Desjardins credit card comparison and alternatives

The Flexi Visa card is very simple and easy to understand.

It has no annual fee and an interest rate of 10.9%. It does not offer BONUSDOLLARS, cashback or points.

It’s a Desjardins card that’s well suited to people looking for a lower interest rate.

The Visa and Mastercard credit cards Boni Visa, Remises Visa and Remises Mastercard are almost identical!

It’s up to you to decide whether you want to receive your rewards in BONUSDOLLARS or in cash.

If you’re going to Costco, the Cash Back Mastercard is the one to take, as Costco warehouses only accept cards from the Mastercard network.

If you want to accumulate even more, have more flexibility and decide for yourself which 2% in cash back category to choose without paying an annual fee, there’s the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card.

Unlike a Cash Back or Bonus Visa Desjardins credit card, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has a welcome offer. This allows you to get ahead of the game and earn much more cash back right from the start.

For example, if you’re planning a renovation or a major furniture purchase next month, simply change the category in your Tangerine profile to get 2% on those purchases. Then make another category change the following month, according to your needs.

In other words, for a $1,000 purchase at a home improvement or hardware store, the discount with the Tangerine card would be $20 (2% X $1,000). With the Cash Back Mastercard, for example, it would have been only $5 (0.5% X $1,000).

After the accumulation of several expenses over the course of a year, this makes a huge difference.

The Cash Back World Elite Mastercard Desjardins is another cash-back card with an annual fee of $100. It is not part of the BONUSDOLLARS program.

Here are the cash rebates it gives cardholders for everyday purchases:

• 4% for grocery purchases
• 3% for restaurants, entertainment and alternative transportation
• 1% cash back on everything else

The Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard is the Desjardins credit card that offers the most grocery rebates!

For a family with growing children or for those with a large grocery budget, there are five other credit cards on the market that offer 5% cash back or 5 points back for every dollar spent at the grocery store:

• The 5 versatile points of the famous and highly versatile American Express Cobalt^® Card
• The 5% BMO Cash Back World Elite^®* Mastercard.
• Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card linked to the Scene+ program (which even gives you 6 points at IGA/Les Marchés Tradition, etc.)
• MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard with 5 points per dollar spent
• And the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® with its 5 points for every dollar spent.

Take the time to compare these cards with our credit card comparator, as well as our articles on the best grocery savings.

Combine a $150 weekly grocery purchase at Super C with a 5% American Express Cobalt^® Card, and the rebate is $7.50 (or 7,500 points).

At the end of one year, this represents $390 in accumulated rewards. And that’s not counting the bonus of 2,500 points for every month you spend over $500 on the card in the first year. We therefore add $25 per month (or $300 per year), for a total of $690.

For the same example, the Desjardins World Elite Mastercard would give you $6 a week, or $312 a year.

So, here’s the summary for a $150 weekly purchase at Super C:

The American Express Cobalt^® Card charges approximately $56 more than the Cash Back World Elite Mastercard. However, this is quickly offset by the cost savings and flexibility of using its points.

The rewards offered by the Odyssey Gold Visa Card are very similar to those of the free Bonus Visa Desjardins Card. It gives 1% for all other purchases, instead of 0.5%.

• 2% in BONUSDOLLARS for restaurants, entertainment, alternative transport and direct pre-authorized payments
• 1% in BONIDOLLARS for all other purchases

What’s more, for an annual fee of $110, it offers excellent travel insurance and access to the Desjardins Odyssey lounge at Montreal-Trudeau airport at a 50% discount. Admission is then $ 22 + tax per adult and $ 13 per child.

**Please note that the accumulation on restaurant purchases and pre-authorized payments will change from January 1, 2024. From now on, there will be a $6,000 cap on annual expenses in these categories. Read the full article on the devaluation of BONIDOLLARS here.

There’s nothing to stop you from having a second card to complement your card and gain free access to airport lounges!

