Young professionals: travel more and better with the National Bank Platinum Mastercard®

To the point As a young professional, find out how to take full advantage of the National Bank Platinum Mastercard® in your day-to-day life and on your travels.

A travel credit card for young professionals Finance your travels by accumulating points on your daily expenses NBC À la carte Rewards Plan: A flexible program Comprehensive travel insurance for your adventures Bottom Line

The National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® won Best Credit Card for Young Professionals in our Milesopedia 2024 awards. Let’s explore the reasons why this card is a wise choice for young people who aspire to travel more, even on a modest income.

A travel credit card for young professionals

With an affordable annual fee of $70, the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® offers a range of benefits and travel insurance usually associated with high-end products. Best of all, with the current promotion, the first year’s annual fee is waived!

Another notable advantage of the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® is that it requires no minimum income. So you can apply even if it’s your first credit card or you’re just starting out in your career.

Are you a student between the ages of 18 and 24? Take a look at National Bank’s student bank account offers. You could also save on monthly chequing account fees.

Personally, this card was my starting point in the world of travel rewards and points. It was my all-purpose card during my university years for all possible expenses. Over a two-year period, I managed to accumulate about 60,000 NBC Rewards points. I was then able to exchange them for a $600 discount on a plane ticket to Paris on Air Transat.

Let’s see how this card can help you turn your daily expenses into travel opportunities!

Finance your travels by accumulating points on your daily expenses

With the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^®, every dollar spent earns points toward the NBC Plan À la carte Rewards program.

What’s more, some purchase categories come with a multiplier that allows you to accumulate even more points per dollar spent.

Earn up to 2 points per dollar spent:

At the grocery store
At the restaurant
On food delivery services
On subscriptions to ready-to-cook boxes (Hello Fresh, Cook It, Goodfood, etc.).
In bars and nightclubs

The accumulation of 2 points per dollar of purchase is valid for the first $1,000 of gross monthly purchases charged to the account. Beyond this amount, eligible expenses in these categories continue to earn points, but at a rate of 1.5 points per dollar.

Earn 1.5 points per dollar spent:

On gas and electric charging
On recurring bills payments (internet, cell phone, gym, subscriptions, etc.)
On the À la carte Travel platform

Finally, earn 1 point for every $1.50 spent in all other purchase categories. To collect points quickly, remember to put all your purchases on your credit card (and pay off your entire balance each month).

For example, if you spend about $1,000 a month on your Platinum Mastercard according to this budget, here’s what you could earn in points in one month:

Expense category	Amount	Multiplier	Accumulated points
Groceries	$300	2x	600
Restaurants, food delivery and bars	$200	2x	400
Gas or electric charging	$ 100	1,5x	150
Internet and cell phone bills	$150	1,5x	225
Digital subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc.)	$50	1,5x	75
Gym membership	$40	1,5x	60
Other purchases	$150	0,75x	100

A total of 1,610 points per month, for 19,320 points in one year. That’s nearly $200 off your next trip, plus a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 points, for a first-year travel discount of nearly $500!

To collect even more points, why not pair up? With the current promotion, you can add a secondary account holder (your partner, for example) to your account free of charge. A joint credit card is also a convenient way to manage your couple’s finances while accumulating even more rewards.

NBC À la carte Rewards Plan: A flexible program

NBC À la carte Rewards Plan is a great program for getting started in the world of points and travel rewards. Its simplicity and flexibility are its main assets.

The best use you can make of your points is to book your trip with À la carte Travel powered by Transat, an online travel agency. This way, you get the most value out of your points: you’ll earn a $100 credit for every 10,000 points redeemed. On this booking platform, you will find :

Flights;
Hotels ;
All-inclusive packages;
Car rentals and ;
Cruises

Only package and flight bookings are eligible for point redemption directly on the À la carte Travel website. Hotel, cruise and car reservations are redirected to third-party websites. You must redeem your points for a refund once the transaction has been charged to your account.

For all other reservations, you can also use NBC Rewards points. These points can be redeemed for a statement credit on any travel expense charged to the credit card. Be sure to make this exchange within 60 days of the transaction.

The exchange rate for this type of use is :

12,000 points for a $100 credit or;
11,000 points for a $100 credit when redeeming more than 55,000 points in the same transaction.

NBC À la carte Rewards Plan points can also be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, statement credits and more. Find out more about all the rewards here.

Looking for budget or backpack destinations? See our guide to the best destinations for under $50 a day.

Comprehensive travel insurance for your adventures

In addition to its rewards benefits, the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® offers comprehensive travel insurance to give you peace of mind when you travel. Protections include :

Out-of-province hospital insurance (for trips of up to 10 days)
Trip cancellation or interruption insurance
Flight and baggage delay insurance
Baggage loss or theft insurance
Car rental insurance (local and abroad)

Before you leave on your trip, be sure to read the insurance contract carefully, and keep the contact details you need to make a claim close at hand. Full details of the policy can be found here.

Will your next trip last more than ten days? Unfortunately, emergency medical coverage will not apply. For another affordable travel insurance option, take a look at soNomad.

Additional protection comes with the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^®:

Insurance against accidental breakage, loss or theft of mobile devices
Extended manufacturer’s warranty on purchases
Purchase insurance (up to 180 days)

Bottom Line

The National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® is an attractive option for young professionals looking for an economical travel credit card. With an affordable $70 annual fee, attractive multipliers on everyday spending categories, a flexible rewards program and comprehensive travel insurance, this card offers a winning combination for those who want to travel more for less.