American Express Gold Rewards Card® vs PC World Elite Mastercard
Which one is better? Both cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.
Welcome bonus
Each offer as the issuer words it. The numbers below show whether your spending reaches it.
The offer
The offer
- Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards® points
- New American Express® Gold Rewards Cardmembers, earn 5,000 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $1,000 in net purchases on your Card
20,000 PC points ($20 value)
What each card is worth
Rewards, the welcome bonus and any Finly rebate in, the annual fee and FX fees out, all on your spending.
Worked out on a typical $2,000 a month of spending. Enter yours to see your own numbers.
$1,427
First-year value
$284
$287
Every year after
$264
Amex Gold is worth $1,143 more to you in year one.
It stays ahead after that, by $23 a year.
How the first year adds up
Annual rewards
$536.71
28,248 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $1,140
first year only
Annual fee
− $250
First-year value
$1,426.71
Annual rewards
$263.51
263,508 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $20
first year only
Annual fee
− $0
no annual fee
First-year value
$283.51
Where each card earns
A year of your spending at each card's own reward rates, most first.
2xGas, Groceries, Pharmacy
9,804 pts
$186.28
2xTravel
2,400 pts
$45.6
1xAll other purchases
16,044 pts
$304.84
30xParticipating grocery stores at President's Choice rewards
27,084 pts
$27.08
19xESSO, MobilGas
4,920 pts
$4.92
45xShoppersDrugMart
4,044 pts
$4.04
10xAll other purchases
227,460 pts
$227.46
Fees, rates and eligibility
What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.
Annual fee
Additional cards
Interest rates
Interest rates
Purchase:
21.99%1
Cash Advance:
21.99%1
1 Subject to approval. The preferred rate for purchases is 21.99% and funds advances is 21.99%. If you have Missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99% and/or 29.99%. See the information box included with the application for the definition of Missed Payment and which rates apply to charges on your account and other details.
Purchase:
21.99%
Cash Advance:
22.97%
Recommended credit score
Recommended credit score
Income required
Income required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Min Personal Income:
$80,000
Min Household Income:
$150,000
How each card earns
The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.
- 2x points per $1 spent on gas, groceries and drugstore purchases
- 2x points per $1 spent on travel (eligible flights, hotels, tours and more)
- 1x point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
- 45 points per $1 dollar spent at Shoppers Drug Mart® stores
- 30 points per $1 dollar spent at Atlantic Superstore, Extra Foods, Fortinos, Loblaws, Maxi, Maxi & cie, no frills, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore, SaveEasy, SuperValu, valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs
- 20 points per $1 spent in PC travel
- 19 points per $1 dollar spent at ESSO and Mobil (it's 30 points per liter and the assumption of average gas price of $1.6 was made)
- 10 points per $1 dollar spent for everything else
Points and how we value them
Points become dollars at each card's best redemption. Here's the value we used, and every other way to spend them.
Loyalty program
Loyalty program
We count each point at 1.9¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Transfer to Airline Partners, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
We count each point at 0.1¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Groceries, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
Point redemption options
Point redemption options
Statement Credits (Cash)
1¢ / pointMost Optimal
Transfer to Airline Partners
1.9¢ / point
Fixed Point Travel Program
1.16¢ / point
Transfer to Hotel Partners
1.08¢ / point.svg)
Flexible Points Travel Program
1¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.91¢ / point
Amazon.ca
0.7¢ / point
Merchandise
0.63¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash)
0.07¢ / pointMost Optimal
Groceries
0.1¢ / point.svg)
Gas (Esso)
0.1¢ / point
Insurance and perks
What both cards include comes first in each list.
Insurance
Insurance
.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
yes
Extended Warranty
Up to 1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
15 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$500
Baggage Delay
$500
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
$500,000
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$500
Trip Cancellation
$1,500 per person, $3,000 combined
Trip Interruption
$1,500 per person, $6,000 combinedFlight Delay
$500
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Up to 31 daysExtended Warranty
Doubled up to a yearPurchase Protection
90 daysTravel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
$1M, Up to 10 days
Perks
Perks
American Express® Experiences
.svg)
Status lift
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® loyalty program
Extra points
Earn 2 points on Amex Travel Online purchases and extra points on American Express offers.svg)
Travel Credit
$100
Nexus Program Rebate
$50 statement credit every 4 yearsComplimentary Hotel Benefits
Hotels booked American Express Travel
Airport Lounge - Priority Pass
Pass only. No Complimentary visits!Airport Lounge - Plaza Premium
4 Free complimentary visits
.svg)
Concierge Services
Identity Theft Assistance
Our take
Why we like it
Why we like it
The American Express® Gold Rewards Card is an excellent choice for travelers seeking an entry-level card that offers a strong balance of generous travel benefits without excessive costs. With a relatively low annual fee, this card provides flexibility and a range of perks that make it stand out among other options. It’s ideal for those who want to maximize their travel rewards without being tied to a specific airline or compromising on the benefits offered.
This is a great card to have in your arsenal if you frequently shop at Shoppers Drug Mart®, Loblaw's owned chains, and ESSO and Mobil gas stations, as you will earn significant rewards in these categories. The additional benefits, such as out-of-province medical insurance, car rental damage insurance, and concierge service, are impressive and typically only come with cards that have annual fees; however, you can access these benefits for free with this card. We do not recommend using this as your primary credit card but as a supplement to another primary card, especially because there are no fees. This is because the rewards on purchases outside the mentioned shops are very average, and many other cards offer much more substantial rewards for general use.
Pros
Pros
- Flexible rewards
- Travel perks
- Comprehensive insurance
- Multiple redemption options
- Instant decision. No credit impact.
- No annual fee
- Decent insurance
- Decent rewards
Cons
Cons
- High annual fee
- Foreign transaction fees
- Limited senior travel insurance
- Limited acceptance
- Limited rewards
- Income requirements
More comparisons
Other cards we've put each of these up against.
vs Amex Aeroplan Reserve
vs Amex Aeroplan®
vs Amex Cobalt
vs Amex Green
vs Amex Marriott Bonvoy
vs Amex Platinum
vs Amex SimplyCash
vs Amex SimplyCash™ Preferred
vs BMO CashBack World Elite
vs CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite
vs MBNA Rewards World Elite
vs Rogers Red World Elite
vs Scotia Amex Gold
vs Scotiabank Passport
vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
vs TD First Class Travel
Legal
*Terms and conditions apply.
Subject to approval. The preferred rate for purchases is 21.99% and funds advances is 21.99%. If you have Missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99% and/or 29.99%. See the information box included with the application for the definition of Missed Payment and which rates apply to charges on your account and other details.
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
