BMO CashBack® Mastercard® for Students vs BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗: Which one is better?
BMO CashBack® Mastercard® for Students
4.8
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗
4.5
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
Finly Rebate
$35Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$367.35
$238.05 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
Finly Rebate
$75
$125Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$1,711.96
$337.96 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, for the purchase of essential items.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 21 days per trip
Trip 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
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
Airport 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.*
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*
$0
Annual Fee*
$199
$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
Welcome Bonus*
Get up to 5% cash back in your first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend (max $125 cashback)
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*
- 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 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*
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 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
- 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 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 base earn rate of 0.5% cash back on non-bonus purchases.
- Limited insurance coverage (extended warranty and purchase protection only).
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
vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®
vs BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
vs BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard®
vs BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
vs BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card
vs BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*
vs BMO CashBack® Mastercard®
vs BMO AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
vs BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗
vs BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®* for Students
vs BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®*
vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®
vs BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
vs BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard®
vs BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
vs BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card
vs BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*
vs BMO CashBack® Mastercard®
vs BMO AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
vs BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗
vs BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®* for Students
vs BMO AIR MILES® Mastercard®*
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