Head-to-Head: BMO eclipse Visa Infinite vs BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
Are you torn between the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard? This BMO eclipse Visa Infinite vs. BMO Ascend World Elite comparison puts both cards side-by-side to help you decide. To broaden your horizons, you can also consult our page on the best credit cards.
BMO is now one of the few financial institutions in Canada to offer credit cards across multiple networks:
Both the Visa and Mastercard credit cards featured in this comparison are part of the BMO Rewards program.
Let’s compare the features of the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card with those of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard.
- Annual fee
- $0 $120No annual fee the first year
- No annual fee the first year
- Our valuation
- $589Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 70,000 points
- + First Year Annual Fee Rebate
on BMO's website
- Annual fee
- $0 $150No annual fee the first year
- No annual fee the first year
- Our valuation
- $921Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 115,000 points
- + First Year Annual Fee Rebate
on BMO's website
Let’s look at the big differences between these credit cards in regards to:
Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus offered by each of these credit cards varies depending on the promotions. However, there are differences to be aware of between the two credit cards.
By applying for the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can obtain up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points as well as the waiver of the $120 annual fee for the first year through this welcome offer:
- 30,000 points after $4,000 in purchases within the first 110 days of account opening
- 20,000 points after $7,000 in purchases within the first 180 days of account opening
- 20,000 points after $12,000 in purchases within the first 365 days of account opening
With Milesopedia’s exclusive offer, you can obtain up to 115,000 BMO Rewards points as well as the first-year annual fee waiver of $150 with the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard:
- 60,000 points after $5,000 in purchases within the first 110 days of account opening
- 20,000 points after $10,000 in purchases within the first 180 days of account opening
- 35,000 points after $20,000 in purchases within the first 365 days of account opening
This offer is based on spending during the first year. The more you spend, the more points you accumulate that can be redeemed for travel, in addition to the savings on the annual fee.
Draw
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers higher point potential but requires more spending. If your budget allows, it will be more advantageous for maximizing BMO points.
Conversely, the majority of the welcome offer for the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is easier to obtain, with more accessible spending thresholds.
Minimum Income
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card requires a minimum income of:
- $60,000 (individual)
- $100,000 $ (combined)
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard requires a minimum income of:
- $80,000 (individual)
- $150,000 (combined)
Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is more accessible than the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, which is now outclassed by the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card that requires an individual income of $150,000 or a household income of $200,000.
Annual Fee
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $120 (but offers a first-year annual fee waiver).
However, this card offers an annual credit of $50, which means it only costs $70 a year!
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard has an annual fee of $150 (but features a first-year annual fee waiver, a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, and a 2% balance transfer fee).
In addition, it comes with 4 airport lounge passes, which can help offset the annual fee.
Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite
Both cards are free in the first year.
However, after that, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card costs less and comes with a credit you can use however you like: travel, everyday purchases, etc.
Earning Points
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard both offer multiple points earning rates.
Maximum Earning Level
With the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar spent on:
- Groceries
- restaurants, bars
- Food delivery
- Gas
- local transport
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar spent on travel purchases.
And you get 3 points for every dollar you spend on:
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Recurring Bill payments
Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is perfect for everyday purchases, earning 5 points per dollar on common spending categories like groceries, gas, and local transit.
For its part, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard will be particularly interesting if you make a lot of travel purchases: 5 points per dollar.
Basic Earning Level
Outside of these accelerated earning categories, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard both offer a base earn rate.
With the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Draw
Both cards offer 1 point per dollar for non-category purchases. The one advantage of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is that it is accepted at Costco, unlike the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card.
Redeeming Points
These are both travel rewards credit cards that are part of the BMO Rewards program.
You can use your points through the BMO Rewards portal.
| Redemption | 10,000 Points | Value of 1 point |
| Travel | $67 | 0.67¢ |
| Investment | $67 | 0.67¢ |
| Experiences | $62 | ¢0.62 |
| Merchandise | $60 | ¢0.60 |
| Gift cards | $54 | ¢0.54 |
| Statement Credit | $33.3 | ¢0.33 |
Draw
No matter which BMO credit card you choose, the best way to use your BMO Rewards points is to book travel such as flights, hotel stays, or car rentals through the BMO Rewards portal. 40,000 points = $268.
Insurance
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers a few insurance benefits:
- Worldwide Emergency Medical Insurance: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of each trip (if you are 64 years old or younger).
