Should You Get a Tims Mastercard?

Tims Mastercards

Designed with the Tim Hortons loyalist in mind, the Tims Mastercard and the Secured Tims Mastercard (not available in Quebec) let you earn Tims Rewards points on all your purchases.

These points can then be redeemed at Tim Hortons once you’ve saved up enough for the menu item of your choice.

The Tims Mastercard comes with no annual fee and no minimum income requirement, making it accessible to many people. However, this card does require that you have a good credit score and do a credit check to be approved.

Comparately, Tim Hortons’ other credit card, the Secured Tims Mastercard doesn’t require a credit check in order to be approved. This makes it ideal for individuals who are looking to build their credit score.

This could be a solid choice for students and newcomers to Canada who are just starting out on their Canadian credit journey.

Tims Mastercard – Review

Relative to many other credit cards on the market, the two Tims Mastercards don’t offer a ton of benefits. That said, if you’re a big fan of Timmies, they might be a perfect fit for you.

Both cards let you earn Tims Rewards points on all your purchases, and you can then redeem these points for Tim Hortons menu items or statement credits. Additionally, both cards come with a few consumer protection perks.

Earning Tims Rewards

Comparing the two cards, the Tims Mastercard lets you earn Tims Rewards points every time you use the card, as follows:

• Earn 15 points per $1 spent at Tim Hortons when you also scan your Tims Rewards card
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on groceries, gas, transit/taxi/ride-sharing, and EV charging
• Earn 1 point per $2 spent on all other purchases

The Secured Tims Mastercard earns points at the following rates:

• Earn 12 points per $1 spent at Tim Hortons when you also scan your Tims Rewards card
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on groceries, gas, transit/taxi/ride-sharing, and EV charging
• Earn 1 point per $4 spent on all other purchases

Now, since Tims Rewards points are worth 0.5 cents each, this means you could get an impressive 7.5% return when you earn 15 points per $1 spent at Tim Hortons.

However, keep in mind that with both cards, the higher earning rates are limited to the first $20,000 you spend each year. After this limit, all purchases revert to base earning rate of 1 point per $2 spent or 1 point per $4 spent.

Redeeming Tims Rewards

The points you earn with your Tims Mastercard can be redeemed for menu items at participating Tim Hortons, as well as for statement credits up to $45.

You can explore our complete guide to the Tims Rewards program to learn all the ins and outs of earning and redeeming your points, but to give you an idea of the available value, here are some popular redemption choices:

• Classic donut: 300 points
• Brewed coffee: 400 points
• 10-pack of Timbits: 800 points
• Breakfast sandwich: 1,100 points

If you’d rather use your points to pay down your statement balance, you can do so at the following rates:

Both the Tims Mastercard and the Secured Tims Mastercard let you use your points for statement credits once every 7 days.

If you have enough points and an eligible unpaid purchase on your statement, you can redeem $5 to $45. Take a look at the Tims Financial website to learn more or explore your options in the app.

So Should You Get a Tims Mastercard?

Whether or not you should get one of the Tims Mastercards depends on your current financial needs and goals.

To help you make this decision, let’s look at the good and the not-so-good qualities of the two cards.

Tims Mastercards – The Good

One of the best parts of the Tims Mastercards is that they both have no annual fee and no minimum income requirement. Plus, as long as you’re able to provide the necessary deposit for the secured card, you’re almost certain to be approved.

Thanks to these features, the cards are accessible to most people, and the secured option (not available in Quebec) can be a great way to establish or rebuild your credit score.

Earning rates

Another way that the Tims Mastercards are valuable is through their ability to earn points that can be redeemed for food and drinks at Tim Hortons across the country or for statement credits on eligible purchases.

In fact, when you use the Tims Mastercard for your Tim Hortons purchases, you net the notable return rate of 7.5% (15 points per $1 spent X ¢0.5 in presumed value).

Other perks

In terms of additional non-reward perks, both the Tims Mastercard and the Secured Tims Mastercard offer cardholders extended warranty and purchase protection coverage, giving you some extra peace of mind with your new purchases.

