American Express Cobalt Card: Earn Up to 15,000 Bonus Points!
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American Express Cobalt Card – Welcome Offer
New American Express Cobalt® Cardmembers can earn up to 15,000 points as a welcome bonus.
This corresponds to a value of $150 using your points for any purchase made with the Card. And up to $300 when you use the American Express fixed-point travel program to book flights! You can even transfer your points to numerous partners such as Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy.
With American Express credit cards increasingly accepted in many stores in Quebec (including some IGA grocery stores) and across Canada, there is no longer any reason not to get the best 5X card in Canada!
For your information, this credit card requires no minimum income!
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
American Express Cobalt Card – How to Maximize the Welcome Offer
The welcome bonus is split monthly for the first 12 months. You’ll earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for every $750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X or 5X category).
For the monthly welcome bonus, it is best to shop in the 5X categories:
- 1,250 points for the monthly welcome bonus
- 3,750 points for these purchases in a 5X category
- That’s 5,000 points per month between the welcome bonus and the points earned through your purchases.
That’s a minimum return of about 6.7% for the first 12 months on each of your first $750 in purchases in 5X categories like groceries.
Here’s how you can earn 60,000 points in your first year by optimizing your purchases in the 5 points-per-dollar categories:
| Month | Purchases | Category 5x | Bonus | Total |
| 1 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 2 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 3 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 4 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 5 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 6 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 7 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 8 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 9 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 10 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 11 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| 12 | $750 | 3,750 points | 1,250 points | 5,000 points |
| Total | $9,000 | 45,000 points | 15,000 points | 60,000 points |
60,000 points for $9,000 in purchases over 12 months, that’s a minimum return of about 6.7% if you use your points for a statement credit on any purchase. That’s a value of $600!
Removing the cost of the card fee ($15.99 per month, or $191.88 over 12 months; $191.88 per year in Quebec), you get a net value of around $408 in the first year !
One way to do this is to put your grocery, restaurant and food delivery purchases on the card. On the other hand, there is no point in trying to buy gift cards for other stores like Amazon, SAQ, GAP or Old Navy: under the American Express Canada Membership Rewards terms, buying and reloading gift cards are cash equivalent transactions, which earn no points even when they appear as purchases on your statement. You will not earn 5x points for these purchases.
What about Aeroplan?
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can transfer your points to Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program. The conversion rate is 1:1. So, 10,000 points = 10,000 Aeroplan points.
The welcome bonus of 15,000 points is equivalent to 15,000 Aeroplan points.
By taking into account your minimum spending over the first 12 months and optimizing your purchases in the 5 points per dollar categories, you could earn up to 60,000 points in the first year, which represents a value of 60,000 Aeroplan points!
What about Flying Blue?
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can transfer your points to the Air France KLM frequent flyer program: Flying Blue. The conversion rate is 1:1. So 10,000 points = 10,000 Flying Blue Miles.
The welcome bonus of 15,000 points is equivalent to 15,000 Flying Blue Miles.
Taking into account the minimum spend in the first 12 months and optimizing your purchases in the 5 points per dollar categories, you could earn up to 60,000 points in the first year, which represents a value of 60,000 Flying Blue Miles!
What about Marriott Bonvoy?
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can transfer your points to Marriott Bonvoy. The conversion rate is 1:1.2. Thus, 10,000 points = 12,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
The 15,000-point welcome bonus is equivalent to 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
By taking into account your minimum spending in the first 12 months and optimizing your purchases in the 5 points per dollar categories, you could earn up to 60,000 points in the first year, which represents a value of 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points!
Learn more in this article:
American Express Cobalt Card – Features
American Express Cobalt Card – Earning Points
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:
| Category | Points per dollar |
|---|---|
| Grocery | 5 |
| Home food delivery | 5 |
| Restaurants and bars | 5 |
| Convenience stores | 1 |
| Streaming services | 3 |
| Service station | 2 |
| Transport | 2 |
| Travel | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
Stand-alone grocery stores also sell gift cards (Amazon, SAQ, Netflix, etc.), but under the Membership Rewards terms, buying and reloading them earns no points (cash equivalent transactions). The 5x rate applies to eligible purchases up to a combined maximum of $2,500 in net purchases per month in the 5x categories.
