BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®* vs BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*: Which one is better?

BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®*

BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Welcome Bonus
Get 1,200 AIR MILES Bonus Miles when you spend $1,500 in net card purchases (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit, or debit adjustments) in the first 110 days from the Credit Card open date. Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months, 2% fee applies to balance amounts transferred*. This offer ends on June 1, 2026.
Welcome Bonus
Get up to 90,000 points and the annual fee waived in your first anniversary for both the primary cardholder and authorized users.** This offer ends on January 31, 2026.
Our Cash Offer
N/A
Our Cash Offer
$75 $125 Cash Rebate offer from FinlyWealth
Promotional rebate expires on Aug 31, 2025
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$63.16
Air Miles
First Year Bonus Value
+
$216
Air Miles
Annual Fee
-
$0
First Year Value
$329.16
$63.16 in years after
Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$307.13
BMO Rewards
First Year Bonus Value
+
$301.5
BMO Rewards
Annual Fee
-
$150
$0
First Year Waived
Finly Rebate
Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$733.63
$157.13 in years after
Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
How to Earn Rewards
- 3x Miles points per $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners
- 2x Miles points per $25 spent on eligible grocery purchases
- 1x Mile point per $25 spent on all other eligible purchases
How to Earn Rewards
- 5x points per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases (up to $15,000 spent)
- 3x points per $1 spent on eligible dining, recurring bill payment and entertainment purchases (up to $10,000 spent per category)
- 1x point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
Insurance Included
Extended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 days
Insurance Included
Extended Warranty
Double up to 1 yearPurchase Protection
90 daysLost or Stolen Baggage
$500/person, $1K/tripBaggage Delay
$500/person, $1K/tripCar Rental Damage & Theft
$65,000 up to 48 daysTravel Accident
$500,000/personHotel Burglary Insurance
$1,000Emergency Out of province Medical
$5M up to 21 daysTrip Cancellation
$1,500/person, $5K/tripTrip Interruption
$2K/person, $10K/tripFlight Delay
$500 after 4 hours
Extra Benefits
Car Rental Discount
20% off base rate of participating National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-CarDiscount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookingsDiscount
Up to 7 cents off per litre on Shell® fuel if you are an AirMiles collectorDiscount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada, and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas
Extra Benefits
Car Rental Discount
20% off base rate of participating National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-CarDiscount
Up to 7% discount on Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookingsDiscount
20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada, and 15% off resident shows in Las VegasDiscount
FlexiRoam: Stay connected around the world without a SIM card and get up to 15% off a Global Data Roaming plan plus up to 3GB of data, free.Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass
4 complimentary visits
Interest Rates
Purchase:
21.99%1
Cash Advance:
23.99%1
Balance Transfer:
23.99%1
1 Terms and conditions apply. Each balance transfer is subject to a fee of 2% which will be charged to your account on the date the balance transfer is posted to your Account.
Interest Rates
Purchase:
21.99%
Cash Advance:
23.99%
Balance Transfer:
23.99%
Annual Fee
$0
Annual Fee
$150
$0$
First Year Waived
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
$80,000
Min Household Income:
$150,000
Loyalty Program
Loyalty Program
Point Redemption Options
Most Optimal
Travel
18¢ / pointStatement Credits (Cash)
10¢ / pointMerchandise
9¢ / point
Point Redemption Options
Most Optimal
Travel
0.67¢ / pointStatement Credits (Cash)
0.5¢ / pointMerchandise
0.45¢ / pointFinancial Products
0.67¢ / pointEntertainment
0.64¢ / pointGift Cards
0.48¢ / point
Is this card worth it?
The BMO Air Miles Mastercard is an excellent option for those looking to collect Air Miles without paying an annual fee. With bonus earning opportunities at Air Miles partners and grocery stores, this card is ideal for regular Air Miles collectors. It also offers perks like fuel savings at Shell and a competitive balance transfer rate, making it a versatile card for everyday purchases. However, its limited rewards outside of partner stores may not make it the best fit for those who don't frequently shop at Air Miles-affiliated retailers.
Is this card worth it?
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is perfect for frequent travelers who want a premium card offering high earning rates on travel, dining, and entertainment, plus valuable travel perks like lounge access and comprehensive insurance coverage. If you travel often and can meet the income requirement, this card offers flexibility and peace of mind with both rewards and protection while you're on the go.
Pros
- No annual fee: The card is free to hold, making it a cost-effective way to collect Air Miles.
- Bonus miles at partners: Earn 3x the miles at Air Miles partners and 2x the miles at grocery, liquor, and wholesale stores.
- Fuel savings: Save up to 7 cents per litre at Shell stations, with the potential to save up to $100 annually.
- Balance transfer offer: 0.99% promotional interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months.
Pros
- Generous rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on travel, 3 points per $1 spent on dining, entertainment, and recurring bills, and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Lounge access: Includes 4 free annual lounge passes through Mastercard Travel Pass.
- Comprehensive insurance: 14 types of insurance, including emergency medical and trip cancellation coverage.
- First year fee waived: Try the card for a year without paying the $150 annual fee.
Cons
- Low base earn rate: Earn only 1 Air Mile per $25 spent on all non-bonus purchases.
- Limited insurance: The card only offers basic insurance, such as extended warranty and purchase protection.
- Limited value outside Air Miles partners: Rewards earning potential is higher at participating partners, but significantly lower for general spending.
Cons
- Low point value: Points are worth only 0.67 cents each, which is lower than other cards.
- High income requirements: Requires $80,000 personal income or $150,000 household income, making it inaccessible for many.
- Limited lounge availability: Users have reported issues with lounge access.


