TD Aeroplan Infinite card, for its welcome bonus of up to 30K miles and no fee in the first year – as long as you applied for your previous TD Aeroplan card more than 6 months ago.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
Hello,
Thanks for all the great information. So hard to make a decision!
We bank with Scotia and have the AMEX gold card but would like to replace it with something that isn’t american express as we find not as many places accept this card anymore.
I am debating between the MBNA World Elite and the TD Aeroplane Visa Infinite. Thoughts? We usually just travel once a year (we will be traveling to the U.S. this summer and I’m worried that you can only book with Air Canada flights with the TD points. I’m looking to get the best startup points that will be useful as well as good points value once we begin using the card. We do already have a Visa with Scotia with no yearly fees so part of me felt like a master card would be nice? I’d like the card to cover travel insurance.
Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer,
That’s a good question! Both MBNA and TD offer great benefits to travelers searching for rebates and rewards on their next holiday, but at the end of the day it all comes down to which card saves you the most money.
Let’s have a look at what they offer and, hopefully, make your decision a little easier:
The TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa offers a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 Aeroplan travel miles – that’s the equivalent of $420 – and in addition, your first year with them is free of annual fee, which saves you another $120. That’s a total of $540 you get to use on traveling to the U.S. just by applying for a credit card!
The MBNA World Elite Mastercard, on the other hand, offers a greater range of rewards on top of travel expenses with a 2% Cash Back reward on all spend. You get 10,000 bonus points upon signing up (the equivalent of $100), and earn 2 MBNA reward points for every $1 in eligible purchases which you can then redeem for cashback, travel, brand-name merchandise and gift cards from top retailers.
Bottom line, although the MBNA World Elite card will grant you a wider range of rewards, the TD Aeroplan credit card can reward you with up to $540 in travel expenses, which sounds like the perfect fit for your holiday plans. Both cards cover travel insurance, by the way.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
How can you get $420 with the Aeroplan rewards?
I am exactly on this level now – have 30,000 aeroplan miles (not linked to any credit card, but the aeroplan card itself), and the best of reward I can get is a gift card of $250.
I’ve looked at all options and that’s the maximum I can get from my points.
I am also searching for a good credit card now but the aeroplan rewards are the last thing I would consider given the circumstances mentioned above.
Do you have any other observations?
Thanks
Hi Sue,
Great comments and questions – keep them coming!
Regarding your observation about the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card: we’re sorry for the confusion, and it likely came from how we described the total value that one can receive as a TD cardholder. When calculating the net value delivered by this card, we included the money saved from the annual fee. Cardholders are exempt from paying this in the first year, putting an extra $120 in their pockets.
Additionally, we calculated the dollar value of 30,000 Aeroplan points as the equivalent of $300. These together make $420, but we were disappointed to hear that the rewards available to you only reach a value of $250. We apologize and will fully incorporate your feedback and experience in our future reviews of the card.
Your other inquiry about a second credit card is easily answerable! We’re happy to report that there are a wide selection of rewards cards available, but which one suits you best depends on the type of rewards you’d like to receive. If you’re not a fan of mileage cards, we suggest you go for the NEW SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express, which offers you a powerful cash back bonus of 5% on ALL purchases in the first 6 months (up to $300 cashback)! With this card you can choose exactly how you want to spend your cash returned from purchases.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
First of all, thank you for breaking it down so that I don’t have to!
But I’m a bit confused about the MBNA Rewards Elite vs the CapitalOne Aspire. The information that I’ve seen on the Aspire card says that it gets 2 points per net dollar spent. The MBNA card states that it’s 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases, which I assumed was the weaker language. When I asked their customer service about this they said it didn’t include lottery, casino chips and cash advances.
Even with the high yearly fee, if I followed your motto of going where the points are, wouldn’t you think a 40000 points bonus would make the most sense? Or is that only because I easily spend the $1000 minimum?
I do like your breakdown of being able to put the points onto any purchase for the MBNA card. Does the aspire offer this or just shopping rewards?
Thanks again
Hi Hilary,
First, we’re going to assume you’re referring to the CapOne Aspire Travel card, as opposed to the CapOne Aspire cash back card. If you’re strictly looking at the welcome bonus, the 40,000 sign-up bonus points are great, but you have to deduct the $150 welcome bonus – so the net is $250 – which then becomes similar to the many of the other promos with first year annual fee waivers on the market like the Scotia Amex Gold, Amex Gold Rewards, TD Aeroplan Infinite offers.
Second, MBNA and CapOne have all but them eligible purchases, so I would pay too much attention to the language in the marketing copy. CapOne’s language in its fine print reads “Reward miles are applied to total net purchases. That means any purchase that’s charged to your Capital One credit card minus credits or returns. Cash advances, balance transfers and access cheque transactions aren’t eligible for rewards.” We’d bet they’d exclude pretty similar purchases as well, because the credit card companies don’t earn interchange revenues on those same as cash transactions – so they can’t afford to pat rewards out on them.
Third, you do have to factor in the minimums, but if it’s not an issue, it’s not worth sweating over. That said, if you typically don;t spend $1,000 in a month, we wouldn’t suggest spending more than you usually do. That said, some people do “manufacture” spend to make their minimums. For example, they’ll buy a $500 gift card to their regular grocery store – then use it in the following months.
Fourth, with the MBNA card you can use your cash back against any purchase, or have it direct deposited into the checking of your choice at any Canadian bank. With the CapOne card, you can only apply your cash rewards against travel expenses.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
The TD infinite Aeroplan promo is unfortunately no longer available since today. Just missed it. Any news if it will come back, or another Aeroplan similar promo in the works? I already have the Amex gold
Hi Vincent,
The new TD Aeroplan Infinite offer is live and it’s better than the one that just expired! It’s now no fee first year, up to 30,000 miles (15K on activation, 10K open, active and in good standing first 90 days – no minimum spend required – plus another 5K if you add an authorized user).
You got lucky!
GreedyRates Staff
Any Aeroplan plan card is almost useless to redeem. I redeemed 50,000 points for flights to Toronto and had my choice of 2 departures, both with layovers and both a 12 hour trip from Vancouver. I switched to a TD Infinite Visa that you can use on Expedia just like redeeming for cash.
Can you let me know which card is better? TD First Class Visa Infinite card or Scotia Gold American Express Card? I currently have the CIBC aeroplan card but I find it very difficult to book flights with aeroplan points. If I want to fly business, I usually get business class for shorter flight but economy for longer flight and still get charged business class points. The direct flights are never available or they cost way too many points.
Hi Traveller,
If you’re looking for complete flexibility and value, and the only two cards you’re willing to choose from are the TD First Class Visa Infinite card and the Scotia Gold Amex card, we’d say the following:
1. If the vast majority of your spend is in every day items like gas, groceries, restaurants and entertainment, then you’ll be happy with the Scotia Amex Gold card. At 4% rewards in those bonus categories (1% everywhere else) and the ability to redeem same as cash for any travel expense on your statement, it offers tremendous rewards earning power and rewards redemption flexibility. Scotia also has a great promo right now of a $250 welcome bonus with no annual fee in the first year – it’s virtually risk free to try.
2. However, if yht evast majority of your credit card spend is on travel, and you’re willing to book and redeem your travel through Expedia, TD First Class Visa is the card for you. It offers a 4.5% earn rate on travel – but only if you book your travel and redeem it through Expedia for TD. If you use your points for cash like redemptions as a statement credit, you’ll earn less than 1.5% per dollar spent, which is not good for a premium card.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I am a TD Visa Infinite Aeroplan holder and I subscribe to the opinion that you can do almost nothing with the aeroplan miles when it comes to buy plane tickets. You may redeem the aeroplan miles to gift cards (the best rate is 12000 points for 100$ Air Canada gift card, then you mai get 100$ gift card for Winners, Costco or Best buy for up to 14000 or 14500 points). We call this a TRAVEL credit card but when you try to buy Air Canada tickets with your miles, flights are not available or are to expensive. I found out that Visa Infinite TD First Class is better. You get 100$ for travel expenses for 20000 points. The lowest reward you may get is 3 points for a dollar, spent on everything (but you get 9 points when you pay plane tickets with Expedia TD). So you need to spend less than 7000$ to get 20000 points that gives you 100$ back for travel. This is 1.5% !! If is not use for travel expenses it goes like about 0.75%. But also you are not forced to buy tickets only from Expedia TD, you may use your points to buy elsewhere so it is better than…Air Canada. I would like to know why you consider Visa TD Infinite Aeroplan better than Visa Infinite TD First Class ?
Hi Liviu, thanks for your comment.
We were sorry to hear about your sour experience with the TD Visa Infinite Aeroplan card, but as far as we know and have experienced ourselves – you should be able to redeem your Aeroplan miles as long as you book your travel and redeem it through Expedia for TD.
Furthermore, we consider the TD Infinite Aeroplan card a favorable choice to the TD First Class Travel Visa because of the net annual reward factor: TD Aeroplan’s 30,000 signup bonus points and $120 waiver of 1st annual fee saves you up to $680 a year, whereas the 20,000 signup bonus points non-waived $120 annual fee with the TD First Class card saves you up to $178 a year. There are, of course, the perks that come along with a premium card like the TD First Class Visa (some of which you mentioned above), we just like rating cards based on savings (being GreedyRates and all :)).
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Sorry to inform you but i just called Expedia and you can`t use Aeroplan points to pay for a travel tickets through any body including Air Canada.also I was going to use points to rent a car and because TD doesn`t recognize Aeoplan as a payment you still pay all taxes ( which is ok) and all INSURANCE which makes it cheaper in the long run to pay for the rental with your TD infinite with BCD and get more useless points. I have had Aeroplan through CIBC Then TD since 1988 and this card and points have become completely useless in the last couple of years. The fee no longer justifies this card. I can see that MBNA WILL BE MY CHOICE FROM NOW ON
I am having a tough time trying to decide on a new card.
I would like to save on travel expenses like medical, travel and auto insurance. On my trip to Ireland last year, the insurance on a car rental was more than the rental itself!!
Everyday spending to use towards travel or cash back with a no or low annual would be a plus.
Recommendations?
Hi Kelly, sorry for the late reply.
We hear ya, nothing ruins a good vacation like having to pay extra for something you’re not even going to enjoy!
As a general rule, travel credit cards come with free car rental insurance (and others like medical, luggage lose etc.) included as a key benefit. Even if you don’t have a travel card, if you’re paying an annual fee, the credit card likely comes with car rental insurance.
Our advice here is to sign-up for the Amex Gold Rewards which allows you to redeem (use) your points against any travel expense on your credit card. So 10,000 points equals $100, which can be used as a travel credit. It gives both rewards flexibility and cash-like transparency. You’ll also get 25,000 bonus points on signing up + an annual fee waiver for the 1st year.
Furthermore, your bonus points can be converted 1-for-1 to Aeorplan miles FREE of charge!
Next you should sign-up for the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite credit card for $0 annual fee on your 1st year, and get ANOTHER 25,000 Aeroplan miles welcome bonus (and covers for travel insurances like auto rental collision & loss ) – so now you have 50,000 Aeroplan miles because the 25,000 bonus points from the Amex Gold Rewards card can be converted to Aeroplan miles and be combined with the 25,000 bonus miles from the TD Aeroplan card. Now you’ve earned two round trip tickets to anywhere in North America just by signing up for two credit cards!
Hope we made your choice easier,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi, good info on thi site. Thank you.
I was using TD infinite visa reward visa (not aeroplan) for 3 years, accumulating 500-600$ in rewards. Did not really like the expedia booking, since it did not have cancellations on Hotels. TD bank was waving annual fee for me and wife ($170 a year total).
Now we are moving to RBC and we are happy we are making the move. Now RBC is giving me their Avion infinite visa, annual fees waved again of value $170. I really couldn’t care less about initial bonus as I hate moving cards nd don,’t feel chasing free first year or bonus is worth the hassle.
Now reading all your comments and reviews from others, thinking I am moving to a worse Visa card than my TD was? Is going to a different banks Card worth it? Considering the annual fee?
If you think I should stay, what are the tips for RBC Avion infinite visa you could give? Best value for your points?
We would probably use it on family vacation or part of it… thank you
Hi Marius,
If you’re not a fan of switching to maximize welcome bonus opportunities, the TD First Class card, with the annual fee waiver you currently have, is pretty good. Certainly comparable to the Avion. However, if you aren’t a fan of redeeming through Expedia, why not give Avion a tr? See if you like it. After a year or so you can decide if it’s worth keeping. Since you have no annual fee on the TD First Class card, you don’t even have to cancel it.
Give it a try and enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
My experience with RBC Infinite has been good. We convert everything to British Airways Avios points and then use these for One World Travel. We try to avoid flying with BA planes and will use Cathay, Alaska, Iberian, Aer Lingus, and it’s great value. Last trip to Hawaii for 2 return was under $25 in fees and 25,000 pts total, for 2 with Alaska. Great perks with insurance coverage too.
I have the TD First Class Visa.
I spend about 12K a year in gas. and basically use the card for all my purchases. For example I have 362,000.00 points on my card. That was acclimated from April to now. ( We installed our pool on the card to bump up our points). So this past years spending was higher then normal.
I had hoped to have more travel points acclimated by now with this spending.
Is there a better card for us given we spent 12k a year in gas and essentially all of our spending is put on the card for points?
I like how easy the TD Frist Class card is to use when redeeming. (We go down south one a year or so)
However I would like to maximise my travel points.
Any help would be great 🙂
Hi Chris,
Because you’re spending $1,000 a month on gas, you might want to take a look at some of the credit cards that offer a 4% rewards rate in gas, such as the Scotia Amex Gold card. It currently comes with a 1st year annual fee waiver and a 20,000 point bonus (worth a $200 statement credit). It’s a flexible rewards system that allows you to redeem your points (20,000 points = $200) as a statement credit – giving you more value than the TD First Class card which recently devalued statement credit redemptions.
Alternatively, we also like the Amex Gold Rewards card for you, which has an annual fee waiver and comes with a 25,000 point welcome bonus worth a $250 statement credit or can be converted to 25,000 aeroplan miles. You get 2 points per dollar spent on gas, which when converted to 2 Aeroplan miles, is the highest amount of points given in the gas category of any Aeroplan credit card on the market – a nice arbitrage opportunity, since Aeroplan miles are worth somewhere between 1.27 and 2 cents each, giving you 2.54% to 4% of value per dollar spent.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
Just though that one key aspect that maybe isn’t covered in the above article (which is great btw) is that for the Am Ex card in Canada, there aren’t that many eligible store. For groceries and gas etc they have some alrge names like sobeys, safeway, petro can, shell etc., but that is all. Other key large players such as superstore and Save-on aren’t included so then you’re really earning 1% return. Also, if you redeem using RBC Avion’s redemption schedule you can get up to 2% return on normal purchases for some flights (just quite a hassle to do so).
Thanks for the kind words John.
Amex acceptance will either be an issue for you or not, depending on where you shop. The nice thing with the Amex Gold Rewards card, is that with the first year annual fee waiver, at least you can give it a try for a year, for free, and see if the glove fits.
Moreover, getting the free 25,000 point bonus ($250 if you use it as a statement credit, or convert it to 25,000 Aeroplan miles and get a free return ticket to anywhere in North America from any Canadian city) is worth it on its own – especially with no annual fee – it’s found money.
TBC’s welcome offer does not waive the first ear annual fee and only comes with 15,000 Avion points. You’d have to spend $15,000 – $20,000 on your credit card just o make up for the difference in value on the welcome bonus offer alone. Aside from that, RBC Avion can deliver value, but our research indicates that the average value of a point is far less than 2%. Moreover, the points are far less flexible than Amex Gold Rewards, especially because lose their value when redeemed as a statement credit.
GreedyRates Staff
Great site w/ really useful info thank you! Just wondering how the TD Visa Aero Plan compares to the TD First Class Visa Infinite card?
Hi Thomas,
The cards are pretty different. This is how we’d compare the two:
1. TD Aeroplan Infinite typically comes with a better promotion. Right now the first year annual fee waiver and 25K welcome bonus make it pretty attractive and risk-free to give it a shot. 25K welcome bonus miles gets you a free return ticket (plus taxes and fees) anywhere in North America.
2. You’ll accumulate more rewards in gas, groceries and pharmacy with the TD Aeroplan Infinite card. However, you can get more rewards booking flights and redeeming through Expedia with the TD First Class card.
