Aeroplan: Comparison of American Express Cards for Earning Aeroplan Points
- Beginner
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Aeroplan recently modified its terms and conditions to discourage subscribing to multiple Aeroplan credit cards of the same type. To comply with these conditions (and avoid having welcome bonuses withdrawn as has happened to several members), a good strategy is to opt for credit cards whose points can be transferred to Aeroplan.
Let’s review the Aeroplan co-branded credit cards and other options available on the market from American Express.
Aeroplan Credit Cards
It is not recommended to subscribe to a credit card of the same level issued by different issuers (American Express, CIBC, or TD). For example, you will need to choose between one of these “Premium” level Aeroplan credit cards:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $599 | |||
| $599 | |||
| $599 |
And between these “core” level Aeroplan credit cards:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | |||
| $120 | |||
| $0 |
And between these “entry” level Aeroplan credit cards:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | |||
| $0 |
While it will be more complicated to obtain multiple welcome bonuses from Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, there are still many other opportunities to earn Aeroplan points through credit cards. Both through welcome bonuses and organic spending:
- American Express Membership Rewards credit cards
- Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
- Spending made with these cards
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
The American Express Membership Rewards program is a transfer partner with Aeroplan. Therefore, you can convert your Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan points at a 1-to-1 ratio. This means 10,000 Membership Rewards points = 10,000 Aeroplan points.
American Express Canada issues 6 Membership Rewards credit cards.
You can convert your Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan points from any of these American Express Membership Rewards credit cards for individuals:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 | |||
| $250 | |||
| $191.88 | |||
| $0 |
You can convert your Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan points from any of these American Express Membership Rewards credit cards for business:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 | |||
| $199 |
With the welcome bonuses currently offered by these cards, you could earn up to 120,000 Aeroplan points.
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
The Marriott Bonvoy program is a transfer partner with Aeroplan. Therefore, you can convert your Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeroplan points at a 3-to-1 ratio. This means 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Aeroplan points. And for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points converted, you receive 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points.
This means 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 Aeroplan points. And at certain times of the year, you could even receive an additional bonus.
Here are the two American Express credit cards that allow you to earn Marriott Bonvoy points in Canada:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
Aeroplan Family Sharing
According to the new Aeroplan rules, it is prohibited to transfer points to Aeroplan from an account for which we are not the account holder. For example, it is prohibited to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points or Marriott Bonvoy points from one person’s account to a different person’s Aeroplan account.
The Aeroplan Family Sharing feature can be very useful. Consult our article to create your Aeroplan Family Sharing account with identity verification.
Another option is possible: each Aeroplan member can book their own ticket with their points, then request customer service to link the reservations afterward.
Earning Aeroplan Points with Purchases on Your American Express Cards
Now that you have an overview of all the available American Express cards for earning Aeroplan points (and the welcome bonuses offered), let’s look at earning Aeroplan points with your purchases throughout the year.
And particularly with these purchase categories:
- Grocery
- Gas
- Restaurants and Food Delivery
- Travel
- Air Canada
- Other purchases
Grocery
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points with grocery purchases:
The best credit card for earning points Aeroplan with grocery purchases is the American Express Cobalt® Card. With this credit card, you can earn 5 Aeroplan points for every dollar you spend at the grocery store.
Especially since many grocery stores accept American Express credit cards such as: Metro, Super C, IGA, Sobeys, Les Marchés Tradition, etc.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $191.88 |
Gas
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points with gas purchases:
The best credit cards for earning Aeroplan points with gas purchases are the American Express Cobalt® Card and the American Express® Gold Rewards Card. With these credit cards, you can earn 2 Aeroplan points per dollar on gas purchases.
However, note that you could earn 5 points per dollar by using your American Express Cobalt® Card to purchase a gas gift card at the grocery store! This way you can also earn 5 points per dollar on gas, in a roundabout way.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $191.88 | |||
| $250 |
Restaurants and Food Delivery
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points with purchases at restaurants and for food delivery:
| Card | Name | Points per dollar |
|---|---|---|
 | American Express Cobalt® Card | 5 |
 | American Express Platinum Card® | 2 |
 | American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card | 2 |
 | American Express® Aeroplan®* Card | 1,5 |
The best credit card for earning Aeroplan points with grocery purchases is the American Express Cobalt® Card.
With this credit card, you can earn 5 Aeroplan points per dollar on restaurant purchases or food delivery.
This is therefore a card to use if you subscribe to services like Good Food, FoodHero, TooGoodToGo, or can’t do without Uber Eats!
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $191.88 |
Travel
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points with travel purchases (excluding Air Canada):
The best credit cards for earning Aeroplan points with travel purchases are the American Express® Gold Rewards Card and the American Express Platinum Card®. With these credit cards, you can earn 2 Aeroplan points per dollar on travel purchases.