- Insurance on board a common carrier: $500,000 per person
- Vehicle Rental Insurance: up to 48 days
- Purchase insurance: 90 days (loss, damage, theft)
- Extended Warranty Insurance: 1 year
- Mobile device insurance: $1,000
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers a range of insurance options:
- Worldwide Emergency Medical Travel Insurance: $5,000,000 and 21 days (under 65 years old)
- Flight Delay Insurance: $500 per person
- Baggage Delay or Loss Insurance: $500 per person
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: $1,500 per person
- Trip Interruption Insurance: $2,000 per person
- Insurance on board a common carrier: $500,000 per person
- Vehicle Rental Insurance: up to 48 days
- Accidental Death or Dismemberment Insurance for Rental Vehicle: up to $500,000
- Personal effects insurance when renting a vehicle: up to $2,000
- Purchase insurance: 90 days (loss, damage, theft)
- Extended Warranty Insurance: 1 year
Advantage: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best credit cards in Canada for travel insurance with points. Indeed, for most of the proposed insurances, it is enough to have paid only a part of your trip with the card. Even just the airport taxes on an Aeroplan award ticket, for example!
In comparison, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card does not offer many travel-related insurance benefits, except for medical insurance or rental car insurance.
The Benefits
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers various benefits:
- an annual credit of $50 (per calendar year) for any purchase
- earn 10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account
- access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotels Collection
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers a range of benefits:
- 4 free airport VIP lounge passes
- NEXUS credit of up to $200 (first year)
- Wi-Fi Boingo access
- accepted at Costco
- six months of Instacart membership and a $10 monthly Instacart+ credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card
- Mastercard Travel Pass program
Draw
On one hand, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card comes with a $50 annual credit that you can use however you like.
On the other hand, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers 4 airport lounge passes, which is worth more than $50, but is more restrictive: if you do not use them, they have no value to you.
Conclusion
So? Which card wins this duel?
It’s hard to give a definite winner. In fact, it will be up to each person to make up their own mind according to their needs.
To take advantage of the current welcome offer on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, worth up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points, check out our dedicated page.
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card stands out for:
- the 5 points per dollar earning for regular purchases
- the annual credit of $50
It will be more of a credit card for people who regularly earn points for everyday expenses and do not require robust travel insurance. The points can easily be used for hotel nights or car rentals, for example!
You can also consult our review to discover 7 reasons to obtain the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card.
Against it, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* stands out for:
- 5 points per dollar for travel and 3 points for everyday purchase categories
- the 4 complimentary annual airport lounge passes
- great insurances
- the fact it’s accepted at Costco
This credit card is perfect for people who travel regularly and require extensive insurance.
These are 2 cards that we recommend in many of our rankings:
- Annual fee
- $0 $120No annual fee the first year
- No annual fee the first year
- Our valuation
- $589Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 70,000 points
- + First Year Annual Fee Rebate
on BMO's website
- Annual fee
- $0 $150No annual fee the first year
- No annual fee the first year
- Our valuation
- $921Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 115,000 points
- + First Year Annual Fee Rebate
on BMO's website
BMO eclipse and Ascend Cards – Frequently Asked Questions
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about these two cards.
Which BMO card offers the best welcome bonus: eclipse Visa Infinite or Ascend World Elite?
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard currently offers up to 115,000 BMO Rewards points (worth about $770 toward travel), while the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers up to 70,000 points as a welcome bonus (worth about $469). Both cards offer a first-year annual fee waiver. The Ascend wins on the raw bonus, but the eclipse partly makes up for it with its $50 annual credit, available starting in the second year.
What are the earn rates for each BMO card?
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card earns 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar on groceries, dining, gas, and public transit, and 1 point elsewhere. The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard instead offers 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, 3 points on dining, entertainment, and recurring bills, and 1 point elsewhere. Households that spend mostly on groceries and gas prefer the eclipse, while frequent travellers get more value from the Ascend.
Which of the two BMO cards is accepted at Costco?
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is accepted at Costco across Canada thanks to the Mastercard network. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, on the Visa network, is not accepted in Costco warehouses, even though it has been accepted at Costco Gas pumps since 2022. For households that regularly shop at Costco, the Ascend is therefore the better choice of the two. Costco purchases, however, earn only 1 point per dollar since they are coded as warehouse rather than grocery.
Which travel benefits differentiate the BMO Ascend from the BMO eclipse?
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard includes 4 free airport lounge passes via Mastercard Travel Pass/DragonPass and a NEXUS credit of up to $200 in the first year, benefits that are absent from the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite*. Both cards offer emergency medical insurance of up to $5M. For a traveller who takes 2 or 3 flights per year, the lounge passes and NEXUS credit on the Ascend alone already justify its $150 annual fee.
Our featured card
- Annual fee
- $0 $150No annual fee the first year
- No annual fee the first year
- Our valuation
- $921Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 115,000 points
- + First Year Annual Fee Rebate
on BMO's website
Our editorial integrity
Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.