BMO CashBack® Mastercard® vs BMO VIPorter 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
- Get 5% cash back in your first 3 months*
- Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months, 2% fee applies to balance amounts transferred*
- 10,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 110 days*
- 15,000 bonus VIPorter points + 35%-off flight discount voucher (valid for up to 3 companions) after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 180 days*
- 15,000 bonus VIPorter points after spending $10,000 in eligible purchases within the first 365 days*
- Annual 35%-off flight booking discount when you spend $25,000 within 365 days of account opening*
- Offer ends October 31, 2026*
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.
$336
First-year value
$942
$238
Every year after
$153
BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗ is worth $606 more to you in year one.
From year two, BMO CashBack® Mastercard® pulls ahead by $86 a year.
How the first year adds up
Annual rewards
$238.43
cash back a year
Welcome bonus
+ $97.5
first year only
Annual fee
− $0
no annual fee
First-year value
$335.93
Annual rewards
$241.83
16,122 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $600
first year only
Annual fee
$89− $0
$89 from year two
Finly rebate
paid by FinlyWealth
First-year value
$941.83
Where each card earns
A year of your spending at each card's own reward rates, most first.
3%Groceries
$127.71
1%Recurring Transactions
$24
0.5%All other purchases
$86.72
1xFood and Groceries
4,995 pts
$74.93
1xTransportation and Gas
3,000 pts
$45
1xHotel
144 pts
$2.16
2xPorter
120 pts
$1.8
0.5xAll other purchases
7,863 pts
$117.95
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:
23.99%1
Balance Transfer:
23.99%1
1 Terms and conditions apply. Each balance transfer is subject to a fee of 2% which will be charged to your account on the date the balance transfer is posted to your Account.
Purchase:
21.99%
Cash Advance:
23.99%
Balance Transfer:
23.99%
Recommended credit score
Recommended credit score
Income required
Income required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
How each card earns
The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.
- 3% cash back on grocery purchases (maximum $15 per statement)
- 1% cash back on recurring payments like bills or subscriptions (maximum $5 per statement)
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible Porter purchases via flyporter.com (up to $10,000 in spending annually)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible gas and transportation purchases (up to $3,000 in spending annually combined)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible groceries and dining purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually combined)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible hotel accommodation purchases (up to $3,000 in spending annually)
- Earn 0.5 points for every $1 spent everywhere else
- Primary cardholders will receive an annual discount of 35% on a Porter flight booking after spending a minimum of $25,000 in eligible purchases. On the anniversary date of your card, the calculation of the purchases will reset to zero and primary cardholders must qualify again for the new annual period (The flight voucher allows up to 3 companions to accompany the primary cardholder at a 35% discount on the flight booking’s base fare).
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
Cash back: every dollar it earns counts as a dollar, so there's nothing to convert.
We count each point at 1.5¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Porter airline and partner flights, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
Point redemption options
Point redemption options
Nothing to redeem: it pays cash back.
Most Optimal
Porter airline and partner flights
1.5¢ / point
Insurance and perks
What both cards include comes first in each list.
Insurance
Insurance
Extended Warranty
1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Extended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
Baggage Delay
Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
Up to $500,000 per insured person
Hotel Burglary Insurance
Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combined
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 8 days per tripFlight Delay
Up to a maximum of $500 per trip for all insured persons combined
Perks
Perks
Car Rental Discount
Save up to 20% on National Car Rental® and Alamo Rent A Car® and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car® at locations worldwide using the Car Rental Booking tool.
Hotel Booking Discount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada.Discount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada, and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas.Discount
Enjoy three months of Instacart+ and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you enroll your eligible BMO Credit Card.*
Car Rental Discount
Save up to 20% on National Car Rental®†† and Alamo Rent A Car®†† and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car®†† at locations worldwide using the Car Rental Booking toolHotel Booking Discount
Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada *Discount
Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las VegasDiscount
Enjoy three months of Instacart+ and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you enroll your eligible BMO Credit Card.*
Priority Travel
Priority check-in, security, and early boarding for up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
Our take
Why we like it
Why we like it
This is a great basic cashback credit card for those that prefer no annual fees while getting one of the highest cashback rates on groceries. You also have the additional benefit of redeeming cashback at any point without needing to wait.
This is one of the only credit cards in Canada that directly earns you VIPorter points and gives you premium travel benefits like priority security screening, early boarding and priority re-accommodation for flight delays on Porter (and its partners) flights. For frequent Porter travelers, this is a great low-fee card that can fast track your VIPorter status and earn even more travel benefits, although the rewards may be a bit lackluster.
Pros
Pros
- No annual fee
- Impressive grocery cashback
- Multiple discounts
- First-year fee rebate
- Generous welcome bonus
- High value Porter redemptions
Cons
Cons
- Low base earn rate
- Limited insurance
- Low spending caps
- Flight discount spending requirement
- Limited redemption opportunities
More comparisons
Other cards we've put each of these up against.
Legal
*Terms and conditions apply.
Each balance transfer is subject to a fee of 2% which will be charged to your account on the date the balance transfer is posted to your Account.
BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
* †† Applications for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard or BMO VIPorter World Mastercard must be received between March 21, 2025 and October 31, 2026 (the "Offer Period") to be eligible for this offer. This offer is not available to current or former cardholders who reinstate a closed account or open a new account for the same card during the Offer Period. Existing BMO credit card cardholders who transfer into this product during the Offer Period are not eligible for this offer. If the Credit Card is cancelled within 365 days from the date it was opened, the welcome bonus earned within that period may be cancelled. This offer may be withdrawn or changed without notice.
*Terms and conditions apply
BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