3. TD First Class is more flexible, as you can book any flight through Expedia for TD. You can also redeem your points for any travel expense on your credit card statement, however TD recently reduced the value of your points when doing so. TD Aeroplan uses the flight chart, which does allow you to get some great value on certain flights, but still comes with the drawback of having to find available seats for redemption from time to time.
4. Insurance is a wash
5. TD Aeroplan let’s you accumulate your points through Aeroplan, which means you can also sign-up for other Aeroplan credit cards with welcome bonuses and combine them in your Aeroplan account. I.e. get the TD Aeroplan Infinite for 25K, then the Amex Gold Rewards for 25K, then the Amex Aeroplan etc…
Hope that helps…
GreedyRates Staff
Hey Guys, Great Site! Any updates coming soon as some of the promotions have changed.
Any comments on the CIBC Aventura program?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the kind words! All the offers listed on these rankings are current and kept up to date throughout the year.
We’re not huge fans of the Aventura program for several reasons. First, the welcome bonus is mediocre at best. Even with the first year annual fee waiver, you only get 15K points. Why not got for the Amex Gold Rewards or TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa which waive the first year annual fee and give 25K miles?
Secondly, if you’re looking for flexibility and value, why go with Aventura where you’ll have to book through CIBC’s travel centre and be restricted by its flight redemption chart. Why not go with a card like the American Express Gold Rewards card, the MBNA Rewards World Elite card or the Scotia Amex Gold card that earn you more on the rewards side, but allow you to redeem your points at cash value for any travel purchase on your credit card statement. The whole Aventura / Avion travel centre, flight redemption chart model is antiquated compared to these newer models that allow you to redeem against any travel expense – giving you complete flexibility to find the cheapest deals, through the website of your choice.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Great website, but I still can’t make a decision, I have had a Gold Card for years and since we bought a condo in Mexico I thought a travel card would be the best to accumulate points for travel. So, I got the West Jet Master Card to accumulate points and put all our purchases on it which is about $20,000 per month, but I still can’t make a decision on which card I should keep, and would love you opinion. I was also looking at the American Express Gold Card and I think this card would be the card for me to accumulate travel points for us. We travel 2 times a year to Mexico with the points, it just never is enough points though to cover our flights even with the companion flight. Thanks
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the kind works! We’re going to assume you meant $2,000 in credit card spend a month. Let’s figure this out. With the Amex Gold Rewards card, you earn approximately $837 in rewards per year and with the WestJet MC World Elite you’d earn approximately $761 in rewards each year. However, with the WestJet MC you’d get a companion voucher and free first checked bag, with a value of $25 per person, each way. If we say 2 checked bags per person per trip, each way that’s a total of 8 checked bag credits times $25 for a total value of $200. Plus, let’s say airfare was $600, your companion voucher would only cost $299, saving you $300.
Based on your particular travel goals and spending habits, your WestJet World Elite MasterCard offers you a total value of $1,261 per year, and the Amex Gold Rewards card offers you a total value of $837.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi, the site is very helpful! Good work! I am already have the Tangerine MC and I want to make a combo. What card is the best for transfer balance and foreign transaction? Thx
Hi Renan,
Thanks for the kind words!!! The best credit card for balance transfers would be the MBNA Platinum Plus MasterCard which offers 0% interest rate for 12 months and a 1% balance transfer fee (go to the balance transfer section in the drop down menu for Compare Cards and it’s at the top of the list). The best credit card for for foreign transaction fees is the Rogers Platinum MasterCard which you can find above. It offers 4% cashback on all purchases in a foreign currency, and charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee, for a net cashback rate of 1.5% on foreign purchases. Compare that to the Amazon card which offers 1% cash back on no foreign transaction fee for a net cashback rate of 1%, and you can see why the Rogers card is so much more valuable.
Hope that helps!
Love this site! I would like to apply for the Marriott card and was wondering if you know why they ask if you have another credit card plus ask for the card number and expiry date. Is it better to leave it out or put that in?
Hi Becky!
Thanks for the kind words and for using GreedyRates.ca!!!
Chase Marriott asks for the information as an underwriting strategy to help approve your application by ensuring they pull the correct credit file from the bureau associated with the name on the application. Using the applicants self inputed information, along with the information from one of your credit cards, maximizes the probability Chase pulls the right credit file from Equifax or TransUnion.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Thank you for your great site!
I am saving travel points to go on a trip with my daughter, hopefully in the next two years. I have two cards. One I really never use, an RBC rewards gold card, which has 79,000 rewards points, and the other is my TD Visa Infinite First Class card (not Aeroplan), which I use daily for almost every purchase, averaging 1500 to 2500+ per month. I currently have 370,000 points on the TD card.
I seldom fly anywhere, a couple of trips per year to Ottawa. My goal is to get as many points for a trip with my daughter.
But I am now up for a $120 annual fee for my TD card, and I’m wondering if I should go to the Aeroplan card, or the MBNA or Amex card. I want the flexibility of using Expedia and other sites to find the cheapest flights when I do fly.
What is your advice for me?
Thank you for being there.
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
Just to be clear, you currently have 370,000 points with the TD First Class Visa card, which allows you to redeem for $1,850 worth of travel on ExpediaforTD.ca (do not redeem your TD points as a statement credit – you lose lots of value). Using ExpediaforTD should give you quite a bit of flexibility to book whichever flight, hotel or car rental you want. You might want to call TD and ask them to waive your annual fee.
That said, we’re also big proponents of exploiting welcome bonuses and annual fee waivers to help kick start your rewards. Why spend $25,000 to earn 25,000 points in a year, when you can get a new credit card and earn 25,000 points!
In that spirit, if you’re looking for flexibility, and a nice earn rate, we’d recommend the Amex Gold Rewards Card. First it comes with a great welcome bonus of 25,000 points and a first year annual fee waiver. Second it gives you the flexibility to redeem your points against any travel expense (10,000 points = $100) or to convert them to Aeroplan 1:1, at no cost.
Also it offers a tremendous earn rate of 2 points per dollar spent in gas, grocery, pharmacy and travel, 1 point everywhere else. That’s 2% in those categories if you redeem your points as cash against your travel expenses. However, if you convert your points to Aeroplan miles, that’s 2 Aeroplan miles per dollar spent in those categories – no Aeroplan credit card in the market offers that many miles per dollar spent!
Moreover, you can also get the Amex Business Gold Rewards card, which also comes with no annual fee in the first year and a 30,000 point bonus which you can convert to Aeroplan miles…. giving you 55,000 Aeroplan miles (enough for two round-trip tickets for you and your daughter to anywhere in continental North America, or you can use the $550 credit against any flight you book as a statement credit.)
Between the Amex and TD cards, you can figure out how to divide your points between airfare, hotel/resorts and car rentals.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
beware with the rogers card. if you do a return you wont get the exact amount. They do the return at the rate of exchange at the time of the return. I id a return within 10 minutes of buying the item and got a back a lesser amount. The return amount should have nothing to do with the exchange rate ant the time of return
Hi Dave,
We think most, if not all, Canadian credit card issuers work that way and for good reason. Imagine if you returned your item 30 days later. The credit card issuer would have to pay the merchant back in US Dollars at whatever the prevailing rate was at the time. If they charged you the exchange at time of purchase, they could be in or out of significant money.
That said, it cuts both ways. If the Canadian dollar would have gone up in the interim, you would have benefited from the return!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi. If I switch my visa first class infinite to the td Aeroplan card, will I still get the welcome bonus and be considered ‘new’? Not liking the first class for my use atleast. Thanks
Hi Samer,
If you apply for a new TD Aeroplan Infinite card, even though you previously had the TD First Class Infinite card, you will be considered new and be eligible for the bonus.
Hope that helps
GreedyRates Staff
Hi GreedyRates, love your website. Very helpful.
I thought I’d found the ideal mix of credit cards for my personal spending habits and desired rewards, but I was hoping you could answer this question: Are there any travel cards whose medical insurance covers you even if you don’t buy the travel on the card?
In my case, the most likely scenario is a day or weekend trip by car over the US border. While unlikely to run into any issues as I’m 30 and healthy, an emergency would ruin me (and I’m sure many others!) financially if I had to pay out of pocket. I currently hold the RBC Avion Visa and the Westjet World Elite MasterCard. If you know anything about these two cards or any other ones, I’d be very appreciative. Thanks!
Hi Steven
Great news for you. Almost all credit card travel medical insurance policies will cover you, your spouse and your dependents while you’re out of country or province, regardless of whether you purchase your travel through your credit card or not. For example, you could drive over the US border and be protected.
That said, as with all insurance policies, we would recommend you familiarize yourself with the terms and exclusions to ensure your individual situation and profile is covered – i.e. pre-existing conditions, change in medication, notification requirements, limits etc…
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks a lot!
Our pleasure!
Great article! I hoping to get a little direction on what’s best for me. I travel cross country for work, usually driving. I would say that I spend most of my balance on gas, hotels, groceries and dining. I would be using my rewards on flights, both in Canada and internationally. Most of the time, I have a lot of flexibility with travel dates, allowing me to save a lot of money (flying mid-week, last minute deals, etc.). I really like that the MBNA rewards card allows you to book from any website/travel company (or use the rewards for anything). I try and find the best deal before booking travel and often use discount travel sites like Expedia, FlightHub. etc. But on the other hand I also like the perks of the TD Aeroplan; travel medical, rental auto insurance, lounge access, free checked bag. I also already have an Aeroplan rewards account. Which do you think is the right decision for me?
Hi Jenna,
Why not get the best of both world’s and go with the American Express Rewards Gold Card. You can keep rewards with Amex and use them the same way as the MBNA card, or you can transfer them to Aeroplan 1:1, with no fee, if you find a great deal through Aeroplan. You earn 2 points per dollar spent (2%) on all gas, groceries, pharmacy AND travel purchases (which should cover most of your expenses), 1 point (1%) everywhere else. That means you’d effectively be earning 2 Aeroplan miles per dollar spent in those bonus categories as well, which is the richest Aeroplan rewards rate offered in Canada.
If you decide to keep your points with Amex, you can use them as cash equivalent rewards. Meaning if you have 40,000 points, it’s the equivalent to $400. You can then book your travel anywhere and apply your $400 rewards against any travel related expense on your credit card statement – very simple.
Nice thing is if you get the Amex Gold Rewards card, it comes with a first year annual fee waiver and 25,000 points. The 25,000 points is either worth $250 or 25,000 Aeroplan miles, if you transfer them 1:1. If you combine the Amex Gold Rewards card with the TD Aeroplan Infinite offer currently available, also with no annual fee in the first year and a 25,000 point welcome bonus (plus 5,000 if you add an authorized user), you’ll end up with 50,000 Aeroplan miles, enough for two free round trip tickets to anywhere in continental North America!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
As a new Scotiabank employee I can get the following cards at no yearly fee:
ScotiaGold Passport Visa: Earn Scotia Rewards Points One point for every $1 you spend, Travel anywhere, any time with no restrictions. Earn 5,000 Scotia Rewards bonus points
Scotiabank Gold American Express: Earn 20,000 bonus points worth $200 in travel. Earn 4x Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend at eligible gas stations, grocery stores, on dining and entertainment1
Scotiabank American Express: Earn travel rewards up to 2x faster Earn 2x Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend at eligible gas stations, grocery stores, on dining and entertainment1
Scotia Momentum Visa: 2% cash back On all eligible gas station, grocery store, drug store purchases and recurring payments. 1% cash back On all other eligible purchases.
Are any of these worth it?
Hi Carlos,
Congratulations on the new job and thanks for using GreedyRates.ca!
If you can get the Scotiabank Gold Amex card with no annual fee, it would offer tremendous value. You would essentially get 4% cash back on gas, grocery, restaurant and entertainment purchases, which you can then apply against any travel purchase on your credit card statement. It’s the highest earn rate offered, and it’s offered in 4 different merchant categories – all useful – more than any other 4% card in Canada. It also comes with excellent insurance.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Excellent resource for Canadians.
My question: Can Aeroplan point still be used for travel to Nunavut? What is the best way to fly there on points?
Hi Garson,
The short answer is yes, you can use your Aeroplan miles to travel to Nunavut.
To do so, you will need to book your reservation through Aeroplan’s call center. You will fly through one of their Small Canadian Partner airlines, like First Air or Canadian North – they are not available options on the online reservation system. If you’re travelling to Iqaluit, it’s short-haul (15K miles), from Ottawa and Montreal, long-haul from everywhere else (25K miles).
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
That’s awesome news! Perhaps I can get lucky with a trip to the Capital for Canada150 and then head north for a visit!
Thanks for your wisdom!
G
Was the Presidents Choice MasterCard product used in this survey/comparison? Both the regular and World Elite?
Hi Gabriel,
We did consider including the Presidents Choice MasterCard in our travel card rankings. However, while you PC cardholders can earn bonus points when booking through PC Travel, the fact that they can’t redeem their points for travel disqualified the PC cards from the travel card rankings.
GreedyRates Staff
I travel to India at lest once a year. I also go to USA at least twice a year for shopping. I have Scotia visa gold as it covered us for trip cancellation etc but now it will only covers my wife but not me as i am over 65. I also have old sears master card now the Scotia momentum card. I use Scotia visa for travel rebates that is, points as well as the % off from cost of trip if i used the card to buy the flight., and momentum for USA shopping and or at No Frills grocery shop as they only take master card. I also have amazon card as Costco USA does not accept master card . i use my momentum card at Costco Canada.
I suspect my best bet is to get desjardin for trip insurance as well as rental car coverage and pay the 110 as i pay over 100 now for trip insurance with insurance companies.. I use momentum card for foreign flight purchase too but then i loose the trip cancellation benefit as i do not use the card that would cover this. What is the best bet.. i am so delighted to have found this web site for gold worth ideas and comments!
Hi Kam,
Thanks for the kind words about GreedyRates! Here’s a few of our thoughts:
You can do much better than the Scotia Visa Passport Gold card.
1. Specifically, see if you can transfer or get the Scotia Amex Gold account which covers those 65 and older for travel medical insurance for 10 consecutive days out of province/country. Trip cancellation is not restricted to those 65 and under either. You will also get more rewards than with the Scotia Visa Gold. You can also book travel however you’d like and apply the cash value of your points against any travel purchase on your card.
2. The grandfathered Momentum card (from Sears) is good to avoid foreign transaction fees. An alternative might be the Rogers Mastercard which gives you 1.75% cashback on domestic purchases and 4% cashback on foreign purchases. You’ll still pay the foreign transaction fee, but you’ll net 1.5% cashback on foreign purchases which is better than the Momentum or Amazon cards. Moreover, you’ll get 1.75% cashback on your domestic Costco purchases, better than the 1% you’re getting with the Momentum card.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
you folks are gems
Note on the Scotia Momentum MasterCard ( formerly Sears) … they will be charging 2.5% foreign currency transaction fee as of May 2017 . I will be switching cards as that was one of the main reasons I kept the card after Sears/Chase sold it to Scotiabank .
Hello. I am a small business owner and currently have a CIBC Aeroplan card. The miles are difficult to use for flights and usually have 1-2 layovers for every flight. We spend 30-50K per month depending on the month so gather points quick quickly.
What card do you think would be the best for us? We would like a card that it is easy to book flights, cars and hotel rentals.
Hi Gary,
If you’re spending $30K-$50K a month, and you value maximum flexibility, we’ll recommend the MBNA Rewards World Elite card. It offers 2% on all spend (2 points per dollar spent, each point worth $.01). We’re assuming that on $30K-$50K most of your spend is outside of gas, grocery or pharmacy. 2% is a very good rewards rate, especially for non-bonus categories.
You can then apply your 2% in earnings as a statement credit against any expense. That gives you the flexibility to book any ticket, room or car with your credit card, and then apply your cash equivalent rewards against those purchases on your credit card statement. It’s very simple and transparent. Purchase a flight for $750, redeem 75,000 points ($750 cash equivalent), and you’re done.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello – I like your website and wanted to comment on a travel card doe others considering it.
I received an RBC ? BA Avios card this year. (50,000 bonus points after $30,000 spend)
I already have accumulated 91,000 Avios points but reward and/or upgrade seats NEVER seem to be available.
