CIBC Costco Mastercard vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Card: Which one is better?
CIBC Costco Mastercard
2.8
American Express® Aeroplan®* Card
3.4
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Welcome Bonus*
Earn 30,000 Aeroplan® points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Aeroplan® points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$347.33
First Year Bonus Value
+
$0
Annual Fee
-
$0
First Year Value
$347.33
Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
While the first year bonus value here may show $0, the actual welcome bonus offer for this credit card is Up to 40,000 Aeroplan® Points (30,000 in 1st year), which we value at $840 when you meet the minimum spending or other listed requirements. The value of $0 here was derived based on numbers in the spending inputs and whether you meet the minimum listed requirements.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$517
Air Canada Aeroplan®
First Year Bonus Value
+
$630
Air Canada Aeroplan®
Annual Fee
-
$120
First Year Value
$1,027
$397 in years after
Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
How to Earn Rewards
- 3% cash back on Restaurants
- 3% cash back on Costco Gas stations and 2% cash back on non-Costco Gas up to a combined maximum of $5,000 in spending (max $150 cashback per year)
- 2% cash back on Costco.ca purchases up to $8,000 in spending (max $160 cashback per year)
- 1% on everything else
How to Earn Rewards*
- 2x Aeroplan® points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®*
- 1.5x Aeroplan® points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada
- 1x Aeroplan® point on everything else
Insurance Included
Extended Warranty
Up to a year
Purchase Protection
Up to 90 days
Mobile Device Insurance
$1000
Insurance Included*
Extended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 days, $1,000 per occurrence
Baggage Delay
$500 (Aggregated with Flight Delay).svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
$85K, up to 48 days
Travel Accident
$500,000
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$500Flight Delay
$500 (Aggregated with Baggage Delay)
Extra Benefits
N/A
Extra Benefits*
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Status lift
Reach Aeroplan Elite™ Status sooner by earning Status Qualifying Miles and Status Qualifying Segments with purchases made on your account.svg)
Free first checked bag
Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights
Extra points
Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands
Free Extra Night at Hotels
Receive an extra night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points
Amex Experiences™
Amex Experiences™: From music and movies, to specially curated dining and online shopping opportunities, stay connected with all that we have to offer from the comfort of your own home
Interest Rates
Purchase:
20.75%
Cash Advance:
22.49%
Balance Transfer:
22.49%
Interest Rates*
Purchase:
30% Annual2
Cash Advance:
30% Annual2
Annual Fee
$0
Annual Fee*
$120
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
$15,000
Min Household Income:
N/A
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Loyalty Program
N/A
Loyalty Program*
Point Redemption Options
Not Applicable
Point Redemption Options*
Most Optimal
Aeroplan® Flights
2.1¢ / point
Car Rentals
0.9¢ / point
Travel
0.825¢ / point
Merchandise
0.75¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.72¢ / point
Is this card worth it?
The CIBC Costco Mastercard offers one of the highest cashback rates on restaurant purchases in Canada, making it an excellent choice for optimizing rewards in this specific category, especially since it has no annual fees. If you use Costco Gas or shop on Costco Online, there is a decent cashback rate as well. However, for other categories, the cashback rate is average. Notably, you will be better off using other credit cards for warehouse Costco purchases, as you will only earn 1% cashback. If you are looking for no annual fee credit cards only, this is a good card to go for.
Is this card worth it?
This card comes with the free checked bag benefit, which can save hundreds on a single trip for you and your family, more than making up for the annual fee of the card. In addition, the card helps you reach the next Aeroplan Status faster with spending on the card. However, if you don't have a specific use for these two benefits, there are many better cards in terms of benefits and rewards.
Pros
- Decent reward rate for a no annual fee credit card
- One of the highest cashback rates for restaurant purchases in Canada
- Has Mobile insurance
Pros
- Free checked bag benefit: Every checked bag might cost you $60 - $100 per person on a round trip. The amount you can save in a year if you travel a few times or travel with a few companions can easily be much higher than the annual fee of the card.
- If you are interested in a higher Aeroplan Status, the card helps you get there faster.
Cons
- Doesn't come with a lot of benefits
- Doesn't earn much on Costco Warehouse purchases!
Cons
- The main reward category is only for Air Canada purchases. Unless you are a frequent Air Canada traveler, this reward category is not useful to most people.
- The only other rewards category offered is for food, and it doesn't offer that high of a reward rate either.
- In terms of insurance benefits, the types and coverage amounts provided are lower compared to other cards with a similar annual fee.
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