How much is the value of 1M points?

New to the Canadian credit card scene, two BMO VIPorter Mastercards have recently debuted a savvy way to collect points on flights for flights.

Both cards earn you VIPorter points each time you fly with Porter airlines or any of their partners, not to mention points on eligible hotel accommodation purchases, plus points on everyday expenses like transportation, gas, groceries, and dining. Once you accumulate enough points, you can go ahead and redeem those rewards towards – you guessed it – other Porter and partner airline flights. 

To brush up on all there is to know about BMO’s newest releases, plus their redemption opportunities, keep reading.

How Do You Earn VIPorter Points?

We teased the two new BMO VIPorter credit cards in our intro, now it’s time to actually unpack these two travel contenders.

Both cards provide the most convenient way for you to pull VIPorter points from eligible purchases and place them straight into your pocket.

Our choice for: Premium card for frequent Porter airline travelers

BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗

BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard®∗

4.5

Finly Rating

APPLY NOW

on BMO's website

$75 $125 Cash Rebate From FinlyWealth expiring on + Get up to 70,000 VIPorter points and a round-trip companion pass.* Plus receive $1,000 in Qualifying Spend.*

Welcome Bonus

Get up to 70,000 VIPorter points and a round-trip companion pass.* Plus receive $1,000 in Qualifying Spend.*

Rewards Rate

1x - 3x points

Points

Annual Fee

$199 $0

Interest Rates

21.99% / 23.99%□

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE

300

Poor

560

Fair

660

Good

725

Very Good

760

Excellent

Get your free credit score

Our Take

This is easily the best credit card in Canada for frequent Porter airline (and its partners) travelers. Earning 2x VIPorter points on common everyday purchases like groceries, dining and transportation is a massive benefit, allowing you to rack up points really fast and enjoy travel via Porter and it's airline partners. The premium benefits of this card make your travels smooth as you get priority security screening, early boarding and priority re-accommodation for flight delays, one complimentary checked bag, a carry-on bag with every fare type (including Basic), and complimentary PorterClassic seat selection.

Pros & Cons

Pros

---

• No annual fee in the first year!
• A massive welcome bonus with a value that easily exceeds $1,000, especially with the one companion pass
• Points can be redeemed across Porter's expanding North American network, as well as Porter's growing list of global airline partners, currently featuring flights operated by Air Transat and Alaska Airlines sold on flyporter.com.
• 2x points on common everyday purchases such as groceries, dining, gas, transportation, etc. where points are valued at 1.5 cents per point on average

Cons

---

• Annual fee of $199 is definitely on the higher side for an airline loyalty card
• Having to spend $50,000 in the first year just to qualify for the annual companion pass
• Points can only be redeemed towards flights currently
• Spending caps on common categories like groceries and dining for earning 2x multiplier may be low for large families

Card Details

Rewards

• Earn 3 VIPorter points for every $1 spent on eligible Porter purchases via flyporter.com (up to $20,000 in spending annually)
• Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible gas and transportation purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually combined)
• Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible groceries and dining purchases (up to $10,000 in spending annually combined)
• Earn 2 VIPorter point for every $1 spent on eligible hotel accommodation purchases (up to $5,000 in spending annually)
• Earn 1 VIPorter point for every $1 spent everywhere else
• Primary cardholders will receive an annual companion pass after spending a minimum of $50,000 (less refunds and excluding cash advances, cash-like transactions, interest charges, fees, credit or debit adjustments) within the first 365 days after the account open date. 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.

Insurance

Coverage

• 

  Extended Warranty

  1 year
• 

  Purchase Protection

  90 days
• 

  Emergency Medical Term

  Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 21 days per trip
• 

  Travel Accident

  Up to $500,000 per insured person
• 

  Trip Cancellation

  Up to $1,500 per insured person, per trip (maximum of $5,000 per trip for all insured persons combined)
• 

  Trip Interruption

  $2,000 per insured person
• 

  Flight Delay

  Up to a maximum of $500 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, for the purchase of essential items
• 

  Lost or Stolen Baggage

  Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
• 

  Hotel Burglary Insurance

  Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combined
• 

  Car Rental Damage & Theft

  Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000

Benefits

Details

• 

  Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass

  Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass. As a member enjoy lounge access for a fee of just US$32 per person, per visit.*
• 

  Free first checked bag

  1 complimentary checked bag as well as 1 complimentary carry-on bag on all Porter fare types up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
• 

  Companion Voucher

  A round-trip companion pass per year
• 

  Priority Travel

  Priority check-in, security, and early boarding for up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
• 

  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*
• 

  Mastercard On-Demand and Subscription Services

Eligibility

• Credit Score

  Good
• Annual Income

  $80,000 personal or $150,000 household

^**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. Check here for full details and current product information.

Starting with the most premium option, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard earns you more VIPorter points per dollar spent on eligible Porter purchases made through flyporter.com, plus more points per dollar spent on gas, transportation, groceries, dining, hotel accommodations, and all other eligible purchases. On top of this, the annual spending caps per category are higher on this version of the card than they are with the BMO VIPorter Mastercard.

When comparing the two VIPorter cards’ welcome bonuses, you’ll find that the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard nearly doubles the bonus point potential of the BMO VIPorter Mastercard, earning cardholders up to 70,000 VIPorter points instead of up to 40,000.

In terms of coverage, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has more extensive insurance, adding valuable protections like trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance.