It either says “no availability” or “error try again”
In addition there was a 10% off promo CODE that simply did not work and BA basically said “tough luck”.
Is this typical with BA and this card?
I’m not impressed and have complained to RBC as well.
It seems I have points that seem worthless – I guess I should cut my losses so to speak and cancel the card.
I think I will stick with AMEX Gold that can be converted to AEROPLAN points.
I was wondering if you have any comments on the RBC / BA card. thanks RON
Quite honestly, as an earner and spender of Avios, it’s frankly easier and cheaper to redeem Avios on airlines that aren’t BA. For example, Alaska or American to/within the States, Cathay Pacific or JAL to Asia, etc.
So if you’re looking to leave Avios and make use of what you have left, that’s the way to do it.
Thanks for your comment JMR0303.
I think you are right — to just use the Avios points on AA, Cathay or some other partner airline, not BA. The BA website certainly does not make it easy to redeem on partner airlines. Other forums say you have to call BA direct with the exact partner flights you have researched. I haven’t tried that yet but I will.
Anyway, I don’t recommend the RBC Avios card despite the large signup bonus. For the record the signup bonus of 50,000 points was for a $9,000 spend over the 1st 3 months. For a $30,000 annual spend on the card you get a free partner certificate apparently good for 2 years – of course subject to “availability”.
You can transfer some loyalty program points INTO Avios but you can’t transfer Avios out at all.
I also got the AMEX Rewards gold card which seems the most flexible reward card IMO. Eg: you can transfer in AMEX points to AEROPLAN.
As this forum recommends, good idea combine the TD Aeroplan Visa with AMEX, and you already have 50,000 AEROPLAN points.
R
We have had a TD Visa Infinite card for many years and don’t pay an annual fee. We’ve used our points towards one trip a year and like the flexibility of using it towards any travel. Their plan has recently changed and we are considering looking for a better card. Which card would you recommend?
Hi Rick,
If your priority, preference and habit is to use your points for any travel (as opposed to converting them to Aeroplan, Avios or being restricted to a travel site or airline), then you might want to consider a flat 2% card like the MBNA Rewards World Elite card, listed above. There’s no annual fee the first year, only $89 thereafter and a $100 welcome bonus. You get 2% on all spend and can redeem the 2% against any expense on your credit card statement.
You can also take a look at the Scotia Amex Gold, which gives you 4% in rewards on gas, grocery, restaurant and entertainment spend, 1% everywhere else. There’s currently a $200 welcome bonus and the annual fee is only $99. You can apply your points to any travel expense on your credit card statement.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Rick
Informative site. I always wonder why the RBC private banking Visa Infinite privilege gets left out. Any flight any time and 2.5% back. Thats what I recommend for an Infinite card. I get 1.25 points for every dollar spent. That means 45000 points costs me 36,000 dollars in spending and earns me $900 off a Long haul north American Flight and 100,000 points (80k cost) gets me $2000 off any flight any time long haul using the RBC Rewards Redemption schedule. It works out to 2.5% back. Where else can you get 2.5% for any flight anytime?? Yes the yearly fee is a bit high but it includes excellent medical for out of country/out of province for up to 30 days for my wife and I. We often are away for more than 15 days. As we are over 50 that insurance is more than the yearly card cost. I understand that if you go over the redemption schedule the return is only 1.25% for the overage for this card but we fly a lot and put over 250k a year on it so it helps on the first and business class flight costs. I always stick to the redemption schedule and pay the balance. If you fly economy less than the redemption schedule or can’t pay the overage then this card may not make sense but I save about $6250 a year on my flights with it! There are the usual comparable other perks like lounges car renal insurance etc etc. Not for everyone but a great infinite Visa for me.
I would like a credit card that I can redeem the points to Air France Flyingblue. Is there such a credit card
for Canadians? I can redeem my Gold Corporate AMEX points towards Aeroplan, Cathy Pacific and British Airways points only.
Hi Sima,
Good news for you. You have a few options. You can get the Amex Starwood SPG card, which allows you to transfer to Air France Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio, with no fee.
Alternatively, you can also get the Marriott Rewards Visa card, which allows you to transfer 10,000 points for 1,500 miles. However, you can also transfer your Marriott points to SPG at a rate of 3 Marriott points to 1 SPG point.
Since both cards give you 1 point per $1 spent on general spend, the SPG card is clearly the better of the two cards for you. However, the Marriott card gets you 30,000 points as a welcome bonus, with no annual fee int he first year. You can transfer those points to Starwood, get 10,000 SPG points and then transfer those points to Air France for 10,000 Flying Blue miles! Combine that with the 20,000 SPG welcome bonus offer and you’re off to the races with Air France with 30,000 Flying Blue Miles!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
A category we would be interested in is credit cards with no foreign transaction fee. Rewards for travel expenses are irrelevant if your paying a 2.5% premium. Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred available to Canadians? Are there other cards like it?
Hi Dalle,
In the review above you can see we recommended the Rogers MasterCard for foreign purchases. It provides 4% cashback on all foreign purchases, but then charges the 2.5% foreign transaction fee, netting 1.5% on all foreign purchases, which is better than any of the alternatives in Canada. The Chase Amazon card, waives the foreign transaction fee, but only nets you 1% cashback. The Marriott Rewards card is phenomenal for its welcome bonus, no fee in the first year and annual anniversary free hotel night voucher. However, it only earns you 1 point per dollar spent on non-Marriott foreign purchases, which comes out to max 1% net value.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is not available to Canadians.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
The Marriott reward sign up bonus of 30,000 points is a little misleading. Up to 4 nights @ 7.500 points per night??
You might be able to find a 7,500 point a night stay in the Congo, or Siberia….but no where in Canada or the States.
Well, it does say “up to” 4 nights. You are right that there aren’t any category 1 hotels in Canada but the US has 140 and there are 257 worldwide so it’s an option. I used mine for a week in Mexico – I redeemed 4 nights and got a 5th night free. I had also used airline points to get there in the first place so it was a cheap, cheap, cheap little holiday.
Your article is really helpful!
I currently hold a ScotiaGold Passport Visa (the annual fee is waived for me as a part of my banking package) and a RBC Rewards Gold Visa (which used to be a RBC Starbucks Visa that I used as a student, but the program was discontinued). The ScotiaGold is my primary card and I will be using it for a few more months as I can almost redeem the points that I hold for something that I’ve been saving my points for.
I want to switch my primary card to a travel rewards credit card that gives me both the ability to apply my points towards purchases on my card and the ability to transfer rewards points to frequent flyer programs. I currently do one long-haul return trip (Toronto to Asia, Toronto to Europe/Middle East, Toronto to South America, etc.) and 2-3 few short-haul return trips (within North America, and maybe to the Caribbean) per year.
The American Express Gold Rewards Card seems to be the best fit for me because I can apply my points towards travel purchases on my card or transfer my points to Aeroplan, British Airways Avios or Delta SkyMiles if I want to add points to any of those accounts in order to book a redemption flight.
For my secondary back-up card, I’m thinking of getting either the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card or the MBNA Rewards World Elite card. I also thought about getting the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card, but I’m not sure if I want to limit myself to only Aeroplan points when I could be collecting points that can be applied towards purchases on my card instead. I understand that I could just get the TD Aeroplan card for the first year and get the bonus points, and not keep the card after the first year, but as I would already be applying for 2 new credit cards (though I’ll cancel at least my RBC card, and eventually likely my Scotia one), I don’t want to mess up my credit rating my applying for too many cards in a relatively short period of time.
I think that the MBNA card may be my best bet for a secondary back-up card.
Do you agree with my analysis or do you think that there’s a card or feature that I haven’t considered yet? Thanks!
Hi LondonHK,
First off, we think the Amex Gold Rewards card is a perfect primary card for you, given your desire for a card that gives you the flexibility to book your points against any travel expense, or to voncert them 1:1 to Aeroplan or Avios. Perfect fit.
Second, with TD Aeroplan’s current no annual fee, up to 30K mile promotion, we think you should get it as your secondary card for this year. It’s a free return trip to anywhere in North America. If you get the Amex Gold and the TD Aeroplan Infinite card you’ll have a total of 100,000 Aeroplan miles (you’re starting with 50K already)… You can easily apply for 2 new credit cards a year without any impact to your credit score.
Third, aside from the TD Aeroplan card, the MBNA Rewards World Elite card is a great 2% option with a low $89 annual fee. You could also try the Tangerine cash back card which has no annual fee, 2% in 2 categories of your choice, 1% everywhere else – a nice no-fee back-up credit card option.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff!
Thanks so much for your reply! I think your suggestion of getting the TD Aeroplan Infinite as my secondary card for the year is a good idea and I can re-evaluate whether I want to keep it after the first year. I’ll keep the MBNA Rewards World Elite card in mind as a secondary card if I decide not to keep the TD one, and I’ll also consider the Tangerine cash back card. Thanks for your help with this!
What is the difference between a “Book Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” Travel Credit Card and a Flexible Travel Credit Card?
Hi Londonhk,
Great question! Obviously book anything, anytime, anywhere cards are inherently flexible. They essentially allow you to apply the dollar value of your points to any travel expenses on your credit card statement. In fact, the winner of the Most Flexible category, The Amex Gold Rewards card, does just that. However, the Amex Gold Rewards card ALSO allows you to transfer your points into alternative airline loyalty programs like Aeroplan and Avios, giving users additional opportunities to find value, making them even more flexible.
Hope that was helpful,
GreedyRates Staff
That was very helpful – thank you!
Hello Greddy Rates Staff,
I am considering getting a new credit card with travel rewards as we have to fly to Europe at least one but mainly two times a year.
Air Canada and Star Alliance don’t always appear to be the best in terms of pricing as we tend to go when the charter airlines are operating.
So, I think that The American Express® Gold Rewards Card is probably the best option as we can apply it against any travel, without carrier or seat restrictions and will benefit from a generous welcome offer.
Do you think I have read the situation accurately?
Also, is American Express quite universally accepted in Canada?
Thanks,
John
(P.S. This is a great site!)
Hi John,
Thanks for using GreedyRates and for the kind words!
You have definitely read the situation right, if those are your travelling preferences. In addition to the Amex Gold card, which allows you to apply your points against any travel expense, and comes with a great welcome bonus (25,000 points or $250 statement credit, no fee first year), you might also want to take a look at the MBNA Rewards World Elite card, which gives you 2% on ALL spend, allows you to apply your points to any purchase on your statement, is a MasterCard, and also comes with a nice, but not quite as good sign-up bonus as the Amex Gold ($100 statement credit, no fee first year).
While Amex is accepted in most places, there are of course some merchants that don’t accept Amex. In those cases, it’s good to have a back-up like the MBNA MasterCard which gives you the same flexibility.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I’ve been in the market for a new card and settled for the Amex Gold card as my best option based on my needs. However, I just realized that every 1000pts is only worth $7 if you are redeeming through Amex. Something to consider if you are going to get this card. I feel a little duped as I thought 1000pts=$10.
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
The good news is your not entirely correct! 10,000 points = $100 when you redeem your points against any travel expense on your credit card statement (flights, hotels, cruises, train, car rental, etc…). It’s only when you choose to redeem against a non-travel expense that the points are worth less. That’s pretty par for the course for a travel card. In fact, many travel cards that allow you to redeem your points as a statement credit don’t even allow you to redeem against non-travel expenses at all (Amex Gold Rewards, CapOne Aspire). That said, best value for the Amex Gold is when using it to redeem for travel.
Hope that makes you feel better!
GreedyRates Staff
Thinking of going for the Capital One Aspire card. How easy is the redemption for travel purchases for points? Can it all be done online? I ask as for AMEX it was dead simple, no calling or waiting – just pick a transaction on the online portal and apply statement credit towards it.
Also are there any cards aside from AMEX that offer hotel/motel burglary insurance?
Thanks!!
Hi Ben,
You can redeem CapOne online. With respect to other cards that offer hotel/motel burglary insurance Scotia Amex Gold, RBC Visa Infinite Avion and BMO Rewards World Elite all offer hotel/motel or theft & burglary of personal effects, which protects you from the same event.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks for all the insight. I’ve tried to find an equivalent to Brian Kelly’s TPG in Canada, and there are a few, so any advice is welcomed. I’m currently in the midst of talking to TD to upgrade my Rebate Rewards Visa (which they don’t maintain any longer). Should I stick with TD and go with their Visa Infinite? Or Should I switch to something like RBC’s Avion or BMO’s World Elite MasterCard?
Hi Calvin,
Are you referring to TD’s Aeroplan Infinite or First Class Infinite? It all depends on your preferences and the way you travel.
1. TD BMO World Elite is great if you’re looking for a simple 2% rewards card on all spend that can be used to redeem for any travel booked through the BMO Rewards center. There are no black out dates, but you are restricted to BMO’s rewards center. You also get 4 free lounge passes per year, and strong insurance coverage. The Welcome Bonus is strong at $300, but the annual fee is also high at $150.
2. Avion you can redeem for any flight through Avion’s reward redemption chart. You have the ability to transfer points to certain programs like Avios (British Airways). You lose a lot of value if you apply the points at their cash value to your travel expenses. Low welcome bonus of 15K points and annual fee of $120 is ok. Strong insurance.
3. TD First Class is actually a really strong card if you spend a lot on travel (and are willing to book through Expedia), and are willing to redeem through Expedia. Doing so will earn you 4.5%. If most of your credit card expense is not travel related, you’re better off with the other cards. Strong insurance. Nice $200 welcome bonus. You can get the annual fee waived with select TD banking packages, value of $120.
4. The TD Aeroplan Infinite offers strong value through Air Canada and Star Alliance partners (pretty robust), but comes with a little less flexibility due to seat restrictions. However it comes with a nice welcome bonus, and a first year annual fee waiver, making it easy to try and see if it works for you. You might also get the annual fee waived completely through TD’s banking package which is an additional savings of $120 per year (worth about $10,000 in spend). Strong insurance.
Hope that helps you,
GreedyRates Staff
If you could recommend a Visa or MC that gives good choice and value when both earning and redeeming, what would you choose? I’m open to anything.
Hi Calvin,
If you’re looking for maximum flexibility when redeeming, we’ll select a card that allows you to apply the dollar value of you rewards to any travel expense on your credit card statement. Second, for earning flexibility, we’ll select from cards that give you a strong earn rate on all spend, regardless of merchant categories.
The MBNA Rewards World Elite card offers 2% on all purchases with no limits (2 points per $1 spent, each point worth $.01), and you can redeem the dollar value of your points against any expense on your credit card, or have MBNA cut you a check just like a cashback card. It comes with a $100 welcome bonus, a first year annual fee waiver, and only an $89 annual fee thereafter.
Of course there are other options that deviate from your criteria which offer phenomenal value as well. You can find many above.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Great guide! I’ve just applied and gotten approved for the TD Aeroplan and Marriott cards. I am looking for a travel card with the biggest breadth of insurance. How does the Desjardins card compare to AMEX Gold and BMO’s World Elite Travel in terms of how many different types of insurance coverage they offer?
Hi Sam,
It comes with all the travel insurance coverages of the other cards, but on steroids. As we wrote above, it comes with the critical coverages like travel medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, baggage and car rental. Some travel cards offer all of the above but skip out on trip cancellation, which tends to be expensive for card issuers to offer.
While most cards offer out of country/province travel medical insurance for 15-21 consecutive days, Desjardins offers it for up to 60 consecutive days – great for snow birds. By the way, if you come back into Canada, and go back into the U.S. you’re covered for another 60 consecutive days.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I think the MBNA Rewards World Elite card has changed its reward structure, 10000 points seems to equate to $100 now, (so 1%) not $200 the 2% mentioned in this article. Anyone able to confirm?
Thanks,
Emma
Hi Emma,
The MBNA Rewards World Elite MC still offers 2%, as the review indicates. You get 2 points per dollar spent, each point is worth 1 cent. Therefore, on $10,000 spend you get 200 points, or $200, or 2%.
The new no fee MBNA Rewards MC, only offers 1 point or 1% per dollar spent. Perhaps that was the card you saw?
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Do you get Marriott points now if you stay at a starwood but have a Marriott card?
Hi Stephen,
You don’t currently get Marriott points when staying at a Starwood hotel. The acquisition has actually not closed yet. Until the acquisition of Starwood by Marriott is completed, and probably a little time thereafter, we expect the status quo.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello! Thanks for the information. For my needs, the Rogers Platinum Mastercard applies the most. I was wondering though if you might have any other suggestions.