American Express Cobalt Card – Redeem Points
You can use the American Express Cobalt® Card in a variety of ways:
| Use | Points |
| Airline ticket purchases (American Express fixed-point program) | Up to 10,000 points = $200 |
| Travel Purchases with the Card | 10,000 points = $100 |
| Transfer points to Aeroplan | 10,000 points = 10,000 Aeroplan points |
| Transfer points to British Airways Club | 10,000 points = 10,000 Avios miles |
| Transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy | 10,000 points = 12,000 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Transfer points to Hilton Honors | 10,000 points = 10,000 Hilton Honors points |
| Other card purchases | 10,000 points = $100 |
| Buy with points on Amazon.ca | 10,000 points = $70 |
You could even use the Marriott Bonvoy program to transfer your points to other airline programs: 50,000 Membership Rewards points = 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 miles.
American Express Cobalt Card – Insurance
With American Express Cobalt® Card, you benefit from a wide range of insurances:
- Mobile Device Insurance
- Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance
- Flight Delay Insurance
- $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance
- Hotel/motel burglary insurance
- Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan
- Buyer’s Assurance® Protection Plan
Bottom Line
The American Express Cobalt® Card is one of our favourite cards for all the aspects mentioned above.
Every time someone asks “Which credit card should I apply for?” in the Facebook group, many enthusiastic members are quick to praise the American Express Cobalt® Card !
Especially since it is accessible to everyone, as there is no minimum income requirement.
If you don’t have this Card yet, don’t hesitate to apply with this welcome offer and start earning up to 5 points per dollar on your everyday purchases like groceries!
Would you like to apply for this Card and support Milesopedia at the same time? Click here!
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Frequently Asked Questions about the American Express Cobalt Card welcome bonus
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.
How exactly do I unlock the 15,000-point welcome bonus on the American Express Cobalt Card?
The current welcome bonus on the American Express Cobalt Card rewards you with up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points, but the structure is monthly, not a single big spend. You earn 1,250 bonus points each month you spend at least $750 in net purchases during the first 12 months. Hit the threshold every month and you walk away with the full 15,000 points, plus the regular category multipliers on top. Outside Quebec, the card costs $15.99 monthly ($191.88 annually); Quebec residents pay $191.88 per year. Set up a recurring grocery or restaurant charge to comfortably clear $750 each cycle and never miss a tier.
What are 15,000 Membership Rewards points actually worth?
The headline value depends on how you redeem. Used as a statement credit, 15,000 Membership Rewards points are worth a flat $150 (1 cent per point). The far better play is transferring them to airline partners — Aeroplan at 1:1, British Airways Avios at 1:1, Marriott Bonvoy at 5:6, or Flying Blue at 1:1. A short-haul Aeroplan flight starts at 6,000 points one-way, so 15,000 points can cover a return trip Montreal to Toronto. Through the Amex Fixed Points Travel program, the same points can stretch to roughly $300 in flights, which is the redemption Milesopedia recommends to maximize value.
Which categories earn 5x points on the Cobalt Card?
The 5x multiplier is the engine of the Cobalt Card and applies to a generous list of everyday spending: groceries (including most chains), restaurants, bars, food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash. There is a combined cap of $2,500 in eligible purchases per month at 5x, after which earnings drop to 1x. Streaming services such as Netflix, Spotify and Disney+ earn 3x, gas and transit (including Uber rides and STM passes) earn 2x, and everything else earns 1x. However, buying gift cards at the grocery store earns no points: the Membership Rewards terms classify it as a cash equivalent transaction.
Is the Cobalt Card worth keeping after the first year?
For most points collectors who eat out, order delivery or buy groceries weekly, yes — the math works easily. At 5x on $1,500 of monthly grocery and restaurant spend, you generate 90,000 points a year, which transferred to Aeroplan is worth roughly $1,800 in short-haul flights. That dwarfs the $191.88 annual fee. The card also has no minimum income requirement, includes mobile device insurance up to $1,000, flight delay and baggage coverage, and lets you pay the fee in monthly installments, which softens the renewal decision. If your spending shifts away from food categories, the Scotiabank Gold American Express may be a better fit.
For your next Hilton stay, see the Hilton Honors American Express® Card available in Canada and the terms of its current offer.