Head-to-Head: BMO eclipse Visa Infinite vs BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

To the point Here's a comparison of two great credit cards: the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card vs. the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.

Welcome bonus Minimum income Annual fee

Earning points Maximum earning level Basic earning level

Redeeming points Insurance The Benefits Bottom Line

BMO is now one of the few institutions in Canada to offer multiple credit card networks:

Both the Visa and Mastercard credit cards featured in this comparison are part of the BMO Rewards program.

Let’s take a look at the different features of the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card versus those of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard.

Let’s look at the big differences between these credit cards in regards to:

Welcome bonus
Minimum income
Earning points
Using points
Annual fee
Travel Insurance
Benefits

Welcome bonus

The welcome bonus offered by each of these credit cards varies according to promotions. However, there are differences to be aware of between the two credit cards.

bmo eclipse visa infinite card exclusive offer en

When you sign up for the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points, plus thefirst year’s annual fee of $120 will be waived:

40,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first three months
30,000 points at annual renewal if you have made $25,000 in purchases with the card in the first 12 months

When you sign up for the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points as well as a $150 annual fee waiver for the first year :

55,000 points after $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months
3,750 points per month after $2,500 in monthly purchases from the 4th to the 15th month, i.e. up to 45,000 points

Draw

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers more points, but requires much more spending. If your budget allows, this is the best card for getting a lot of BMO points.

Still, most of the welcome offer on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is easier to obtain, with a reasonable minimum spending requirement.

Minimum income

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card requires a minimum income of:

$60,000 (individual)
$100,000 $ (combined)

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard requires a minimum income of:

$80,000 (individual)
$150,000 (combined)

Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is more accessible than the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard (the latter now “outclassed” by the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, which requires an individual income of $150,000 and a family income of $200,000).

Annual fee

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $120 (but has an annual fee waiver for the first year).

However, this card offers an annual credit of $50, which means it only costs $70 a year!

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard has an annual fee of $150 (but has an annual fee waiver for the first year).

However, it comes with four airport lounge visits, which may justify its cost.

Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite

Both cards are free in the first year.

However, afterwards, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card costs less and comes with credit that can be used any way you like: travel, everyday purchases, etc.

Earning points

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offer several levels of point accumulation.

Maximum earning level

With the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar in purchases for:

Groceries
Dining
Food delivery
Gas
Transit

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar spent on travel.

And you get 3 points for every dollar you spend on:

Dining
Entertainment
Recurring Bill payments

Advantage: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is perfect for everyday purchases, with 5 points per dollar for everyday categories such as groceries, gas or local transportation.

For its part, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard will be particularly interesting if you make a lot of travel purchases: 5 points per dollar.

Basic earning level

Outside these accelerated purchase categories, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offer a basic accumulation rate.

With the new BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Draw

Both cards offer 1 point per dollar for non-category purchases. The only advantage of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is that, unlike the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, it is accepted at Costco.

Redeeming points

These are two credit cards with travel points that are part of the BMO Rewards program.

Here’s a chart of your different options for redeeming BMO Rewards points:

Redemption	10,000 points	Value of 1 point
Travel	$71.4	¢0.71
Investment	$66.7	¢0.67
Experiences	$62	¢0.62
Merchandise	$60	¢0.60
Gift cards	$54	¢0.54
Statement credit	$33.3	¢0.33

Draw

Whichever BMO credit card you choose, the best use of BMO Rewards points will be to book travel (airline ticket, hotel accommodations, car rental, etc.) through the BMO Rewards portal. 40,000 points = $285.

Insurance

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers a number of insurance coverages:

Worldwide Emergency Travel Medical Insurance: $5,000,000 and 15 days (under 64 years of age)
Insurance on board a common carrier: $500,000 per person
Vehicle Rental Insurance: up to 48 days
Purchase insurance: 90 days (loss, damage, theft)
Extended Warranty Insurance: Doubling the Warranty
Mobile device insurance: $1,000

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers a range of insurance options:

Worldwide Emergency Travel Medical Insurance: $2,000,000 for 21 days (under 65 years of age)
Flight Delay Insurance: $500 per person
Baggage Delay or Loss Insurance: $750 per person
Trip Cancellation Insurance: $2,500 per person
Trip Interruption Insurance: $2,000 per person
Insurance on board a common carrier: $500,000 per person
Vehicle Rental Insurance: up to 48 days
Rental Vehicle Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance: Up to $200,000
Personal effects insurance when renting a vehicle: up to $2,000
Purchase insurance: 90 days (loss, damage, theft)
Extended Warranty Insurance: Doubling the Warranty

Advantage: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best credit cards in the country for points-based travel insurance. Indeed, for most of the proposed insurances, it is enough to have paid only a part of your trip with the card. Even just the airport taxes for an Aeroplan reward ticket, for example!

In contrast, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card does not offer any travel-related insurance, apart from medical or car rental insurance.

The Benefits

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers a range of benefits:

an annual credit of $50 (per calendar year) for any purchase
10% more points with an additional account holder
access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotels Collection

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers a range of benefits:

4 complimentary passes to airport VIP lounges
Wi-Fi Boingo access
accepted at Costco

Draw

On the one hand, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card comes with a $50 annual credit that you can use as you wish.

On the other hand, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard offers 4 airport lounge accesses, which has a higher value than $50, but is more restrictive: if you don’t use them, it’s worthless to you.

Bottom Line

So? Which card wins this duel?

It’s hard to give a definite winner. In fact, it will be up to each person to make up their own mind according to their needs.

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card stands out from the crowd:

the 5 points per dollar earning for regular purchases
the annual credit of $50

It will be more of a credit card for people who regularly earn points for everyday expenses and do not require robust travel insurance. The points can easily be used for hotel nights or car rentals, for example!