You therefore have plenty of choice if you make many travel expenses during the year such as:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Airbnb
- Car rentals
- Cruises
- Train Tickets
- Etc.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $191.88 | |||
| $250 | |||
| $799 |
Air Canada
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points with purchases from Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations:
| Card | Name | Points per dollar |
|---|---|---|
| American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card | 3 |
| American Express® Aeroplan®* Card | 2 |
 | American Express® Gold Rewards Card | 2 |
| American Express Platinum Card® | 2 |
The best credit card for earning Aeroplan points with purchases from Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations is the American Express®* Aeroplan®* Reserve Card. With this credit card, you can earn 3 Aeroplan points per dollar on purchases from Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations.
If you travel regularly with Air Canada, you will benefit from having an Aeroplan credit card that allows you to accumulate more points on your Air Canada purchases. But also to enjoy benefits when traveling with the airline such as:
- First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 travel companions (with Air Canada)
- No expiration of Aeroplan points when holding an Aeroplan credit card
- Preferred pricing when booking Aeroplan flight rewards
- Insurance during your trips made with your Aeroplan points
- Access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America with the American Express®* Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $599 |
Other purchases
Here are the five best American Express credit cards for earning the most Aeroplan points for all non-category purchases:
The best credit card for earning Aeroplan points for all your other purchases is the American Express®* Aeroplan®* Reserve Card. With this credit card, you can earn 1.25 Aeroplan points per dollar on non-category purchases.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $599 |
Conclusion
As you can see: for all your organic spending, there are many credit cards that allow you to accumulate Aeroplan points directly or indirectly.
If you had to choose just one, it could be the American Express Cobalt® Card. Indeed, with the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn:
| Category | Points per dollar | Details |
| Grocery | 5 | Like Metro, Super C, IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Couche Tard, etc. |
| Restaurants and Food Delivery | 5 | Such as Uber Eats, GoodFood, FoodHero, and all restaurants |
| Merchants with Gift Cards | 5 | Such as Amazon, Walmart, SAQ, Netflix, Home Depot, Rona, IKEA (using the gift card technique) |
| Streaming subscriptions | 3 | Such as Netflix, Spotify (5 points per dollar with the gift card technique) |
| Gas and Transit | 2 | Such as Shell, Esso, Ultramar (5 points per dollar with the gift card technique) |
| Travel | 1 | Such as flights, hotels, Airbnb, cruises, car rentals, etc. |
| Air Canada | 1 | All purchases with Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations |
| Other purchases | 1 | – |
You could combine the American Express Cobalt® Card with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card for the few merchants that would not accept your American Express card.
And to benefit from the advantages offered by the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, such as:
- First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 travel companions (with Air Canada)
- No expiration of Aeroplan points when holding the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
- Preferred pricing when booking Aeroplan flight rewards
- Insurance during your trips made with your Aeroplan points
- 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”).
Featured
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,139
- Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months
- Up to 50,000 points
Apply Now
on TD's website
And if you have difficulty deciding between several credit cards for earning Aeroplan points, consult our comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions About the American Express Aeroplan Card Comparison
Here are some frequently asked questions in the Milesopedia community about these cards.
Which American Express cards allow transferring points to Aeroplan?
In Canada, two families of American Express cards allow you to accumulate points convertible to Aeroplan points:
- Membership Rewards cards: Cobalt™ Card, American Express Gold Rewards Card® and The Platinum Card® from American Express. Conversion 1:1 to Aeroplan
- Marriott Bonvoy cards: Conversion 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points (60,000 Bonvoy = 25,000 Aeroplan points)
Aeroplan co-branded Amex cards (such as the Aeroplan Reserve Card) accumulate Aeroplan points directly, without conversion required.
Which Amex card offers the best Aeroplan earning rate?
The American Express Cobalt® Card remains unbeatable for Aeroplan accumulation via Membership Rewards thanks to 5 points per dollar on groceries and restaurants (up to $30,000 in annual purchases per category). For a household spending $1,500/month on food, that’s 7,500 points/month — or 90,000 Membership Rewards points/year equivalent to 90,000 Aeroplan points after transfer. For travelers with Air Canada, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card adds free checked baggage, priority boarding, and access to Maple Leaf Lounges.
What are the current welcome bonuses on American Express Aeroplan cards?
Welcome bonuses vary depending on promotions, but typical levels are:
- Cobalt™ Card from American Express®: up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points (1,250 points/month for 12 months)
- American Express Gold Rewards Card®: up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card: up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
Once transferred to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, these points can book long-haul business class flights starting at 60,000 miles to Europe or 75,000 miles to Asia.
Can I accumulate welcome bonuses from multiple Amex cards in the same year?
Yes, American Express Canada generally allows you to hold multiple cards simultaneously and accumulate bonuses, provided you have not held the same card in the past 24 months (unofficial policy, but often applied). A common strategy is to open the Cobalt Card, then 3 months later the Gold Card, then the Platinum Card — which can generate over 175,000 Membership Rewards points within a year if you meet the required spending thresholds. Always check the terms of the current offer before each application.