Which card is better?

At this point, you may be wondering which of the two cards is the best option.

Well, the only notable difference between the two cards are the earning rates and the application process.

Given this, if you’re able to get the Tims Mastercard and enjoy the higher earning rates, that would be the most lucrative choice. However, the secured option is also a decent choice if it better suits your current financial situation.

Tims Mastercards – The Not-So-Good

Now that we’ve explored the cards’ good qualities, let’s take a quick look at the not-so-good parts.

First, a notable limitation of the Tims Mastercards is that the points you earn can only be used at Tim Hortons and for small statement credits, and the earning rates when spending anywhere other than Tim Hortons aren’t amazing.

For example, to get enough points to redeem for a coffee and a donut (700 points or around a $3.50–4.00 value), you would need to spend $140 on groceries, gas, transit, or EV charging on the Tims Mastercard or $350 on the Secured Tims Mastercard.

This earning rate is giving you an approximately 2.5% return from the eligible category spend with the Tims Mastercard and only around a 1% return the secured credit card option.

These earning rates are less than ideal given that you could actually earn considerably more valuable rewards by paying with a credit card that earns a strong return across the entire restaurant category (more on this in the next section!) and not just at Tim Hortons.

Additionally, the Secured Tims Mastercard isn’t the strongest secured card on the market. If you’re in search of a secured credit card, we recommend you read through our guide to secured credit cards to learn more about your options.

Alternative Cards for Earning Rewards at Restaurants

If you’re looking for a card that earns valuable rewards at all restaurants, not just Tim Hortons, there are a number of strong contenders.

• American Express Cobalt Card – earn 5 Membership Rewards (MR) points per $1 spent
• Scotiabank Gold American Express Card – earn 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent
• MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard – earn 5 MBNA Rewards points per $1 spent
• National Bank World Elite Mastercard – earn 5 NBC Rewards points per $1 spent

Depending on how you redeem the points you accumulate with any of these cards, you could enjoy a solid 5% return (or even more if you transfer the Amex Cobalt’s MR points to an airline or hotel loyalty program!).

One additional option – if you’d prefer to earn straightforward cash back, the Simplii Cash Back Visa Card earns 4% cash back on eligible restaurant, bar, and coffee shop purchases (on up to $5,000 in spending per year).

Bottom Line

The Tims Mastercard and Secured Tims Mastercard give fans of the legendary brand the chance to earn points that can be redeemed for tasty Tim Hortons menu items.

With no annual fees and no income requirements, a Tims Mastercard might just be the right choice for you if you’d like to save a bit of money on your favourite donuts and coffee.

FAQs

Do I have to pay for the Tims Mastercard?

No. The Tims Mastercard is a no-annual-fee credit card with no minimum income requirement.

How many Tim Hortons locations are there?

There are more than 5,500 Tim Hortons locations in 10+ countries around the world.

How do I apply for a job at Tim Hortons?

To apply for a job at Tim Hortons, you can visit your nearest Tim Hortons branch or apply directly online on the Tim Hortons Careers page.

What are the best alternatives to the Tims Mastercard?

If you want more than a card limited to Tim Hortons, several alternatives earn a stronger return on restaurants and everyday spending: the American Express Cobalt Card (5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on dining and groceries), the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card (5 Scene+ points per $1), or the Simplii Cash Back Visa Card (4% cash back on dining). Neo cardholders should also compare the Neo lineup before deciding.

How does the Tims^® Mastercard^® welcome bonus work?

The current welcome offer is a $20 Tim Hortons gift card — small, but in line with what you’d expect from a no-annual-fee card. Milesopedia estimates a first-year value of around $269 when you combine the welcome bonus with a typical year of Tims Rewards earnings (assuming 5–7 Tims visits per week and average grocery/gas spending). Compared to a $0 sign-up bonus on most no-fee cards, the $20 gift card plus accelerated Tims Rewards earnings make this a worthwhile Tim Hortons add-on, but not a primary card.