American Express Cobalt® Card vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®: Which one is better?

*Terms and conditions apply.

If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 29.99%.

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BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard applications must be received between March 24, 2025, and January 31, 2026, to be eligible for this offer. This bonus offer is limited to new BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard accounts and will not be awarded to current or former cardholders who reinstate a closed account, product transfer, or who open a new account. Limit of one bonus offer per account. If you cancel your card within ninety (90) days from the date your account is opened, all CashBack rewards earned within that period will be cancelled. This offer may be withdrawn or changed without notice.

Annual Fee waiver: The primary cardholder annual fee of $120 will be rebated in the first year and will appear as a fee and a credit on the primary cardholders first statement. After the first year, the annual fee will appear on your Credit Card statement twelve (12) months after the Credit Card open date. The annual fee waiver offer does not apply to the Additional Card annual fee. First year annual fee waiver offer is limited to new BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard accounts and will not be awarded to current or former cardholders who reinstate a closed account, product transfer, or who open a new account.

The combined value of up to $335 in additional cash back is based on the following:

a) The 10% earn rate applies to qualified spend up to $2,600 (up to $500 qualified spend in grocery, up to $300 qualified spend in transit, up to $300 qualified spend in gas and electric vehicle charging, up to $500 qualified spend in recurring bill payments, and up to $1000 qualified spend on all other purchases) (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) in the welcome offer period, with a maximum of $260 cash back. Please see details as follows:

• Grocery purchases: Receive 5% cash back on the first $500 spent on eligible grocery purchases (made at merchant locations in Canada classified by Mastercard’s “Merchant Category Code” as “grocery stores and supermarkets” MCC 5411) per billing cycle period and an additional 5% bonus cash back up to a maximum of $500 spent on all combined grocery purchases made at merchant locations in Canada in the first three (3) billing cycles. In total, you could earn up to $50 cash back from qualified grocery spend in the welcome offer period.
• Transit purchases: Receive 4% cash back on the first $300 spent on eligible ground transportation purchases [made at merchant locations in Canada classified by Mastercard’s “Merchant Category Code” as "Transportation – Suburban and Local Commuter Passenger including Ferries" (MCC 4111), “Passenger Railways” (MCC 4112), “Taxicabs and Limousines” (MCC 4121), “Bus Lines” (MCC 4131) or “Transportation Services not elsewhere classified” (MCC 4789)] per billing cycle period and an additional 6% bonus cash back up to a maximum of $300 spent on all combined transit purchases made at merchant locations in Canada in the first three (3) billing cycles. In total, you could earn up to $30 cash back from qualified transit spend in welcome offer period.
• Gas and electric vehicle charging purchases: Receive 3% cash back on the first $300 spent on eligible gas and electric vehicle charging purchases [made at merchant locations in Canada classified by Mastercard’s “Merchant Category Code” as "Service Stations" (MCC 5541), “Automated Fuel Dispenser” (MCC 5542) or “Electric Vehicle Charging” (MCC 5552)] per billing cycle and an additional 7% bonus cash back up to a maximum of $300 spent on all combined gas and electric vehicle charging purchases made at merchant locations in Canada in the first three (3) billing cycles. In total, you could earn up to $30 cash back from qualified gas and electric vehicle charging spend in the welcome offer period.
• Recurring Bill Payments: Receive 2% cash back on the first $500 spent on eligible recurring bill payments made at merchant locations in Canada (defined as payments made on a monthly or regular basis, and which are automatically billed by the merchant to your BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard) per billing cycle and an additional 8% bonus cash back up to a maximum of $500 spent on all qualified recurring bill payments made at merchant locations in Canada in the first three (3) billing cycles. You will not earn any bonus cash back on recurring bill payments that are also classified as grocery, transit or gas and electric vehicle charging purchases as described above (classified by Mastercard’s “Merchant Category Code”) and are subject to the bonus capping rules of eligible grocery, transit or gas and electric vehicle charging purchases. In total, you could earn up to $50 cash back from qualified recurring bill payments in the welcome offer period.
• All other purchases: Receive 1% cash back on purchases and an additional 9% bonus cash back up to a maximum of $1,000 spent in the first three (3) billing cycles. In total, you could earn up to $100 cash back from qualified purchases.

b) $75 (seventy-five dollar) Cash Bonus Offer: Receive a one- time cash back bonus of $75 after you spend a minimum of $25,000 (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) within the first twelve (12) months of your account open date. The one-time cash back bonus of $75 will be reflected on your Credit Card statement twelve (12) months after the Credit Card open date under “Bonus Cash back Earned”.