Neo Mastercard® vs Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card: Which one is better?

Neo Mastercard®
2.7

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
4
Finly Rebate
Finly Rebate
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$181.33
First Year Bonus Value
$0
Annual Fee
$0
First Year Value
$181.33
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$278.6
First Year Bonus Value
$100
Annual Fee
$0
First Year Value
$378.6
$278.6 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending and assuming you have a Tangerine Savings account. Calculate your rewards.
Insurance Included
Balance Protection
optional add on
Insurance Included
Extended Warranty
Up to a yearPurchase Protection
90 days
Extra Benefits
Neo Premium ($4.99/month)
Neo Travel Benefits ($4.99/month)
Neo Food Cashback boost ($1.99/month)
Neo Mind and Body Perks ($9.99/month)
Extra Benefits
N/A
Interest Rates
Purchase:
19.99% - 29.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99% - 31.99%
Interest Rates
Purchase:
20.95%2
Cash Advance:
22.95%2
Balance Transfer:
22.95%2
Annual Fee
$0
Annual Fee
$0
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
N/A
Welcome Bonus
In the first 2 months, get a bonus 10% cash back up to $100
Rewards Rate
- 1% cash back on grocery purchases up to $500 spending per month (3% cash back with $5k in a Neo everyday account, and 4% cash back with $10k in a Neo everyday account) - drops to the 0.5-1% cash back tier after hitting spend cap
- 1% cash back on gas purchases up to $500 spending per month (3% cash back with $5k in a Neo everyday account, and 4% cash back with $10k in a Neo everyday account) - drops to the 0.5-1% cash back tier after hitting spend cap
- 0% cash back on all other purchases with $0 in a Neo everyday account, or 0.5% cash back with $5k in a Neo everyday account up to $1,667 spending per month, or 1% cash back with $10k in a Neo everyday account up to $1,667 spending per month - drops to 0% cash back again after hitting spend cap
- +5% earned on average at Neo Partners.
Note: our reward calculations use the base cash back rates assuming you do not hold any money in a Neo everyday account to earn the higher tier (boosted) cash back rates, otherwise the reward estimates may be higher.
Rewards Rate
- 2% on the choice of two categories chosen from the 10 offered by Tangerine
- 0.5% cashback on all other credit card purchases.
Is this card worth it?
The Neo Credit Card is special because it earns rewards based on whether the merchant is a partner or not. Most of the time, the cashback earned at these partners is the highest possible compared to all other credit cards. However, we don't recommend using this card as your main credit card and suggest using it only at partner merchants. This is because the rewards at non-partner merchants are very small, and most merchants are not partnered with Neo.
Is this card worth it?
While we think Tangerine isn't the best single credit card to own, it's still a valuable card to have in your arsenal for maximizing your rewards. It offers one of the highest cashback rates for pharmacy and recurring bill payments, areas where your other credit cards might not provide significant rewards. This card only requires a Fair credit score, making it an excellent choice for people who don't have a high credit score yet.
Pros
- High cash back on grocery and gas if you're willing to hold at least $5k in a Neo everyday account
- Unique cashback program which earns cashback based on partner instead of purchase category.
- Massive cashback at some partners that any other credit card couldn't beat.
- Unique benefit system where perks could be bought with a monthly fee and cancelled after use.
Pros
- Allows you to change the categories, and you get a 2% reward depending on how your spending is changing every 90 days.
- 2% cashback on recurring Transactions and pharmacy purchases. One of the highest cashback rates on these categories among credit cards in Canada.
- Has cashback on Furniture and Home Improvement categories. Two categories that are not covered by any other card in Canada.
- Easy credit score requirements needed for this card.
- Overall, it is a good no-annual-fee cashback credit card, especially if you have a Tangerine Savings account.
Cons
- Base Cash back is very low when you do not hold any money in a Neo everyday account
- No built-in purchase protection and extended warranty benefit.
Cons
- Insurance coverage is the most basic.
- Very low cashback rate on the other categories not selected.


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