BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* vs BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗: Which one is better?
BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*
3.1
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗
4.5
Finly Rebate
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
$536.96
VIPorter
First Year Bonus Value
$1,050
VIPorter
Annual Fee
$199
$0
First Year Waived
First Year Value
$1,586.96
$337.96 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Insurance Included*
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$500/person, $1K/trip
Baggage Delay
$500/person, $1K/trip.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
$65,000 up to 48 days
Travel Accident
$500,000/person
Extended Warranty
Double up to 1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$1,000
Emergency Out of province Medical
$5M up to 21 days
Trip Cancellation
$1,500/person, $5K/trip
Trip Interruption
$2K/person, $10K/tripFlight Delay
$500 after 4 hours
Insurance Included*
Lost or Stolen Baggage
Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combinedBaggage Delay
Up to $500 per insured person, to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined, for the purchase of essential itemsCar Rental Damage & Theft
Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000Travel Accident
Up to $500,000 per insured personExtended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 daysHotel Burglary Insurance
Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combinedEmergency Out of province Medical
Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 21 days per tripTrip Cancellation
Up to $1,500 per insured person, per trip (maximum of $5,000 per trip for all insured persons combined)Trip Interruption
$2,000 per insured personFlight Delay
Up to a maximum of $500 per trip for all insured persons combined
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-Car
Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass
4 complimentary visits
Discount
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.
Extra Benefits*
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 toolAirport Lounge - Dragon Pass
Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass. As a member enjoy lounge access for a fee of just US$32 per person, per visit.*Discount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las VegasHotel Booking Discount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada*
Companion Voucher
A round-trip companion pass per year.svg)
Free first checked bag
1 complimentary checked bag as well as 1 complimentary carry-on bag on all Porter fare types up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
Priority Travel
Priority check-in, security, and early boarding for up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
Mastercard On-Demand and Subscription Services
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*
$199
$0
First Year Waived
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
$80,000
Min Household Income:
$150,000
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
$80,000
Min Household Income:
$150,000
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*
20,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 110 days*. 20,000 bonus VIPorter points + one round-trip companion pass (max 2 passengers) + $1,000 in Qualifying Spend credited to your VIPorter account to help you reach the next VIPorter Avid Traveller membership after spending $9,000 in eligible purchases within the first 180 days*. 30,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $18,000 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 3 VIPorter points for every $1 spent on eligible Porter purchases via flyporter.com (up to $20,000 in spending annually)
- Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible gas and transportation purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually combined)
- Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible groceries and dining purchases (up to $10,000 in spending annually combined)
- Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible hotel accommodation purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually)
- Earn 1 VIPorter point for every $1 spent everywhere else
- Primary cardholders will receive an annual companion pass after spending a minimum of $50,000 (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) within the first 365 days after the account open date. 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.
Loyalty Program*
Loyalty Program*
Point Redemption Options*
Most Optimal
Travel
0.67¢ / point
Financial Products
0.67¢ / pointEntertainment
0.64¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash)
0.5¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.48¢ / point
Merchandise
0.45¢ / point
Point Redemption Options*
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 easily the best credit card in Canada for frequent Porter airline (and its partners) travelers. Earning 2x VIPorter points on common everyday purchases like groceries, dining and transportation is a massive benefit, allowing you to rack up points really fast and enjoy travel via Porter and it's airline partners. The premium benefits of this card make your travels smooth as you get priority security screening, early boarding and priority re-accommodation for flight delays, one complimentary checked bag, a carry-on bag with every fare type (including Basic), and complimentary PorterClassic seat selection.
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 with a value that easily exceeds $1,000, especially with the one companion pass
- 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.
- 2x points on common everyday purchases such as groceries, dining, gas, transportation, etc. where points are valued at 1.5 cents per point on average
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
- Annual fee of $199 is definitely on the higher side for an airline loyalty card
- Having to spend $50,000 in the first year just to qualify for the annual companion pass
- Points can only be redeemed towards flights currently
- Spending caps on common categories like groceries and dining for earning 2x multiplier may be low for large families
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