I’m planning on travelling to India for 6 months starting October and I’m looking for a card that minimizes ATM fees and conversion rates. Are you aware of any card that will allow me to take cash out without taking a crazy percentage, charging a fee and unreasonable conversion fees? Perhaps one that gives one free international ATM withdrawal a month?
Thanks for any help you can give in advance!
Hi Darby,
We’d have to say the best alternative debit card for ATM withdrawls is likely the Tangerine or Scotia debit cards. If your not already a Scotia customer, you could open a Tangerine account for free. Tangerine taps into Scotia’s Global ATM Alliance, which allows you to withdraw from a range of international ATM’s without paying surcharge or access fees. In India, Scotia has an alliance with Deutsche Bank. If you withdraw from a non-Alliance ATM internationally the fee is only $2, versus the standard $5. Moreover, the conversion fee on foreign withdrawals
You write that the Rogers card gives 4% cash back on all foreign transactions. Do you mean that literally, in addition to not charging a foreign transaction fee? Or do you mean including the non-fee; in which case, wouldn’t the effective total be 2.5% = 1.75% = 3.75%?
Hi Geoff,
Rogers is changing its construct on foreign transactions, such that you will earn 4% cash back on foreign transaction, but be charged a 2.5% foreign transaction fee, which will net out to 1.5% cashback.
When compared to most other rewards cards, including premium travel cards that earn 2% rewards, Rogers still does much better. On those cards if you earn 2% in rewards and are charged a 2.5% fx fee, you’re netting -.5% in rewards value.
Hope that helps and thanks for the comment.
GreedyRates Staff
hi
is there a card that will never be turned down internationally?
i travelled to europe, told scotia visa the dates, the countries and the maximum i needed for a single purchase
and expedia.de turned the card down when i tried to book an emergency return flight online
thanks, andrew
Hi Andrew,
Unfortunately we do not know of any credit card that will never be turned down internationally. Each credit card company relies on a set of proprietary algorithms which flag potentially fraudulent transactions. Some credit card companies will alter their fraud settings when they’re notified of travel, others will not.
There are also certain countries which fraud systems are more sensitive to such as Mexico, Brazil, and India. There are also certain transaction they are more sensitive to, such as non-chip transactions, which don’t require a pin. Credit card companies will always reserve the right to flag a transaction as potentially fraudulent, if it’s model deems it as such.
That said, some banks have an extremely good reputation for not having an overly sensitive fraud blocking system when travelling. Some issuers like American Express and BMO no longer require you to call in advance of travel.
Sorry we couldn’t be of more help,
GreedyRates Staff
Love your reviews. My wife & I presently have an RBC Avion Visa Infinite card which we use for air travel. Also we have a Mastercard (BMO) that we use at Costco. I recently got an Amazon Rewards card because it eliminates bank charges on US purchases. We are going to drop the Mastercard as the Air miles rewards are minimal and its future is shaky. I have been a long standing customer of RBC but TD Bank appears very enticing! We plan to take our family of 6 to Florida in 2018. We use the RBC for most purchases but it seems expensive on renewal. Should we continue with what we have or move to another card (and maybe another bank). Thanks Ray
Hi Ray,
Thanks for the kind words!
If you’re planning a trip to Florida in 2018, you might want to think of accumulating your rewards in two ways. First is through credit card welcome bonus offers. The second is through your credit card spend.
1. Credit card welcome bonus offers. It pays to get news cards. You’ll never earn as many miles, as quickly as you will with a new card. Find a card with a rich welcome bonus, and an annual fee waiver, and you just found yourself a free flight. We recommend you concentrate on Aeroplan, since there are multiple cards, with multiple bonuses available. For example, get the Amex Gold Rewards card (No fee 1st yr, 25K points welcome bonus), transfer the points to Aeroplan and you have 1 free round trip flight from any Canadian city to Florida and back. Then get the TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa, right now 20K miles, no fee 1st year (plus another 5K if you add an authorized user). Then look for other Aeroplan credit card welcome bonuses over the next 2 years – there will plenty. The only thing with Aeroplan is that it may require you to be a little flexible with your travel dates.
You can also take a look at adding cards that allow you to redeem your points against any travel expenses, that can cover off any remaining travel costs. For example the MBNA Rewards World Elite has no annual fee the first year, and comes with a $100 welcome bonus (get that one towards 2018 so you don’t have to pay the annual fee to keep the card for $100.) Also take a look at the Scotia Amex Gold, which often comes with an annual fee waiver promo and a $200 travel credit).
2. With respect to maximizing value from your credit card spend, you can use the credit cards you signed up for above. Ideally you’ll want to consolidate your spend onto one program or a redeem against your statement card, to maximize your redemption power. The nice thing about using an Aeroplan credit card is that you can use them, close them and still keep your Aeroplan miles in your Aeroplan account – they won’t expire or be forfeited when you cancel your credit card. So as you get new Aeroplan cards to take advantage of the welcome bonuses, use them for your spend as well. All you miles will accumulate into your one Aeroplan loyalty account, no matter how many credit cards you have.
If you’re bringing adult children along with you, have them use the same strategy to really accelerate you rewards. If you do have adult children coming with you, and Aeroplan is a no go, you can also exlore the WestJet World Elite MasterCard. Get three of these cards, ($99 annual fee, $250 welcome bonus, plus an annual companion voucher for $99). Using the WestJet strategy, each of you will get $150 (net) against your own flight, and your companion flights (the other 3) will only cost $99 each, minus any additional earnings you accumulate from spend.
One of our staff members just accumulated 4 round-trip tickets to anywhere in North America in one year using the above Aeroplan strategy.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello GreedyRates, you guys are best. I spent 3 hrs reading this page.
I just read something very cool above about Aeroplan.
Just to be clear, I can open as many cards that have Aeroplan points. Than cancel them, and keep all the Points on my Aeroplan account.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Petar,
Thanks for the kind words! That’s correct. Once the Aeroplan miles are in your Aeroplan loyalty account, no matter what happens with your Aeroplan credit card, the Aeroplan miles are yours. You can cancel your credit card and the Aeroplan miles remain yours.
Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
Hello,
I am moving to the US in a couple of months and will be travelling back to Canada *at least* 2x/year from now on. I will be living in a city where the only direct flight back to Toronto is with Air Canada (Star Alliance member).
What would you suggest is the best credit card to accumulate the relevant points? If you could speak to the options across the border (United MileagePlus, for example?), that would help as well. I would essentially like to maximize my savings for these trips and it doesn’t really matter to me whether the card is Canadian or US-based, as I will likely make enough purchases on both sides of the border.
Thank you very much for your time!
Shawn
Hi Shawn,
Some of the answer will depend on whether or not your flexible on your travel dates or not. If you are, Aeroplan might be the way to go. You can get the TD Aeroplan Infinite card in Canada right now. It has a great promo with no annual fee in the 1st year, and 20K miles (plus another 5K if you add an authorized user). That’s one roundtrip flight free. You can also get the TD Aeroplan Visa Signature card in the U.S. from TD Bank, which also comes with a first year annual fee waiver and a 25K welcome bonus. So that’s 45K miles in welcome bonuses, with no annual fees! If you’re flying short-haul, that 3 free round-trip flights!
You can also take a look at the United MileagePlus Card, which has no fee first year and gives you 30K United Mileage miles, you can book Air Canada with through Star Alliance. Also check out Chase Saphire card, which comes with a welcome bonus of no fee first year, and 50K miles, which you can transfer to United 1:1 and use to book Air Canada through Star Alliance (you have to spend $4K in first 90 days).
As you can see, our focus would be on your opportunities to churn and earn free flights through the many welcome bonus offers available to you. You have a good 2-3 years worth of free flights if you play your “cards” right!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
do you have any comments on IHG Mastercard. 60,000 bonus points no foreign transaction fees. I stay at Crowne Plaza quite a bit. I have a Marriot card it is good but Marriot Hotels tend to be quite a bit more expensive so I often chose Crowne.
Hi Stephen,
Canada no longer has an IHG credit card program (Capital One terminated the partnership last year). The promotion you are referring to is only available on the Chase IHG card for U.S. residents. Chase’s online application for IHG does not accept Canadian addresses.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello,
My husband and I used our RBC Infinite Avion Visa to purchase tickets to Germany. Although the RBC website stated it paid up to $1300. CAD per ticket, when I submitted for reimbursement of a $1400. ticket, RBC paid back only about half the price ~$715.CAD. They do not pay taxes and other surcharges.
What is the best credit card for us to use for regular trips to Europe from Canada? We pay off our monthly Visa bill in total. We basically want to be be able to purchase and get full reimbursement (including taxes /surcharges) on any airline (Lufthansa, Condor, AC) etc.
Thank you.
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
If you’re looking for the ability to book any airline, including taxes and fees, there are several good options:
1. American Express Gold Rewards card: No fee 1st yr, 25,000 point welcome bonus ($250), 2 points per dollar spent on gas, grocery, pharmacy and travel ($2 rewards for $100 of spend), 1 point everywhere else. You can then apply your rewards against any travel expense on your credit card statement. Or, you can transfer your points to Aeroplan or British Airways Avios 1:1 with no fee.
2. MBNA Rewards World Elite: No fee 1st yr, $100 welcome bonus, 2 points per dollar spent on ALL spend ($2 rewards for $100 of spend). You can apply your points to any expense (not just travel), on your credit card statement.
3. Scotia Amex Gold: $99 annual fee, $200 welcome bonus, 4% earnings on gas, grocery, dining & entertainment spent, 1% everywhere else. You can apply your points to any travel expense on your credit card statement. Good insurance package.
CapOne has a book anywhere card as well. Also, BMO has a 2% earnings on everything card, but you have to book all travel through their website.
Some of your choice will depend on where you spend your money to maximize your rewards. However, we believe you should also really focus on the welcome bonuses for a few reasons. First, with a first year annual fee waiver, you can try the card, before you buy it. Second, some of these welcome bonuses offer significant value, especially with the annual fee waiver, allowing you to fly free faster. That’s why we like the Amex Gold Rewards card so much. They’re giving you $250 free, which you can use against any travel expense. It would take you approximately $20K in credit card spend to earn that level of rewards.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there. We are a family of five and try to go on vacations almost every year. The youngest is 2 hence we will have to pay full fare for him now. For the next year or so my 2-year-old and I will be travelling to and from the states every month and a half to two months. Which card would work best for my situation?
Thanks
Hi!
Since you intend on travelling with family, we would suggest the following:
1. The WestJet World Elite Mastercard: Great for families because of the $99 round-trip companion voucher you get EVERY year. It’s also great because you get free first checked bags for you and up to 8 travelling companions – each way. That’s $50 a person round-trip. If you live out west, you can also take a look at the Alaska Airlines card, which also offers an annual companion voucher for $118 that can take you as far as Hawaii!
2. The TD Aeroplan infinite card and the Amex Gold Rewards card, because of the first year free, and up to 25K miles bonuses. Each is enough for a free flight. Each of those bonuses would take you $20-$25 of spend to achieve. Why wait, when you can get a free flight just for getting a new card.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello, we currently have the CIBC Aeroplan Infinite Visa and after reading your blog were thinking of switching to the BMO Travel World Elite MasterCard since we currently bank solely at BMO. We already have a BMO air miles master card. We would like a travel card for the insurance and to get travel points. We put all our purchases on our card. If we already have a BMO Mastercard will we get the bonus points? Would the West Jet Card be a better option? I’ve also considered the American Express Gold Rewards card but a friend has one and I’ve been with her several times and businesses will not accept it. Currently, we typically only fly once a year but plan on travelling more. I was able to redeem my aeroplan points for a flight to Aruba next years which saves me a lot of money.
Hi Nancy,
A couple of considerations. First, if you plan on travelling with your husband a few times a year, the WestJet World Elite MasterCard will probably get you more value than the BMO World Elite MasterCard (if WestJet flies to your preferred destinations) because of the annual companion voucher for $99 and the free first checked bags for the cardholder and up to 8 travelling companions ($25 each bag, each way). You get one companion voucher per year, which allows you to purchase your spouse’s ticket, on the same itinerary for any available round-trip flight for $99 to anywhere in North America. WestJet now expanded the program to other destinations (Caribbean, Mexio, Hawaii & London) at other phenomenal prices as well.
The WestJet card does come with Travel medical insurance, and trip delay, but it does not come with trip cancellation insurance, which the BMO card does. The BMO card also comes with 4 lounge access passes.
The BMO card offers 2% rewards on all spend, while the WestJet card offers 1.5% on all spend and 2% on WestJet spend. BMO’s card comes with a $150 annual fee, WestJet with a $99 annual fee. But let’s say you spend $20K a year on your credit card, you’ll earn an extra $100 with the BMO World Elite card, but the WestJet card will save you upwards of $250 on a companion voucher, plus $100 in checked baggage fee per trip for the two of you, plus $50 in annual fees for a total of $400 in fees.
All in all, if you plan on travelling with your husband, and you’re willing to fly WestJet, we think you’ll get far more value from the WestJet card than with the BMO card.
Hope that helps you make your decision.
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks so much for replying. One thing that we did use with the aeroplan card was the insurance on rental cars. I suspect it’s included on the BMO card and not on the West Jet card? I know that if you put insurance on the rental car at the rental car company the aeroplan insurance is secondary. And I know it doesn’t cover trucks and the one place we like to travel to the norm is to rent a pickup truck so we bought the insurance there. In your opinion is this a big loss not having this coverage?
Hi Nancy,
Actually, you will have car rental insurance coverage with both the BMO World Elite and the WestJet World Elite Mastercards.
GreedyRates Staff
This was a great article! I am still having some difficulties figuring out which option may be best suited for myself. I spend around $1500/month on everyday items. I fly 2-3 times a year and go on other mini vacations which would add to that monthly spending. I don’t mind paying an annual fee if the rewards are worth it! I don’t have many bills to pay and am not a frequent flyer, however I would love to start earning points that would benefit by type of spending right now. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Cassandra,
We’re big proponents of deriving value from credit card welcome bonuses, as well as annual companion vouchers. Credit cards that offer annual fee rebates and welcome bonuses that can get you a free round trip flight, or hotel night, are the cheapest and quickest way to fly free with a credit card. To that end, both the Amex Gold Rewards and TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa have first year annual fee waivers and relatively strong welcome bonuses right now. The Marriott card has another good fee waiver and welcome bonus.
Using a credit card that also gets you a companion ticket is another great deal. The WestJet World Elite card gives you a companion voucher ANNUALLY, which you can use to buy return ticket to anywhere in North America for $99 (they’ve expanded the number of destinations). We also like the WestJet card because it offers free checked bags for you and up to 8 travelling companions, for any WestJet flight booked on your card.
That said, depending on where you shop, the Scotia Gold Amex will get you 4% in travel rewards on everyday purchases like gas, groceries, restaurants and entertainment expenses – yu can then redeem those points for any travel expense on your credit card statement. The Amex Gold Rewards card will get you 2% on gas, groceries, drugstore and travel expenses. If you’re willing to book and redeem your travel through Expedia, you’ll get 4.5% rewards on your travel spend through the TD First Class Infinite card.
All said, we would still say you’r best off focusing on the credit cards with the highest welcome bonuses. You’re getting a free flight, with no annual fee just for getting the card. In some cases, like the TD Aeroplan Infninite card, there is no minimum spend required. With the Amex Gold you only have to spend $1,500 in the first 3 months. And of course we like the WestJet World Elite MasterCard because of the annual companion voucher you get EVERY year you have the card – perhaps the best value in Canada if you fly with your spouse every year.
Hoe that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks for the quick reply!
The welcome bonus with the TD aeroplan visa infinite is hard to beat. I would onky pick TD over amex because of the places I shop at.
I also read a little about the MBNA rewards world elite and was wondering what the would be the winner between that and the TD card. Other than the awesome bonus for TD, I was thinking more for the long run (after any bonuses have been used).
Thanks!
Hi Cassandra,
The optimal card for future spend (as opposed to bonus, where the TD Aeroplan infinite card is the clear winner) would be a matter of preference. The nice thing about the MBNA Rewards World Elite is that you’ll get 2% on everything, and be able to apply it against any expense, including travel, on your credit card statement. Great value, maximum flexibility.
