Neo Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® vs Neo 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 a welcome bonus of up to 35,000 Asia Miles
- Initial 15,000 Asia Miles are issued upon activation and first transaction and must be completed within 3 months from application approval date.
- To earn the additional 20,000 Asia Miles a minimum spend of $5,000 net of refunds must be completed within 3 months from application start date.
No welcome bonus right now.
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.
$647
First-year value
$114
$157
Every year after
$64
Cathay World Elite is worth $533 more to you in year one.
It stays ahead after that, by $93 a year.
How the first year adds up
Annual rewards
$337.18
24,084 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $490
first year only
Annual fee
− $180
First-year value
$647.18
Annual rewards
$64.17
cash back a year
Welcome bonus
+ $0
no welcome offer
Annual fee
− $0
no annual fee
Finly rebate
paid by FinlyWealth
First-year value
$114.17
Where each card earns
A year of your spending at each card's own reward rates, most first.
4xCathay Pacific
144 pts
$2.02
1xAll other purchases
23,940 pts
$335.16
1%Groceries
$42.57
1%Gas
$21.6
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:
19.99% - 26.99%1
Cash Advance:
22.99% - 28.99%1
1 The Purchase Credit Rate on the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® is (19.99%-26.99%) and the Cash Advance Rate is (22.99%-28.99%). The standard rate on Purchases and Cash Advances is dependent on our assessment of your credit application, credit profile, and your province. See your Cardholder Disclosure at time of application for your specific rate.
Purchase:
19.99% - 29.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99% - 31.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99% - 31.99%
Recommended credit score
Recommended credit score
Income required
Income required
Min Personal Income:
$80,000
Min Household Income:
$150,000
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
How each card earns
The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.
- Earn 4x Asia Miles per $1 spent on Cathay Pacific flights
- Earn 2x Asia Miles per $1 spent on purchases made in foreign currencies
- Earn 1x Asia Miles per $1 spent in Canada
- Earn an average of 5x the Asia Miles when you spend at thousands of Neo partners nationwide
- Up to 15% cash back at thousands of partners across Canada
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 1.4¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Flights, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
Cash back: every dollar it earns counts as a dollar, so there's nothing to convert.
Point redemption options
Point redemption options
Most Optimal
Flights
1.4¢ / point
Transfer to Hotel Partners
1¢ / point
Car Rentals
0.95¢ / point
Merchandise
0.6¢ / point
Charity
0.58¢ / point
Nothing to redeem: it pays cash back.
Insurance and perks
What both cards include comes first in each list.
Insurance
Insurance
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$1,000
Baggage Delay
$1,000 after 4 hours.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
48 days
Car Rental Accident
$100K for Cardholder, $10K spouse and child
Extended Warranty
1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$1,000
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
14 days.svg)
Car Rental Personal Effects
$1,000/person, $2,000 combined
Trip Cancellation
$5,000
Trip Interruption
$5,000Flight Delay
$250/day, $500 Maximum
No insurance included.
Perks
Perks
Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass
DragonPass only. No Complimentary visits!
Boingo Wi-Fi hotspot
Discount
Save up to 15% off on flights to Asia and beyond when you pay with your Cathay World Elite Mastercard and enter the discount code CXNEO15OFF (valid until Dec 31, 2025)
Priority Travel
Online priority check-in and extra baggage redemption for Cathay Pacific, and Cathay Pacific Business class lounge redemption accessPriority Travel
Airport Security Fast Track with and professional and punctual airport with Mastercard benefits
No extra perks.
Our take
Why we like it
Why we like it
The Cathay World Elite Mastercard is a top choice for frequent travelers to Asia, offering up to 35,000 bonus Asia Miles, high earn rates at Neo retail partners, and exclusive Cathay Pacific benefits like priority check-in and lounge access. With 12 types of insurance coverage, airport lounge access through DragonPass, and the ability to earn up to 15 miles per dollar spent at select partners, this card provides substantial value for those who regularly fly with Cathay Pacific and its partners. However, the card does require a higher income and comes with a $180 annual fee.
The Neo Credit Card is special because it earns rewards based on whether the merchant is a partner or not. Most of the time, the cashback earned at these partners is the highest possible compared to all other credit cards. However, we don't recommend using this card as your main credit card and suggest using it only at partner merchants. This is because the rewards at non-partner merchants are very small, and most merchants are not partnered with Neo.
Pros
Pros
- Generous welcome bonus
- Discount on flights
- High earn rates
- Cathay Pacific perks
- Comprehensive coverage
- Airport lounge access
- No annual fee
- Instant approval and access
- Unique partner cashback program
- Unique benefit system
- Balance protection
Cons
Cons
- High income requirements
- Annual fee
- Limited redemption opportunities
- Insurance and benefit fees
- Spending caps
- Low cashback rates
More comparisons
Other cards we've put each of these up against.
Legal
The Cathay World Elite® Mastercard is issued by Neo Financial™ pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated.
Mastercard, World Elite® and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.
The Cathay World Elite® Mastercard is not available in Quebec.
