bmo ascend world elite mastercard

BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*

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BMO VIPorter Mastercard

BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗

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BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* vs BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗: Which one is better?


bmo ascend world elite mastercard

BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*

3.1


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

BMO VIPorter Mastercard

BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗

4.1


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Finly Rebate

Promotional rebate expires on May 31, 2025

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$307.13

BMO Rewards


First Year Bonus Value

$301.5

BMO Rewards


Annual Fee

$150

$0

First Year Waived


First Year Value

$608.63

$157.13 in years after

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

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$242.03

VIPorter


First Year Bonus Value

$600

VIPorter


Annual Fee

$89

$0

First Year Waived


First Year Value

$842.03

$153.03 in years after

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

Insurance Included*

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500/person, $1K/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500/person, $1K/trip
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $65,000 up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $500,000/person
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Double up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1,000
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $5M up to 21 days
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500 after 4 hours

  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1,500/person, $5K/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $2K/person, $10K/trip

Insurance Included*

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    Up to $500,000 per insured person
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combined
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 8 days per trip
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    Up to a maximum of $500 per trip for all insured persons combined

Extra Benefits*

  • car rental

    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-Car
  • discount

    Discount

    Up to 7% discount on Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings
  • discount

    Discount

    20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada, and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas
  • discount

    Discount

    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.

  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass

    4 complimentary visits

Extra Benefits*

  • car rental

    Car Rental Discount

    Save up to 20% on National Car Rental®†† and Alamo Rent A Car®†† and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car®†† at locations worldwide using the Car Rental Booking tool
  • discount

    Discount

    Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas

  • discount

    Hotel Booking Discount

    Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada *
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    Priority check-in, security, and early boarding for up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99%

Cash Advance:

23.99%

Balance Transfer:

23.99%

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99%

Cash Advance:

23.99%

Balance Transfer:

23.99%

Annual Fee*

$150

$0

First Year Waived

Annual Fee*

$89

$0

First Year Waived

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

$80,000

Min Household Income:

$150,000

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

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.*

Welcome Bonus*

10,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 110 days, 15,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 180 days (plus a 35% flight discount voucher), and 15,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $10,000 in eligible purchases within the first 365 days. Offer ends July 1, 2025*

Rewards Rate*

  • 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

Rewards Rate*

  • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible Porter purchases via flyporter.com (up to $10,000 in spending annually)
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible gas and transportation purchases (up to $3,000 in spending annually combined)
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible groceries and dining purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually combined)
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible hotel accommodation purchases (up to $3,000 in spending annually)
  • Earn 0.5 points for every $1 spent everywhere else
  • Primary cardholders will receive an annual discount of 35% on a Porter flight booking after spending a minimum of $25,000 in eligible purchases. On the anniversary date of your card, the calculation of the purchases will reset to zero and primary cardholders must qualify again for the new annual period (The flight voucher allows up to 3 companions to accompany the primary cardholder at a 35% discount on the flight booking’s base fare).

Loyalty Program*

Loyalty Program*

Point Redemption Options*

  • Most Optimal

    travel - plane

    Travel

    0.67¢ / point
  • finance money dollar

    Financial Products

    0.67¢ / point
  • entertainment popcorn

    Entertainment

    0.64¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    0.5¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.48¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.45¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

  • flight plane

    Porter airline and partner flights

    1.5¢ / point

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.

Is this card worth it?

This is one of the only credit cards in Canada that directly earns you VIPorter points and gives you premium travel benefits like priority security screening, early boarding and priority re-accommodation for flight delays on Porter (and its partners) flights. For frequent Porter travelers, this is a great low-fee card that can fast track your VIPorter status and earn even more travel benefits, although the rewards may be a bit lackluster.

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.

Pros

  • No annual fee in the first year!
  • A massive welcome bonus valued at $600+ that also grants you a 35%-off flight discount voucher (valid for up to 3 companions) after meeting the minimum spend requirement
  • Points can be redeemed across Porter's expanding North American network, as well as Porter's growing list of global airline partners, currently featuring flights operated by Air Transat and Alaska Airlines sold on flyporter.com.

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.

Cons

  • Low spending caps on common categories like groceries and dining
  • Having to spend $25,000 per year just to qualify for 35%-off flight booking discount
  • Points can only be redeemed towards flights currently

Legal


*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. Check here for full details and current product 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. Check here for full details and current product information.

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