MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
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
- 20,000 bonus points†† (approximately $165 in cash back value) after you make $2,000 or more in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
- 10,000 bonus points††(approximately $80 in cash back value) once enrolled for paperless e-statements within the first 90 days of account opening
- This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
- New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
- Earn 60,000 Aeroplan points after spending $7,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months
- Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $2,500 in purchases in month 13
- You could earn up to $4,400 in value within your first 13 months* — combining the Welcome Bonus (up to $1,700), accelerated and everyday spend earn rates (~$1,760), and $1,000 in benefits value. Terms and usage assumptions apply.
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.
$772
First-year value
$144
$472
Every year after
-$6
MBNA Rewards World Elite is worth $629 more to you in year one.
It stays ahead after that, by $479 a year.
How the first year adds up
Annual rewards
$592.44
59,244 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $300
first year only
Annual fee
− $120
First-year value
$772.44
Annual rewards
$592.8
31,200 points a year
Welcome bonus
+ $0
not reached at this spending
Annual fee
− $599
Finly rebate
paid by FinlyWealth
First-year value
$143.8
Where each card earns
A year of your spending at each card's own reward rates, most first.
5xAll categories with 5x multipliers
44,076 pts
$440.76
1xAll other purchases
15,168 pts
$151.68
2xFood and drinks
8,400 pts
$159.6
3xAir Canada
720 pts
$13.68
1.25xAll other purchases
22,080 pts
$419.52
Fees, rates and eligibility
What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.
Annual fee
⁕ Notice: As of Jan 12, 2027, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card annual fee will increase to $799. Annual fees charged on or after this date will reflect the new fee. The Additional Aeroplan®* Reserve Card annual fee will increase to $249. The Additional Aeroplan®* Reserve No Fee Card will be renamed to the Additional Aeroplan®* Reserve Companion Card and the annual fee will increase to $25. Learn more about new benefits.
Additional cards
Interest rates
Interest rates
Purchase:
21.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99%
Purchase:
21.99%2
Cash Advance:
21.99%2
2 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%.
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 5 points‡ for every $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $50,000 is spent annually in the applicable category.
- 1 point‡ for every $1 on all other eligible purchases.
- Each year, you will receive Birthday Bonus Points‡ equal to 10% of the total number of Points the Account earned in the 12 months before the month of the primary cardholder's birthday, to a maximum Birthday Bonus each year of 15,000 Points.
- 3x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on eligible Air Canada® and Air Canada Vacations® purchases
- 2x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on eligible dining & food delivery purchases
- 1.25x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on all other purchases
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¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Travel, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
We count each point at 1.9¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Flights, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.
Point redemption options
Point redemption options
Most Optimal
Travel
1¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.98¢ / point
Merchandise
0.8¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash) - World Elite
0.82¢ / pointStatement Credits (Cash) - Platinum
0.5¢ / point
Travel
0.825¢ / pointMerchandise
0.75¢ / pointGift Cards
0.72¢ / pointMost Optimal
Flights
1.9¢ / point
Car Rentals
0.9¢ / point
Insurance and perks
What both cards include comes first in each list.