As far as benefits go, the two cards share car rental discounts at National Car Rental, Alamo Rent A Car, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations worldwide, discounts on Booking.com prepaid hotel or rental property bookings and Cirque du Soleil shows touring both Canada and Las Vegas, not to mention, priority travel perks like priority check-in, security, and early bookings for up to 8 travel companions. That said, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard adds even more benefits to its list, with inclusions like an airport lounge Dragon Pass, an annual round-trip companion pass, one free first checked bag and carry-on on all fare types for up to 8 travel companions, plus Mastercard on-demand and subscription services.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard comes with a higher annual fee and higher annual income requirements.

Ultimately, you’d likely want to apply for the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard for VIPorter points if you want the most elite option on the market – packed with higher point-potential, exclusive perks, and extensive insurance coverage.

Our choice for: Porter airline travelers

BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗

BMO VIPorter Mastercard®∗

3.8

Finly Rating

APPLY NOW

on BMO's website

$50 $100 Cash Rebate From FinlyWealth expiring on + Get up to 40,000 VIPorter points and a 35% off flight voucher.*

Welcome Bonus

Get up to 40,000 VIPorter points and a 35% off flight voucher.*

Rewards Rate

0.5x - 2x points

Points

Annual Fee

$89 $0

Interest Rates

21.99% / 23.99%□

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE

300

Poor

560

Fair

660

Good

725

Very Good

760

Excellent

Get your free credit score

Our Take

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 & Cons

Pros

---

• No annual fee in the first year!
• A massive welcome bonus valued at $600+ that also grants you a 35%-off flight discount voucher (valid for up to 3 companions) after meeting the minimum spend requirement
• Points can be redeemed across Porter's expanding North American network, as well as Porter's growing list of global airline partners, currently featuring flights operated by Air Transat and Alaska Airlines sold on flyporter.com.

Cons

---

• Low spending caps on common categories like groceries and dining
• Having to spend $25,000 per year just to qualify for 35%-off flight booking discount
• Points can only be redeemed towards flights currently

Card Details

Rewards

• 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).

Insurance

Coverage

• 

  Extended Warranty

  1 year
• 

  Purchase Protection

  90 days
• 

  Emergency Medical Term

  Up to $5M per insured person, per trip, for 8 days per trip
• 

  Travel Accident

  Up to $500,000 per insured person
• 

  Flight Delay

  Up to a maximum of $500 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
• 

  Lost or Stolen Baggage

  Up to $500 per insured person to a maximum of $1,000 per trip for all insured persons combined
• 

  Hotel Burglary Insurance

  Up to $1,000 per occurrence for all insured persons combined
• 

  Car Rental Damage & Theft

  Rental period up to 48 days, with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $65,000

Benefits

Details

• 

  Priority Travel

  Priority check-in, security, and early boarding for up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking
• 

  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
• 

  Discount

  Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas
• 

  Hotel Booking Discount

  Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada *

Eligibility

• Credit Score

  Good
• Annual Income

  N/A

^**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. Check here for full details and current product information.

If you were hoping to collect VIPorter points while paying a lower annual fee (one that’s also waived during the first year of membership), apply for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard instead. With this card, you’ll also avoid any annual income requirements – making it even more accessible.

Sure, the point potential on this card is slightly lower than the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard, with lower reward rates in the same earn categories and lower annual spending caps per category.

Unfortunately, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard lacks important insurance coverage like trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance, but it still includes protections like flight and baggage delay insurance, hotel burglary insurance, and car rental damage and theft insurance.

By comparison, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard also comes with less benefits, but shares discounts on car rentals, booking.com arrangements, and Cirque du Soleil performances with the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard, plus some priority travel perks.

At the end of the day, if you're a frequent Porter flyer who doesn’t meet the annual income requirements of the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard – or you simply want to pay a lower annual fee – the BMO VIPorter Mastercard is a great alternative with similar rewards, perks, and coverage (you might just have to make a few compromises here and there).

How Do You Redeem VIPorter Points?

Now that you’re well-versed on your credit card options for collecting VIPorter points, it’s time to review the program’s redemption opportunities. 

Spoiler alert: they’re pretty straight-forward!

While we usually cram loyalty program redemption categories into organized tables, VIPorter provides its earners with only one redemption option: the opportunity to apply points towards Porter airline and partner airline plane tickets. This redemption provides a generous average value of 1.5 cents-per-point (cpp).

Beyond Porter airlines, participating partner airlines include Air Transat and Alaska Airlines, extending redemption potential to new horizons.

To redeem VIPorter points towards air travel, visit flyporter.com or contact the Porter Call Centre. 

When checking out, you can choose whether you use your points to cover the entire trip, or whether you split the cost with cash.

Need some more guidance? Here’s the redemption process step-by-step:

1. Input your flight details into the booking screen on the redemption platform, then hit “Book Now.”
2. On the “Flight Options” screen, select “Show fares in: VIPorter points” or “Dollars & points”
3. Sign into your VIPorter account through the pop-up (if you haven’t already) to see your VIPorter point fare options
4. Pick your itinerary and submit your booking using points

Are VIPorter Points Worth it?

If you intend to book frequent future flights with Porter, Air Transat or Alaska Airlines, then the VIPorter rewards program will yield great value overall.

That said, if you’re looking for more airline redemption opportunities or you simply want to see all of your travel-point-program options, check out our Best Travel Credit Cards blog and continue to use our point calculator to compare point values.