The Aeroplan card can certainly earn you more than 2% value per dollar spent if you pay attention to which flights you redeem for (it can even get you 4%-5%), and are patient enough to wait for the right opportunity. However, if you can’t be bothered being patient,and are inflexible with your dates it can get you less as well.
You’ll have to weigh your goals with the strengths and weaknesses of each program. That said, the annual fee waivers, and welcome bonuses of each card make them both ideal to try, because they’re both FREE. Then you can see which one ends up working best for you.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hey there! I am from Canada and am currently only holding cards that consist of no annual fee and cash back of around 1-1.25%. My “home bank” is TD. I spend money on groceries, gas, insurance, rent (which can’t really be used on credit, unless I pay via paypal) and everyday life stuff of course.
I am looking to get into a card that offers travel rewards but there are too many options. I am not worried about an annual fee. Can anyone offer their top 3 cards to consider?
Second question – do any of these free aeroplan miles you receive when you sign up expire? Can any aeroplan miles expire? Or are you always able to turn them over to the next year.
Thanks!
Hi Nick,
We’d go with the following 3 travel cards in your situation:
1. Amex Gold Rewards: because of 1st yr free, 25K welcome bonus ($250 travel credit or 25K Aeroplan miles good enough for a free round-trip flight anywhere in North America), 2 points per dollar spent on gas, groceries, drugstore & travel purchases.
2. TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa: because of 1st yr free, 20K +5K for authorized user welcome bonus, with no minimum spend requirement. Also good because it comes with trip cancellation insurance
3. WestJet World Elite MasterCard: This one is especially good if you travel with a spouse or family. It comes with a companion voucher for $99 every year, and free checked bags for you and up to 8 of your travelling companions. The $250 WestJet dollar bonus offsets the first year annual fee of $99
If you like hotels, you might also try the Marriott, which comes with no fee in the first year, a welcome bonus of up to 5 free nights with no minimum spend requirement and no foreign transaction fees.
Second question Aeroplan miles expire if the Aeroplan Member has not accumulated or redeemed Aeroplan Miles for a period of 12 consecutive months. So all you have to do is accumulate 1 Aeroplan miles or redeem 1 Aeroplan mile and another 12 month clock period starts. Purchasing a pack of gum will do.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Thank you for this very informative website in helping the consumers out. Been doing some research and here’s my preliminary conclusion: feedbacks appreciated. I’m looking at a more-or-less dedicated travel card…will be doing a bit of international flying in the upcoming 6 months (Canada-US, US-Taipei, Taipei-Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Singapore, Singapore to Papua New Guinea), but also in some in less developed countries where AmEx may not be as widely accepted (Visa or MC should be okay). In the future most travel will be done in Southeast Asia—with occasional trips back to Canada.
Robust travel insurance is a definite plus—and so is ability to apply those points effectively (flexibility may not be the most important, but being able to apply them without too much hassle is important).
AmEx Gold Rewards card comes highly recommended in many reviews: I do like the flexibility and simplicity, but the market share may limit its usefulness and also it lacks trip cancellation (only trip interruption) coverage.
TD Aeroplan Infinite VISA looks appealing, but not 100% sure (maybe incorrectly so) about committing to Aeroplan/Star Alliance redemption program. The flexibility of buying your finding/buying your own tickets then get redeem points against those purchases seem pretty great…that opens the door for all airline possibilities. But with all the bonus miles up front, it seems like I could use those against the upcoming trips in the next six months.
These two are the ones I’m currently “zoning in” on. The other potential runner ups are RBC Infinite Avion Visa or BMO World Elite MC….but both seem inferior to the two above.
Wading through all these information is not very easy…so any 2¢ that you might have will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Derek,
We don’t want to cop out on this one, but because both the Amex Gold Rewards Card and the TD Aeroplan Infinite cards both have first year annual fee waivers, why not get both? Just pace out the applications a few weeks.
There’s no minimum spend requirement to get the 20K-25K Aeroplan miles from the TD Aeroplan promo, and you only have to spend $1,500 in 3 months to get the 25K points from the Amex Gold Rewards card. You can then decide to use the Amex Gold points as cash ($250) against any travel expense, or you can convert them to Aeroplan miles 1:1 for free, ending up with 45K-50K Aeroplan miles completely free.
This gives you the chance to double your welcome bonus and try both cards for free.
By the way, one of the big advantages of using Aeroplan, if you plan on flying to multiple cities, are free stopovers. On any international flight you can book up to 2 stopovers, of at least 24 hours. You can take as long as you’d like between each stopover.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks. That was a good suggestion. I had seriously not thought of that. 😀
Is the Aeroplan stopover advantage something from TD card only or just Aeroplan in general. And do you mean that’s only available when you book with your Aeroplan miles? I had not known that. That’s a really huge plus if that’s the case, since stopping over at different countries/cities is going to be a repeated and necessary part of our travels going forward.
Hi Derek,
The stop-over benefit is a feature of the Aeroplan loyalty program, which is only available when you redeem Aeroplan miles. It is one of the features of the Aeroplan program that really isn’t matched by an other loyalty program. If you can use it, it makes the program worth it in spades.
GreedyRates Staff
We are shopping for a 2nd credit card, to be used to accumulate rewards for airline travel.
We have a Westjet Elite card and love it when we are going somewhere WJ or their partners fly – however, are finding that we are going places they don’t go. For example – inter-island in the Caribbean.
We have tons of Air Miles with BMO MasterCard, but find that flights are not available or have highly undesirable schedules, Air Miles is now deleting “stale” points, and we can’t use the miles to upgrade our seats.
We like that we can take our WJ “dollars” and book without any restrictions at all as long as they fly to our destination.
What other program will give us the broadest choices of who we fly with and unrestricted flight availability on those airlines?
p.s. – regarding ‘churning’ credit cards… I was told that this will lower your credit rating. Yes?No?
Hi Marlene,
There are several Canadian credit cards that allow you to redeem miles for any travel expense on your credit card statement. The MBNA Rewards World Elite gives you 2% rewards, waives the first year annual fee, and comes with a $100 bonus. The Amex Gold Rewards card comes with a 25,000 point bonus ($250), waives the first year annual fee, you get 2% on gas, grocery, drugstore and travel expenses, 1% everywhere else – and of course you can exchange your points to Aeroplan giving added flexibility. The Scotia Amex Gold gives you 4% on gas, grocery, dining & entertainment, 1% everywhere else, $99 annual fee. The Capital One Aspire World Elite also provides 2%, $150 annual fee.
With respect to churning, it will only lower you credit score noticeably if you do it excessively. If you apply for a credit card once every 2-3 months you should be fine. Even if it does impact your score it will be minor and it will recover as soon as you press pause. We’ll take a free flight welcome bonus any day of the week, if it means going from a 730 to a 720 score for 45 days. Just don’t apply for 3 cards in one week. Space it out.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi GreedyRates,
I have both your number one pick, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite. I’ve had both for years and years (although TD used to be CIBC). For my purposes (travel, using points accumulated for free-ish flights) both are good. In all the message boards and all the ratings sites there is one important and integral thing missing though, one really important distinction: Purchase posting dates.
I agree the TD card is excellent. I’ve flown on points all over Asia, Australasia, Africa, Europe and South America thanks to Aeroplan. I think the CIBC to TD transition was a good shake up for the Aeroplan program and that Aeroplan despite its many detractors is actually a really utilitarian online tool.
But let’s assume you travel. Let’s assume you have these cards because you travel. Then I must say that the TD has one huge fault that is pure misery: Purchases are posted online on your account 48 hours afterwards. Your credit decreases, the system recognizes you’ve made a purchase, but a third party processes your purchases and it doesn’t appear online on the TD site for two days. I feel like I’m living in a castle throwing sewage over the edge in a moat. What is TD thinking?
Not so with RBC. Instant. Whether you’re in Vancouver or Vanuatu, you buy a coffee and it’s online. If you travel, and I do, there is no comparison to this security. I mean come on TD, it’s 2016: If you want users to be responsible and take steps in case of any fraudulent activity, clients need to see their transactions online. But we don’t just want to see our transactions immediately, we deserve to see our transactions immediately. And we don’t.
A second strike against TD is that foreign transactions come through converted. It’s a lesser strike against them but, again, if you travel, and you travel a lot, it’s a big one. RBC converts the currency and shows you the currency rate you received on your transaction.
So, like I said at the start, the TD card provides great benefits, but there is absolutely no way it should be number one until all the users, all the reviewers, collectively demand TD upgrade the “two day” lag on posting transactions and come clean on transparency with currency rates on exchanges.
Well it seems like this post is quite active so I have a question as well. I am choosing between the BMO World Elite card and the RBC Avion cards. They would mostly be used for gas purchases and vehicle maintenance so I would say $800/month or so would be spent. Which one of those two would you guys suggest or think is better and why? Thank you in advance.
Hi Mike,
If you had to choose between the BMO World Elite and the RBC Avion cards, we would recommend the BMO World Elite MasterCard for the following reasons:
1. Both come with annual fees, but the BMO World Elite welcome bonus is almost double the size of the RBC Avion card at this time (in dollars it’s about $300 for BMO vesus $225 for the Avion).
2. With the BMO World Elite MasterCard, you will always earn 2% rewards for each dollar you spend – not so clear with the Avion card (usually get about 1.5%)
3. The insurance package of the BMO World Elite car is better (longer out of country travel medical, higher trip cancellation coverage).
4. The one thing we like about the Avion card is the opportunity to transfer points to British Airways, American Airlines and WestJet. There are some value opportunities in some of those conversions, especially when RBC has a promo. You have to be committed to finding them. Then again, the BMO World Elite masterCard allows you to book any airline, any time, you just have to do it through their travel centre.
5. The BMO World Elite card also gives you 4 free lounge passes every year, if you value lounges, that’s a nice plus as well…
A few other cards you might want to consider if your spend will mostly come from gas:
1. Scotia Amex Gold: 4% rewards on gas purchases, redeem for any travel expense on your bill
2. Amex Gold Rewards: 2% on gas, no fee first year, 25K welcome bonus ($250), redeem for any travel expense on your bill or exchange to aeroplan 1:1 for free
3. MBNA Rewards World Elite: 2% on everything, no fee first, year, $100 welcome bonus, redeem for any travel expense on your bill or for cash back.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi. Your article on Best Canadian Credit cards is amazing. I had a few questions, that I was wondering if you can help with. My BMO world Elite Master Card has just come up for renewal & they now are charging besides the annual fee of $150 an additional $150 for additional users , which make it very un -affordable (I joined a few years back when there was some promotion going on). What Master Card would you recommend?
As well, the TD first class travel visa is highly touted, but I have never been able to get a bang for my buck when it comes to travel redemption with them. I do not currently pay the annual fee ,a s it is included with my monthly fee for my bank account with TD, but I am also looking to opt out of that card & will need a new Visa Card , would the Aeroplan be a good choice now with their current promotion or can you recommend something else? As a side note, my main travel redemption is travelling from Toronto- New York New Jersey area.
Thanks
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the nice words!
1. The annual fee on the BMO World Elite Authorized User card is a bummer. A nice 2% MasterCard alternative is the MBNA World Elite MasterCard. It comes with no fee in the first year, so you can give it a try for free, and a $100 welcome bonus. But what’s really nice about it is you get 2% per dollar spent, same as the BMO card, but you can redeem your rewards against any expense on your credit card statement, including travel expenses. The annual fee after the first year is only $89 (not heavy on travel insurance), and there is NO fee for authorized user cards.
If you travel with a companion or family you might also want to consider the WestJet World Elite card. Although it comes with an annual fee, you get a companion ticket EVERY year that can take you, return, to any destination in North America (NY-NJ). Plus, you get first checked bag free for you AND those travelling with you, for any WestJet flight booked with your card – not just rewards flights. That’s a savings of $50 per person (return).
2. We also like the TD First Class Infinite card – but it really only packs value if you can use it to book flights on Expedia and redeem on Expedia – if you can, you’re getting 4.5% return which is massive. For an alternative Visa card, as a TD customer you will find a lot of value in the TD Aeroplan card. It currently has a no fee first year offer, 20K welcome bonus with no minimum spend requirement (15K on activation, 5K if its open and in good standing for 90 days, plus an additional 5K if you get an authorized user card which is $50). The welcome bonus alone will get you from Toronto to NY – with no annual fee in the first year you have nothing to lose – its a completely free trip just for signing-up for the card.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks again. Your responses to all, seem to be quite insightful. I think I will go for the TD aeroplan . & cancel the 1st class travel. I find that I tend to use the points tickets for most of my last minute flying, which if you were purchasing for $ is always in the $600 range , that is why I am not seeing much value from the TD travel .
Regarding Mastercard ,I realized that I do have the Capital One Platinum Master card, which only allows me one authorized user (which is my wife) but i need 1-2 more for my children. Like you said for the 1st year I do not have to lose with the MBNA being that there is a sign up bonus + no fee 1st year.
Is there any hoax with the Dejardin Visa, that offers 60 day Travel Insurance??
Lastly, I signed up for the Marriot rewards Visa a little while back when there was that promotion of (30,000?? points) + i have a few users in The USA & wanted to avoid the foreign transaction fee. when the annual fee kicks in I assume the Rogers Visa would be a better choice?
Thanks
Robert
Hi Robert,
There’s no hoax with Desjardins’ travel insurance. The card is relatively light on rewards, and there’s no welcome bonus or annual fee waiver. It really competes on insurance – but does so very well. It looks like Desjardins designed it to cater to many of the snowbirds who go down to the U.S. during the winter months.
Absolutely correct on replacing the Marriott card with the Rogers card to avoid foreign transaction fees. You could also go with the Amazon card, but with the Rogers card you’ll get 1.75% cash back on all of your purchases, including foreign, whereas you’ll only get 1% with the Amazon card.
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks for your quick response.
Thanks again for the insight. The Dejardin visa card even with the annual fee is worthwhile,as it is cheaper than most annual plans you can buy for 30 day travel (which I have bought for the last few years for my children attending summer camp in the USA).
Regarding replacing Marriot (still have a year) I happen to already have the amazon, as I got it when there was some promotion & never cancelled it. Does one get a decent conversion rate for USD purchases with these Canadian “no transaction fee ” cards , as I have USD $ credit card as well.
It seems very worthwhile to sign up for the various credit cards that have nice signing bonuses with 1st year fee waived even if you wouldn’t use it after reaching the spending threshhold. Including, Amex Gold, Amex Air miles etc…
Thanks
Robert
Thanks for your quick response.
Thanks again for the insight. The Dejardin visa card even with the annual fee is worthwhile,as it is cheaper than most annual plans you can buy for 30 day travel (which I have bought for the last few years for my children attending summer camp in the USA).
Regarding replacing Marriot (still have a year) I happen to already have the amazon, as I got it when there was some promotion & never cancelled it. Does one get a decent conversion rate for USD purchases with these Canadian “no transaction fee ” cards , as I have USD $ credit card as well.
It seems very worthwhile to sign up for the various credit cards that have nice signing bonuses with 1st year fee waived even if you wouldn’t use it after reaching the spending threshold. Including, Amex Gold, Amex Air miles etc…
Thanks
Robert
Hi Robert,
All of the credit card out of country medical travel insurance packages are great for families. They cover spouses and dependents, whether you fly, drive, bike or walk over the border. Awesome deals.
The no foreign transaction fee cards offer great conversion rates, pretty close to market rates. However, our study found that MasterCard averaged 38 basis points lower than Visa 70% of the time on foreign exchange over 52 days.
We’re right on board with you regarding welcome bonus offers. We think everyone should be signing up for credit card offers with welcome bonus offers and annual fee waivers. There’s no risk, all reward. You may just want to space out your applications a little bit, and watch-out for minimum spend requirements. Other than that, it’s the quickest way to free flights.
GreedyRates Staff
I have both the SPG and Marriott cards because I spent a lot for business. Yes the Marriott sign up bonus is good, but the issue not addressed here is the number of points to actually book a room under each program. I can book the Westin Grand Central for 12000 points with SPG, but for a similar (actually inferior) hotel in the Marriott group would require at least 35000 points and as many as 70000 points. Thats 3 or 6 times the spend required to get a free room. SPG points are that much more valuable, which is the issue being discussed as a result of the purchase of SPG by Marriott. The conversion will have to be at least 3 Marriott points for every SPG point when the programs are merged.
