BMO® CashBack® Mastercard® - Student
Not yet rated
Best for Groceries
Cash back
Welcome bonus – Earn up to $125 in first-year bonuses.
Card highlights
Welcome bonus
Annual fee
Ratehub’s review
Natasha Macmillan
The BMO Cashback Mastercard makes a lot of sense for cash-strapped students, because your cash back rewards are available at your fingertips anytime. If you regularly use your credit card to buy groceries or pay your phone plan, you can rack up the cash back rewards to reduce your bills and expenses for the future. Keep in mind, though, that rewards are capped monthly, so if you’re a bit of a big spender this card might not be for you.
Pros
- Redeem cash back rewards anytime: You don’t have to wait to redeem your cash back rewards like you might with other cash back cards — you can apply as little as $1 to your balance anytime, or get a credit card statement
- Flexible redemption options: You can deposit your cash back rewards into a BMO savings or investment account, a fairly rare perk, or redeem them as a statement credit to cover your balance
Cons
- Cash back earnings are limited: The bonus cash back rates of 3% on groceries and 1% on bill payments are capped at a maximum of $500 in spending per month, and then the earn rate goes back to 0.5%. This can really limit your overall annual cash back earnings
- Low regular earn rate: The regular earn rate of 0.5% on everything outside of the bonus categories is minimal, so if you exceed the monthly spending caps in those areas, or prefer to spend on other things like travel, this card might not make sense for you
Rewards & bonuses
See what you could earn based on how you spend.
Welcome bonus
Earn up to $125.
earn 5% cash back in your first 3 months
Earn rates
3%
On groceries*Up to $500 / month, then 0.5%
1%
On bills*Up to $500 / month, then 0.5%
0.5%
On other purchases*
Monthly spending caps apply where shown. Rewards are earned on eligible purchases only, see the card’s terms for full details.
Your earning potential
First year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
Second year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 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 fee
- First year reward
Second year reward†
- If you spend $2,200/month, you’ll earn
- 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 | Not 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 | Up to one additional year | 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 | Not 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 | Covered for 90 days | 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
- Balance transfer fee
- 1% of transferred balance
Rates
- Purchase interest
- 21.99%
- Balance transfer rate
- 23.99%
- Cash advance rate
- 23.99%
Type
- Provider
- Bank of Montreal
- Card type
- Cash back
- Payment network
- Mastercard
Eligibility
- Minimum personal income
- N/A
- Minimum household income
- N/A
- Minimum credit score
- 660+