8 Reasons to Get the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

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Marie-Ève Leclerc
Marie-Ève Leclerc Marie-Ève Leclerc
Marie-Ève, Web Director at Milesopedia, is an expert in budget travel and a slow travel enthusiast. Specializing in Aeroplan, Scene+, and Marriott Bonvoy programs, she spends nearly six months a year abroad, making travel her way of life. Constantly seeking the best waves to surf, excellent coffee, and strategies to extend her travels, she is often found in coworking spaces with fellow digital nomads or by the sea, watching the sunset.
All posts by Marie-Ève Leclerc
9 Reasons to Get the BMO Ascend WE MC feature image
To the point Explore our top 8 reasons why the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard should find a place in your travel wallet.

Choosing the right travel credit card is a great way to earn rewards, save money, and take your future trips to the next level.

By combining strong earning rates with excellent perks and benefits (like free airport lounge access!), the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is certain to be a great addition to your rewards wallet.

Read on to explore our top 8 reasons why we think the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* and BMO Rewards should be part of your travel strategy.

Coffee on balcony overlooking european rooftops

1. Lucrative Welcome Offers

Welcome offers are a fantastic way to jumpstart your rewards journey, giving you an attainable way to enjoy a pile of points shortly after you get your new credit card.

Given this, it’s no surprise that the first reason why we love the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is that you can expect to pretty much always enjoy a lucrative welcome offer, boosting your account by tens of thousands of BMO Rewards points after you meet a minimum spend requirement.

See the card’s current offer and value in the graphic below:

2. Earn valuable points

Another reason we like the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is that it lets you earn valuable points with strong earning rates.

With the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you can earn between 1 and 5 BMO Rewards points per $1 spent on all your purchases, letting you build up your stash of points quickly.

The earning rates for this valuable travel card are as follows:

  • 5 points per $1 on eligible travel purchases
  • 3 points per $1 on eligible dining purchases
  • 3 points per $1 on eligible entertainment purchases
  • 3 points per $1 on recurring bill payments
  • 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
8 Reasons BMO Ascend - Woman paying with phone at restaurant

3. Diverse Redemption Options

Each time you use the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you earn BMO Rewards points that can then be redeemed a number of different ways.

Once you’ve got some BMO Rewards points hanging out in your account, you can choose to redeem as follows:

  • For travel (using Pay with Points) at a rate of 150 points = $1
  • To cover everyday expenses (using Pay with Points) at a rate of 200 points = $1
  • On gift cards (e.g., 23,000 points = $100 gift card)
  • To save on select merchandise (value varies, but you may be able to find redemptions around 20,000 points = $100 in value)
  • For adding to your BMO savings or investment accounts at a rate of 15,000 points = $100

4. Free Airport Lounge Access

One of the best ways to improve any airport travel experience is to spend your pre-departure time in an airport lounge enjoying free snacks, drinks, and more.

Luckily, this is another area where the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* shines, offering membership to Mastercard Travel Pass with 4 complimentary airport lounges passes.

This perk lets you choose from over 1,300 lounges around the world through the Dragonpass program, letting you relax in style before your next flight.

5. $200 NEXUS Credit

For travellers who go back and forth between Canada and the US often, having a NEXUS membership can save you time and make your border-crossings considerably smoother.

The BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* provides cardholders with up to a $200 credit towards the NEXUS application fee when you charge it to your card within the first year as a card member.

6. Strong Travel Insurance Coverage

Another helpful and money-saving benefit of the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is its strong travel insurance offerings.

With the card, you can enjoy the following coverage:

Credit card travel insurance and car rental insurance is a fantastic way to save money on your travel expenses, especially considering that car rental insurance can be upwards of $25 a day!

7. Great Perks and Discounts

Another reason why we think you should add the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* to your loyalty wallet is that it also comes with a handful of perks and benefits that save you money, make your life easier, and keep your purchases more secure.

Perks

First, with the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you get great perks like:

Discounts

Additionally, as a cardholder, you can also take advantage of car rental discounts with National, Alamo, and Enterprise, a unique and fun opportunity for discounts on Cirque du Soleil shows in Canada and Las Vegas, and even more special offers through the World Mastercard portfolio.

8. Stay Connected

Our final reason for loving the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is that it helps keep you connected when you’re travelling abroad through its partnership with FlexiRoam.

Through this feature, as a World Elite Mastercard holder, you can enjoy a free or discounted eSIM so that you can keep in touch with family and friends from just about anywhere in the world.

Curious about the best travel options for connectivity and data security? Check our guides that explain what an eSIM is and how to keep your data secure when abroad to learn more about your current technology choices.

Bottom Line

There you have it — 8 great reasons why we love the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* and why we think you should consider it for your next new credit card.

Whether you’re won over by the lucrative welcome offer, the strong travel insurance, the free airport lounge passes, the powerful earning rates in key categories, or the flexible redemption options, this card has something for everyone.

However, if you’re not yet convinced, consider reading through one of the following head-to-head comparisons to see how the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* stacks up against other compelling card options:

FAQs

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Erin Partridge
Erin Partridge
Erin Partridge enjoys travelling slowly and taking her time to get to know each new place. 
She’s had the opportunity to live in Canada and South Korea, with shorter stints in Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, and more.
All posts by Erin Partridge
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