MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® vs The Platinum Card®

Which one is better? Both cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®

3.9

Learn more
AmericanExpress Platinum Card
Finly rebate
$150

4.6

Apply nowGet $150 Finly rebate

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.
  • Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points - that’s up to $1,000 towards a weekend away
  • New Platinum® Cardmembers, earn 70,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points when you make a purchase between 15 and 17 months of Cardmembership

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

-$126

$472

Every year after

-$276

MBNA Rewards World Elite is worth $898 more to you in year one.

It stays ahead after that, by $748 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

1¢ a pointMBNA Rewards, redeemed for Travel

Annual rewards

$523.26

27,540 points a year

Welcome bonus

+ $0

not reached at this spending

Annual fee

− $799

Finly rebate

+ $150

paid by FinlyWealth

First-year value

-$125.74

1.9¢ a pointAmerican Express Membership Rewards, redeemed for Transfer to Airline Partners

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

2xTravel

2,400 pts

$45.6

1xAll other purchases

16,740 pts

$318.06

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$120Better of the two

Annual fee

$799
$50

Additional cards

$250 per Platinum, $0 per Gold up to 2 ($50 after)

Interest rates

Interest rates

Purchase:

21.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Purchase:

21.99% - 30%2

Cash Advance:

N/A2

2 This Charge Card requires full payment of the Due in Full balance each month, with a 30% interest rate on late payments. The Flexible Payment Option balance has a 21.99% interest rate, which increases to 25.99% after two missed payments and 29.99% after three or more within 12 months. A 21-day interest-free grace period applies to new transactions if the full balance is paid by the due date.

Recommended credit score

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring
300
Poor
693
Fair
743⁎
Good
790⁎
Very Good
833⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

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.
  • 2x points per $1 spent on eligible dining & food delivery purchases (restaurant, fast food, coffee shop, food delivery)
  • 2x points per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases (flights, hotels, tours and more)
  • 1x point per $1 spent for 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 Transfer to Airline Partners, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.

Point redemption options

Point redemption options

  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.98¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.8¢ / point

  • Most Optimal

    travel - plane

    Travel

    1¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash) - World Elite

    0.82¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash) - Platinum

    0.5¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.91¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.63¢ / point

  • Most Optimal

    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
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    1¢ / point
  • amazon logo

    Amazon.ca

    0.7¢ / point

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Insurance

Insurance

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $1,000/person
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $1,000/person
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    31 days
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $1,000,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    $2M for 21 days
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500/person after 4 hours

  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • price protection

    Price Protection

    $500/item, $1,000/account per year
  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $1,000
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $1,000
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Yes
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    120 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    15 days
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $1,000

  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $2,500
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $2,500

Perks

Perks

  • gavel

    Trip and legal Assistance

  • concierge

    Concierge Services


  • car rental

    Car Rental Discount

    10% off base rate of Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car in Canada and US and 5% internationally
  • birthday cake

    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)
  • gavel

    Trip and legal Assistance

  • concierge

    Concierge Services


  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences

  • star fall

    Status lift

    Upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold Status
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Upgrade to Marriott BonvoyTM Gold Elite status
  • reward cup

    Extra points

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

    Travel Credit

    $200
  • food location

    Dining Credit

    $200 at Select Restaurants
  • border guard

    Nexus Program Rebate

    $100 statement credit every 4 years
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - American Express Global Lounge

    Take full advantage of The American Express Global Lounge CollectionTM which unlocks access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience. Terms and Conditions apply
  • hotel

    Complimentary Hotel Benefits

    Enjoy complimentary benefits that offer an average value of $550 USD at over 1,600 extraordinary properties worldwide when you book Fine Hotels + Resorts
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    At Toronto Pearson Airport get Priority Security lane, Complimentary valet and 15% discount at the Express Park and daily park

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're a frequent traveler, the Platinum card is an excellent choice. It's highly recommended for its extensive travel benefits, including unlimited lounge access for you and a guest at the American Express Lounge collection, making it the best card for lounge access in Canada. The card also offers unique perks not commonly found with other Canadian cards, such as status upgrades at Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton, dining and travel credits, concierge service, airport benefits, Nexus application reimbursement, and more. These benefits can more than offset the annual fee. However, if you don't travel often or are mainly looking for a card that maximizes rewards, this card may not be the best option for you.

Pros

Pros

  • High grocery optimization
  • High dining optimization
  • Annual birthday bonus
  • Solid travel insurance
  • Rare price protection
  • Good redemption values
  • Most premium perks
  • Dining and travel credits
  • Unlimited airport lounge access
  • Multiple redemption options
  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Luxurious metal card
  • Instant decision. No credit impact.

Cons

Cons

  • Missing key insurance categories
  • Low gas optimization
  • Annual fee
  • High income requirements
  • High annual fee
  • Limited acceptance
  • Benefit limitations

More comparisons

Other cards we've put each of these up against.

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.

*Terms and conditions apply.


This Charge Card requires full payment of the Due in Full balance each month, with a 30% interest rate on late payments. The Flexible Payment Option balance has a 21.99% interest rate, which increases to 25.99% after two missed payments and 29.99% after three or more within 12 months. A 21-day interest-free grace period applies to new transactions if the full balance is paid by the due date.


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.