American Express Cobalt® Card

American Express Cobalt® Card

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American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

Apply Now

American Express Cobalt® Card vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Card: Which one is better?


American Express Cobalt® Card

American Express Cobalt® Card

5


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

3.4


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$1,096

American Express Membership Rewards


First Year Bonus

$315

American Express Membership Rewards


Annual Fee

$155.8


First Year Value

$1,255.2

$940.2 in years after

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$517

Air Canada Aeroplan®


First Year Bonus

$630

Air Canada Aeroplan®


Annual Fee

$120


First Year Value

$1,027

$397 in years after

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Insurance Included*

  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    yes
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $250,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    15 days

Insurance Included*

  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500 (Aggregated with Flight Delay)
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $85K, up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days, $1,000 per occurrence
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500 (Aggregated with Baggage Delay)

Extra Benefits*

  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™

  • travel

    Travel Credit

    Book two or more consecutive nights at participating properties through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel to receive a $100 credit for amenities or a complimentary room upgrade, if available.

Extra Benefits*

  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Amex Experiences™: From music and movies, to specially curated dining and online shopping opportunities, stay connected with all that we have to offer from the comfort of your own home

  • star fall

    Status lift

    Reach Aeroplan Elite™ Status sooner by earning Status Qualifying Miles and Status Qualifying Segments with purchases made on your account
  • luggage

    Free first checked bag

    Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands
  • bed furniture

    Free Extra Night at Hotels

    Receive an extra night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99%1

Cash Advance:

21.99%1

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

30% Annual2

Cash Advance:

30% Annual2

Annual Fee*

$155.8

Annual Fee*

$120

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Welcome Bonus*

Earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases on your Card in the first Year

Welcome Bonus*

Earn 30,000 Aeroplan® points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Aeroplan® points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13.

Rewards Rate*

  • 5x points per $1 spent on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery (up to 12,500 points per month)
  • 3x points per $1 spent on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada
  • 2x points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit & ride share in Canada
  • 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Rewards Rate*

  • 2x Aeroplan® points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®*
  • 1.5x Aeroplan® points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada
  • 1x Aeroplan® point on everything else

Point Redemption Options*

  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.765¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.63¢ / point

  • Most Optimal

    plane

    Transfer to Airline Partners

    2.1¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Fixed Point Travel Program

    1.66¢ / point
  • hotel

    Transfer to Hotel Partners

    1.66¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    1¢ / point
  • amazon logo

    Amazon.ca

    0.7¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.75¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.72¢ / point

  • Most Optimal

    flight plane

    Aeroplan® Flights

    2.1¢ / point
  • car rental

    Car Rentals

    0.9¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Travel

    0.825¢ / point

Is this card worth it?

This card was voted the Best Credit Card in Canada by FinlyWealth. The rewards earned on this card for a person with average spending exceed those of other credit cards in Canada by a huge margin! In addition, this card has a good benefits coverage, a flexible points redemption program (1:1 transfer to Aeroplan® or Avios), making it the best candidate to become the main credit card for the majority of people.

Is this card worth it?

This card comes with the free checked bag benefit, which can save hundreds on a single trip for you and your family, more than making up for the annual fee of the card. In addition, the card helps you reach the next Aeroplan Status faster with spending on the card. However, if you don't have a specific use for these two benefits, there are many better cards in terms of benefits and rewards.

Pros

  • Points can be transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan® at a 1:1 ratio, making this card a solid Aeroplan® points earner as an alternative to Aeroplan® branded credit cards
  • Generous welcome bonus of up to 15,000 points
  • 4+ different ways of redeeming your points for great value
  • 10 different types of insurance, including travel
  • Often referred to as the Best Credit Card in Canada

Pros

  • Free checked bag benefit: Every checked bag might cost you $60 - $100 per person on a round trip. The amount you can save in a year if you travel a few times or travel with a few companions can easily be much higher than the annual fee of the card.
    If you are interested in a higher Aeroplan Status, the card helps you get there faster.

Cons

  • Less acceptance of American Express at different merchants across Canada
  • Not all types of travel insurance are covered, especially trip cancellation and interruption insurance

Cons

  • The main reward category is only for Air Canada purchases. Unless you are a frequent Air Canada traveler, this reward category is not useful to most people.
  • The only other rewards category offered is for food, and it doesn't offer that high of a reward rate either.
  • In terms of insurance benefits, the types and coverage amounts provided are lower compared to other cards with a similar annual fee.

American Express Cobalt® Card vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Card: When to go for one over the other


Annual Fees and Requirements

The American Express Cobalt Card has a slightly higher annual fee compared to the American Express Aeroplan Card. However, neither card imposes specific income requirements, making them accessible to a broad range of users. The annual fee differences may be offset depending on how often you utilize the rewards categories.

Rewards Comparison

The American Express Cobalt Card focuses heavily on food-related categories, offering high rewards on dining, groceries, and streaming services. The Aeroplan Card, meanwhile, centers its rewards on Air Canada purchases and dining. Both offer substantial signup bonuses, but the Cobalt Card provides better ongoing rewards for everyday spending beyond travel.

Reward Redemption Options

One of the key advantages of the Cobalt Card is the ability to transfer points to airline partners, including Aeroplan, which enhances its flexibility and makes it a superior choice even compared to the Aeroplan Card. In addition, the Cobalt offers other redemption options such as cash back, travel, and gift cards. The Aeroplan Card primarily focuses on Aeroplan-related travel redemptions, limiting its versatility.

Benefits and Insurance

Both cards provide solid insurance coverage, including travel and purchase protection. However, the Aeroplan Card offers a unique benefit of free checked bags on Air Canada flights, which can save frequent flyers significant amounts. In contrast, the Cobalt Card’s benefits are better suited to everyday use, but it doesn’t match the travel perks of the Aeroplan Card.

Conclusion

The American Express Cobalt Card is best for those who want maximum flexibility and strong rewards across multiple categories, including the option to transfer points to Aeroplan and other airline partners. This makes it a better choice for most users. On the other hand, the Aeroplan Card is ideal for frequent Air Canada travelers who can take advantage of specific travel benefits like the free checked bag perk.

Legal


*American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment. Check here for full details and current product information.
1 If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 28.99%.
2 As a Charge Card, the balance must always be paid in full each month. 30% annual interest rate applies to balances not paid in full. Payments must be received and processed by the date of the next monthly statement to avoid interest charges.

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