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RBC Bank and the Bank of Montreal (BMO) both offer credit cards that earn points redeemable for flights on Canadian airlines:
To help you make a choice, let’s look at the main distinctions between these credit cards according to:
The welcome offers on these two cards fluctuate according to current promotions. At the moment, they offer the same number of points, but with different features to consider.
With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡, you can earn up to 70,000 WestJet points:
Plus, get an annual round-trip companion voucher after spending $5,000 on the card.
Based on our assessment, one WestJet point is worth 1 cent. So, this welcome offer is worth $700.
When you sign up for the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you can earn up to 70,000 VIPorter points, plus a few extra gifts:
Based on our valuation of VIPorter points (1.5 cents per point), this welcome bonus, including small extras, corresponds to an approximate total value of $1,249.
In terms of value, the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* has the best welcome offer! However, you’ll need to spend $18,000 over 12 months (average monthly spend of $1,500 for one year) to earn all the points and benefits of the offer. This is much higher than the competing option, where you only have to spend $5,000 to obtain nearly the entire welcome offer.
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ requires a minimum individual income of $80,000 per year or an annual family income of $150,000.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* requires a minimum individual income of $80,000 per year or an annual family income of $150,000.
As they are both Mastercard World Elite cards, the minimum income requirement is identical!
The WestJet World Elite Mastercard RBC® has an annual fee of $139.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* has an annual fee of $199, but it’s waived for the first year thanks to its current welcome offer.
The annual fee for the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ is less than the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*.
However, with the current promotion refunding the annual fee for the first year, your preference will probably be for the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*.
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ and the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* each offer different levels of point accumulation.
With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡, you earn WestJet points on the following purchases:
We value a WestJet point at 1 cent.
With the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you earn VIPorter points on the following purchases:
We value a VIPorter point at 1.5 cents.
VIPorter points and WestJet points are two different kinds of points, each with different values:
So we have to do a little math to figure out which of the two accumulates the most value, depending on our consumption habits. Take the following examples:
200 VIPorter points
($100 x 2 points/$1)
100 VIPorter points
($100 x 1 point/$1)
$4.50
(300 points x 0.015)
150 WestJet points
($100 x 1.5 points)
$3
(300 points x 0.01)
At first glance, the gap seems small. However, the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* pays 50% more than its rival. Considering the accumulation of sums over a year, this difference can really be significant.
These two credit cards earn different points for different airline programs, but the principle remains the same when it comes to how you use them.
WestJet points earned with the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ are credited to the WestJet Rewards membership account.
The WestJet member can then redeem these WestJet points to deduct all or part of the cost of:
Each month, VIPorter points earned with the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* are credited to the VIPorter member account, a few days after the monthly statement is issued.
Then, the VIPorter member can spend their VIPorter points to purchase an airline ticket on Porter flights, but also with two other partners:
WestJet points are a little more flexible than VIPorter points, especially when it comes to purchasing WestJet vacation packages and the number of partners you can access. Plus, WestJet points can be used to pay for the entire ticket, even taxes and other fees. So when you pay with WestJet points, you get a totally free ticket.
This is not the case with Porter, where the territory is more limited and there is no travel agency for packages. In addition, the VIPorter program does not offer the option of paying taxes and fees with points.
However, I recommend that you check the destinations served by Westjet and Porter. Someone living in Western Canada will find more routes available with WestJet, while someone living in Eastern Canada will have more choices with Porter.
With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ you can also enjoy a number of other benefits:
With the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you can also take advantage of several other benefits:
These advantages are hard to beat!
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard stands out from its competitor because its companion voucher is obtained after $5,000 in spending on the card each year.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* stands out for its two annual companion passes, which allow you to save on a second airline ticket.
Unfortunately, you have to spend at least $9,000 to get the first companion pass through the welcome offer, and another $50,000 each year on the card for the second, which is quite high. This is a considerable sum compared to its competitor.
In return, the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* is virtually the only credit card in Canada that gives you high status with an airline, effortlessly. Additionally, it offers privileges such as priority at security, check-in and boarding, not to mention free seat selection. These benefits can greatly enhance your travel experience!
As for the rest, it all depends on you and your personal needs.
The two cards are very similar in terms of insurance.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* offers a few more generous coverages than its competitor. In addition, it offers trip cancellation insurance, which the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ card does not.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* requires that the cost of the travel expense be charged to the card the majority of the time (except for cancellation and interruption insurance, which requires only a portion). However, its insurance coverage for medical expenses is among the best for its duration.
If you want a credit card that covers your travels, even when only a small portion of the expenses have been charged to it, I recommend this article on The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points.
So? Which card is the winner? In addition to the possibility of both being used at Costco, you have a choice.
For its great flexibility thanks to WestJet points, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ is distinguished by:
While the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has a lot going for it:
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
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