American Express® Green 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 a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months.
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.
$611
First-year value
$284
$421
Every year after
$264
Amex Green is worth $327 more to you in year one.
It stays ahead after that, by $157 a year.
How the first year adds up
Annual rewards
$420.66
22,140 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $190
first year only
Annual fee
− $0
no annual fee
First-year value
$610.66
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.
1xAll other purchases
22,140 pts
$420.66
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 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%.
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.
- 1x point per $1 spent on all 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
Extended Warranty
Up to a year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Extended Warranty
Doubled up to a yearPurchase Protection
90 days.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Up to 31 days
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
$1M, Up to 10 days
Perks
Perks
Extra points
2 points on Amex Travel Online purchases
Amex Experiences™
With Amex Experiences™ and Front Of The Line® Amex Presale Tickets, American Express Cardmembers get access to amazing events in Canada
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Concierge Services
Identity Theft Assistance
Our take
Why we like it
Why we like it
The American Express® Green Card is a great option for those looking for a no-frills card that earns rewards on all purchases without any annual fee or minimum income requirement. It's an accessible card with no cap on rewards, making it ideal for those who want to earn points without the higher costs and complexities of premium cards. However, it does come with lower rewards earnings across most categories and a modest welcome bonus.
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
- No spending limits
- Flexible redemption options
- VIP perks
- Eco-friendly plastic
- Instant decision. No credit impact.
- No annual fee
- Decent insurance
- Decent rewards
Cons
Cons
- Lower reward rates
- Limited travel perks
- Limited acceptance
- Limited rewards
- Income requirements
More comparisons
Other cards we've put each of these up against.
vs Amazon Rewards Mastercard
vs Amex Aeroplan Reserve
vs Amex Aeroplan®
vs Amex Cobalt
vs Amex Gold
vs Amex Marriott Bonvoy
vs Amex Platinum
vs Amex SimplyCash
vs Amex SimplyCash™ Preferred
vs BMO CashBack World Elite
vs CIBC Costco Mastercard
vs MBNA Rewards World Elite
vs Rogers Red World Elite
vs Scotia Amex Gold
vs Scotia Momentum Visa
vs Scotiabank Passport
vs Simplii Financial Visa Card
Legal
*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%.
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.
