BMO Blue Rewards World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Card highlights
Welcome bonus
Annual credits
Ratehub’s review
Natasha Macmillan
The BMO Blue Rewards World Elite®* Mastercard®* is a solid travel rewards card for frequent travellers and high-income earners. Cardholders can benefit from airport lounge access, a NEXUS statement credit, comprehensive travel insurance, and flexible redemption options.
Pros
- Bonus rewards opportunities: Earn 10 points per dollar at participating Blue Rewards Partners and earn additional points when using your Blue Rewards membership at participating merchants
- Airport lounge access: Enjoy complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, along with four free airport lounge visits every year, for a value of up to $270 annually
- NEXUS statement credit: Receive a $200 NEXUS statement credit in your first year, making for smoother cross-border travel within Canada or to the US
- Comprehensive travel insurance: Benefit from a strong travel insurance package, including up to $5 million in out-of-province/out-of-country emergency medical coverage. The coverage amount is higher than what many comparable travel cards offer, although some competitors provide coverage for longer trips.
- Flexible point redemption: Redeem any amount of points toward travel purchases and use a combination of points and cash to reduce travel costs
Cons
- High income requirement: The minimum personal income requirement of $80,000 (or household income of $150,000) may put the card out of reach for some applicants
- Lower point value: While purchases outside of bonus categories earn 1 point per dollar spent, Blue Rewards points are worth approximately 0.67 cents each on average, making the return on spending lower than other rewards programs
- Annual fee: The ongoing $150 annual fee is slightly higher than many rewards cards
Rewards & bonuses
See what you could earn based on how you spend.
Welcome bonus
Earn up to $665.
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points 110 days after the credit card account open date when you spend a minimum of $5,000 on net card purchases. Earn an additional 20,000 Bonus Points 180 days after the credit card account open date when you spend a minimum of $10,000 on net card purchases within the first 180 days of account opening. Earn a further 35,000 Bonus Points 365 days after the credit card account open date when you spend a minimum of $20,000 on net card purchases within the first 365 days of account opening.
Annual credits
Up to $268 in annual credits
Airport lounge access with complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, plus 4 free passes per calendar year.*
Earn rates
Caps apply where shown. Rewards are earned on eligible purchases only, see the card’s terms for full details. 150 points = $1.
Your earning potential
First year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $150 annual fee
Second year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $150 annual fee
These numbers are based on estimations and the calculation breakdown below.
Adjust your spending
First year reward†
- If you spend $2,200/month, you’ll earn
- Welcome bonus
- Annual credits
- Annual feefirst year waived
- First year reward
Second year reward†
- If you spend $2,200/month, you’ll earn
- Annual credits
- Annual fee
- Second year reward
† Estimate calculated by Ratehub.ca and is based on current offers and a monthly spend of $2,200. It is for illustrative purposes only.
Perks & insurance
Perks and insurance coverage included with the card.
| Perks | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Included | You’ll gain complimentary passes to airport lounges. The number of passes and lounges you have access to will vary. |
| No foreign exchange fees | Not included | A surcharge that credit card holders pay for purchases made in a foreign currency (typically 2.5%). |
| Extended warranty | Included | Either doubles the length of the item’s manufacturer’s warranty coverage or extends it by 1 year, whichever is less. |
| Price protection | Not included | If, within a certain amount of time of purchasing an item, its price drops or you find an identical item offered for a lower retail price than what you paid, you will be reimbursed for the difference. |
| Insurance | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel accident insurance | Not included | If you suffer a loss as a result of an accidental bodily injury sustained while occupying a common carrier, you are eligible for this coverage. |
| Travel emergency medical | Not included | If you require urgent medical care while on a trip outside of your home province, you will be covered for any eligible medical expenses incurred. |
| Car rental insurance | Included | Credit card rental car insurance usually covers theft, loss and damage to your rental car in the case of an accidental collision. |
| Trip cancellation | Not included | If you have to cancel your trip before it’s even started, your prepaid travel costs will be covered up to a maximum amount if the cause of cancellation is eligible for the insurance. |
| Trip interruption | Not included | If your trip has to be cut short or is delayed after the scheduled departure date, you will be covered up to a maximum amount for an eligible cause of interruption or delay. |
| Flight delay insurance | Not included | If your flight departure is delayed by a certain number of hours, you’ll be reimbursed a certain amount for necessary and reasonable expenses. |
| Baggage loss insurance | Not included | If your checked bag cannot be located by a common carrier, you’ll be reimbursed for a portion of the replacement cost of lost personal property. |
| Baggage delay insurance | Not included | If your checked bag is not delivered within a specified time upon your arrival, you’ll be reimbursed for the cost to replace essential items. |
| Hotel/motel burglary | Not included | Provides protection, while you’re checked in, for your personal belongings when left unattended in your room up to a certain dollar amount. |
| Mobile insurance | Not included | Reimburses a portion of your cell phone in the event it’s damaged or lost. Device coverage is limited to a certain period of time after purchasing with your credit card. |
| Purchase assurance | Included | Automatically protects new purchases by insuring them for 90 days from the date of purchase in the event of loss, theft or damage. |
Details & eligibility
Fees
- Annual fee
- $0 for the first year, then $150 per year after
Rates
- Purchase interest
- 21.99%
- Balance transfer rate
- 23.99%
- Cash advance rate
- 23.99%
Type
- Provider
- Bank of Montreal
- Card type
- Travel
- Payment network
- Mastercard
Eligibility
- Minimum personal income
- $80,000
- Minimum household income
- $150,000
- Minimum credit score
- 725+