Hi Travelling Cobbler,
We completely agree. The SPG card does have a higher earn rate on spend. However, we liked the Marriott credit card because of the high welcome bonus with no minimum spend requirement, first year annual fee waiver, annual free room voucher and no foreign transaction fees.
It will be very interesting to see what Marriott decides to with the SPG program, which obviously has a very strong following. Marriott’s CEO, Sorenson, has been quoted saying “I think we can make sure the benefits stay the same or get better, but offer them a broader selection.” I cannot imagine a scenario where Marriott just converts SPG points 1:1 to Marriott Rewards points.
Great observation,
GreedyRates Staff
great article. very thorough in comparisons.
My only question is, are there any cards that will give you bonus for reapplying? forexample, If I get signup bonus and close the account and apply again 6-12 months later, will I be able to get the signup bonus again. I’m sure it wont be possible with all the cards but are there any that allows this?
Hi Ozman,
Thanks for the kind words!
What you’re referring to is called churning. Signing-up for a new credit card, getting the welcome bonus, and doing it again. Rinse, wash, repeat. While many Canadian credit card issuers are trying to limit churning. There are still some where the practice has not been completely eliminated.
For example, TD Aeroplan and TD First Class allow churning, but reserve the right to limit abuse. Their language is as follows: “If you have opened an Account in the last 6 months, you will not be eligible for these offers (meaning, you have to wait 6 months). We reserve the right to limit the number of Accounts opened by and the number of miles awarded to any one person.” (TD Aeroplan currently has a no fee first year, 20K mile welcome bonus, plus another 5K if you add an authorized user).
The RBC WestJet World Elite MasterCard also doesn’t have any restrictions on churning (it comes with a 250 Westjet dollar welcome bonus, 99$ annual fee, and companion ticket)
The Chase Marriott Visa card does not have any restrictions on churning (no fee first year, 30,000 welcome bonus)
In general, MBNA, whether it be the Alaska Airlines or MBNA World Elite account doesn’t limit churning either.
The Scotia Amex Gold card also allows churning ($200 welcome bonus, $99 annual fee).
Hope that answers your question,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi guys, great article!
I just have a question regarding what a good choice would be for me, a student. I make just around $15,000 annually while still in school and I was wondering 1.) what the best travel rewards card I can get is (because it looks like for most you need an annual income much higher than 15k, and 2.) whether there are any good student deals on travel rewards cards? I am not concerned about paying the typical annual fee of $120, I just want to get a card that gives me the most travel! Thanks!
Hi Danny,
Thanks for the kind words! As a student, a credit card issuer will take more than just your income into account, they will also take your credit history into consideration. As such, your best bet to get approved is probably a no fee student credit card to start.
The two best cards with travel rewards redemption opportunities for students are the no fee MBNA Student Rewards card, where you earn 1 point (valued at 1%) in rewards for every dollar you spend, plus you get a $10 welcome bonus and an additional $10 every year as an anniversary bonus.
Another good student credit card option is the no fee student BMO SPC Air Miles credit card. It currently comes with a limited time offer of 500 Air Miles rewards on sign-up, and you get 1 mile for every $20 you spend. The welcome bonus is valued at $75, better than MBNA’s, but the rewards on ongoing spend of .75% is lower than MBNA’s 1%. The nice thing about Air Miles is that you can combine your earnings from your credit card with Air Miles you collect from the loyalty program as well, which will help you accelerate your earnings.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
I am looking to sign up for my first travel rewards card. My monthly expenses are paid to city taxes, energy bills, car/house insurance, cell phone bill, cable bill, transfers to my line of credit account, groceries, retail stores, restaurants, online shopping (PayPal,Amazon/eBay/Costco, etc.). I would love to start traveling but it isn’t in my budget so I’m looking to earn points for free travel. Which travel card will give me the best rewards based on my spending? Can any or all of my expenses (cell phone bill, utilities, etc.) be applied to a credit card and then paid off each month? If I used my credit card to make monthly payments to my line of credit will that count towards travel points? WestJet is a big carrier around where I live and usually has the best seat prices although Air Canada is an option too. I currently have an Air Miles account and accumulate points when I make purchases at retail stores and have 2500 dream miles. Any suggestions? I was going to sign up for a credit card (or more) today since the deadline for the TD Aeroplan Infinite card ends tonight.
H DeeBee,
There are two strategies to think about when getting a new travel credit card. The first, is getting a credit card with the best welcome bonus. The second is to get a credit card that maximizes your rewards on spend.
We love concentrating on the first strategy because for many people, it provides so much more value – more points faster – than focusing on rewards from spend. Let’s say we take a look at the TD Aeroplan offer that expires today. It’s offering 25,000 miles, with no annual fee in the first year. That’s the equivalent to around $20,000 in credit card spend that you’ll be getting just for keeping the account open and in good standing for 90 days. You can get an additional 25,000 points from the Amex Gold Rewards card (which you can transfer to Aeroplan 1:1 for free) also with no annual fee in the first year. That’s incredible value.
Now, we also believe you should maximize your rewards on your existing credit card spend. To help you do so, we would recommend you use our credit card comparison tool, which will show you the dollar value of each credit card’s rewards program to you, based on your spend.
To answer some of your questions, yes, you can put all of your expenses on your credit card, pay it down at the end of every month, and you will still be credited with the cards points/miles/cashback.
Don’t be afraid to get multiple cards, although you might want to space out your applications, every few months. Right now getting the TD Aeroplan Infinite offer is a great choice, combined with the Amex Gold Rewards card, you’ll have 50,000 Aeroplan miles, with no annual fee in the first year. That’s enough for two free roundtrip tickets to anywhere in continental North America.
The WestJet World Elite MasterCard is also a great choice. You get a $200 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus, and a companion ticket EVERY year, which is tremendous value, if you have someone to fly with! There is a $99 annual fee, but it’s well worth it with the welcome bonus and companion ticket.
Bottom line, don’t be afraid to get more than one card. Try to find offers that make choosing a new card free to try… Use our calculator to see different options that optimize your rewards on future spend, based on where and how much you spend.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
I am 57 and my husband is 61. We are going to travel the entire 2017 year in our RV all over North America as well as 2 months in Austrailia and New Zealand. We currently have our home phone/TV/internet with Rogers but will cancelling that at the end of 2016 since we will be away. We would like the best situation to collect air miles for our trip to Australia and also want excellent travel/health insurance. After reading this article, I’m thinking of combining the TD Aeroplane VISA Infinite Card and the American Express Golf Rewards card. Is this the best option for travel rewards and travel insurance?
Thank you very much. I found this article to be extremely helpful.
Hi Sandra,
Those are good selections. We’d recommend booking your travel with your Amex Gold Rewards card, so that you get 2 points per dollar spent.
With respect to insurance, if you’re looking for travel medical insurance, the best available on the market for a long term trip will be from Desjardins, which offers free out of country medical coverage for up to 60 consecutive days and up to $5 million dollars in claims.
With respect to using a credit card while out of country, we’d strongly recommend getting the Rogers card. You’ll save 2.5% on foreign transaction fees, and get 1.75% cash back, which you can redeem as a statement credit. Remember, the Rogers card is free for the first year regardless of whether you’re a customer or not, making it free for you. In addition, you’ll get a $35 welcome bonus, which will cover the minimal $29 annual fee in the second year, should you decide to keep it then.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
We are both 69 and travel by plane once a year but do small trips to the states. Medical is high for us now. Are we covered even if we have some medical issuses at our age with the TD Aeroplane and we usually book flights according to best price…are we limited with whom we book…A
Hi Lynda,
The TD Aeroplan Infinite card has travel medical coverage for people 65+ for 4 consecutive days when out of province (21 consecutive days if you’re under 65). You can take advantage of those 4 consecutive days however many times you want throughout the year.
With respect to which medical condition are covered, we would really recommend customers read the insurance certificate to get comfortable with the individual card’s policies. That said, the TD Aeroplan infinite card’s plicy does say the following about pre-existing conditions:
Stable means any Medical Condition or related condition (whether or not the diagnosis has been determined) for
which there have been:
• no new or change in medication or dosage;
• no new or change in Treatment;
• no new or increase in frequency or severity of symptoms;
• no referral or recommendation to see a specialty clinic or specialist;
• no pending test results or testing; or
• no pending surgery or other Treatment.
In general, you’re allowed to have a medical condition, there just can’t be a recent change or pending information/treatment.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi, great article, appreciate all the comments to learn of other customers experiences. I have a question regarding how one moves from card to card. I have a platinum american express but I see now on the website it has a 2000 reward miles offer. Do I cancel my current card and reapply? Is this process the same with any card to get the best deals?
Hi Teresa,
Do you currently have the Platinum Card, or the American Express Air Miles Platinum credit card? If you already have the American Express Air Miles Platinum credit card, Amex recently changed it’s rules so that you can’t apply for the same card twice and get the bonus. However, you can apply for a different Amex card and get each of their bonuses, once.
If you’re looking for additional free Air Miles collector points from credit card welcome bonuses with no annual fees, check out this review which shows all the Air Miles cards in market with their current welcome bonus offers. You can get the Sobeys Air Miles card, which has no fee and 400 miles, the Amex no fee Air Miles card which offers 500 Air Miles.
Many issuers are not as strict and will allow you to cancel and re-apply continuously. Most, have language in their footnotes that leave themselves the discretion to stop awarding bonus points, after multiple applications.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
Thanks for the post! Can you transfer the TD Aeroplan Visa points to Aeroplan?
Hi Jack,
Thanks for the question! Yes you can consolidate your miles into one account. All you have to do is enter your Aeroplan loyalty number when you apply for the Aeroplan credit card, and every time you use your credit card, the Aeroplan miles will automatically accumulate towards the account you designate.
If you don’t already have an Aeroplan loyalty number, one will be automatically created for you when you apply for the credit card. You will then be mailed the loyalty card separately by Aeroplan – so you can double dip at Aeroplan partners!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello and thank you very much for shearing your a wealth of knowledge on the murky credit card business.
I am completely green in the credit card field, so I only had regular credit card, (TD Emerald 4.9 interest) . TD recommended that I should change the card to TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card or TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card. I am not a frequent traveler, maybe fly once or twice a year, and every 4-5 years to Europe. I might not able to limit my travel by booking trips trough Expedia, or only fly with Air Canada. Often rates are better with other carriers. Also, Avis Rent a Car or Budget rental might be not operate where i need to rent a car. Any thoughts on which card (TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card or TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card) would be the best choice for me?
Ether way, In addition to one of the TD card I going to take your advice and apply for the Amex Gold Rewards Card.
Thank you very much, your advice is very much appreciated.
Hi Gizelle,
Thanks for using GreedyRates and your kind words!
If you’re choosing between the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card and the TD First Class Travel card, we’d recommend the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite right now.
The current promotion on GreedyRates.ca, until May 27th, is the best we’ve ever seen for the card, with no annual fee, a 25,000 mile welcome bonus with no minimum spend requirement & double bonus miles for the first 90 days.
Remember, you can fly on more than just Air Canada with Aeroplan (Star Alliance partners include United Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air China and 23 other airlines). In fact, your taxes and fees are even cheaper when flying on a partner airline versus Air Canada!
GreedyRates Staff
Can you fly with WestJet? I try only to fly with WestJet.
Hi Isabelle,
Actually you cannot redeem your Aeroplan Miles to fly WestJet. If you only fly WestJet you might want to consider the WestJet MasterCard World Elite card. Aside from the rewards, the nice features of the WestJet card, are the annual companion voucher ticket you get EVERY year, free first checked bags for you and up to 8 travelling companions, partial redemptions, and of course the $250 WestJet dollar welcome bonus. It’s ranked second in our airline card category above.
GreedyRates Staff
TheThe American Express® Gold Rewards Card I’m not sure i understand it. I get the bonus points for spending 500 (can this be by buying the airfair with first purchase ?) Then I can use those points to cover my bill – but it says it has to be paid in full each month so I assume the time it takes for everything to show up will be an issue ? I want to fly from BC to Mexico city and was in the market for a new card anyway and some of these seem to indicate they could basically get me a free round trip ? Problem is it’s specific dates ID need so id need a card that didn’t restrict time frames .
Hi Jared,
Let’s see if we can clarify things.
1. You spend $500 in month 1. Your account will then be awarded the 25,000 welcome bonus points within 1-2 statement periods. The 25,000 points are either worth $250 if you keep them as American Express points, or you can transfer them to Aeroplan or Avios 1:1.
2. After your 25,000 point bonus has been awarded to your account, you then book travel to Mexico for a ticket that costs $600.
3. After you’ve booked the ticket, you can call American Express, and have them apply your $250 welcome bonus to your flight to Mexico. You will then only owe American Express $350, when paying off your credit card statement.
Does that help?
GreedyRates Staff
Greetings,
I was so happy to have found this article with all of this current, consolidated information! However, now I feel overwhelmed. Lol!
I was trying to choose between the TD Aeroplan and the TD First Class Travel Infinite…I currently have an RBC Gold Rewards card and am finding it very hard to build up my points. I have an account also with TD, so I inquired there. I was informed that the First Class Travel Infinite was perhaps the better choice for me due to its flexibility and ease of use when redeeming the points (less restrictions etc)… Essentially, I need a credit card that will give me “the most for the least”. I’m looking to obtain travel points for family trips (two adults, two kids). My spending is average… groceries, gas, daily expenditures etc. We fly maybe twice a year…
What are your thoughts?
Hi Teena,
The most effective way to get “the most for the least”, is by signign-up for multiple credit cards with attractive welcome bonuses.
Right now the TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa card and the Amex Gold Rewards card (transfer points to Aeroplan 1:1) each have fantastic promos offering no annual fee in the first year, and 25,000 miles (enough for a round trip flight to anywhere in North America). That gives you 2 free flights, just for signing-up for 2 new cards. You would have to spend close to $50,000 to earn the same number of points.
There is no minimum spend requirement for the TD Aerplan Infinite card, and only a $500 min spend in 3 months for the Amex Gold Rewards.
With Aeroplan you have to be willing to be a little flexible – if so, there is good value to be found. Also remember to try to book through partner airlines, such as United, to reduced taxes and fees. Better yet, if you can fly out of the U.S. (not sure where you live) your taxes and fees will be negligible.
Take a look at some of the other credit cards out there with strong welcome bonus offers (preferably with no annual fee in the first year). Cards such as the MBNA Rewards World Elite (no fee, $100 welcome bonus), The TD First Class Visa is a good offer right now with $200 welcome bonus and no fee first year, Alaska Airlines, has a 25,000 point bonus which you can transfer to multiple Airlines, comes with an annual companion ticket, and a low annual fee of $75.
For ongoing rewards, the TD First Class Infinite card is an excellent card if you spend a lot on travel and are willing to book and redeem your flights through Expedia. If not, there are better cards out there.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
can you please list credit cards that provide travel accident and medical insurance including out-of-province coverage without using the credit card to pay for air tickets and hotels? Thanks!
Hi Fred,
Almost every credit card that provides out-of-province travel medical insurance covers you regardless of how you travel. Even if you travel by card into the U.S. you’re still covered.
We did a blog post comparing the insurance of many of the top Canadian credit cards and their travel insurance coverages here. The post and its data is kept up to date.
That said, the best travel medical insurance coverage is not offered by the top travel credit cards. For exceptional travel medical insurance, you will want to look at Desjardins, National Bank and the CUETS World Elite cards. Those 3 offer the best travel insurance in the country in our opinion.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello! I keep getting letters from TD offering the bonuses described above if I switch from my TD Platinum Travel Visa to the TD Aeroplan Infinite. Any thoughts? I quite like the card I have–I’ve had it forever. But if it’s no longer offering benefits comparable to other cards, it might be time to switch. Thoughts?
Hi Michelle,
You should definitely switch to the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card from the TD Aeroplan Platinum card. First of all, the sign-up bonus alone is worth the switch – first year annual fee, 25K aeroplan miles, plus additional 5K if you add an authorized user, plus double points for the first 90 days ) exclusive on GreedyRates.ca by the way – that offer is available no where else). It would take you more than $25,000 of credit card spend on your Platinum card to get those miles, plus you’d be paying your annual fee.
