Head-to-Head: BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard vs. WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
- Intermediate
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Both cards advertise a 70,000-point welcome bonus, but not at the same price. The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard asks for $18,000 in purchases over a year, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard only $5,000 over three months. Below $1,400 in monthly spending, the RBC card pays you more in year one.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard and the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard both earn you points you can redeem for flights within Canada. Here is what really separates them, criterion by criterion.
Click a card name to see its full profile. We compare them on six criteria:
- the welcome bonus
- earning points
- redeeming points
- fees and income required
- travel benefits
- insurance
Welcome bonus
Both cards advertise the same 70,000-point total, but you unlock it in very different ways.
| Condition | WestJet RBC World Elite | BMO VIPorter World Elite |
|---|---|---|
| On first purchase | 30,000 points | None |
| First tier | 30,000 points at $5,000 in 3 months | 20,000 points at $5,000 in 110 days |
| Second tier | None | 20,000 points at $9,000 in 180 days |
| Third tier | None | 30,000 points at $18,000 in 365 days |
| On first anniversary | 10,000 points | None |
| Total spending required | $5,000 | $18,000 |
| Bonus value | $700 (1¢ a point) | $1,050 (1.5¢ a point) |
At the second tier, BMO adds a round-trip companion pass and $1,000 in qualifying spend toward your VIPorter status. It also waives the annual fee in the first year. By our valuation, the package is worth about $1,249. BMO itself advertises up to $2,400, based on its own assumptions.
Edge: BMO VIPorter, if you spend a lot. Its bonus is worth close to double, provided you charge $18,000 to the card over twelve months, or $1,500 a month. At RBC, $5,000 over three months unlocks 60,000 of the 70,000 points.
Earning points
A VIPorter point is worth 1.5¢ according to our semi-annual points valuation, a WestJet point 1¢. So we compare the multipliers in value, not in number of points.
| Category | WestJet RBC World Elite | BMO VIPorter World Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Partner airline flights | 2 points, or 2% | 3 points, or 4.5% |
| Groceries | 2 points, or 2% | 2 points, or 3% |
| Gas and transportation | 2 points, or 2% | 2 points, or 3% |
| Dining | 1.5 points, or 1.5% | 2 points, or 3% |
| Hotels | 1.5 points, or 1.5% | 2 points, or 3% |
| Everything else | 1.5 points, or 1.5% | 1 point, or 1.5% |
On $200 split between $100 of groceries and $100 of everyday purchases, BMO returns $4.50 and RBC $3.50. The real gap is 29% in BMO's favour, not double. On everyday purchases, which make up most of a budget, both cards give you back exactly 1.5%.
Edge: BMO VIPorter. It leads in five categories out of six, and clearly on Porter flights. The WestJet RBC only takes the lead back on uncategorized purchases, and barely.
Redeeming points
Your WestJet points pay the base fare, the taxes and the fees on a ticket, so you get a genuinely free ticket. They also work on WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages, and on codeshare partner flights.
Your VIPorter points can be redeemed on Porter, Air Transat and Alaska Airlines flights, but they pay neither taxes nor fees. Porter also has no agency for vacation packages.
Edge: WestJet RBC. Paying taxes and fees with your points makes a concrete difference to the bill. Still, check Porter's destinations and WestJet's: the West is better served by WestJet, the East by Porter.
Fees and income required
| Criterion | WestJet RBC World Elite | BMO VIPorter World Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $139 | $199, waived in year one |
| Additional card | $59 | Not listed |
| Purchase rate | 20.99% (21.99% in Quebec) | 21.99% |
| Personal income required | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Household income required | $150,000 | $150,000 |
In year one it's a tie, since BMO waives its fee. From year two, the WestJet RBC costs you $60 less a year. The income requirement is identical, as both are World Elite Mastercards.
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $199
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Annual fee rebated$199Total$1,249Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,249
- Welcome offer+ one round-trip companion passAfter $18,000 in 12 months
- Up to 70,000 points
- Ends Oct 31, 2026
Apply Now
on BMO's website
Travel benefits
Both cards give you a free first checked bag on their airline. They differ on the rest.
WestJet RBC benefits
- First checked bag free for you and up to 8 people on the same reservation
- A welcome companion voucher from $119 after your first purchase, then a voucher each year after $5,000 in purchases
- Or, instead of the voucher: 30% off a flight, a $200 credit on a WestJet Vacations or Sunwing Vacations package, or two lounge passes
- $200 in tier qualifying spend toward WestJet status for every $5,000 charged to the card
- 3¢ off per litre at Petro-Canada and 20% more Petro-Points
- 50 Be Well points per dollar at Rexall
- Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for up to 12 months
BMO VIPorter benefits
- For you, your authorized users and up to 8 companions on the same booking: free first checked bag, carry-on bag on all Porter fare types, free PorterClassic seat selection, priority re-accommodation for delays, dedicated check-in and early boarding
- One round-trip companion pass per year
- VIPorter Avid Traveller status granted automatically
- $1 in status qualifying spend for every $25 charged to the card
- Points that never expire while your account is open
- Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, which gives you access to lounges for a per-visit fee
- Up to 30% off at Avis, 35% at Budget, 20% at National and Alamo
- Six months of Instacart+ and a $10 monthly Instacart credit
Edge: BMO VIPorter, narrowly. The free carry-on and seat selection matter on Porter, where those fees add up fast. The WestJet RBC answers with its gas discounts and a companion voucher that looks more generous at face value.