Insurance
Insurance
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$1,000/person
Baggage Delay
$1,000/person.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
31 days
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
$1,000,000
Extended Warranty
1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
$2M for 21 daysFlight Delay
$500/person after 4 hours
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000
Price Protection
$500/item, $1,000/account per year
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$1,000Baggage Delay
$1,000/person after 6 hoursCar Rental Damage & Theft
48 daysCommon Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
$500,000Extended Warranty
1 yearPurchase Protection
90 daysTravel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
15 daysFlight Delay
$1,000/person after 4 hours
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$1,000
Trip Cancellation
$1,500/person, $3,000/trip
Trip Interruption
$1,500/person, $6,000/trip
Perks
Perks
Car Rental Discount
10% off base rate of Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car in Canada and US and 5% internationally
Trip and legal Assistance
Annual Birthday Bonus
10% of the Points earned the 12 months prior to the primary cardholder's birthday month (up to a max 15,000 bonus points per year).svg)
Concierge Services
Companion Voucher
Annual Worldwide Companion Pass from $99 to a max of $599 After spending $25,000 on your card.svg)
Status lift
Complimentary upgrade to Avis® President's ClubStatus lift
Get a 10% Head Start. Starting in 2027, eligible Basic Cardmembers with Aeroplan EliteTM* Status will receive a 10% head start toward qualification, based on Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) accumulated the year before. Roll over any unallocated unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year to enjoy during your travelsStatus lift
Primary Cardholders who also hold Aeroplan Elite Status will benefit from an extra 12 months to use eUpgrade credits, for a total of 24 months from issuance..svg)
Free first checked bag
First checked bag is free for primary cardholder on Air Canada branded flight and up to 8 guests
Extra points
Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and over 170 online retailers through the Aeroplan eStore
Free Extra Night at Hotels
Cardmembers can now get an extra night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points. Enjoy even more at over 300,000 hotel properties worldwide
Nexus Program Rebate
$100 every 4 years
Priority Travel
At Toronto Pearson airport get benefits such as Priority Security lane, Complimentary valet, premium parking spots, priorioty taxi and limo lane and discount for parking and car care.Priority Travel
Get Priority Check-in, Priority Boarding and Priority Baggage Handling, Priority Airport Standby & Priority Airport Upgrades for you, your authorized users and up to 8 companions on the same flight (Only AirCanada)
Airport Lounge - Maple Leaf and AirCanada Cafes
Unlimited Access for you and one guestAirport Lounge - Priority Pass
Pass only. No Complimentary visits!
Amex Experiences™
Amex Experiences™ opens doors for you to access a number of special events, including special dining experiences, VIP parties, advance film screenings and more
Our take
Why we like it
Why we like it
The MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® is one of the best reward credit cards in Canada, offering high rewards on frequently spent categories such as groceries and restaurant purchases. The annual birthday bonus, unique to this card, also provides a significant boost to your yearly earnings. Additionally, the card features a comprehensive list of benefits, including price protection—a rare and valuable perk not found with many other cards in Canada. These factors make this card one of the best to have in Canada.
If you are a frequent Air Canada traveler, having an Aeroplan card for perks like free checked bags and priority service can be very beneficial. Many financial institutions offer Aeroplan cards, but we don't believe the American Express version is the best one. Opting for another option might be better. However, the Amex card does have a very large sign-up bonus, making it a great choice for those specifically seeking that.
Pros
Pros
- High grocery optimization
- High dining optimization
- Annual birthday bonus
- Solid travel insurance
- Rare price protection
- Good redemption values
- Generous rewards rate
- Free checked bags
- Preferred flight pricing
- Unlimited airport lounge access
- Extensive coverage
- Instant decision. No credit impact.
Cons
Cons
- Missing key insurance categories
- Low gas optimization
- Annual fee
- High income requirements
- Limited acceptance
- Limited loyalty rewards
- High annual fee
- Limited lounge brand access
More comparisons
Other cards we've put each of these up against.
vs Amazon Rewards Mastercard
vs Amex Aeroplan®
vs Amex Cobalt
vs Amex Gold
vs Amex Green
vs Amex Platinum
vs Amex SimplyCash
vs BMO CashBack World Elite
vs MBNA True Line
vs MBNA True Line Gold
vs Neo World Elite® Mastercard – Gas & Grocery
vs PC World Elite Mastercard
vs RBC ION+ Visa
vs Rogers Red World Elite
vs Scotia Amex Gold
vs Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite +
vs Scotiabank Passport
vs Simplii Financial Visa Card
vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
vs TD First Class Travel
vs Amex Aeroplan®
vs Amex Cobalt
vs Amex Gold
vs Amex Green
vs Amex Marriott Bonvoy
vs Amex Platinum
vs Amex SimplyCash
vs Amex SimplyCash™ Preferred
vs CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite
vs Rogers Red World Elite
vs Scotia Amex Gold
vs Scotia Momentum Visa
vs Scotiabank Passport
vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
Legal
*, ††, ‡, ✪, ***, ††††, Terms and Conditions apply.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
Standard Annual Interest Rates of 21.99% on eligible purchases, 22.99% on balance transfers✪, and 22.99% on cash advances
Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
*Subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply.
The preferred rate for purchases is 21.99% and funds advances is 21.99%. 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%. See the Information box included with the application for the definition of Missed Payment and which rates apply to changes 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.
