Side by Side Credit Cards Comparison

American Express Gold Rewards Card®VSPC World Elite Mastercard

Which one is better?


AmericanExpress Gold Rewards Card®

American Express Gold Rewards Card®


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
693
Fair
743⁎
Good
790⁎
Very Good
833⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

PC World Elite Mastercard

PC World Elite Mastercard


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Welcome Bonus

  • 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

Welcome Bonus

20,000 PC points ($20 value)

Rewards Breakdown

Rewards breakdown is not available for this card.

Rewards Breakdown

Rewards breakdown is not available for this card.

How to Earn Rewards

  • 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

How to Earn Rewards

  • 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

Insurance Included

  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    yes
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    15 days

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1,500 per person, $3,000 combined
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $1,500 per person, $6,000 combined
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500

Insurance Included

  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Up to 31 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Doubled up to a year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    $1M, Up to 10 days

Extra Benefits

  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences

  • star fall

    Status lift

    Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® loyalty program
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn 2 points on Amex Travel Online purchases and extra points on American Express offers
  • travel

    Travel Credit

    $100
  • border guard

    Nexus Program Rebate

    $50 statement credit every 4 years
  • hotel

    Complimentary Hotel Benefits

    Hotels booked American Express Travel
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Priority Pass

    Pass only. No Complimentary visits!
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Plaza Premium

    4 Free complimentary visits

Extra Benefits

  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • shield user

    Identity Theft Assistance

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.

Interest Rates

Purchase:

21.99%

Cash Advance:

22.97%

Annual Fee

$250

Annual Fee

$0

Income Required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Income Required

Min Personal Income:

$80,000

Min Household Income:

$150,000

Point Redemption Options

  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    1¢ / point

  • plane

    Transfer to Airline Partners

    1.9¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Fixed Point Travel Program

    1.16¢ / point
  • hotel

    Transfer to Hotel Partners

    1.08¢ / point
  • travel svg

    Flexible Points Travel Program

    1¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.91¢ / point
  • amazon logo

    Amazon.ca

    0.7¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.63¢ / point

Point Redemption Options

  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    0.07¢ / point

  • groceries

    Groceries

    0.1¢ / point
  • gas station

    Gas (Esso)

    0.1¢ / point

Is this card worth 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.

Is this card worth it?

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

  • Flexible rewards
  • Travel perks
  • Comprehensive insurance
  • Multiple redemption options
  • Instant decision. No credit impact.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Decent insurance
  • Decent rewards

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Foreign transaction fees
  • Limited senior travel insurance
  • Limited acceptance

Cons

  • Limited rewards
  • Income requirements

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.