Featured
- Annual fee
- $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $700
- Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
- Ends Nov 18, 2026
Apply Now
on RBC's website
Insurance
| Coverage | WestJet RBC World Elite | BMO VIPorter World Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | $1,500 per person ($5,000 per trip) | $1,500 per person ($5,000 per trip) |
| Trip interruption | $5,000 | $2,000 per person ($10,000 per trip) |
| Emergency medical, 64 and under | 15 days | 21 days, up to $5M |
| Emergency medical, 65 and over | 3 days | No coverage |
| Mobile device | Up to $1,500 | Not included |
| Flight delay | $500 after 4 hours | $500 after 4 hours |
| Delayed baggage | $500 | $500 per person after 6 hours |
| Hotel burglary | Up to $2,500 | Up to $1,000 |
| Rental car | Up to $65,000, 48 days | Up to $65,000, 48 days |
| Travel accident | $500,000 | Included |
Before 65, the BMO VIPorter covers you for six more days abroad. From 65, the picture flips: the WestJet RBC keeps 3 days of emergency medical coverage, the BMO VIPorter none. Of the 151 cards we document, 30 drop this coverage entirely at 65: if you are approaching that threshold, plan for separate travel insurance.
Edge: a tie before 65, WestJet RBC after. RBC added trip cancellation and mobile device insurance to its card on November 5, 2025. Both cards now cover cancellation for the same amount.
Your net gain by monthly spending
Here is your net gain in year one, meaning the bonus value minus the annual fee, for four monthly budgets. Companion vouchers are not counted.
| Monthly spending | WestJet RBC World Elite | BMO VIPorter World Elite |
|---|---|---|
| $500 a month | $261 (40,000 points minus $139) | $0 (no tier reached) |
| $1,000 a month | $261 | $0 |
| $1,500 a month | $261 ($5,000 threshold missed by $500) | $750 (tiers 1 and 3) |
| $1,700 a month | $561 (70,000 points minus $139) | $1,050 (all 3 tiers) |
At $500 a month, the BMO VIPorter pays you no welcome points at all: its first tier asks for $5,000 in 110 days, or about $1,383 a month. The WestJet RBC still pays you 40,000 points, since 30,000 land on your first purchase and 10,000 on your first anniversary.
The tipping point is therefore around $1,400 in monthly spending. Below it, the RBC card pays you more despite a bonus worth half as much. Above it, the BMO card pulls ahead.
WestJet or VIPorter: which one to choose?
- You spend less than $1,400 a month on a card: take the WestJet RBC. Its bonus unlocks almost without conditions.
- You spend more than $1,500 a month and mostly fly out of the East: take the BMO VIPorter. It pays up to double and waives its fee in year one.
- You mostly travel west or south: the WestJet RBC, for its network and its vacation packages.
- You are 65 or older: the WestJet RBC, which keeps 3 days of medical coverage. The BMO VIPorter offers none at that age.
Both cards are Mastercards, so you can use them at Costco.
Which card has the better welcome bonus?
Both advertise 70,000 points, but the BMO VIPorter is worth more: $1,050 against $700, since a VIPorter point is worth 1.5¢ and a WestJet point 1¢. It does require $18,000 in purchases over twelve months, against $5,000 over three months at RBC.
How many points does each card earn per dollar?
The BMO VIPorter gives you 3 points per dollar at Porter, 2 points on groceries, dining, hotels, gas and transportation, and 1 point everywhere else. The WestJet RBC gives you 2 points on WestJet flights and vacations, groceries and transportation, then 1.5 points on everything else.
What are the annual fees on each card?
The WestJet RBC costs $139 a year, plus $59 per additional card. The BMO VIPorter costs $199, but BMO waives that fee in the first year. From year two, the RBC card costs you $60 less.
Do the points cover taxes on a ticket?
With WestJet points, yes: they cover the base fare, the taxes and the fees. VIPorter points only cover the base fare, so taxes and fees stay on you.
Which card fits where you live?
Porter mainly serves the East, out of Toronto Billy Bishop, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. WestJet has a stronger presence in the West, out of Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, and to sun destinations. Compare both networks before you choose.
Which one has the better travel insurance?
Before 65, they are close: the same cancellation amount, 21 days of medical coverage at BMO against 15 at RBC, but better hotel burglary and mobile device protection at RBC. After 65, only the WestJet RBC keeps medical coverage, for 3 days.
What happens at 65?
The WestJet RBC's emergency medical coverage drops from 15 to 3 days, and the BMO VIPorter's ends. If you travel longer, plan for separate travel insurance.
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