The Desjardins Odyssey Lounge is for travelers in the International Zone of Montréal-Trudeau Airport only. Other cards offer free entry to a wider choice of airport lounges worldwide.

• CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card (4 free admissions per year)
• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card (6 free admissions per year)
• BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard (4 free entries per year)

Depending on your card purchases, some cards offer as many or more rewards than the Odyssey Gold Visa Card.

What’s more, each has an attractive welcome offer that speeds up the accumulation of points:

For $130 per year, the Odyssey World Elite Mastercard earns rewards according to the following scale:

• 3 % in BONUSDOLLARS at the grocery store
• 2% in BONUSDOLLARS for restaurants, entertainment and alternative transportation
• 1.5% in BONIDOLLARS for all other purchases

Its travel insurance coverage is excellent, allowing you to travel with peace of mind. In fact, it provides 8 free accesses per year to the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge at Montréal-Trudeau airport. From the 9th access, there’s a 50% discount on the cost of admission.

**Please note that the accumulation on grocery purchases will change as of January 1, 2024. From now on, there will be a $10,000 cap on annual spending in these categories. Read the full article on the devaluation of BONIDOLLARS here.

The Odyssée World Elite Mastercard has excellent travel insurance, including trip cancellation. However, the entire trip must be paid for with the card in order to benefit. Other credit cards are less demanding, and offer bonus travel privileges:

• BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard:
  • 4 free admissions to airport lounges
  • Advantageous travel insurance with coverage even if the trip was only partially paid for with the card
• National Bank World Elite Mastercard:
  • Unlimited admission to the National Bank Lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport
  • $ 150 annual travel credit to reimburse airport parking, baggage fees, seat selection, airport lounge access and ticket upgrades
  • Attractive travel insurance policies with coverage even if the trip was only partially paid for with the card
  • Triple extended warranty on items paid for with the card

The Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege card is the best credit card at Desjardins!

It has an interest rate of 10.9% and gives 12 free accesses per year to the Salon Odyssée Desjardins. This Odyssey card offers a full range of travel insurance and many privileges.

• 4% in BONUSDOLLARS for restaurants, entertainment and alternative transportation
• 3% in BONUSDOLLARS for groceries and travel expenses
• 1.75% in BONIDOLLARS for all other purchases

**Note that the accumulation on travel purchases will change from January 1, 2024. From now on, there will be a $25,000 cap on annual spending in these categories. Read the full article on the devaluation of BONIDOLLARS here.

The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card is very similar in name. Both credit cards offer the same Visa Infinite Privilege benefits:

• 6 free airport lounge visits with Visa Airport Companion
• Priority lanes at airport security checkpoints
• Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection
• Concierge service

Because it is linked to the Aeroplan program, the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card offers these additional benefits for Air Canada and Aeroplan:

• Free first checked bag for you and up to 8 companions
• Priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling for you and up to 8 companions
• $ 100 discount on NEXUS program application fee every 4 years
• Round-trip companion airfare from $99

The American Express Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card is similar.

For someone who travels a lot and wants to elevate their experience to the Elite level, the Platinum Card^® from American Express is the best.

Don’t forget to take into account the devaluation of BONUSDOLLARS and the increase in interest rates on Desjardins Odyssey cards as of January 1, 2024.

The main categories of Desjardins credit card accumulation are spending on restaurants, entertainment and alternative transportation (including public transit). One of their great advantages is that they also offer excellent travel insurance.

Their only drawback is that they don’t offer welcome offers like most credit cards. This is a real shame. An equivalent card with a bonus points offer increases the value faster than a Desjardins credit card.

For example, a BMO CashBack^® World Elite^® Mastercard earns up to $260 in bonus cash up at the beginning, and its $120 annual fee is refunded in the first year. Even over the years, it will always be more advantageous than its neighbor, the Cash Back World Elite Mastercard, with its $100 annual fee.

But whatever you choose, always remember to always pay your balance in full! Because if you don’t, the savings you’ve made with your discounts, points or BONUSDOLLARS will all be gone.