In addition, you will earn more per dollar spent with your Infinite card. Getting 1.5 miles in gas, grocery, drugstore and AirCanada.com purchases, and 1 mile everywhere else. The Platinum Aeroplan card only gives you 1 mile for gas, grocery and drugstore spend and .67 miles per 1 dollar spent everywhere else 1 mile per 1.5 dollars spent).
You will also get significantly better travel insurance protection, including trip cancellation and out of province/ out of country travel medical insurance, which the Platinum card does not include.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I’m with Royal Bank Visa Gold Rewards.
I would like to switch to a more rewarding card, cash back, travel miles.
We usually fly once or twice a year. ( more than 5k kilometers)
We spend 30 to 40k yearly on credit card
??
thanks
Hi Dan,
With $30K-$40K annual spend the RBC Visa Gold Rewards card is definitely the wrong card for you. It only offers you 1 point per dollar spent, giving you around 1% in rewards per dollar spent on your card. You can easily double that.
With your spend, there are two approaches you can take. First, you can focus on getting a new credit card with a sizeable welcome bonus. As we’ve stated before, two very attractive offers right now are the TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa card (no minimum spend required) and the Amex Gold Rewards card (convert points to Aeroplan or Avios 1:1, $500 minimum spend in first 3 months) – both come with first year annual fee waivers, both come with enough bonus points for a free return flight to anywhere in North America.
The other approach, is to focus on a card that offers you maximum value for your $30K-$40K annual spend. We’re at a little bit of a disadvantage here, because we don’t know how you spend your money, or what you’re looking to redeem for. That said, you might want to consider a card that offers you 2% value on all of your spending regardless of category with no limits, like the MBNA Rewards World Elite card. the advantage of the MBNA World Elite card is that it’s kind of a all in one card. You can redeem your points for cash back (spend $40K, you’d earn $800 cash back per year), or you can redeem your points against your statement (book your travel anywhere and apply the dollar value of your points against your travel, or you can redeem for merchandise, gift cards, etc…
You can also check our comparison tool, which will tell you how much you can earn from each card, based on how much you spend and where.
Let us know if you have any additional questions. Glad to help and thanks for using GreedyRates.ca!
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks a lot
Highly appreciated !!
I use the tool you’ve suggested
We are a family of 5
so big grocery bill, a lot of gas
scotia momentum is on top,
followed by CIBC and MBNA
FYI
royal gold only give you 1 per 2 dollars spending
which is worse than previously thought.
wow
great web site by the way
Have a wonderful day
Hi there, for years I’ve had the CIBC world elite MasterCard and I think it’s time for me to look around to see what the best credit card is for travel rewards when you balance the cost and value of the yearly fee. Am I better to cancel my existing card and get another one and if so what would be the best one that you would recommend?
Hi Donnie,
You’re almost always better off getting a new credit card. Most of the value offered by a credit card is in the Welcome Bonus i.e. 25,000 miles, no annual fee first year. Many welcome bonuses are worth over $350, and it’s given away free. Unfortunately, that type of value is only offered for new accounts. It’s also a great opportunity to try a new card and rewards system, to see how it works for you. If you get a new card with first year annual fee promotion, it’s free to try.
There are some great promotions going on right now including the TD Aeroplan Infinite card (no fee first year, up to 30K miles, 2X bonus points in the first 90 days, no minimum spend, offer good through GreedyRates until May 27th), and the American Express Gold card (no fee first year, 25K points, points can be transferred to Aeroplan or Avios 1:1, $500 minimum spend in 3 months). Get both those cards and you have 2 free round trip tickets to anywhere in North America – completely free! Both cards are listed above in the article.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
When applying for the TD Infinite Travel Card, do you already have to have an Aeroplan Number?
Thanks
Hi Dianne,
If you’re not already an Aeroplan member, a new Aeroplan number will be automatically created for you when you apply for the credit card.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
First I would like to thank you for such an extensive post. It has been very helpful.
We are in the process of changing credit card companies due to my husband being over 65 now. We have spent hours on the phone with BMO and Allianz and have always got different answers with regards to insurance coverage each time we phoned. It has been frustrating, many have told us that if I become the primary card holder ( I’m 57 ) my husband would be covered under me. we would call back to make the application only to be told something different each time. Finally, we were about to purchase BMO World Elite 31 day insurance package (29 up charge from the 21 day ) as my husband would supposedly be covered. I was sent the policy just so I could double check for myself and it looked to be correct. I called back to make the application and was told he would have to pay an additional $249.00.
Thanks to your wonderful research I think we will go with the Desarjin Odyssey Gold Visa and perhaps get the Rogers MasterCard as we live on the US Border and do a lot of trips to the States. My point here to everyone is to please be very very careful if purchasing a CC for the insurance as many “experts” don’t know what they are talking about.
I would have loved to have stayed with BMO as we have been with them for over 30 years but we will have to make the switch to get a better insurance rate and would like a CC with a decent point system. Thanks again!
Hi Robin,
Thanks for the kind words and insightful comments!
We would always recommend each person review their credit card insurance policies themselves to understand the coverage, eligibility, limitations and exclusions. Your comment is a great reminder to do just that. Not every policy is right for each person, at every point in their life.
When you ask a customer service rep for clarification, ask them to refer you to the section within your policy, so you can evaluate their response yourself.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the rest of us.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi. I am new to this discussion, so please forgive any ignorance. I have had a RBC Visa Avion card for years, and have used it to book flights many times. I always thought there was an advantage to this card because the points could be applied to the purchase of any ticket on any airline, like money. However, I am now confused by the discussion of Aeroplan and Avios – I always thought there were limited tickets available on each flight that could be purchased by consumers via aeroplan points – has this changed? Also, I just received a request from RBC to upgrade my card to a Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card, but the annual fee is a whopping $399 per year, with another $99 for other cards on the same account – we currently pay $199 per year for both our cards. Any thoughts on whether this is worth it? Thanks!
Hi Natalie,
The advantage of the RBC Avion Privilege over the Avion Infinite card is that it offers you 1.25 points per dollar spent, versus the Infinite which offers 1 point on all spend, and 1.25 points on travel. The Privilege also offers six lounge passes, dedicated VIP fast track through security at select airports, and an automatic upgrade to Fairmont President’s Club Elevated membership. If that worth the incremental $300 to you then go for it – we don’t think it is.
Frankly if you’re looking for lounge passes, you’re better off with the BMO Rewards World Elite card, which gives you 4 passes, with a 2% return on all spend and only has a $150 annual fee with no fee for supplementary cardholders… You can book any flight from their travel center, using your points same as cash, i.e. have $400 in travel credits, apply it against a $400 flight 1:1.
That said, we always recommend people watch out for the best welcome bonus offers, as that is where the majority of the value will be in a rewards card, especially if you’re willing to switch every few years, and keep collecting those free trip welcome bonuses. We especially love welcome bonuses with no annual fee offers, like the current TD Aeroplan promotion for above or the Amex Gold Rewards promotion above – both offer free return flights to anywhere in North America, and no annual fee in the first year.
One thing to note relative to your question regarding the Avion card, there is a distance based flight grid, with points required for each region, i.e. 15K for short-haul flights, similar to Aeroplan, although there are no restrictions, as you pointed out. While you can use the same as cash feature with Avion, you will not get as much value when doing so. You’re much better off using the grid or converting your points to Avios, etc…
With Aeroplan, you can avoid some of the availability issues with Market Fare pricing, but you’ll be paying a premium for it.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
How would you compare the Rogers™ Platinum MasterCard® with Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card from Chase? Thanks.
Hi Max,
From the perspective of using the cards for foreign transactions, we would recommend the Rogers MasterCard. The reasons are as follows.
1. Amazon.ca only provides 1% cash back on foreign transactions, including purchases at Amazon.com. Rogers provides 1.75% cash back on all purchases and the cash back can be redeemed as a statement credit (not just for Rogers goods).
2. Amazon.ca is a Visa card, Rogers is a MasterCard. Visa charges a higher exchange rate than MasterCard 70% of the time and is cheaper by .38%.
3. Add the higher cash back earnings and the better average exchange rate offered by MasterCard and you’ll get about 1.13% better value per dollar spent with the Rogers MasterCard.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
The Mariott rewards welcome bonus of 30000 points is only applicable to Category 1 hotels. At this time (March 2016) there are no category 1 hotels in Canada; therefore, making this bonus unusable for those who want to use it within Canada. Also, it is ironic that they announce this bonus as an exclusive Canadian offer.
Hi Debbie,
We called Chase and Marriott and confirmed that you can use the 30,000 bonus points for ANY category hotel, not just category 1 hotels. So even though Canada may not have any category 1 hotels (the cheapest of the bunch), you can use your points for any category 2-9. The offer still has tremendous value if you want to book a Marriott in Canada – 3 free nights at a category 2 hotel in Canada.
Regardless, 30,000 points (3-4 nights), plus an e-certificate for a free night at a category 1-4 hotel, and no annual fee in the first year is as rich a welcome bonus as you’ll get. Chase & Marriott are giving away 4-5 free hotel nights just for activating your card with no committment, cost or risk on your end.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello. I’m single, don’t own a car and don’t travel much or stay in hotels so chances for me to accumulate points are limited. I was however a happy AMEX Gold Rewards user until recently because of the referral program. As you know that’s no longer the case. Now I was okay paying $150 a year given the advantages of the card and that fact that I could get at least 10,000 reward points with at least one referral per year so i figured it would almost ofset the $150 fee. Now that there is no referral bonus anymore I am looking to cancel the Amex Gold Rewards. Should I convert the points to Aeroplan or Avios ? I’ve had good luck with Aeroplan so far (I redeemed 3 trips) but I am tempted to convert to AVIOS because AMEX is offering a 25% bonus until March 28th when Aeroplan won’t give you more than the 1:1. Is Avios better or easier to use than Aeroplan. What are the pros ans cons of each program ( Star Alliance vs One World for instance).
Hi Andre,
Great question. Choosing between Aeroplan or Avios will depend on where you want to travel and how you want to get there. Avios is a distance based program, while Aeroplan is a fixed point redemption program. Since Avios devalued its points recently, the disparity between the two has dropped dramatically.
Each program will have availability issues. ideally, you would pick your destination, compare the redemption requirements of each, and redeem for the program that gives you the best value. having the Amex Gold Rewards card allows you to do that. Cancelling it, will force you to make that choice/switch now. That’s why we value the Amex Gold Rewards cards as being the most flexible in Canada – you can optimize your value by shifting your points from Member Rewards, to Aeroplan to Avios each flight, depending on which one gives you the most value.
Here are some of the major differences. If you’re looking to fly within Canada, Aeroplan is your only choice, you can’t redeem Avios for any domestic flights. If you’re looking to fly American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways or One World alliance partners go Avios. If you’re looking to fly Air Canada, United Airlines or Star Alliance go Aeroplan.
Ultimately, since you’ve been having luck with Aeroplan ( and we don’t know the specific routes you’re looking to redeem for), we would say stick with Aeroplan.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I see that American Express is only allowing first time card applicants to get bonus points so that people do not cancel their cards after a year and wait for some time to reply to get the bonus again. Are the other credit card companies that also offer bonus points doing this also? Additionally, it looks Ike Amex is only allowing you to “refer a friend” for the same card you have and not for the same general type of card. For example, in the past, if you had a platinum card, you could refer someone for a platinum, a gold or a regular card but it doesn’t seem like that any more.
Hi Sherri,
To answer your first question, several issuers will allow you to re-apply for a credit card multiple times and remain eligible to receive the welcome bonus attached to each new offer.
That said, most issuers will have a minimum time frame between account openings with language like this “If you have opened an Account in the last 6 months, you will not be eligible for these offers.” And many will give themselves the right “to limit the number of Accounts opened by and the number of miles awarded to any one person”, which kind of gives them the catch-all to limit gamers. That said, whil emany maintain the right, many do not have the capability to monitor gamers. Examples of issuers that allow for it are TD, BMO, RBC and CIBC.
You are correct, you can only recommend someone to a credit card that you have. It seems like Amex is trying to avoid the “gamers”, who were recommending cards to friends and others, just so they could get the points. While one could say Amex should benefit from that, we’re guessing, a lot of the accounts generated by that activity we’re churning heavily, and just not owrth it to Amex.
Moreover, as opposed to selling credit cards on behalf of Amex, if you’re recommending a card, it probably should be a card your familiar with. That would tend to once again limit the gamers, who’s referrals ultimately made it unprofitable for Amex. Many were offering their links in forums and what not.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi guys, enjoyed reading through this updated list – definitely looks updated from the 2015 version and very informative.
I just had a couple queries/gripes:
Why did RBC Avion somehow displace the Scotiabank Gold Amex in the flexible category? The 4% earn rate on groceries/gas/dining/entertainment is unbelievable. I realize the insurance package is not as generous but RBC points are only worthwhile when redeemed at pre-determined amounts or when converted to Avios or AAdvantage miles – something the average consumer will fail to get great value out of (which the airlines count on). To me, this card is far from the flexibility offered by either Amex. Anyways I’m sure you guys have some thoughts that I haven’t considered so I was interested to hear them.
Second, I think you may have rejigged your categories slightly from 2015 but I do think the BMO World Elite Mastercard deserves some love. Earning 2% on absolutely everything, in addition to a top notch insurance package AND 4 complimentary airport lounge visits a year would be beyond useful to many consumers and takes the guesswork out of fooling around with potentially frustrating airline loyalty programs like Aeroplan. Based on your assessment of TD’s Aeroplan Visa being ahead of the RBC Westjet Mastercard though, it is clear we see things differently. Haha 🙂
William,
Thanks for the great question. Invariably, making any selection is a tough task. RBC squeezed out Scotia Gold because of the number of programs it allows cardholders to transfer points to, often with transfer bonuses (WestJet, Avios, American Airlines, Asia Miles, Esso), the high value that can be achieved on short-haul flights through partners, and the high value that can be achieve on last-minute flights through the Avion redemption chart.
That said, we continue to think the American Express Gold Rewards card is the most flexible of all: redeem for any travel or transfer to Aeroplan and Avios, (with better earn rates than the RBC Avion card).
Here are some of the details behind our rationale:
1. Why we chose The RBC Infinite Avion over the Scotia Amex Gold:
a. First, let’s start off by saying, the Amex Gold is a very good credit card, with a high earn rate in everyday spend categories. However, part of our thinking here is, if you want to get 4% on gas & groceries that you can redeem for any travel, why not get a 4% cash back card (Scotia Infinite Momentum or CIBC Infinite Dividend), and leave yourself the flexibility to redeem for ANY expense on your credit card statement with cashback? Plus you’ll get the advantage of having a Visa card instead of an Amex for easier point accumulation opportunities.
Also remember, the average Canadian may spend $9,000 a year on gas & groceries. But most people with premium travel cards spend much more on no everyday spending categories, usually an additional $14,000. So we’re also looking for value in non-everyday spend categories, beyond the 1% the Scotia Amex Gold provides.
b. Second the avion card allows cardholders to convert points to Westjet, American Airlines, British Ariways Avios, Asia Miles, Shoppers Optimum and Esso Extra points. But what makes that special are the transfer bonuses that RBC often provides i.e. 30%-50% transfer bonuses to Birtish Airways Avion, 20% bonus when converting to Westjet, etc…
c. The Avios program is a distance based progam, meaning, it requires increasing point levels as flight distances increase. Our calculations show that (despite some recent devaluations), the program continues to have superior value for short-haul flights. In general short-haul flights (toronto-new york, montreal-chicago) require 15,000 avios points return. But the taxes and fees are far lower than an Aeroplan redemption.
d. The Avios program still has one of the best redemption values for short-haul flights within Europe and Asia of 4,500 Avios points, 9,000 return.
e. The Avios program also offers great value when flying to Asia, through Cathay Pacific flights. Asia Miles also offers superior value.
f. The avion program is a chart based redemption program. As a result, the program can offer very good value when redeeming for flights at the last minute, since those flights tend to be more expensive. In those circumstance, you can get values in the redemption chart as high as 2.3 cents per point.
There is obviously something to be said for the Scotia Gold program, which allows you to redeem for any travel. That said, we did include a separate category for that feature specifically. MBNA and CapOne won that category for reasons you can read in the post.
No one card will be perfect for everybody. Ultimately, you may find the Scotia Amex Gold works best for you.