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Legal
*Terms and conditions apply.
BMO AIR MILES Mastercard applications must be received between March 24, 2025 and June 1, 2026 (the “Offer Period”). 1,200 AIR MILES Bonus Miles offer is limited to new accounts. Existing BMO AIR MILES Mastercard customers who cancel their card during the Offer Period, and existing BMO Mastercard customers who transfer into this product during the Offer Period are not eligible.
Each balance transfer is subject to a fee of 2% which will be charged to your account on the date the balance transfer is posted to your Account.
BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
**BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard applications must be received between March 6, 2024 and January 31, 2026 (the “Offer Period”) to be eligible for this offer. This offer is not available to current or former BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard cardholders who reinstate a closed account or open a new account during the Offer Period. Existing BMO credit card cardholders who transfer into this product during the Offer Period are not eligible for this offer. This offer may be withdrawn or changed without notice.
In order to earn up to 90,000 bonus reward points, the following conditions must be met:
- 45,000 BMO Rewards welcome bonus points will be credited to primary credit cardholder’s Collector Account after you spend a minimum of $4,500 in net card purchases (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) within the first 110 days after the account open date. This 45,000 BMO Rewards welcome bonus points will be credited within sixty (60) business days following the qualifying $4,500 spend, provided the account is open and in good standing.
- Starting on Day 111 after account open date, an additional 3,750 BMO Rewards bonus points will be credited to the primary credit cardholder’s Collector Account for each subsequent 30 day period during which at least $2,500 in net card purchases (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) are posted to your account. This additional spend bonus will be earned only for the period beginning on Day 111 and ending on Day 482 from the account open date. 3,750 BMO Rewards bonus points will be credited within seven (7) business days after each 30 day period following the qualifying $2,500 spend, provided the account is open and in good standing.
The primary cardholder annual fee of $150 will be rebated in the first year and will appear as a fee and a credit on the primary cardholders first statement. Each Additional Card annual fee of $50 will be rebated in the first year if added at time of primary cardholder’s account opening and will appear as a fee and a credit on the first statement. After the first year, the annual fee plus any additional cardholder fees will appear on your Credit Card statement twelve (12) months after the Credit Card open date. If the Credit Card is cancelled within 365 days from the date it was opened, all Bonus Rewards earned within that period may be cancelled.