BMO CashBack® Mastercard® for Students vs BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗: Which one is better?
BMO CashBack® Mastercard® for Students
4.8
BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗
4.1
Finly Rebate
Finly Rebate
Promotional rebate expires on May 31, 2025
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$238.05
First Year Bonus Value
$94.3
Annual Fee
$0
First Year Value
$332.35
$238.05 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*
Extended Warranty
1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Insurance Included*
Extended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
Baggage Delay
Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000
Travel Accident
Up to $500,000 per insured person
Hotel Burglary Insurance
Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combined
Emergency Out of province Medical
Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 8 days per tripFlight Delay
Up to a maximum of $500 per trip for all insured persons combined
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 tool.
Hotel Booking Discount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada.Discount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada, and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas..svg)
Gas Discount
Save up to 7 cents per litre at Shell stations when linked with Air Miles
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 toolHotel Booking Discount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada *Discount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas
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*
$0
Annual Fee*
$89
$0
First Year Waived
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*
Get up to 5% cash back in your first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend (max $125 cashback)
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*
- 3% cash back on grocery purchases (maximum $15 per statement)
- 1% cash back on recurring payments like bills or subscriptions (maximum $5 per statement)
- 0.5% cash back on all other 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*
N/A
Loyalty Program*
Point Redemption Options*
Not Applicable
Point Redemption Options*
Porter airline and partner flights
1.5¢ / point
Is this card worth it?
We consider this card to be the best student credit card in Canada for it's competitive cashback rewards (3% on groceries, 1% on recurring bills), no annual fee and a generous welcome bonus. Plus, cashback redemption is flexible so no need to wait a year each time you want to get your cashback paid out.
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
- No annual fee, making it a cost-effective option for all students.
- Up to 3% cash back on groceries and 1% on recurring bill payments, giving fantastic rewards to students.
- Save up to 7 cents per litre at Shell stations when linked with Air Miles.
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 base earn rate of 0.5% cash back on non-bonus purchases.
- Limited insurance coverage (extended warranty and purchase protection only).
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
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