GreedyRates Staff
Very well thought out. Thank you very much for the reply and for all the information. Would you guys happen to know of a way to convert Shoppers Optimum to RBC points? I have never been able to find a way to convert in that direction and was curious if you guys are aware of a method. Thanks.
Hi William,
Thanks for the kind words.
With respect to transferring points from Shoppers to RBC, you’re right, nothing obvious. Easy to do the inverse though. Calls to RBC were fruitless. One avenue you could check is Points.com, to see if they allow for transfers from Shoppers to RBC, and at what cost, if any. Let us know the result.
GreedyRates Staff
So I see that TD infinite is your recomendation for being one of the best for travel.. I had a CIBC Infinite before however when Aeroplan was sold or transferred or whatever happened I was told that I then had to switch over to TD Infinite which I did.. Now for a couple of reasons I am now thinking that I might go back to CIBC which I”m now told that I can do that… but do the two card have the same coverage ?? I know that the annual rate is the same but not sure about every thing else,, thankyou
Hi Terry,
Both cards have the same coverage i.e. travel medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption, flight/baggage delay, car rental, extended warranty, purchase assurance. The two notable differences are:
1. The TD Aeroplan Infinite card covers you for trip interruption up to $5,000 per person, while the CIBC Aeroplan Infinite card is limited to $2,000 per person.
2. The TD Aeroplan Infinite card covers you for lost or stolen luggage up to $1,000 per person, no group limit. CIBC Aeroplan Infinite covers you for a max of $500 per person, with a $1,000 group limit.
We respect your decision to switch back to the CIBC Aeroplan Infinite card. The reason why we preferr the TD Aeroplan Infinite card is because 1. It has no annual fee in the first year. 2. It has a higher welcome bonus of 25,000 miles (anthother 5K if you get an authorized user card) versus 15,000 for CIBC. 3. Get 3 miles per dollar spent instead of 1.5 miles per dollar spent in first 3 months on gas, grocery, drugstore and aircanada.com purchases. Everything else is pretty similar.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
Thanks for this review! One thing I was wondering about though, I ready have a Mastercard, but it has a foreign transaction fee. Would it be a bad idea to get another Mastercard? The Amazon Visa seems like another option, but I like the higher percent on money back from Rogers. Plus, I have a Rogers cell plan. Any idea if having two of the same type of cards is a negative thing? Thanks for any answers!
Hi Ashes,
There’s no issue at all with having multiple MasterCards. In fact, it’s a good idea to have at least 2 credit cards from different credit card issuers. First, it’s always good to have an extra card in your wallet in case your card gets lost, stolen or frozen. Second, it’s good to have two cards from different issuers so that if your relationship with one bank sours (line reduction, account closure, contested payment, rise in rates, etc…), it doesn’t impact your other card. All of those decisions are made by the credit card issuing bank (TD, RBC, CIBC, BMO, CapOne, Rogers, Canadian Tire, Scotia, Chase, MBNA, etc…) not by the network (MasterCard, Visa).
Whether you have two cards from the same network (MasterCard or Visa) makes no difference at all, both are accepted in virtually all of the same places.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
How does the Scotiabank American Express Gold compare?
Hi Yvonne,
The Scotiabank American Express Gold is also a very strong card. It allows you to earn 4% in gas, groceries, dining & entertainment, 1% everywhere else. It comes with a $99 annual fee, and currently has a $200 welcome bonus. The nice thing is it’s also pretty flexible, allowing you to redeem the cash value of your rewards gainst any travel expense on your credit card statement. It also comes with a strong insurance package. For those who mostly spend in the gas, groceries and restaurant categories, it may just be the best card at a 4% earn rate.
We considered it in the “book anything, anytime, anywhere category” as it has the same redemption scheme as the MBNA rewards and CapOne Aspire card. Ultimately, the MBNA World Elite MasterCard won because it offers 2% everywhere, and you can redeem your rewards not just against your travel expenses (which don’t includ taxis), but against any expense. We also like that the MBNA card always waives the first year annual fee, making it free to try. We believe, just like a pair of jeans, or a car, you should have the option to take a card for a spin to see if you like the product, redemption process and customer service before you’re obligated to pay an annual fee.
Thanks for the reply. Am I right that the Scotiabank American Express Gold does not allow you to convert points to Aeroplan? While the American Express Gold Rewards card above does?
That is correct Yvonne. You can only convert your Amex Gold Rewards points to Aeroplan 1:1. You cannot convert your Scotia Gold Amex points to Aeroplan at all. Despite similar names, there is no relationship between the Amex Gold rewards card and the Scotia Gold American Express Card.
GreedyRates Staff
How does the Scotiabank Amex Gold compare?
Seems odd that Desjardins offers a more expensive Platinum card that offers a higher (1.5%) reward rate, similar insurance, but omits the very valuable mobile device insurance. Is that your understanding as well?
Hi Geoff,
It seems that Desjardins has positioned the Odyssey Gold as the “comprehensive insurance” travel card and the Visa Prestige Platinum as the “rewards” travel card. While the Odyssey Gold comes with Mobile insurance, its travel medical insurance is also more robust, lasting 60 consecutive days. However, it only gives you 1% rewards per dollar spent.
The Visa Prestige Platinum on the other hand offers a higher earn rate of 1.5%, but has no mobile insurance, and its travel medical insurance covers you to a lesser 23 consecutive days.
There’s a reason no other issuer offering higher rewards rates is able to match Desjardin’s inclusive insurance package – they can’t afford both.
Thanks for highlighting the difference and bringing it to our attention,
GreedyRates Staff
How about ASPIRE MasterCard? It has 2% return if you redeem point towards travel expenses also bonus $400 in points. Cancellation insurance, trip interruption and etc.
Hi Andrei,
The CapOne ASPIRE World Elite MasterCard came in as the runner-up in the Best “Book Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” Travel Credit category above. It came second to the MBNA Rewards World Elite card, because the MBNA card also provides 2% rewards, but you can redeem for any item on your credit card statement, not just travel. In fact you can even have MBNA send you a check or deposit your 2% rewards into your bank account at no extra charge. Moreover, it comes with no annual fee in the first year, making it free to try. That said, the CapOne Aspire does come with a higher welcome bonus, and more robust insurance.
We also liked the MBNA Rewards World Elite card because it comes with a first year annual fee waiver, with an ongoing annual fee of only $89, compared to Capital One Aspire’s annual fee of $150.
Best,
GreedyRates Staff
Where these all the travel cards you compared?
Hi Helen,
We included all of Canada’s credit cards in our comparison. The winners listed above, are the credit cards who ranked as the best in each of their respective categories.
GreedyRates Staff
Scotiabank’s credit card. “Momentum” does not have foreign transaction 2.5% charge and no annual fee…PNM
Hi PNM,
Actually, that is incorrect. Scotia is only waiving the foreign transaction fees on the Sears MasterCard’s it converted over to the Scotia Momentum card. All new Scotia Momentum cardholders, or original Scotia Momentum cardholders are charged the 2.5% foreign transaction fee as per their terms and conditions:
“When the transaction is posted to your account, in addition to the exchange rate, you will be charged a foreign currency conversion mark-up equal to 2.50 % for each foreign currency transaction.”
Hope that helps clarify things.
GreedyRates Staff
Is there a low cost/ no fee card that is in US$ . I assume no transaction fees are applicable as long as card balance is paid in US$
Hi Harvey,
If you already have U.S. dollars, then a U.S. dollar card is the way to go. If you don’t have US dollars, then a no foreign transaction fee credit card will be cheaper than a US dollar card.
The reason is because a no foreign transaction fee card converts your US dollars at interbank, or the spot rate – no margin. While if you have a US dollar card, and have to convert CDN dollars to pay your US Dollar Card statement, the bank or any exchange bureau will charge you the interbank/spot rate plus margin to convert your moeny.
That said, most Canadian banks offer a US Dollar card, however, most seem to charge an annual fee of around $35-$39. BMO’s US Dollar Card waives the annual fee of $35, if you spend a min of $1,000 – hopefully that helps you get to where you want to be. None come with any type of rewards. Not sure why.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Harvey, I work for RBC, and we offer a no-fee US$ Visa card through our USA banking operation. The application is roughly 15-20 minutes to complete, and then the card is mailed right to your front door in 2-3 weeks. Easy as pie.
Thanks, great addition. Just one note to our readers, the RBC U.S. dollar card sates that you must “have an existing personal account at RBC Royal Bank (Canada) or RBC Bank (U.S.)”. Is that correct Joshua?
Yes, that’s true, I have one. But at $2.95/month service fee for the chequing account, at 36$/year that is cheaper than the RBC USD card on this side of the border
When you did your comparison of airline credit cards, did you simply use lowest fare or net fare after surcharges? My recent experience using Aeroplan points for a transatlantic flight gave a value of less than one cent per point. Air Canada’s fuel surcharge is one of the highest of any airline and points do not cover that! Incidentally it costs 3 cents a point if you need to buy extra points! No value there. Avion from RBC is my choice!
Hi Edna,
Our calculations did in fact, take into account taxes, fees and other incremental charges when calculating the value per point or mile. Our study was conducted over 15 flights to different locations, in different seat classes. Obviously different routes have different redemption values, and if you are going to be an Aeroplan user, we do recommend you be prepared to be flexible with your dates, to get maximum value.
We do have one tip to increase the value of your Aeroplan miles. We found that if you’re able to book your Aeroplan redemptions through United Airlines or other partner airlines, you’ll find your taxes and fees much lower than if you booked the same route with Air Canada. You’ll also notice better redemption values when booking most business or first class tickets.
GreedyRates Staff
I would suggest that Amazon’s Visa card is an excellent option for a no foreign transaction fee card. 1% cash back on all purchases, 2% cash back on all purchases made on Amazon Canada, no annual fee.
Hi Joe,
Not a bad option either. We recommend the Rogers card ahead of the Amazon card because it offers 1.75% cash back on ALL purchases, and you can redeem your cash back as a statement credit against all purchases (Rogers & non-Rogers). Also, the Amazon card will only get you 1% rewards on US dollar purchases, including at Amazon.com, while Rogers will get you 1.75% everywhere, including Amazon.com – that’s a big difference.
So for foreign transactions, with Rogers you’re getting the equivalent of 4.25% in savings (2.5% foreign transaction fee savings + 1.75% cash back), while with Amazon you’re getting 3.5% (2.5%+1%).
GreedyRates Staff
I agree. I mentioned the Amazon card as perhaps a better runner up option than the Marriott. They also have good customer service. If the Rogers Card customer service is anything like Rogers telecom….ouch.
About a week ago, a friend and I made the purchased identical items at the same store in Colombia within a moment or two of each other.
I used a gold Amex and it cost $67.71CDN. My friend used the Marriott Rewards visa, and it cost $65.07.
This could add up over several weeks on the road…….
Hi Tim,
Great test. Interesting that the difference in price is close to 4%. One piece of that is obviously the lack of a foreign transaction fee on the Marriott Rewards Visa card charged by the issuer (credit card company), which should account for 2.5%. The other difference is in the foreign exchange which the network (Visa/Amex/MasterCard) charges. Seems like Amex came in a little high on this one compared to Visa.
Thanks for sharing!
GreedyRates Staff
Does the fact that the Rogers card tranfers your purchase firstinto USD then into CDN not mean that they ding you twice, lessening the 2.5%advantage of “no transaction fees” — trying to decide whether to get this specifically for a European trip
Hi Bilzebub,
There is absolutely no impact on the cost of your foreign exchange, this is a big misconception. Whether Rogers converts directly from Euros to CDN, or from Euros to USD, and then USD to CDN, makes no mathematical difference. We’ll show you the math using the the real exchange rates MasterCard used for Feb 11, 2016.
1. Euro to USD =.886289. US to CDN =.713725. Now multiply .886289 X .713725 =.632566
2. Euro to CDN = .632567
You can see there is absolutely no difference, except for what amounts to a rounding error.
MasterCard isn’t charging a tansaction fee everytime it performs a currency conversion. It’s using wholesale rates. As a result there’s no impact on your exchange rate by using the USD as the base currency. What consumers also need to realize is that Rogers does not control how the exchange is performed, MasterCard does. We actually believe every issuer does it the way Rogers articulated it, because that’s the way MasterCard does it. The other issuers just haven’t gone to the length of describing MasterCard’s currency exchange process in detail in their disclosures, because there is no impact to the cardholder.
Hope that helps clarify things.
GreedyRates Staff
Wow, that was so thorough, thanks — gonna get one now!
This was a terrific piece. Very helpful. Beyond the foreign transaction fee, Is there a card that consistently has the best market currency conversion rate for US travel?
Thanks Captain!
Beyond the foreign transaction fee, it would be the networks (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, Amex), that set the currency conversion rate. MasterCard states that it “uses multiple market sources (such as Bloomberg, Reuters, Central Banks and others) to develop exchange rates. These rates generally reflect either wholesale market rates or government mandated rates that are collected during the daily rate setting process.”
We just took 3 sample dates, to take a look at what Visa and MasterCard charged to convert CDN to US dollars on each of those dates. The results were as follows:
Feb 15 Visa 1.396660 CAD
Feb 15 MasterCard 1.384800 CAD MasterCard Wins by $.01186
Feb 11 Visa 1.400060 CAD Visa Wins by $.00074
Feb 11 MasterCard 1.400800 CAD
Feb 8 Visa 1.391961 CAD Visa Wins by $.00579
Feb 8 MasterCard 1.397400 CAD
They really are pretty close, and it seems to be inconsistent. It seems, and we’d have to do more research here, that when MasterCard wins, they win big, but when Visa wins, the margin is much smaller. As a result, over the 3 transaction periods, MasterCard came out ahead by $.00533, even though it lost 2 out of the 3 days.
It looks like you’d be far better off choosing the card with no foreign transaction fee, where the difference is 2.5%. Which bank you choose should not make a difference, and it seems difficult to asses which of Visa or MasterCard offers better exchange rates.
Hope that helps Kirk,
GreedyRates Staff
This was very helpful. A great service of value to most Canadians. We’ll be referring to your blog in ours (retireworryfree.ca) in the weeks ahead.
Thanks again!
Thanks Captain Kirk! We look forward to it!
Is there any advantage at all to getting the Amex platinum card?
Hi Paul,
In our opinion, the biggest advantages to the Amex platinum card are (potentially justifying the $699 annual fee):
1. 50,000 welcome bonus points
2. $200 annual travel credit
3. Automatic upgrade to Starwood Gold prefered membership, Fairmont’s President’s Club membership, Club Carlson Platinum membership & HH Honours Gold Status
4. Complimentary lounge access, with guest
5. Complimetary companion ticket & upgrade to first class on select flights
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
The Rogers Platinum MasterCard is ranked here as the best No Foreign Transaction fee credit card in Canada, but what is the value of the rewards accumulated? The Rogers bank website states “10,000 Rogers rewards points is valued at $35.” So with an annual spend of $25000 using the Rogers MC at 1.75% earn rate, will the cardholder receive $437.50 cashback as a statement credit at the end of the year? Or is the value less unless their rewards are applied against a Rogers group monthly bill (mobile/cable/internet etc). With the Chase Amazon.ca Rewards Visa, also with no foreign transaction fee/annual fee, for example, 100 points= $1.
Hi Alex,
The Rogers MasterCard gives you 1.75% cash back on all purchases, which you can redeem against any items on your credit card statement, at full value.
To your first point, Rogers does value 10,000 Rogers points at $35, making each point worth .35 cents, however, it provides the equivalent of 5 points per dollar spent per its terms and conditions: “Rewards are calculated on the Canadian dollar amount of Net Purchases. Rewards will be calculated as
follows: 5 points per $1 spent of the Canadian dollar value of Net Purchases charged to your Account (equivalent to 1.75% of Card Purchases).” 5 multiplied times .35 equals 1.75%.
Secondly, despite Rogers preference that you redeem for Rogers rewards, you’re allowed to redeem for any item on your credit card statement, not just Rogers items, once per year as stated in their terms “Or, you can contact Rogers Bank once per year to receive an annual statement credit for the value of the rewards you have earned during that period.”
Alex, I hope this helps clarify the terms of the Rogers card. With 1.75% cash back on all purchases, with no fee in the first year, and a sign-up bonus of $35, which takes care of the annual fee in the second year (if you’re not a Rogers customer), we think this is a great option for foreign purchases.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff